Connect Joshua 24:9 with other biblical instances of God thwarting enemy plans. Setting the Scene in Joshua 24:9 “Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, rose up and fought against Israel. And he summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you.” (Joshua 24:9) • Israel faced an enemy king who hired a pagan prophet to pronounce a curse. • The plan looked sophisticated—political influence, spiritual manipulation, and military pressure rolled into one. • Yet God dismantled it completely. Balaam’s Curse Turned to Blessing Numbers 22–24 records the backstory: • Three separate times Balak demanded a curse. • Three separate times God forced Balaam’s mouth to bless instead. • “I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.” (Numbers 23:20) What began as a supernatural assault became a divine proclamation of favor. Pharaoh’s Army Trapped in the Red Sea • Pharaoh’s chariots pinned Israel against the water. • “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14) • The sea opened for Israel and then closed over Egypt’s elite troops. An impossible situation was flipped in a single night. Gideon versus the Midianite Multitude • Midian’s vast army came “as numerous as locusts” (Judges 7:12). • God reduced Israel’s forces to 300 men so the victory would be unmistakably His. • “When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD set the swords of every man against his companion.” (Judges 7:22) The enemy self-destructed while Israel watched. Jehoshaphat’s Choir Wins the Battle • Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites joined to “drive Judah from their inheritance.” • Judah’s response: worship. • “As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, and they were defeated.” (2 Chronicles 20:22) God used praise as the weapon that unraveled a coalition. Haman’s Gallows Reversed • A royal edict scheduled genocide. • Overnight, the decree was countered, and Haman swung on his own gallows. • “When the king’s command and edict were about to be executed… the tables were turned so that the Jews gained the upper hand over those who hated them.” (Esther 9:1) The architect of evil became the victim of his own device. The Cross: History’s Ultimate Reversal Acts 4:27-28; 1 Corinthians 2:8: • Earth’s rulers conspired to eliminate Jesus. • “They did what Your hand and Your purpose had determined would occur.” (Acts 4:28) • “If they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Corinthians 2:8) What looked like Satan’s triumph secured eternal redemption. Threads That Tie the Stories Together • God sees plots before they form and turns them to His glory. • Human strength, numbers, or cleverness never dictate the outcome. • Worship, obedience, and trust place God’s people under His protective reversal. • Each thwarted plan foreshadows the cross, where God forever proved that no weapon formed against His people can stand (Isaiah 54:17). Living in the Assurance • The same Sovereign who reversed Balak, Pharaoh, Midian, a triple-alliance army, Haman, and the powers of Rome still guards His covenant people today. • When threats loom large, Joshua 24:9 reminds us that the Lord does more than block curses—He turns them into blessings. |
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