Read Joshua 11-12
Joshua 9-10 describe how God delivered the
southern region of the Promised Land into Israel’s hand. Joshua 11 tells us how
He delivers the northern regions. When Jabin, king of Hazor, hears that Israel
is quickly conquering the region he decides to take action. He rallies his
fellow northern kings to go into battle. This has the makings of a fearsome
sight – their armies were “as many as the sand that is on the seashore” (11:4)!
Yet God tells Joshua to not be afraid. In only one day, Israel will have
victory. Strengthened by this promise from the Sovereign Lord, Israel goes
forth into battle. God, who is ever faithful, delivers the enemy into Israel’s
hand. The people are conquered and their kings executed. Hazor’s destruction is
given special mention because they led the northern coalition against Israel.
Those who lead others into evil deeds and fail to repent will receive their due
judgment, be it on earth or in eternity.
This truth about reaping what we sow helps
us interpret a difficult verse: “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” (11:20). We know
from Genesis 15:16 that God allowed the inhabitants of the Promised Land time to
repent. Four hundred years passed between the time God gave His covenant to
Abraham and the time Joshua entered the land. In this time the Canaanites
remained unrepentant. We know from historical sources that the Canaanites’ sin
was all-consuming and repulsive. It reached to the point of sacrificing their
own children to their idols. God gave them time to repent. The Canaanites knew
of the God of Israel (2:9-11; 5:1; 9:1, 3; 10:1; 11:1). Further, the story of
Rahab shows us that if there was any chance of the Canaanites repenting, God
would have rejoiced. He desires all to repent (2 Peter 3:9). God would
only harden the hearts of people who had already gone so deep into sin that
they had, effectively, hardened their own hearts. As Bible scholar Roger Ellsworth
sums it up, “[God’s] patience ensures that his judgment comes slowly, but his
righteousness guarantees that his judgment comes surely.”
Joshua 12 gives us a summary of Israel’s
time in the Promised Land up to this point. It begins with reminding us how
Israel conquered land east of the Jordan during Moses’ leadership (v 1-6).
Verses 7-8 give us a map of the areas of the Promised Land under Israel’s
stewardship. Verses 9-24 list the names of kings conquered by Israel – 31 in
all. When we reflect on this chapter we see two themes. First, God sovereignly
delivered the land to fulfill His promise to Israel. He is faithful. Second,
God sovereignly executed judgment on the wicked kings of Canaan. He is holy and
just.
Prayer
and Journaling
1. It is easy when we read these chapters to
assume victory came immediately. At times God worked quickly in Israel’s favour
(11:6). However, there were also times when God required Joshua to lead Israel
in battle for long periods of time (11:16-18). The same is true in our own
lives. Sometimes God gives us immediate victory and sometimes He asks us to
fight in His power for a long time. In some situations we will only receive the
fullness of victory when we see Jesus face to face in heaven. Ask God what
situation in your life requires perseverance. Pray for Him to fill you with
steadfastness and resolve in this area. Ask if there are any steps He wants you
to take in this area.
2. Spend some time doing a heart check today.
The Canaanites were so deep in sin that they could not repent. We must take
this soberly, as a warning. Not one person has reached a level of maturity that
it is impossible for them to fall away. Is your heart soft or hard towards God?
Some things to consider are: Do you eagerly await His leading and follow with
joyful obedience? Do you delight in spending time with Him? Are your purpose
and identity founded in Christ? Confess as necessary.
3. We too were once dead in our
transgressions (Eph 2:1-5) but, praise God, He has brought us to life in Christ
Jesus! Spend some time in thanksgiving for this today. After thanking God for
your salvation, pray that the people in our church family would grow in
softness toward God. Finally, pray for someone you know who is still living in
sin, apart from Jesus. Pray that they would find God’s greatest gift: salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:8).
