SEND IN THE HORNETS!

Several months ago I read an old newsletter by David Wilkerson in which he shared some of the story of going back to New York City in the late 1980s and beginning Times Square Church. In the article Pastor Dave told how he stood across the street from the building they were considering for the church and prayed a prayer that intrigued me: “Lord, send in the hornets!” I can honestly say that I had never heard that statement used in a prayer.

I did not spend much time thinking about it; I just tucked the unusual prayer away in my mind with the thought, “One of these days I’ll find out what that means.”

A few days ago I was reading in Joshua and came across this: “I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you . . .” (Joshua 24:12). Well, that did it. I knew I had to take a good look and see what this was all about.

God uses hornets? I quickly found that there are only three references to hornets in the Bible. There is the passage in Joshua, then Exodus 23:28-30 and Deuteronomy 7:20-23. These three portions of Scripture provide some wonderful insights into the way God assists us in taking possession of our destiny.

I really don’t know if the word hornet as it is used in these passages is referring to a literal wasp-like stinging insect or if it is being used metaphorically to refer to fear, terror or plagues that God has used on other enemies of Israel. Frankly, it does not matter at all and is not worth my getting overly concerned about. Whatever method God uses, it works.

When you take time to look at the three passages I have listed above, you will see a very interesting picture of how God prepares the territory that He wants us to possess and how He gives us time to “occupy” our new possession.

Allow me to make a few key points from these passages:

1. The battle is the Lord’s and He sends in the advance troops (the hornets) to begin driving out the enemy (see Exodus 23:28).

2. The advance force will find and destroy those pockets of the enemy who hide themselves from plain view, the ones we would probably miss in our rush to secure the territory (see Deuteronomy 7:20).

3. The third is a very key point for us to learn about possessing our territories, wherever and whatever they may be, and so I will elaborate a bit.

“And the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you” (Deuteronomy 7:22). “Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land” (Exodus 23:30).

The cultural mindset of the American church is that we are to step out in faith and take possession of all that God has for us. So we do that, expecting to achieve full results—right now! After all, we are American/Canadian believers, aren’t we? We are the best of the best, the wisest of the wise. Isn’t that what you see on Christian television?

But God’s Word says, “You will get your full inheritance when you have increased!” (Exodus 23:30). It is imperative that we understand what the word “increase” means.

In the original language increase means to be fruitful, to bear fruit, to grow. What the Lord is saying to His people is that before we can advance, there must be a settling where roots go down and plants begin to grow and show fruitfulness. When increase is being seen in one portion, then advance can take place into others.

There is a powerful parallel between what we have been looking at in these passages and the truth that Jesus taught in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 and Luke 19. Simply put, the parable tells the story of a businessman/landowner. Before leaving on a trip he gave responsibilities to three employees. He instructed them to do their best with what he had entrusted to them and make a profit. When he returned, he found that two of the employees had indeed been industrious, done their best and returned what he had given them with the profits they had earned. To those two he made the same exact statement: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:21, also Luke 19:17).

God will only clear ground for further expansion by sending in another wave of hornets when He sees that we are being fruitful with the territory already given to us. No increase/fruitfulness, no expansion.

How about you? Are you ready to pray for another wave of hornets? Do not be afraid—because they are not going to sting you. No! They are going to clear out new territory for you to possess!