Joshua Chapter 13

The book of Joshua divides into three chapters; 1 through 4 is a record of entering the land promised to Abraham. Chapters 5 through 12 describes how the nation liberated the land from the Canaanites. Joshua chapters 13 through 21 describes how the people took possession of the land.

Chapter 13 is essentially a list of how the land was divided between the individual tribes of Israel. To us, thousands of years later, it seems merely tedious history, easily skipped or skimmed through – no drama, no action, and no application to us today. Or so it would seem. But when we read this like an Israelite we see a remembrance of something very significant. It is dull to us because the Lord has not given us the inheritance of a specific ‘land’.  The Lord promised to these people, “to your seed I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7) and now Abraham’s grandchildren could walk into valleys and hill tops and count the villages that were promised.

Verses 1-7: “Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess. This is the land that yet remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all those of the Geshurites (from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is counted as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim, in the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites, and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath, all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephothmaim, even all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

If we forget all that came before we may take verse 1 as a negative: ‘there remains yet very much land to possess.’ But when we look at a map we see that they had already conquered most of the land! What remained was a strip of Philistine land in the southwest of Canaan and in the north a section of territory approximately 50 miles wide extending from Lebo-hamath to 50 miles north of Damascus. In other words, this land was on the edges of Israel’s land. The first seven verses of Chapter 13 indicate that Israel had achieved a significant dominance in the main part of Canaan. It was not total dominance, but it was substantial. Joshua was ‘old,’ there remained no organized Canaanite resistance movement—it was time to allot the land to the individual tribes who would follow up and extend the conquest from town to town. Even then, the Lord was not leaving them to accomplish all this under their own power but in verse 6 says, “I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel.”

Verses 8-13: “With the other half of the tribe of Manasseh the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them: from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland of Medeba as far as Dibon; and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the boundary of the Ammonites; and Gilead, and the region of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah; all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); these Moses had struck and driven out. Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day.”

This section is very relevant to Christians today. We see the start of Israel’s failure to follow up the Lord’s command to them: to conquer the land that was assigned to them. “Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites …” We read much more of their failure in Joshua chapters 15-17 and Judges chapter 1. I am saying that this is the same struggle that we have in our prosperous ‘Western’ culture. Comfortable Christians tend toward boredom and a subsequent lack of attention to our ‘first love.” (Rev. 2:4). It seems that when Christians are not under some great crisis of faith; enduring great storms; fighting great battles, we tend to get distracted from the simple faith that characterized our early walk with Christ. Granted, it is not easy to patiently plod along with what seems to us to be no big quest or battle. But we should never see things a small when the Lord see them as ‘big.’ Living a simple life of obedience, loving our Lord Jesus Christ and His church, loving our families, loving our neighbors as ourselves, being good workers and citizens wherever the Lord places us … these are not small things!

In the remainder of this chapter (verses 8-33) we see repeated reminders of past battles. Brother Dale Ralph Davis says it best: “All which seem to us as so many lakes, rivers, valleys, plains, and towns all jumbled together. However we must not miss the repeated allusions to Israel’s victories over our old friends Sihon and Og (vv. 10,12,21.27,30-31), not to mention Balaam (v. 22; see Num. 22-25; 31:8). What does this mean? It means that throughout all this geography and topography there are constant allusions to the victories Yahweh had previously given to Israel under Moses. The allusions jog Israel’s memory and fortify their faith in the face of any contemporary enemies; for it is in remembering how Yahweh handled Sihon and Og (Ps. 135:10-12; Ps 136:17-22) that Israel finds assurance that Yahweh will still have compassion on his servants and that his covenant love persists into present prime time as well (Ps. 135:14; Ps 136:19-20). This is the biblical prescription for faith; faith finds both steadfastness and expectancy by rehearsing and reveling in Yahweh’s past acts of faithfulness.” (brother Dale’s quote taken from Davis, D.R. No Falling Words, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1988)

Do not forget the power and faithfulness of Yahweh!

Joshua Chapter 12 contains a list of the kings defeated by Israel. As we read through it we may be excused for skimming and wondering, what is the point? Granted, all scripture is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, etc. (2 Timothy 3:16), but some parts may cause us to wonder. One value of this particular chapter is found again in the thought that Joshua was writing this whole account for his grand-children - to remind them of God’s rich blessings, both as an all powerful Lord and a faithful, covenant keeping Sovereign. Many prophets, including Joshua, have told God's people, do not forget the power and faithfulness of Yahweh! After all, how do you suppose the people of God learn of His faithfulness and His power? The scripture is full of history written for the purpose of reviewing God’s manner of dealing with His people; and this leads God's people to thankfulness and increases their faith. We read Psalms 105, 135, 136 to remind us of God’s faithfulness; the psalm writer follows a pattern of looking back at what the Lord has done. I think John Calvin makes a great point by writing,

“But though each of those (kings) now summarily mentioned was previously given more in detail, there is very good reason for here placing before our eyes as it were a living picture of the goodness of God, proving that there had been a complete ratification and performance of the covenant made with Abraham as given in the words, “Unto thy seed will I give this land.” (Gen. xii.7;xiii.15;xx18.) John Calvin, Commentaries on the Book of Joshua, trans. Henry Beveridge, in vol. 4 of Calvin’s Commentaries, 22 vols. (reprinted ed.; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981), 178.

The list of defeated kings in Chapter 12 is a direct challenge to us - saying, ‘thanks for all your blessings,’ is often used as a prayer of thanksgiving, but it would be better for us to use specific words! Biblical prayers of thanksgiving and praise do not consist of vague generalizations but rather contains specific examples of what the Lord has done. The purpose of remembering the past is to renew our hope and faith for the future. We may say, God works all things for the good of His people, but our faith that He is able and willing to do so is strengthened by remembering what He has accomplished in the past.

As we proceed into chapter 13 we are presented with a problem. Back in chapter 11 verse 23 we are informed that “Thus the land had rest from war.” How can we understand the first verse in chapter 13?

"Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the LORD said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed."

Do we have a real discrepancy in the historical record? To believers and skeptics this is a question that requires an answer. The basic argument for the accuracy and consistency of scripture in this example is based on the definition of ‘war.’ First, we need to remember that wars between nations need instigators and leaders and in the ancient world they were called ‘Kings.’ Prior to the God–ordained invasion of the Israelites the vast majority of inhabitants of Canaan were peasant workers. The land was owned by those very same kings that were listed in Chapter 12. Numerous historical examples prove that motivating the masses to war requires propaganda and direct efforts to demonize the enemy. In one sense, the peasant natives of Canaan were pawns of corrupt kings. But  I am not saying that the peasant natives were innocent pawns of corrupt kings. The Lord is just and his judgment of the Canaanites apparently included all who were disobedient and unrepentant. With the notable exception of Rahab, both kings and peasants were depraved and unrepentant; they were liable to the wrath of God, as are all who "do not honor Him as God or give thanks" (Romans 2:21). Rahab and her family repented and were spared; if there were others who were repentant, I suppose they might also have been spared- the Bible does not comment on that possibility therefore we ought to go no further. The Bible gives us all the information we need to know but not everything we might want to know! It is none of our business.

So back to the apparent discrepancy, I am saying that in a very real way, the defeat of the kings marked the end of organized warfare. The kings were defeated and were no longer instigating and organizing war against the sons of Israel. The land had rest from this kind of warfare. We use the term 'war' to mean anything from warring between nations to 'war' between families about a property dispute. It is clear from the Lord's catalogue of un-conquered territories contained in chapter 13, verses 3 through 6, that much of the land remained to be possessed and the task of possessing the land would take struggles and, to be sure, further fighting. The continuing battles fought would not be wars between nations, neither were they simply disputes about property rights. The battles remaining would be serious fights requiring cooperation between the Israelite tribes. They would be regional battles to displace stubborn occupiers of the Land that the Lord had granted to Abraham and his descendants.

The phrase, “You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed." (v. 1) implies that there was some danger that, at this very point in history, the people might have become weary of these many years of battles. The Lord's command to Joshua, "apportion this land for an inheritance ..." (v. 7) was perfectly timed to match the peoples war-weariness with an appropriate measure of encouragement. We must remember that they had been wanderers their whole lives - their fathers had left their homes in Egypt. Due to their lack of faith they had perished in the wilderness. Their children, these very people who had fought so long to posses the land, had never known a home to call their own. Living in tents, and not having any experience maintaining a homestead or farming the land, we can imagine they could easily revert back to their nomadic ways, continuing to live their lives 'on the road.'

We ought to consider that for these people, living in a home and farming the land may have been as foreign to them as it would be for us to consider living in a tent under an interstate highway overpass. Owning a home and land was a dream that their fathers had! After a lifetime of wandering the wilderness in tents, depending on the grace of God to provide for their necessities, we may excuse them for the fleeting thought that their former life on the road may appear preferable to this Promise Land with a future filled with what seems like endless battles.

But the Lord would have none of that! It is as if Yahweh is simply telling His people to consider the whole land theirs, and to go forward, in faith of that promise and in obedience to His command. This is an encouragement and a command! The land is yours, obey the Lord's command to occupy! Here is another example of godly realism - a realism that informs the people that they will have further battles but the Lord has already granted success because of that promise to Abraham so many years ago.

Our spiritual war has been won by our King, the Lord Jesus Christ. By His atoning sacrifice on the cross, King Jesus set us free, body and soul, from eternal condemnation, and gained for us God’s grace, righteousness, and eternal life. But our personal battles to displace remaining sin will continue till we die or Christ returns. We are realists but we also need the same encouragement that this generation of the sons of Israel required - the land is ours, simply obey the Lord's commands, and go forward!

As believers we are also are in danger of forgetting or forsaking our true inheritance. There may be times when we ponder that false peace we experienced during our former lives of pleasure seeking and worldliness. No struggle with our sin, no struggle with our old friends who approved of our ungodly behavior. We need this same encouragement - we do have an inheritance! This inheritance may be dimly seen, an inheritance which we are only faintly aware and with which we have no prior experience. This passage in the book of Joshua ought to remind us that the Lord has already granted us a "future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). Yahweh is telling us to consider the whole of our inheritance, and to go forward, in faith of that promise and in obedience to His commands.

Anakim

Then Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab and from all the hill country of Judah and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. were no Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod some remained. So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Thus the land had rest from war" (Joshua 11:21-23).

The Anakim were observed some 40 years prior when Moses sent the 12 spies into the land of Canaan to return a report of the land to the people. The Lord commanded Moses to select a leader from each tribe to form this covert reconnaissance team. They are given the command to quietly explore the Negev and the hill country; the land that the Lord had promised to Abraham and to them as an inheritance.

The information they were to gather included the quality of the land; was it a fair land that could support these many people? Were the Canaanites strong or weak? Did the land have trees or was it prairie land? And could you please bring back some of the fruit of the land if you find any?

One must wonder if this was intended as a test of the peoples' faith. Or did Moses think they needed extra assurance from the spies reports? After all, the goal for Moses and the people had been the possession of the Promise Land and they had endured the hardships of this exodus from Egypt with this goal as a prime motivation. They had trusted the Lord so far, why the need of a report? I am not really sure except that in addition to this being a test of faith, this also gave two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, a first-hand look at the land that they would later enter into to do battle. Forty years' later, vital information about fortresses, cities, and armies would be remembered by Joshua. And also, he would remember where to find necessary water and provisions for the many women and children who would depend on him for sustenance.

From the Numbers 13 account, we read that ten of those spies came back with a negative report. The leaders failed to believe God's promises - and the people rebelled against Moses and Aaron. They said the people of the land were too strong for them. To emphasize the point, they referred to 'giants' in the land - Nephilim- the sons of Anak (Anakim) - "we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight" (read more about this shameful incident in Numbers 13:1- 14:10).

So now we read in Joshua 11 that the terror of this unbelieving generation - the Anakim - have been defeated by their children, the following generation. "Then Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim" (Joshua 11:21). The fear of the earlier generation appears so foolish now and the strength and faithfulness of the Lord is magnified! That generation lost the opportunity to possess that great promise of God because they failed to trust in the Lord. The one thing that put the terror into that unbelieving generation, the Anakim, the descendants of the Nephilim, were defeated.

The original two spies, Joshua and Caleb, by the grace of God were allowed to see this in their time. But the unfaithful would not see this fulfillment of the Promise. Later, we see that Caleb not only saw their expulsion from the Promised Land, but was also granted the land formerly occupied by these 'giants.'

I find it interesting that some surviving Anakim emigrated to Gath. Do you recall that other, 'giant' from Gath that later taunted unbelieving Israelites (1 Samuel 17)? Again, we see this unbelief in the great army of Saul unable to muster an ounce of faith and courage to attack this enemy of God's people. A descendant of the Anakim, Goliath by name, caused the army of Saul to be "dismayed and greatly afraid!" (1 Samuel 17:11). Faithful David, another in a long line of those who trusted the promises of God, was able to defeat this descendant of the Anakim.

Application: Most of us have many fears. And at times we are, "dismayed and greatly afraid"  of our own 'giants.' In this passage in the book of Joshua the Lord exposes the groundlessness of the fear and unbelief of the earlier, Numbers 13, generation. The Anakim were not able to thwart the purposes of God. Our most dreadful fears are also subject to the power of God. The point of the account of the defeat of the Anakim in Joshua 11 is that God's power is adequate to meet both the fears of the Sons of Israel of old, and our own fears. The form of our fears are different but the adequacy of our God is the same.

Brother Dale Ralph Davis adds this to our discussion, "In Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan describes Christian's approach to the Palace Beautiful where he hoped to get lodging. He began to walk down a very narrow passage leading to the porter's lodge. Then he saw two lions in the way. Bunyan adds parenthetically: "The lions were chained; but he saw not the chains." That is frequently our case - we fear because we don't see the chains. Yet the fact that Christ sits at the Father's right hand "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion" and has "all things under his feet" (Ephesians 1:20-22) means that every power that would destroy us is chained. But, sometimes, we don't see the chains." (Davis, Dale Ralph No Falling Words, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, pg 101-102)

Conquest of the North - Joshua 11

The death of the Five Kings marked the beginning of the end for the Canaanite Southern alliance. As we read through chapter 10 we are struck by the sweeping advance of this Israelite war machine. Throughout the many years' since these battles, worldly military thinkers have speculated on the 'shock and awe' and 'divide and conquer' aspects displayed in the record of these military battles. The scripture, however, does not allow the reader to attribute these victories to the wisdom or strength of men. Chapter 10 verses 8, 10, 19, 30, 32, and 42, all give credit to the Lord with words like, "The Lord gave ..." or "... the God of Israel, fought for Israel."

Nevertheless, even though the Lord was fighting for Israel, Joshua's freedom to strategize his method of conquest was preserved (human agency active under divine sovereignty). Joshua was, without a doubt, a very talented military leader. We see this same military strategy of dividing an overwhelming force into smaller sections, in this case Southern and Northern kingdoms, duplicated in our own Revolutionary War against Great Britain and during the War Between the States. The other part of his strategy was a concentration of forces. Joshua did not send part of his army to conquer the Southern kingdoms and another part to conquer the Northern kingdoms. He wielded his smaller and weaker forces as a spear point into the heart of the enemy forces.

There is an obvious application here to our own personal challenges. At times we may feel overwhelmed by the immensity of our problems. We may have struggles at work with a coworker or struggles within our own families. Taking this example from Joshua, do you think concentrating your forces on smaller portions of the problem might seem more manageable and less intimidating? We must pray for those whom we have difficulties but the only thing we can change is ourselves - our only attack strategy must be against our own attitudes and our behaviors. But what is our order of battle in our war against sin? Though it is certainly true that we have struggles with sin but 'sin' is an enemy so large as to be overwhelming - it is an enemy too vague and too numerous. Joshua not only had specific enemies but he also concentrated his forces in a specific direction - to gain a certain result. In his case, the camp of the enemy army. Our battle must also be a concentration of our best efforts to obtain a certain result. For example, saying, 'I have bitterness over a specific offense ..." is a specific battle, a battle that requires clear action. So, following the example of Joshua, dividing your many struggles into specific areas and then attacking those areas with all your forces is likely to bring more satisfying results. Of course, just like Joshua and the sons of Israel, all your efforts will be in vain without the Lord giving victory. We follow a Savior who won every battle against sin; one who was tempted as we are but without sin; one who can sympathize with our weakness. We follow a Savior who offers mercy and help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). Prayer and biblical insight via the Holy Spirit must always accompany all of your battles.

Now that the Southern kingdoms of Canaan have been conquered, Joshua turns toward the North. Remember that Joshua is aware of the Lord's command to conquer and occupy the whole of the Promised Land. The Northern kingdom is an even greater challenge as the narrative suggests by the statement in verse 4, "They came out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots." So he now faces a larger opponent (sand at the seashore) and more technologically advanced (chariots). Note in verse 6 the Lord again gives assurance of victory, "... tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel ..." The Lord also commands them to, "hamstring their horses and burn the chariots with fire." I take this as a cautionary warning that Israel not be tempted to put their future trust in such weapons (chariots) but to trust the Lord, only (Psalm 20:7). The Lord insists that his people recognize that their help comes from Him, maker of heaven and earth; therefore He sometimes denies us some of our favorite machines. For example, we are tempted to seek our own superficial pop psychology ‘solutions’ to deal with our sin problem. Has the Lord not given us specific 'means' for dealing with our sin? But Oprah Psych is much more palatable than confession and repentance! Are we tempted to seek church growth innovations to deal with making worship more relevant? Has the Lord not told us how He desires to be worshipped? But apparently making people ‘happy’ and 'entertained' is easier than obedience!

From the Northern Canaanite perspective, they were aware and outraged by Israel's easy victory in the south and they were determined to present a unified defense of the North. The leader of the coalition was King Jabin, king of Hazor. He assembled a council of war with the other Northern Kings. Kings from Madon, Shimron, and Achshaph, and all the kings (verse 1-3) “in the north and in the hill country" agreed to contribute their fighting forces to this great army of the North. The grand coalition army assembles together near Meron (pronounced, MEE rahm - see page 6 for illustration on the order of battle and its location), to fight against Israel.

Joshua was aware of the coalition and its strength. Joshua was aware of the relative weakness of his own forces. But with the speed and suddenness which is characteristic of all his military movements, Joshua, with his smaller force, fell upon the camp and totally routed this huge and powerful army. The fugitive Canaanites seem to have divided into three parts, one taking the road north-west to "Great Sidon," another southwest to "Misrephoth-maim" (which means, smelting-pits by the waters), and the third fleeing east toward the "Valley of Mizpeh." In each direction they were hotly pursued by the Israelites. One by one their cities were taken. The cities in the valleys were burned, but the cities on the hills, except for Hazor, were left standing. We will note here that these battles, south and north, must have taken around seven years. In Joshua 14:10 we read that forty-five years had passed since the spies returned to Kadesh. Subtract the thirty-eight years wandering in the wilderness we calculate seven years had passed since they entered the Promise Land and the end of the occupation battles.

To review, we find here that the wars under Joshua put Israel into possession of Canaan and broke the power of its inhabitants. The native Canaanites were not exterminated and not all of the cities were taken by Israel (see Joshua 13:1-6). This is no surprise when we read what Moses wrote much earlier (Exodus 23:28-30), “I will send hornets ahead of you so that they will drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you. “I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. “I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land." Canaan had been given to Israel by God, but much more was left to be done. Only by the same faith that they expressed in pursuit of  war could they achieve the occupation of their Promised Land. Any conformity to the pagan culture surrounding them or toleration of those remaining Canaanites and their paganism, nor any loss of passion for the Glory of God by which they had entered the land, would result in spiritual weakness and eventual triumph of their enemies. 

The lesson for us is obvious and important. To us also has our Joshua given entrance into Canaan, and victory over our enemies. Our enemies being the world, the flesh, and the devil. We have present possession of the land - our salvation is sure. But we do not yet hold all its cities, nor are our enemies exterminated - our sanctification is not complete till we enter our heavenly rest. Our part is to exercise constant faith, no compromise with the enemy, no end to our warfare. And though we have an obligation to fight the good fight, we also are unable to persevere and conquer without the aid of our God.

Question: Who is the King of glory? Answer: Yahweh, strong and mighty! Yahweh - mighty in battle (Psalm 24:8).

This is one of the major themes in the book of Joshua - the Lord, strong and mighty in battle! We have already noted that in every situation, including all the battles, Joshua gives credit to the Lord -- the Lord God as warrior who fights our battles and gives victory according to His purposes. In previous articles, we examined Joshua's overall 'divide and conquer strategy' for occupying the Promised Land. We discussed the battle with the Five Kings and the defeat of southern Canaan. Next we will see (starting in chapter 11) Joshua moving against the Northern alliance of Canaanite kings.

Before we follow Joshua as he turns north, I want to discuss a question that has been asked throughout the ages - Does the doctrine of God's sovereignty necessarily kill human efforts including our efforts to spread the gospel? You may ask, “What has this question to do with the book of Joshua?”

Let us think about it for a moment. Joshua keeps telling the people that the Lord is strong and mighty; the Lord fights for them; the Lord has promised to give them the land; the Lord will give the victory. So the question was the same for them - Why should we put on armor, and why should we train for battle when the Lord is the one who sovereignly ordains that we live in the Promised Land? Will our lack of effort thwart God's eternal plan?

There is no record of Joshua or the people asking this question, nor do we see this attitude displayed anywhere in this book. Even when God so clearly tells the people what He plans on doing, (see Joshua 10:8) the people obediently and enthusiastically participate in the work by going forth to battle. And that is what I want you to see, that these divine reassurances do not stifle the efforts of God's people but actually stimulate the godly to work obediently and enthusiastically. The truth of God's sovereignty, when understood correctly, does not weaken human response. Historically we see that a good solid understanding of God's sovereignty energizes the efforts of believers. We also know this experientially when it dawns on us that God's sovereignty also means that even with our best efforts, we are assured that God will give success to His purposes.

We do love our plans, don't we? But that does not mean that God will see to it that all our plans will work out. When the pre-incarnate Christ appeared to Joshua the question was, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?” Christ, otherwise known here as the Captain of the Lord's host, replied, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD” (Joshua 5:13-14). I take the ‘no’ here as another way of saying God's eternal decree is independent of the will of man. Could it be any different knowing the limitations of the human mind? It would take a big ego to actually think that we might make better decisions than the God who is omniscient, just, and benevolent to His children. No, clearly the Captain of the Lord's host, Christ, is doing the will of the Father and not obligated to the will of man. Even as much as we hope and pray for it, we may not place any obligation upon God to give us success in whatever we plan, but we are assured that God is all wise, merciful, and has all good intentions toward His people.

All of us have a calling from God. You may be called to work serving others, or you may be called to make a product. You may be called to study the Word and to preach. Whatever your calling, you are called to do your duty to 'the glory of God' and as such, to work to the best of your ability. "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men ..." (Col3:23). There are no insignificant callings, and the trash man is of no less value than the preacher.

What if something beyond your control happens to change your intended plan? Assuming you have done all that is humanly possible to assure success, you have an assurance that God is sovereign even when things don't work out as you have planned. What a blessing this assurance can be! When you prepare for work, you will do all that you can to assure success, and when the day is done, though all things seem to fall apart, and at the end of the day all you hold is a basket full of frustration, you can affirm with all confidence that the Lord is sovereign over all things. When you pick yourself up the following day, are you tempted to throw up your hands and give up?  Perhaps, but those believers, trusting in the One who redeems their work for His purposes--- even in the worst of days---will give their very best efforts in whatever task that is assigned to them.

If you are a preacher, you will prepare and preach your heart out. Yet even then, Sunday afternoon you may feel that your preparation and preaching might have been in vain. Nevertheless, you leave the results in the Lord's hands and start fresh Monday morning in wholehearted preparation in anticipation that the Lord may meet with you and, through your study, bless His people.

If you are a Christian parent and have faithfully brought your children to worship, patiently explained the gospel, exampled the life of a believer in your marriage and your interaction with your children, yet your child rejects the gospel, you may rest assured the Lord has not lost His sovereignty. You continue to pray, live the life, explain the gospel, and above all to love your child in all hope that the Lord may perhaps someday save your child for His glory.

If you are a health care professional, it is likely that someday you will unintentionally err in your treatment of a patient. But you study hard to keep up with the best information so that whatever diagnosis or treatment option you may have missed the previous day you will not miss again. You will pray for the patient that, though suffering, they will find comfort in the gospel and proper treatment.

If you are a truck driver, you may find yourself missing a delivery date due to something beyond your control, or you may be involved in some sort of mishap. You mark that down as a lesson learned, putting it behind, working and studying to improve your future performance. Even with a loss of wages you may be confident that, having given it your best effort, the Lord works all things for His glory and your ultimate good.

If you are an airline pilot, you will often find yourself subject to the lack of performance by many other people with resulting challenges added to your own responsibilities. Not everyone is a believer; therefore, many will lack a divinely given moral code and added motivation to do all things 'as to the Lord.' In a more extreme situation a terrorist may blow up your aircraft. Even in death, you will know that you did the best you could in a situation that was certainly ordained by the Lord who loves His children.

Indeed, in the worst of cases, you know that the Lord has ordained not only the outcomes of your life but also the day of your death - and that should give you great comfort. Whether you live with great successes or great disappointments, the fact of God's great love and His sovereignty ought to give you great hope but never cause you to neglect your best efforts.

No doubt, though we acknowledge full faith in the sovereignty of God, we will continue to have our fears and anxiety about various outcomes. In this life we will all experience this tension, but a solid understanding of God's sovereignty ought to help us in our doubts and fears. Who is able? The Lord, strong and mighty, He is able!