At that time I commanded Joshua: "You have seen with your own eyes all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. The LORD will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you."

Deut. 3:21-22 NIV

Why do men have to act if the Eternal is already doing it?

When the sons of Israel fought and defeated the two super powerful kings who lived to the east of the Yarden (Jordan River), they had to make an effort to fight and risk their lives in those wars. It wasn't easy, neither psychologically nor physically, to defeat those strong kings who had politically and militarily controlled the area.

But if it were the sons of Israel who defeated them, how is it possible that the Eternal says to Yehoshua that HaShem had defeated them? Weren't the men of Israel the ones who fought the battle and defeated those kings?

The Creator didn't make the world fully finished. Men were placed in this world to continue the work that the Eternal started. The purpose of man is to collaborate with the Eternal and to work in this world using all the means that He has given him. Men weren't created to be passive, to stand looking around receiving everything the Eternal created. Men need to use their imagination and creativity and then work and make an effort to develop this world to be able to take it to the level of perfection that the Eternal wishes for it.

When the sons of Israel defeated the two evil kings the Eternal was working through their hands. Even though the angels fought in the sky the Israelite soldiers had to fight with all their might on earth. The Eternal gave the Israelite soldiers power to carry out His wrath against His enemies and the enemies of mankind. Men make the effort but HaShem receives the honour for having done it. The Eternal defeated the evil ones through His emissaries, the sons of Israel. For this reason, the victories of those wars are His.

Now the sons of Israel had to act in the same way towards the rest of the peoples of the land who had to be eliminated. It's true that men are doing it, but it's also true that HaShem does it through men, authorizing him and giving him the ability to do it.

Don't stand with your arms crossed in face of the great battles of your life. Don't think that the Eternal is going to do everything and you nothing. You'll have to fight and face the giants who challenge and threaten you. Get up, fight, and go to battle because the Eternal is with you when you fulfill His commandments.

Shabbat shalom,

Ketriel