Topic: Wednesday Evening Bible Study
Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime
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Strategy – a plan, method or series of maneuvers for obtaining a specific goal or result
The Word of God gives us two things to help us win in life:
- Warnings
- Strategies
Ephesians 4:26-27 NKJV (26) “BE ANGRY, AND DO NOT SIN”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, (27) nor give place to the devil.
Place – (Greek: topos) a marked off barrier as in a state or city border.
This verse is made up of three phrases:
- Be angry and sin not
- Do not let the sun go down on your wrath
- Do not give place to the devil
There is an anger that is a Godly anger that we need to mention and talk about. We need to get angry at the works of the devil. (Example: sickness and poverty in the Body of Christ) These things are illegal on God’s property.
The object of this verse is not to get rid of the wrath; it is to stop the sun from going down on it.
We are not to tolerate the works of Satan in our lives and nothing should stop us from winning.
We fight until we win. We don’t fight until circumstances say we have to stop. We stop the circumstances so we can finish the fight and then let the circumstances take care of themselves.
When circumstances arise, and they will, we are not to give back any territory to the devil.
Joshua 10:1-15 NKJV Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it—as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, (2) that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. (3) Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, (4) “Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.” (5) Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it. (6) And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.” (7) So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. (8) And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.” (9) Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. (10) So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. (11) And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword. (12) Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” (13) So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. (14) And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. (15) Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
Second only to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, this is probably the greatest miracle in the Bible.
The parting of the Red Sea was a great miracle but it only impacted that one part of the world.
When Joshua stood and commanded the sun and the moon to stand still, it affected the entire earth and actually affected it forever.
(What is humorous about this is that sun was actually standing still. What Joshua really wanted was for the earth to stop rotating and the moon to stop its orbit. God knew he would understand astrology someday so He did it anyway.)
God stopped the earth from rotating for almost twenty-four hours and yet gravity still worked.
Think about the people on the other side of the earth and the sun never came up for them. That was a long night.
Joshua commanded the sun to stand still because he had a battle to finish.
Background Information:
These kings were afraid of the children of Israel because they had defeated the city of Jericho. Remember how well-fortified Jericho was as the walls were thick enough that six chariots could race side by side around the wall. They then defeated the city of Ai.
Five kings’ names represent five ways that Satan comes to distract us in order to defeat us:
- Adoni-zedek – King of Jerusalem
- Hoham – King of Hebron
- Piram – King of Jarmuth
- Japhia – King of Lachish
- Debir – King of Eglon
- Adoni-zedek – King of Jerusalem – means Lord of righteousness
Satan will always come at you with some form of religion in order to deceive you. Through a minister, or scriptures, etc. to get you to drop your guard. Adoni-zedek was Satan’s counterfeit for Melchizedek, the priest and King of God.
Melchizedek was long gone and the iniquity of the Amorites had crept into the city of Jerusalem and the people no longer served God. The people were wicked and the King simply took on a Godly title but did not represent what the title meant.
This is what Satan did in the garden and also what he did when tempting Jesus in the wilderness.
- Hoham – King of Hebron – means voice of a multitude
Satan will come to you and tell you that you are the only one that is experiencing this situation and everyone else is normal.
If you have the Word on a matter, it does not matter what the multitudes are doing, you go with God.
When you are standing on the Word of God, there will be those that will not understand or agree with you. Your friends and family may not agree.
There will be times when you have to stand on the Word of God when no one stands with you. You will have to know that when you are on the Word, God stands with you and will defend you.
- Piram – King of Jarmuth – means wild ass or donkey
This represents confusion and instability. Satan will endeavor to bring confusion and then try and force you to make a decision during that time of confusion. Never make a decision during that time; wait until the confusion is gone.
When in that time of confusion, pray for clarity and wisdom and then make whatever decision that you need to make.
Satan will try and get you to act in that time of confusion.
God will always give you time for confirmation.
- Japhia – King of Lachish – means bright or dazzling
Satan will always try and make the world and the world’s way more dazzling and attractive.
He tries to make Christianity seem boring and un-attractive.
The world may be dazzling but there is NOTHING behind it.
- Debir – King of Eglon – means oracle, Satanic or false doctrine
These things are his attempts to present you with something diametrically opposed to the Word of God.
Acts 16:16-18 NKJV (16) Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. (17) This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” (18) And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.
What the little girl was saying sounded right but in Paul’s spirit, he knew it was wrong and cast the devil out of the girl.
These kings represent the onslaught of the enemy that comes against us at times. The children of Israel had defeated one army at a time up to this point.
Always remember,
1 John 4:4 NKJV (4) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Remember the promise that the Lord gave to Joshua:
Joshua 10:8 NKJV (8) And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.”
- The Lord said for them to “Fear not.” Fear comes when you see the size of the army that has come out against them.
The enemy in the natural outnumbered the children of Israel.
The enemy had superior weaponry.
- The Lord said, “I have already delivered them into your hands.”
This promise has always been that the land was theirs and now the Lord told them that this enemy would be defeated as well.
2 Peter 1:3 NKJV (3) as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
Colossians 2:13-15 NKJV (13) And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, (14) having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (15) Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
- Not a man of them shall stand before you.
The Lord told them what the outcome was going to be before they ever went to the battle.
Romans 8:37 NKJV (37) Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV (14) Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
Joshua 10:10-11 NKJV (10) So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. (11) And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
- You do your part and the Lord will do His part. He will do the bigger part if you do your part.
Joshua 10:12-14 NKJV (12) Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” (13) So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. (14) And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.
We do not fight until the sun goes down, we fight until we win!
What is standing in your way that is telling you that God’s promise cannot come to pass?
- You need to be angry at the devil and quit tolerating his works in your life.
- Don’t let circumstances around you stop the fight.
- Don’t let Satan have any area of your life.
- The Refuse to give up any ground!