The Lord is our Defender, our Strong Tower, our Refuge

I have been studying Joshua most of this school year with the help of a Precept upon Precepts study guide. It has been really good and refreshing.

Recently a friend, a student here in Madrid, shared about some hard things going on with her and her church where she feels wronged. It is a complicated situation. Anyway, it made me think of some situations I've been in where I desperately want to defend myself, but where it seems like the best thing is allow the Lord to be my defender.

This morning as I spent time with the Lord the passages that I looked up, as cross-references to Joshua 16-17, spoke to this same idea:

"When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. An dwhen you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.'" - Deuteronomy 20:1-4

"Cuando salgas a la guerra contra tus enemigos, si vieres caballos y carros, y un pueblo más grande que tú, no tengas temor de ellos, porque Jehová tu Dios está contigo, el cual te sacó de tierra de Egipto. Y cuando os acerquéis para combatir, se pondrá en pie el sacerdote y hablará al pueblo, y les dirá: Oye, Israel, vosotros os juntáis hoy en batalla contra vuestros enemigos; no desmaye vuestro corazón, no temáis, ni os azoréis, ni tampoco os desalentéis delante de ellos; porque Jehová nuestro Dios va con vosotros, para pelear por vosotros contra vuestros enemigos, para salvaros." - Deuteronomio 20:1-4

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call." - Psalm 20:7-9

"Estos confían en carros, y aquéllos en caballos; mas nosotros del nombre de Jehová nuestro Dios tendremos memoria. Ellos flaquean y caen, mas nosotros nos levantamos, y estamos en pie. Salva, Jehová; que el Rey nos oiga en el día que lo invoquemos." - Salmo 20:7-9

"A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears will endure. A wicked man puts on a bold face, but the upright gives thought to his ways. No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord." - Proverbs 21:28-31

"El testigo mentiroso perecerá; mas el hombre que oye, permanecerá en su dicho. El hombre impío endurece su rostro; mas el recto ordena sus caminos. No hay sabiduría ni inteligencia, ni consejo contra Jehová. El caballo se alista para el día de la batalla, mas Jehová es el que da la victoria." - Proverbios 21:28-31

"Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes." - Psalm 60:11-12

"Danos socorro contra el enemigo; porque vana es la ayuda de los hombres. En Dios haremos proezas, y él hollará a nuestros enemigos." - Salmo 60:11-12

"He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God..." - Psalm 78:5-11

"El estableció testimonio en Jacob, y puso ley en Israel, la cual mandó a nuestros padres que la notificasen a sus hijos; para que lo sepa la generación venidera, y los hijos que nacerán; y los que se levantarán lo cuentan a sus hijos, a fin de que pongan en Dios su confianza, y no se olviden de las obras de Dios; que guarden sus mandamientos. Y no sean como sus padres, generación contumaz y rebelde; generación que no dispuso su corazón, ni fue fiel para con Dios su espíritu..." - Salmo 78:5-11

"Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered." - Psalm 105:5

"Acordaos de las maravillas que él ha hecho, de sus prodigios y de los juicios de su boca." - Salmo 105:5

Two disclaimers:

(1) These passages talk an awful lot about battle and war. I am by no means condoning "holy wars." What happens in my heart when I realize that the Lord is my defender and avenger, the one who fights my battle, is that I no longer take that role as my own. I become much more compassionate because the Lord's wrath is much more just and much more intense than my own. Some how I let go instead of trying to go to war. If you read the book I referenced it really puts it all into perspective and actually takes on more the tone of Philippians 2:1-11 (see below).

(2) I also don't mean to say that all the conflict and little "battles" that we have makes it between us and our "enemies." Ephesians 6:10-12 puts this into perspective, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places..."

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Interesting enough, the reason the study had me look up these passages is that in Joshua 17:14-18, the sons of Joseph see their opposition and are dismayed. The argue with Joshua and tell him that he must give them some other land because the people who have occupied their land are too big and too powerful. After reading the previous chapters of Joshua, there is a huge contrast between these people and Caleb, who by this time is old, but who trusts the Lord to deliver the land to him.

Also, as a side note, a GREAT book that I recommended to her is "The Tale of Three Kings" by Gene Edwards. It talks of David and his relationship with Saul and his son Absalom, and particularly how he trusted in the Lord to fight his battles instead of taking things into his own hands and killing these kings.

One more little note, I put the Spanish above because somehow I like how these verses read better in the Spanish than in the English.

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by being obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:1-11