War, Worship, and the Words of God

War, Worship, and the Words of God.

Whether you are in a competition, a battle, or a war if you are winning you never want to let off the gas. When the momentum is in your favor you keep going. At least, that is the expectation and common wisdom of warriors and coaches alike. 

As we have covered in Joshua 6-8, God had given Israel victory over the cities of Jericho and Ai. The conventional wisdom would be for them to keep the pressure on and continue the fight until all of Canaan is conquered. Instead, Joshua takes them on a 30-mile side trip to the town of Shechem to worship God and renew their covenant with Him. 

Why was this so important? Moses had commanded the Israelites to go to the center of Canaan to the town of Shechem, between the Mountains of Ebal and Gerizim (Joshua 8:30-35). The purpose was to build an altar and worship God by offering sacrifices and reading God's Word aloud for everyone to hear. For Israel to truly live victoriously in this new land God's Word would need to be at the center of the nation and at the center of their hearts.   

Let's look at Joshua 8:30-35 as we consider the connection between War, Worship, and the Words of God!