God’s Strategy Borrowed

The Islamic State has a clever strategy. It made me wonder how they discover it? The principalities and powers that control the Islamic States are not that clever, so they usually repeat the same old strategy. Where did they get this new strategy that is so effective.

The answer is that they are copying God’s plan. He used the same strategy when establishing Israel in the Promised land.

Step 1 Embrace Chaos
God placed the Children of Israel in a place that was shattered and broken. Immorality and depravity had hollowed out the Canaanite culture. They were controlled by more than fifty disunited kings (Jos 12:24). They were easy to defeat.

Step 2 Establish Enclaves
The tribes of Israel were established in the new land. Being slaves in Egypt without their own government, strengthened family and tribal connections. They were probably formed into tens, fifties and hundred by their slave drivers. These groupings became the basis of the new society.

Step 3 Control Resources
God had taken his people into a land where resources were plentiful. This allowed the people to be self-sufficient.

Step 4 Build Infrastructure
God planned to establish a new society by bringing order in the chaos through his people living under his law administrated by local judges. Because life was so chaotic, it was easy to build something better.

Step 5 Absorb the Oppressed
Once the children of Israel was established in the Promised Land, the next step was expanding out into the surrounding nations. This would happen as the surrounding nations who were oppressed powerful kings and emperors saw the blessing that comes from living under God’s law. The law would have expanded by coping and blessing.

God Again
God will use this strategy again, when times get tough. His people will need to understand that how it works. The difference is that we proclaim the gospel in the power of the Spirit, whereas ISIS has to use military power and violence, because they do not have the Holy Spirit.