Preparing For Victory

Shortly before his death, Moses had spent a great deal of time reviewing what how God had blessed Israel, and reminding them of what he had commanded.  While the last few chapters of Numbers contains much of what he said, the book of Deuteronomy gives a far more complete account.  In Deuteronomy 27:1-13, he had instructed them to build a monument and inscribe it with all the laws so that the people could readily check what God’s commands were.   “And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day. 2 And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster: And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.

 

Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster.  And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.  Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God:  And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the LORD thy God.  And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.

 

And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, saying, Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God.  Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day.  And Moses charged the people the same day, saying,  These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin: And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.”

 

After defeating Ai, Israel was only a short distance from Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, so Joshua led the people there to fulfil Moses’ instructions, in Joshua 8:30-35.  “Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal, As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.  And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

 

And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.  And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.  There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.”

 

To many people, stopping to build such a monument and worship God right in the middle of a military campaign, would seem to be taking an unnecessary risk, but Joshua was acting in faith, believing God would give them the victory.  Having seen what happened at Ai when they violated God’s law, he didn’t want to take a chance of the people unknowingly violating God’s commands again.   He made sure they knew exactly what God had said before such a situation arose again.  It is very easy to become complacent in the excitement of victory.  If we really believe God will keep his promises, we need to make a similar effort to be ready when it happens so that we don’t sin against the Lord.