Surrender

Bible:

At the end of three days after [the Israelites] had made a covenant with [the Gibeonites], they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them. . . . Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them.

Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us? Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place that he should choose. Joshua 9:16, 18b-27 ESV

The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. Psalm 34:22

Reflection:

When there is a war, and one side is knows it is beaten, it will often surrender to the other side. Surrendering can be a way to save the lives of many people, even though the losers might become prisoners or give up the things they were fighting for. During the American Civil War, General Sherman led Union troops on a cruel March to the Sea across the southern states. They burned food supplies along the way, leaving hungry people behind. Many men fighting for the Confederacy deserted. The city of Savannah surrendered to the Union because it knew it couldn’t fight and win a battle against the marching Union troops.

The Gibeonites knew the power of the God of Israel and that they couldn’t possibly win, since God was fighting for his people. They also knew that they were doomed to God’s judgment. They did the only thing they could think of to do; they tricked the Israelites into making a covenant of peace with them. It was like a surrender. They became the servants of Israel, but they saved their own lives by doing that. The Gibeonites were happy to be alive and felt that they ended up with a good deal.

We were also doomed to God’s judgment because of our sins. We’re a little bit like the Gibeonites. We come to the God who has the right to punish us and look for mercy instead. We can’t trick God the way the Gibeonites tricked Israel, but we can be sure of his mercy because of what Jesus did for us. Jesus died to take the punishment for our sins, and we have forgiveness and mercy from God because of that. We love and serve God, and he calls us his own and helps and cares for us always.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for showing us love and mercy in Jesus, our Savior. In His Name, Amen.

Source:

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/shermans-march-sea

God Declares War

Bible:

And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.” Exodus 3:18-22 ESV

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Psalm 77:11-15 ESV

Reflection:

Near the end of the American Civil War, General Sherman of the Union army led a brutal and destructive “March to the Sea,” which showed the power of his army in the southern United States. He took over land in South Carolina and Georgia and gave a special field order that the land was to be given to freed black slaves. Every family was to get 40 acres of land to start its own farm. This order didn’t last. Blacks that had settled on land given to them soon had to turn it over to its original owners after the Civil War.

When God acted to free his people from slavery in Egypt, it was as if he went to war with the king of Egypt and its people. He told Moses that the king would not let Israel go until God did many wonders against them. God would show his power and punish the Egyptians for making his people slaves. He would force them to let his people go. God was going to lead his people to their own land, but before they left he also told the women of Israel to ask for jewelry and clothing from the Egyptians. Just as 40 acres of land might have been seen as a payment to America’s freed slaves, this jewelry and clothing would be a kind of payment for the years of slavery the people of Israel had given to the Egyptians.

We were once slaves to sin and the devil, but Jesus came to go to war with sin and the devil for us. Satan thought he had Jesus beat when he saw him on the cross, but he was wrong. Jesus’ death destroyed the power of sin and the devil. He proved it when he rose again from the dead the first Easter Sunday. We are free to belong to Jesus and serve him always, and he will someday bring us to our heavenly home, were we will live with him forever.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for going to war for us and setting us free to be your own people always. Amen.

Source:

The Truth Behind ’40 Acres and a Mule’