Sabbath: God Fights for You
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 25th of October 2025
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 15:16; Leviticus 18:24-30; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Exodus 23:28-30; Deuteronomy 20:10,15-18; Isaiah 9:6.
Memory Text: “And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel” (Joshua 10:42, ESV).
The book of Joshua contains some disturbing scenes. Serious questions are raised by the concept of a divine or holy war portraying a group of people with a God-given mandate to destroy another group.
The issue of divine war in the Old Testament is challenging. God appears in the Old Testament as the sovereign Lord of the universe; therefore, everything that happens must, somehow, be related to His direct or indirect will. So, the question “How can God allow such things?” becomes inevitable. Last week, we saw that God Himself is involved in a conflict that is far greater than any war or battle fought in human history, a battle that permeates every aspect of our lives. We saw, too, that the events of both biblical and secular history can be fully understood only in light of this conflict.
This week, we continue to explore the complexity of divinely sanctioned wars, the limitations and conditions of divine war, the final vision of peace offered by the Old Testament prophets, and the spiritual implications of such wars.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 1.
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One of the issues that will come up in this week’s lesson is the depravity of the Canaanites and Philistines. Most eastern Mediterranean religions were highly sexual. Gods such as Baal were essentially fertility gods and their worship was mainly to do with crop, animal and human fertility. If you look at their calendar of festivals many of them are associated with crop planting and harvesting.
Part of this religious environment was imitative or sympathetic magic. This was the idea that by performing sexual acts themselves they would stimulate Baal and his female partner Astarte to engage in divine sexual acts and ensure rain and productive crops and herds. To aid this we see temple prostitution, both male and female, where people were set aside for this practice.
It is also notable that much of the symbolism used by these religions was highly erotic. Phallic symbolism in objects such as standing stones and obelisks, and columns. Bull worship was largely sexual in nature and persists even today in bullfighting in some Mediterranean countries.
It is useful to remind ourselves that in our modern world, we have largely abandoned any religious sexual association, and sex has become a commodity of the worst kind. Sexual exploitation is a serious issue, even in countries like Australia and the USA. When we point back to the ancient religions and show their depravity, we must look at our own society and be conscious of what is happening now. There is no excuse for smugness on our part.
Thank you, Maurice, for this thought-provoking introduction. I appreciate when research is done on such matters, and your approach provides valuable insights into the experiences that shaped religion and culture without making assumptions. It's easy to judge others from our limited perspective, often fueled by little knowledge or cultural conditioning, and label them as "wicked or evil" (Matthew 7:1-5). However, this approach can make us judgmental, rather than fostering genuine piety.
I've come to realize that many ancient cultures struggled with fertility, whether it was human, animal, or land-related, often intertwined with weather patterns, disease, and pests. This led to a significant focus on worshiping gods of fertility in polytheistic settings and mystic arts in monotheistic contexts. For instance, in Egypt, we see Min, Osiris, and Amun; in Roman culture, Dionysus, Demeter, and Priapus; and in Canaan, Baal and Asherah – all associated with childbirth, maternal prosperity, and fertility.
While these ancient struggles may seem distant, we must recognize that our modern struggles have become our own centers of worship – money, power, and sex (1 John 2:16). Even as Christians, we can get caught up in opulence, recognition, and self-exaltation. This week's reflection should encourage us to look beyond our differences and focus on God's goodness, rather than comparing and judging others (Romans 2:1-4).
God's favor on Israel didn't diminish the existence and relevance of others – the Gentiles – but gave Israel an opportunity to showcase a loving God and point nations to true worship (Exodus 19:5-6). As we reflect on "God fighting for us", let's awaken to our humanity and weaknesses, and become useful missionaries, sharing God's truth without prejudice (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).
Your english wording, to showcase a loving God, over gainst the utter corruption of Canaanite religion, caught my attention. I do not know, how to translate "showcase" into my mother tongue.
In his last sermon Moses was using indirectly the illustration of a showcase to incarnate wisdom, visible by looking at Israel keeping God`s commandments. The nations would recognize Israel to be a great, wise nation, unique in the whole world, having no equal (Deuteronomy 4:5-6). This would attract people to the God of Israel as the God of the whole world.
Moses warned Israel not to repeat the abominaions of Egypt, where they once dwelt, nor the abominations of the land of Canaan, they are going to enter (Leviticus 18:1-3).
Had Israel heeded these admonitions of Moses, sacred history would have been very different. The universal blesssing, involving the whole world, given to Abram in the context of the promised land, would have been fulfilled (Genesis 12:1-3). Instead, we are confronted with the erradication of people, cities, districts and lands as judgement was to be executed, inasmuch as repentance was refused and time of probation had run out (Genesis 15:16).
So we are left today with the admonation of "Today" beeing the day of salvation, decision and repentance (Hebrews 3:13-15).
As Christians, we are painfully aware that we are involved in a battle for our souls. In this battle, we’re outmatched and outclassed because our enemy has thousands of years of experience and all the time in the world to think of ways to hinder our journey. Trust God. This may sound simple, but trusting God takes effort—it takes faith. In the book of Joshua, we see powerful examples of how God fights for His people when they put their trust in Him. When Joshua led Israel against Jericho, victory came not through strength or weapons, but through obedience and faith. The walls fell after the people followed God’s command to march around the city for seven days and shout as He instructed (Joshua 6:2–5, 20). God fought for them because they believed and obeyed His word.
The biggest challenge many Christians face is letting God fight the battle for us. We may say, “The Lord will fight for you,” but living that truth requires surrender. Joshua faced this same challenge when five Amorite kings rose up against Israel. Yet, as Joshua trusted God, the Lord threw the enemy into confusion and sent hailstones from heaven that destroyed more of them than Israel’s army (Joshua 10:10–11). When Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still so the battle could be won, God answered with power, showing that nothing is impossible for Him (Joshua 10:12–14). These moments remind us that God is not only with us in the fight—He is the One who secures the victory. Our role is to trust, obey, and stand firm while He fights on our behalf.
When God fights for you, ………
1. The size of your enemy no longer matters.
2. Your weaknesses are covered by His strength.
3. You are a winner.
4. You are in perfect peace even when surrounded by your enemies.
5. You have a song of joy in your heart.
6. Your fears become your confidence.
7. The Word of God alone is all you need.
8. You become a champion of champions.
9. You have a blessed hope beyond this life.
10. You have no fear of anything.
“But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Isaiah 54:17, NL;T).
The Jewish leaders asked Jesus to heal the Roman army officer’s servant, saying, “He is worthy for he built us a synagogue” (Luke 7:4-5). In other words, “This one deserves your love and miracles because of his contributions we admire, he has earned your attention.” But the Roman army officer himself sent word to Jesus, saying, “I am not worthy. I’m not even worthy for you to come under my roof” (Matt. 8:8). Jesus was astonished at his humility and faith (are those the same thing?) and made the statement, “I say unto you, many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven….” Matt. 8:11
“Sit down” stands out for me (pun alert 😊). Getting into the Promised Land, the kingdom of heaven, is a sitting-down affair. It’s not about impressing God by building churches and counting baptisms. It’s not Peter brandishing his sword in the Garden of Gethsemane to protect Jesus. It’s not Judas selling Jesus to the religious leaders to push Him into acting the way he thought Israel’s Messiah should act. It’s not Abraham and Sarah using Hagar to get their own son of promise to help God do what He said He’d do. It’s not Jacob deceiving to get the promised birthright, or fighting a strong wrestler at the brook to protect himself from his brother Esau.
It is accepting the fight against evil that Jesus has already won. It is about opening not our mouth (Is. 53:7), not fighting people and circumstances when our instinct is to fight accusations and injustices flying at us.
What about “Onward Christian Soldiers”? Aren’t we supposed to fight? I believe that the fighting is only internally, fighting against apathy and doubts, striving to keep our faith in Jesus alive (1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7-8). It’s about sitting down in the kingdom of God and letting Him battle for us, open doors for us, protect us in spiritual warfare…. Our job is to pray and process His Word all day, vigilantly watching how He is delivering us, cheering Him on (this is how I think of prayer requests because He is already always working for us), thanking Him, being ready to act when He asks, and always sharing our testimony of what He has done and is doing for us!
It is quite obvious that created man is tempted to align God’s Will and Way with his own. But our God informs us that ‘His Ways and Thoughts are higher than ours - Isaiah 55:10-11.
If we truly believe that God's Word contains/expresses His Spirit of benevolence, accurately rendered in Scripture, why does His Will cause us to struggle with its implications? Would it not be better to trust Him instead of judging His Will, and acknowledge all His Ways as 'good’? Do we or don’t we trust God's Spirit - His Justice, Mercy, and Grace - to be 'omnipotent', 'omniscient', and omnipresent?
The question: “How can God allow such things?” is quite telling in and off itself as it questions God’s authority and integrity. Are we not then acting like Lucifer when thinking 'there has to be a better way'? Instead of doupting God, it is important to know that His enemy is ours - wanting to cause us to question God's Will and Ways - Eph.6:11-13.
Disparaging, questioning God’s perfect Will is the way of the adversary. To save humanity, there is no better Way than God’s Grace and Mercy to search for willing hearts and minds ready to accept His Will. Yes, questions are asked, though, ultimately we say “not mine, but Your Will be done.’ God stands ready to become the Protector and Shield to all who ask - 2.Samuel 22:31; Prov.30:5.
In some respects you are right Brigitte, but we have to consider that we deal with those who question God's ways and serving them up with the notion that they are never going to understand is not going to solve any problems. And, even in my own mind, I try and resolve contradictions when I come across them. It is not that I am questioning God, bur rather I see contradicotry pictures of God, and want a resolution.
Putting it another way - the question, "How can God allow such things?" is not questioning God's authority in itself; rather it is an admission that we do not understand something and want to find out more.
The tension between faith and understanding often humbles human pride. Those who rely only on intellect or human wisdom may struggle to grasp God’s ways, because His truth is spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Faith doesn’t reject understanding, but it recognizes that divine wisdom surpasses human reasoning. In this way, God often disqualifies the proud and self-assured thinkers while revealing His truth to the humble and trusting (Matthew 11:25). True understanding, then, begins not with pride in knowledge, but with a heart willing to believe even when it doesn’t fully understand.
Maurice – I am not suggesting to dismiss a person’s questionings. There is nothing ‘wrong’ with “not understanding God’s Way and Will and wanting to find out more”. The problem arises when this person decides to judge God to be ‘merciless' based on their own understanding.
As Christians, we have come to accept Sodom and Gomorrah, the destruction of Jerusalem and the ‘infidels’ to be 'judged' at Jesus return. But we struggle to accept as 'God’s Will' that which seems ‘innocent’ in our own eyes - and in this lies the danger. Juding God's Will plays into the hands of God's adversary - the original 'usurper' of His Will. God's messenger angel assuaged Abram's fear and concern for the 'innocent'.
God moved heaven and earth to demonstrate His unconditional compassion and love for mankind. Ask those who doubt that 'God’s Way of Mercy and Grace' can answer all their questions if they know of a better source for their answers - Rom.8:27-29.
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I love this comment Brigitte…. the starting point is trust. Amen. It might not be the starting point for unbelievers, but for believers it is. And because of that, for myself, I get very excited when I’m reading the Bible and something I’m reading doesn’t square with my understanding of God, or how He operates, or how He wants me to operate.
Excited because I know there’s an “aha“ around the corner for me if I’m open to the Holy Spirit’s teaching. And even better, I think that the more confusing or wild or off-track the biblical concept is in my mind, the greater the possibility that I’m on the edge of a new understanding which could revolutionize my walk with God!
Here’s a quick example from my Bible study yesterday. Now with this one, I didn’t even know I was confused about it. It’s the text about being kind to those who wrongfully treat you and in so doing you will “heap coals of fire upon their head” (Rom. 12:20; Prov. 25:22). I always thought it meant that your kindness would make them uncomfortable for their unkindness, cause them to squirm a bit if you will, and guilt them into changing their attitude. What if I read that verse and assumed that interpretation and said “I don’t like a God like that” and dismissed the Bible because of it. A sort of “vengeance is Mine” and God does the vengeance through us.
But no, that’s not the meaning at all! And now that I think of it, that interpretation doesn’t sound very Christlike at all. Instead, the image actually comes from the ancient practice of carrying a container of hot coals on one's head to a neighbor to rekindle their dying or dead hearth fire.
So beautiful. My love for Jesus can be kindling for someone else’s love for Jesus. Each moment’s nugget of warmth from God’s heart coming through me can light a transforming fire in someone else’s head and heart. That just brought tears to my eyes! That’s a much better understanding of God!
So I’m enjoying this study and discussion about fighting with God’s leading that we see in the Old Testament. Because it is difficult to align with, I think it has lots of opportunities to positively impact our understanding about God.
It is reassuring to know that God is not asleep while witnessing the horrors caused by sin in the world. We have Someone Who fights for Justice.
Joshua 10:42 reminds us that “Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.
The story of Joshua shows that true victory does not come from human strength or skill but from trusting God’s power. Even when the battles of life seem overwhelming, we are not alone the same God who fought for Israel still fights for us today.
Divine battles in Scripture remind us that God’s goal is not destruction but deliverance. He fights to remove sin, fear, and evil so that His people can live in peace and freedom. Our role is to trust, obey, and stand firm in faith because the battle belongs to the Lord.
In the same way, through the Home Sector Empowerment program, we are moving forward with God in front of us, guiding every step. As we reach out to households to share the good news of Jesus — His death, burial, and resurrection — we trust that God Himself is fighting for every soul we visit.
When God is leading, no obstacle is too great and no heart too hard.We are working by faith, knowing that the Lord will fight for us as we remain faithful to His mission.