First Baptist Church
With this season of football playoffs and the upcoming Super Bowl, I have watched some of the antics of the players on both the winning and the losing sides of each contest. Some athletes cry on the sidelines while other celebrate by slapping each on the back. Some quietly answer the media’s questions with seemingly canned answers while others cannot stop talking about their accomplishments as though they are solely responsible for the outcome of the game. One player even mimicked urinating like a dog on the end zone of his opponent. We are waiting to see how much the fine will be for that move.
In the book of Joshua, we read of some great battles. We read of a great defeat and many great victories. But what is interesting to me is what Joshua chose to do after a great victory. While there was no media in his day to interview him, I doubt he would have fallen into that trap. Perhaps the build up to this victory will give some perspective.
TheIsraeliteshadmarched into the promised land as God had ordered. They had come to a large and high-walled city, Jericho. God gave them a strange battle plan of marching around the city and blowing trumpets. After they followed God’s instructions, He knocked the walls down flat and they ran in and conquered the city.
Fresh from their victory, the Israelites headed out and found a small town with a small name, Ai. They did not pray. They did not seek God’s plan for this one. They sent a small force to destroy the city but were turned away. What they did not know was that Achan had stolen some of the treasure from Jericho against God’s instructions. God told them who it was, and they dealt with the sin. Then they prayed and asked God’s plan. God told them how to win. They followed God’s plan and won a great victory.
What is interesting is what they did after the victory and that is the focus. Let’s read:
“Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones on which no man had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. He wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written, in the presence of the sons of Israel. All Israel with their elders and officers and their judges were standing on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the stranger as well as the native. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had given command at first to bless the people of Israel. Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers who were living among them.” (Joshua 8:30–35, NASB95)
After such a great victory, they did not celebrate and gloat over their enemies. They did not attempt to take the credit themselves. Joshua did not hold a press conference or write a book of 12 Easy Steps to Conquering Your Enemies. They worshipped. They focused on God. They sacrificed. They remembered where their victory came from. Just as they had cried out to God in their desperation, they were now crying out for him in their exultation. They reviewed the law to make sure they did not repeat the sin of Achan. They obeyed.
We would do well to follow Joshua’s example. When we have defeats, setbacks or challenges, it is easy to think of prayer, God’s Word, repentance and obedience, but we must be even more focused on these things when we win lest we think WE won. What would it be like for us all to go to church on Sunday and to worship, repent, and give God the glory for anything good in us? I think it just might cut down on any church conflict, but it also might just help us see the glory come down. Let’s give it a try!