Iron Chariots

Good morning,

This has been such a strange morning, and I've only been up for an hour and a half...
It started out innocently enough.  I woke to the pounding rain and thunder, got up, made the coffee and began delightedly puttering around the kitchen.
But, then, a friend reached out who needed encouragement.  And, then, I learned of another who needs encouragement.
In both cases, these women are facing "iron chariots".

In Joshua 17, the descendants of Joseph (the famous one, of the many-colored coat) came to speak to Joshua.  These are the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.  They were complaining that they had not been allotted enough land for their many people. The land adjacent to their allotment was fearsome country.  Furthermore, it was inhabited by fierce people with big weapons.  The tribes of Joseph were scared, pessimistic and unbelieving.   Joshua 17:14-18 - - -

14 Joseph’s descendants said to Joshua, “Why did you give us only one tribal allotment[e]as an inheritance? We have many people, because the Lord has been blessing us greatly.”

15 “If you have so many people,” Joshua replied to them, “go to the forest and clear an area for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, because Ephraim’s hill country is too small for you.”

16 But the descendants of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who inhabit the valley area have iron chariots, both at Beth-shean with its towns and in the Jezreel Valley.”

17 So Joshua replied to Joseph’s family (that is, Ephraim and Manasseh), “You have many people and great strength. You will not have just one allotment, 18 because the hill country will be yours also. It is a forest; clear it and its outlying areas will be yours. You can also drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

To quote Peter Pett in his commentary, "They had arrived expecting to find a land flowing with milk and honey and had instead found one full of forests and mountains and flowing with chariots!"
Doesn't that describe our expectations about the Christian life, at times?  We so very much want "the sweet bye and bye" to be the "here and now", don't we?  Don't we so often want ease and comfort, with minimal effort and without having to exercise our faith?  God has decreed that such isn't His usual way for His children.

It is normal to be scared when faced with huge obstacles, such as the advanced weapons of Joshua's day.   But, therein lie tremendous opportunities to advance God's kingdom and bring Him glory!  I would love to tell you that God always removes the "iron chariots" or allows us to overcome them. But, sometimes, a victory over such a foe takes a long, long time.  We aren't always given David-Goliath situations where, with one sling of the slingshot, the enemy goes thundering down.

I love how Joshua encouraged these two tribes.  He prophesied over them, spoke words of strength to them, telling them that in the strength of their Almighty God, they could "do the impossible".  He did not solve the problem for them or take ownership of it (although he was himself a member of the tribe of Ephraim). Instead, he told them that their strength, their power, was found in the Person of Yahweh God.

We are not told whether or not Joseph's descendants actually did fulfill Joshua's prophecy over them and encouragement of them - - - to go into the hill country and take that section of land. At least, we are not told that here in this passage.

You may find yourself faced with iron chariots today.  Or, you may be asked to be a Joshua today - - to be an encourager to a brother or sister who is him- or herself facing iron chariots.  Most likely, it is one or the other.

Dear God, oh...how you love us!  You love us enough to allow us to face iron chariots and to say to us, "My grace is sufficient for you, because My power is made perfect in your weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9).  We praise You, Lord, because You love us enough to be constantly desiring to mold us into the glorious image of Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ...pruning off our dead branches, filing off our rough edges, heating us in the furnace of trial until all the dross is burned out of our gold, shaping us as a potter does his clay...Oh Lord!  May we "lean in" ... lean into You, and allow You to do Your sanctifying work in our lives.  "Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the One sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever." (Revelation 5:19)
In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:
http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/pet/view.cgi?bk=jos&ch=17