What can we learn about God's sovereignty from Joshua 24:10? The Verse in Focus “but I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.” (Joshua 24:10) A Snapshot of the Historical Context • Israel was nearing the Promised Land when Moab’s king, Balak, hired the pagan diviner Balaam to curse Israel (Numbers 22–24). • Three separate times Balaam prepared to curse, yet each time God reversed his tongue and produced blessing. • Joshua, now at the end of his life, recounts this episode to remind Israel that the Lord, not human scheming, determined their destiny. Key Observations on God’s Sovereignty • God overrides hostile intentions: Balak paid for curses; God turned them into blessings. • Divine authority over human speech: “I would not listen to Balaam” shows the Lord controlling even a pagan prophet’s mouth (cf. Numbers 23:8). • Protection without Israel’s awareness: Israel was in camp, unaware of spiritual assault; God was already defending them. • Repeated blessing: “again and again” underlines an ongoing, unstoppable favor. • Final deliverance credited solely to God: “I delivered you” places rescue entirely in His hands, not Israel’s strategies. Tracing the Truth across Scripture • Numbers 23:20 – “He has blessed, and I cannot change it.” • Proverbs 21:30 – “No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can prevail against the LORD.” • Isaiah 14:27 – “For the LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who can annul it?” • Genesis 50:20 – Human evil intended harm; God intended good. • Romans 8:31 – “If God is for us, who can be against us?” • Acts 4:27-28 – Even opponents of Jesus acted only within what God “predestined to occur.” • Ephesians 1:11 – He “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.” Living under the Reign of a Sovereign God • Rest in His control: unseen threats are already under His authority. • Approach opposition with confidence: God can transform curses into blessings. • Worship with gratitude: repeated blessing should fuel continual praise. • Obey promptly: the One who secures outcomes is worthy of immediate trust. • Pray boldly: petition the God who directs even adversaries’ words. |
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