Facing Back to Back Battles! (Joshua 9 &10)

Sorry it has taken me so long to get these 2 chapters out!

Feel free to comment your thoughts! 💕

I just went through Some Battles Back to Back to Back.....which put me all in my feelings, and then I realized I had already read 9&10 before this happened and ..... Joshua and the Israelites went to Battle BACK to Back to BACK in these 2 chapters as well!!! When I tell you I feel I been walking through this whole Bible Study in Real Life.....I Really Been Feeling it!! 💕

Is there a battle you’re facing right now that feels back-to-back?

Here's my My Takeaway from Chapters 9& 10:

(and I Pray it Helps you!)

The enemy is the Master deceiver!

• Do Not Listen or Accept the Lies from the enemy....even when they may sound good or "seem" to be true.

• ALWAYS Take EVERYTHING Before God...DONT Neglect Prayer!

• Don't Make Vows!!! (Matthew 5:33 talks about this too)

• Even if we mess up and we wake up and acknowledge we have been deceived the Lord Can Still fix our Mess ups when we call on Him!

He can Still Turn it to our Good for His Glory!

When Life (or the battle) Feels Overwhelming:

We sometimes face situations that seem overwhelming…

& The enemy will literally try and come at us from Every angle/direction. Which may make the battle seem impossible and never-ending.....

We also may even feel hurt, and wore out… BUT remember…

Have Faith and Don’t Be Afraid or Discouraged!

The Lord our Faithful Father is Always with us wherever we go… even when we can’t feel Him!

Take Everything before God and Wait on Him… (PRAY)

Even if you’re feeling impatient and like you can’t wait…

…WAIT...... and TRUST…

Cause He will Lead us through it!! And WHEN We Do get through it, We WILL Have Even MORE Courage and Strength than we Did before!!

…the Battle Always Belongs to the Lord, and it has Already been Won 💕

NOW....If you want to Read a quick little detail of what actually happens in Chapters 9 and 10 you are more than welcome to, BUT I encourage you to grab your Bible and Read it for yourself because quick details are just Not the Same In my Honest Opinion!!!

SO......Starting in Chapter 9

The Deception of Gibeon:

All the Kings west of the Jordan in the hill country heard about what happened in Jericho and Ai, so they formed a unified alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel.

BUT… the people of Gibeon decided to take another route and deceive Joshua and the Israelites instead!

They told Joshua they came from a distant land and asked for a treaty.

Joshua questioned them: “Who are you and where do you come from?”

They answered: “Your servants from a faraway land.”

They claimed it was because of the reputation of the Lord & all He did in Egypt, and to King Sihon and King Og....

But they NEVER mentioned Jericho or Ai… (which is part of the deception because that JUST happened, and how would they know if they were truly from far away?!)

Then they lied about their provisions:

Lies Told:

• Bread was warm when they left

• Wineskins were new

• Clothes & sandals wore out from travel

Truth:   The bread was already dry and crumbly, the wineskins were cracked and mended, the clothing was threadbare, and the sandals were patched!

Joshua and the Israelites believed everything without seeking the Lord’s guidance first… and they made an oath.

Three days later they found out they had been deceived — but it was too late.

God is the Same Always!! So once they made an oath in His name, they had to keep it. (Important reminder: Turn to God first for guidance and NEVER make an oath in His Name!)

Joshua confronted the Gibeonites: “Why did you deceive us? For now you are cursed and will ALWAYS be slaves!”

They admitted they feared for their lives because they knew God commanded Moses to give Israel the land and destroy the people.

So basically — they knew they were going to die if they didn’t do something sneaky. They would rather lie and be slaves than be destroyed.

So the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water carriers for the community and the Lord’s altar.

Now lets Quickly go through Ch. 10

Five Kings vs. Gibeon:

The kings of Jerusalem were VERY confused when they heard about the peace treaty between Gibeon and Israel, because Gibeon was a Large and Royal city with Really good fighters!

When God has large royal cities with strong fighters choosing to lie and be servants to His people rather than fight them… that’s saying something!!

Five kings joined forces with their armies and surrounded Gibeon.

The Gibeonites sent word to Joshua in Gilgal (place of remembrance).

Before heading out, Joshua heard from the Lord:

“Do Not Be Afraid of them. For I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will withstand you!”

Joshua and the Israelites marched all night from Gilgal to Gibeon, and the Lord threw the enemy into confusion.

They fled, and the Lord sent Large Hailstones down on them. More died from the hail than from Israel’s sword.

Meanwhile, the five kings fled and hid in a cave at Makkedah.

Joshua told the men to roll large rocks over the cave entrance and guard it while the others continued fighting.

After the enemies were defeated, Joshua had the kings brought out. He told the commanders to put their feet on the kings’ necks and said:

“Do Not Be Afraid or Discouraged. Be Strong and Courageous, for the Lord will do this to all the enemies you fight.”

Then Joshua executed the kings and hung them until evening.

After that — it was Battle after Battle after Battle… and they won every single one!

Then they returned to Gilgal 💕

Drop a 💕 if you’ve felt this study in real life too — I’d love to hear your heart

⬇️I would Love to hear your thoughts! Let's stay connected...Feel free to respond and leave a comment below!!⬇️

Joshua 1 Bible Study --> Walk in Authority! Know your territory, set up boundaries, and never leave people behind (Joshua 1)

Joshua 2 Bible Study --> Faith Makes the Invisible....Visible (Joshua 2)

Joshua 3&4 Bible Study --> Take action on your Faith (Joshua 3&4)

Joshua 5&6 Bible Study --> The Battle Belongs to the Lord...Walk by Faith! Joshua 5 & 6

Joshua 7 Bible Study --> God’s Anger, Achan’s Sin, and the Wake-Up Call We All Need (Joshua 7)

Joshua 8 Bible Study --> Always wait on the Lord's instructions (Joshua 8)