Daily Lesson for Thursday 23rd of October 2025
Read Exodus 17:7-13 and Joshua 6:15-20. What similarities do you find between these two war narratives? How do they differ?
The first time Israel fought after the Exodus is recorded in Exodus 17:1-16, where the Israelites defended themselves against the Amalekites. Israel had witnessed God’s almighty power in both afflicting the Egyptians and leading the Israelites to freedom. We have seen that God’s initial plan for Israel did not include fighting against other people (Exodus 23:28, Exodus 33:2).
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But shortly after their deliverance from Egypt, the Israelites started to murmur on the way (Exodus 17:3), even questioning God’s presence in their midst. It was at this moment that Amalek came to fight against Israel. This was not by chance. God allowed the Amalekites to attack Israel so that the Israelites might learn to trust Him again.
Without compromising His principles, God comes down to the level where His people are, continually calling them back to the ideal plan: complete and unreserved trust in divine intervention. In fact, the law of warfare (Deuteronomy 20:1-20) was given only after the 40 years of wilderness experience, which was also caused by Israel’s unbelief. New circumstances demanded new strategies, and it was only then that God required Israel to completely annihilate the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 20:16-18).
Besides the reality that war became a necessity for the children of Israel, it also turned out to be a test of their allegiance to Yahweh. God did not give up on them but allowed them to witness His power by experiencing total dependence on Him.
The participation of the Israelites in the conquest is evident from the conclusion drawn by Joshua at the end of the book. Here the Canaanites are said to have been fighting against the Israelites (Joshua 24:11). While the collapse of the walls of Jericho was the result of a divine miracle, the people of Israel had to be actively involved in the battle and face the stubborn resistance of the city’s inhabitants.
Israel’s participation in armed conflict became a way to develop unconditional trust in Yahweh’s help. Yet, the people were always reminded (Joshua 7:12-13; Joshua 10:8) that the outcome of each battle ultimately lay in the Lord’s hands, and the only way they could influence the outcome of a military conflict was through their attitude of faith, or unbelief, toward the promises of the Lord. The choice was their own.
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