Drive 'em OUT!
Joshua speaks to the house of Joseph – his two sons’ descendants – to take the country that is allocated to them. There are 2 specific instructions: Cut down the forest Drive out the Canaanites God was not making it easy for the people of Joseph. First, they need to cut down the forest & then wage war! He also adds that the people they fight are powerful (iron chariots) and strong. Yet, the command – and if we look at it differently – the promise it gives – ‘you shall drive them out’, though they seem more powerful than you. It requires faith and obedience to believe, to walk out & to do what the Lord says. A very interesting message here is – ‘you shall drive out the Canaanites’. As a promise, it seems the Lord has given the enemy into the hands of the children of Israel & they were enabled to go & conquer. As a command, it seems don’t just go to war with them and be satisfied in defeating them. Don’t keep them as slaves in some corner of their land. Don