Joshua 11:12-23 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Joshua 11:12-23. Let’s go!
Joshua 11:12-15 (NIV)
12 Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of theLORD had commanded.
13 Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds–except Hazor, which Joshua burned.
14 The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed.
15 As the LORD commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.
On verses 12-15: Notice the emphasis on how Joshua did what his leader Moses told him to do. Verse 15 describes it this way: “As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it”. Joshua was fully devoted not just to God but to his leader Moses. Submission to his God-given leader was a crucial ingredient in Joshua’s recipe for success.
What can we learn from this? In highly individualistic western culture, people often see themselves as their only true authority (“I answer to no one except myself”). Christians can take that individualistic mentality into their faith, thinking “it’s all about me and God. I don’t need to listen to anyone else.” The idea of submitting to one’s imperfect human leaders at church seems archaic and carries with it the potential for abuse. Yet the greatest Christian leaders the world has ever seen, and the most effective, most fruitful, and most united churches and Christian ministries that have ever existed didn’t just show great respect for and submission to God, but also great respect for and submission to the imperfect, human leaders God placed in their lives.
Submitting to God and submitting to your God-given leaders go hand in hand. You can’t really have one without the other. While there is no question that Christian leaders must be vigilant about guarding against abuse, there is also no question that how far you go in God’s kingdom is greatly dependent on how well you love, honour and submit to the human leaders God has placed over them, imperfect as they may be. So, absent abuse, be devoted to and submit to the leaders God has placed in your life. For in that there is unity, blessing and power (Psalm 133, Hebrews 13:17).
Joshua 11:16-18 (NIV)
16 So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills,
17 from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death.
18 Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time.
On verses 16-18: The promised land was not conquered in a short season, but over “a long time” (v18). According to some scholars, Israel’s conquest of this part of the promised land took approximately seven years. Similarly, the promised land that God has for you –the destiny God has for you or the dream God has placed in your heart (whether it’s a great marriage, a great family, a great ministry or something else) – does not happen overnight. It is something you must fight for “over a long time”. So don’t give up easily, but be willing to fight for your promised land for a long time. The question is not “Does God have great plans for me?” The question is “Will I persevere long enough and live wisely enough to see those plans come to pass?” People tend to overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can do over 20 years.
Joshua 11:19-20 (NIV)
19 Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle.
20 For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
On verses 19-20: How could the Lord harden the hearts of these non-Israelites “so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy” (v20)? Doesn’t that make it seem as though these nations had no choice and that God was unfairly punishing them? Isn’t this picture of God quite different from the compassionate, merciful, loving God that we proclaim as Christians? Keep in mind that the prevailing worldview of Israelites in the Old Testament, including in the book of Joshua, was that everything, both good and bad, comes from God. That is why, for example, 1 Samuel 19:9 would say that God sent an evil spirit to torment Saul. In the New Testament, however, we get a more defined view of God and learn that whereas every good thing is ultimately from God (James 1:17), evil does not come from God and God “does not delight in evil” (1 Corinthians 13:6). In the New Testament, we also learn that the condition of our hearts – whether we have soft, humble hearts toward God or hard, prideful hearts toward Him – is very much our choice.
So what then is going on in verses 19-20? I believe that verses 19-20 are describing the ongoing and conscious refusal of different nations to submit to God. God had given these nations centuries to repent. However, having deliberately sinned against God over and over again without repenting, these nations had tested God’s patience long enough. After waiting a long period of time for these nations to turn to Him but to no avail, God finally chose to do away with them, punishing them for their sin.
What can we learn from this? God patiently waits for us to repent of our pride and others sins and to turn to Him. But He will not wait forever. We need to turn to God while we still can.
Joshua 11:21-22 (NIV)
21 At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns.
22 No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.
On verses 21-22: The Anakites were known as giants. Yet with God’s help the Israelites were able to conquer them. You may be facing giants in your life today, but with God all things are possible. If you’re facing a giant of a problem today, trust God and look to Him for strength. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
Joshua 11:23 (NIV)
23 So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.
On verse 23: Here we see three generations in play. God gave Moses the vision of a promised land for the Israelites, Moses gave that vision to the next generation, namely Joshua. Joshua would fulfill that vision and take the next generation after him to the promised land, giving the promised land to this next generation of Israelites as an inheritance.
What can we learn from this? The story that God is writing with your life involves more than just you and your generation. In fact, the story God is writing with your life had its beginnings in the generations before you and will continue with the generations that come after you. God’s story doesn’t begin or end with you. Every blessing, challenge, and lesson God gives you in life is with other generations in mind.
Heavenly Father, thank You for every lesson we can learn from Your Word today. No matter what kind of giants I may be facing today, thank You that with You all things are possible and with Your help I can conquer the giant problems of my life. May I submit to the God-given leaders You place over me. May I persevere long enough to see You do great things through me “over a long time”. And may I always remember that the story You are writing with my life does not begin or end with me, but is a story that runs across many generations. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
