Try Again

4,000-year-old city gate at Hazor

Hazor was the largest and one of the most important Canaanite cities in the Old Testament. It was located eight miles north of the Sea of Galilee on a major international road from Egypt to Phoenicia and Assyria. The tel that stands today is 130 feet high with more than 23 layers of cities. In 2014, archaeologists uncovered a huge city gate, more than 4,000 years old, which means Abraham walked through that gate.

Joshua defeated and burned Hazor and other Canaanite cities (Joshua 11:1-11). The Canaanites resettled the ruins of Hazor, but Deborah and Barak defeated it again (Judges 4:1-24). Solomon fortified the city (1 Kings 9:15), and it served as a military supply depot and administrative center under the Israelite king Omri and Ahab. They built administration buildings, storehouses, palaces and a water supply system. Later Hazor was destroyed by fire, and after the fire by an earthquake.

Even though God had given the city to His people, they were not successful at overcoming the Canaanites. Their victories were not permanent. We can find spiritual parallels in our personal lives to the Israelite struggles. Sometimes the enemy we thought we overcame — a temptation, thought pattern, or a bad habit re-enteres our lives and we wonder why.

Christians are warned to remain strong in their faith and not to return to the sins of their pasts. How can we fight such an aggressive enemy? Paul said to the Christians in Corinth that “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (1 Corinthians 10:4), and “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (2 Corinthians 10:12-13).

Paul taught the Christians in Ephesus to put on the full armor of God: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions” (Ephesians 6:14-18).

Hazor reminds me how vulnerabe I am to temptation and sin, but God has taught me how to overcome the enemy by using these tools. He has promised to be with me forever and never to leave me.

Prayer: Thank you, Father God, for your faithfulness in teaching us how to be strong in our faith. Empower us to live our lives pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.