Thursday: The Second-Best Option
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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We are very good at looking back at the Exodus Israelites through our Christian-tinted glasses, making comments about what they should and should not have done in their interaction with the nations around them. We must remember they were coming out of captivity and were at the bottom end of this whole monotheistic “God” idea. Consequently, when we make judgements that they did not understand how God really wanted them to interact with other nations, we need to bear in mind where they were at. Imagine how difficult it would be to tell a million people that there was a better way to take possession of the land. The only way they knew about was to fight. That was the way they did It in those days. (And that is the way we still do it – if we are honest with ourselves)
That brings me to the point that if God had a better way back then and the reason they did not follow that way was that they still had a lot to learn about a loving caring God, are we any better with all our knowledge of God through the Bible?
Learning is a very powerful thing. I have spent just about the whole of my life in the pursuit of education. I have a string of academic letters after my name that take up two lines of text, I have a PhD in Computer Science. But the biggest and most humbling thing I have learned from all this study is just how little I really know. I essentially know about a drop of water, when there is a whole ocean out there to understand and appreciate.
We are still at the bottom end of the learning curve about this “God thing” and we should probably understand from studying the Exodus Israelites that we too should seek God’s better way.
Dear Maurice – reading your comment, I had the feeling that you might be open to finding out more about 'what we know so little about – “God’s better Way”'. I wish we could sit down together on a comfortable bench surrounded by beautiful nature and have a chat about ‘God’s better Way’ revealed to us through 'loving God with all our heart'.
Referring to Israel’s relationship with God, you point out that ‘we also are still at the bottom end of the learning curve about this “God thing”, and that we should seek God’s better way.’ Early this morning, before reading today’s lesson, a clear thought had formed in my mind which I want to share with you as it helps me understand God’s 'better Way'.
1 John Ch.4 speaks to God's 'better Way' - trusting its benevolence. Only through loving God can God's better Way be revealed. To answer your question: ‘no - we are not any better then the Israelites with all our knowledge of God through the Bible.’ Israel’s experience is our experience – needing to learn to love and trust God - in order to be blessed by Him.
Fears still confound us - preventing us from moving forward with confidence in the ‘better Way of unconditional surrender and trust in God'. Loving and trusting God unconditionally will resolve our struggles/conflicts - 1 John 4:18: ”There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
What is “the second-best option” in scripture? In the Bible there are times when human disobedience, unbelief, or due to the hardness of heart makes God’s original or ideal plan unattainable as He intended in the first place. However, in His power (sovereignty), God still works through human failures to achieve His purpose. God cannot fail to bring His purpose to fruition regardless of human disobedience or rebellion. God has got second alternative causes of action to achieve His original purpose. God is a “genius” in adopting situations to achieve His divine purpose. This is a manifestation of God’s grace and sovereignty to work with imperfect humans (Romans 8:28). This is God’s grace meeting us in the consequences of our bad choices.
God has always a plan to make the best out of the worst human scenarios for His glory. The “second-best option” is a reminder of the tragedy of sin and redemptive power of God’s grace. The devil thought that he had won at the Garden of Eden, but God had the “second-best option” which was devised before the foundations of the world were laid. God is the ultimate winner no matter how hopeless the situation might look like. He transforms human failures into instruments and opportunities for His glory.
In Matthew 19:8, Jesus articulated the theology of “the second-best option”.
“Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning”(Matthew 19:8,NIV)
Divorce was never part of God’s perfect design but a concession, a “second-best option” allowed to manage the consequences of human sin and stubbornness. This is divine grace meeting human weakness.
Something about today's study raises more questions than answers, especially pertaining to our "attitude of faith." This line, to be specific, (Deuteronomy 20:1-4). It may seem strange that even with all God had done for Israel, they approached God from a "quasi-belief" perspective. Yes! They had seen the hand of God in action – in Egypt, at the Red Sea, through the wilderness, and through the Jordan, and even at the moment – the sun stood still, or hailstones ravaged the enemy's troops (Exodus 14:13-31; Joshua 10:12-14). Yet, they still placed uncertainty at the forefront.
God involving them in mission was to communicate to them firsthand that He is fighting for and with them (Deuteronomy 1:30; 20:4). This troubling inconsistent believing would be a consistent character in Israel's journey, and God Himself would raise a concern over Israel's conditional faith throughout Scripture (Jeremiah 35:1-19, for example, where through the family of the Rechabites, God compares their obedience to Israel). Israel frustrates God, but His mercy and love over Israel protect Israel (Psalm 78:38-42). Right now, and even today, we have had God with us daily, we study His Word daily, but we take His commands conditionally (Matthew 7:21-27).
Whereas today we speak about the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) or the Three Angels' messages (Revelation 14:6-12), we only share this message in closed quarters – to ourselves during Sabbath, to our families (maybe), and other Seventh-day Adventists. Note that even after the cosmic messages in Revelation 14:6-9, deep within the bowls of judgment, God still offers a way out to inhabitants of Babylon in Revelation 18:4, a similar approach is witnessed in Deuteronomy 20:10-11. But what's our approach today? 2 Peter 3:9 reveals a unique character of God, but listen to us in our message of "hastening" God, forgetting our calling in a mission of "rescuing the perishing" but selfishly aiming towards "heaven" – but alone (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Like "Joshua's" Israel, we come to God and serve Him, but with myriad conditions, today. Is this what we should do, really?
When God called Moses and by extension Israelites, He didn’t promise an easy road (Exodus 3:10–12). In fact, Moses himself never made it to the promised land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 34:4–5). But God did promise His presence (Exodus 33:14), and His perfect provision (Deuteronomy 2:7; Philippians 4:19). We all have gone through seasons in our lives that give us a wilderness experience (Deuteronomy 8:2–3). Passed through roads that felt like dead ends or the roundabouts that circle us around and around, naturally we could have preferred a good map to show us how to navigate those turns (Proverbs 3:5–6). But the God-given promises, and God’s unfailing presence, are ours to claim (Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20).
God directed the Israelites’ route, not “along the road toward the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby,” but “around toward the Red Sea” (Exodus 13:17–18). God wasn’t calling them out of oppression and then letting them stumble around, waiting for the stars to direct their steps; rather, He had a specific path for them to follow, one in which He would lead and they would have to learn to trust and follow Him faithfully (Psalm 37:23–24; Isaiah 48:17). God may not lead us on the easiest or shortest route to our “promised lands,” but He leads us on the best route,one that shapes our faith and dependence on Him (Romans 8:28; James 1:2–4). Just as He guided Israel with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21–22), His Word and Spirit now guide us (Psalm 119:105; John 16:13).
We must exercise faith at all times. Most of our worries and anxieties come from the fact that we forget how the Lord has brought us here. And this results in a variety of illnesses we suffer. It is time to practice more communion with the Lord so we can inherit our greatest promised reward: living with Him eternally!
This is amazing while GOD IS LEADING Israelites showing them great miracles and love and Israelites falling in problem because of their unbelief :to me this is great learning because still today our heavenly father is calling us to obey him and live but still we are not remembering what he did with Israelites .That’s why we are sining against God .With God everything is clear there’s no secret and one he will judge everything according to his word and purpose.
We often do not want to except second best. With God we never have to swallow second best. Now yes, the author had a different second best in mind. Yet in Christ we are not taking second best we are humbling ourselves before our maker message that even atheist could accept if they so choose.
Humble me, humble me oh Lord, humble me to do thy will.
The Humble and Contrite in Spirit
Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My Word. Isaiah 66:1-2.
This is my God, I believe with action of love for Him thus for others. No, not with action, lights etc., Yet in humble service, I do. Don't watch me, rather turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of this earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace. Amen! Page 290 in our hymnal.
The discussions above remind me of Hitler's plans to Exterminate the Jews. Hitler and the Nazi leadership did consider and sometimes pursue alternatives such as forced emigration or mass deportation (the so-called Madagascar Plan, emigration drives, ghettos, or deportation to the occupied East), but those were never a sincere “second-best” humane policy; they were either temporary measures, logistical schemes, or steps that helped make mass murder easier. By 1941–42 Nazi policy had moved decisively to systematic extermination (the “Final Solution”).
The rationalizations I read above concerning the Canaanites sound hollow, justifying God for mass murder, ethnic cleansing.
Jordan, a surface comparison would lead to those conclusions, but I don't think there was much in common between the Jews of the 1930s and 1940s and the Canaanites. It would probably be more appropriate to compare the Canaanites to the Nazis themselves as they were very evil. They were even offering their children as sacrifices. To me, it would be pretty evil of God to stand by and allow that to continue indefinitely. Not so great for the innocent children dying. And God gave them 400 years to clean up their lives. At some point, mercy has to run out.
This may not satisfy you - it's not an easy situation to explain. But if we know the character of God, we can trust that He did what was right here.
I've said before that there were huge stakes as well. It was crucial that God's people survive so Jesus could come to earth and save everyone. If that didn't happen, there wouldn't be any Canaanites today. They would have destroyed each other. In fact, I wager a guess the whole world would have been destroyed through Satan's influence. Which is worse, that or God committing "mass murder"? I'll leave you to decide.
I think sometimes we forget that God's justice is also part of His love. The destruction of the wicked who have decidedly rejected His offer of mercy is the best God can do for them, because He created human hearts with a longing for Him and all efforts to fill that hole with something else - including all the degrading religious practices of the Canaanites can never lead to happiness.
The destruction of the Canaanites was an act of divine judgment. Through the journeys of Abraham, the desert prince, and the altars he left behind, many had learned of the Creator God, and some had worshiped at his altars. During the 430 years of the slavery of Abraham's descendants, his legacy may have been largely forgotten.
But then the Canaanites heard of the deliverance of the slaves from Egypt through the miracles performed by their God. They heard of the crossing of the Red Sea and the drowning of Pharaoh's army. They heard of the daily manna, and then they witnessed the crossing of the Jordan in flood season. And just one woman and her family switched allegiance from the degraded worship she knew to the worship of the Creator God.
Abraham had traveled through Canaan as a respectful guest. He did not fight the inhabitants and God did not fight for him. But when the Israelites returned to Canaan, the people had become so degraded that their period of probation was over, and God executed judgment on them - whether directly or through the weapons of the Israelites.
As C.S. Lewis points out in Mere Christianity, "All killing is not murder any more than all sexual intercourse is adultery."