Completing God's Plan

INTRO

As we move further into the book of Joshua, we’re watching Joshua, the commander, lead the people into the Promised Land. Most of the time, God was doing the work while the Israelites were following His plan. In Joshua 11, we move from the south to the conquest in the north.

TEACHING

Joshua 11:1–5: Jabin was king of Hazor, a city of 30,000 to 40,000 people.1 When word that the Israelites’ had moved north was shared with him, he sent word to the other northern kings, and they gathered together to attack the Israelites (vv. 1–3). In the list of groups that came together were the Jebusites, who should not have been there. Remember they were already wiped out by the Israelites, except for the few survivors who escaped (Joshua 10:20). Verse 4 describes the size of their armies: “They went out with all their armies—a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore—along with a vast number of horses and chariots.” The historian Josephus estimated “the combined armies of the Canaanite tribes totaled 300,000 armed footmen, 10,000 horsemen, and 20,000 chariots.”2 Nelson’s Commentary points out that “only in the battles of Jericho and Ai did the Israelites initiate the action”³In the beginning, God showed His power by limiting the size of the Israelites’ force.⁴The northern coalition camped at the waters of Merom before they attacked (v. 5).

Joshua 11:6–11: God reminded Joshua that he had nothing to fear in the northern coalition. Joshua was told to cut the hamstring muscles of the horses and burn the chariots of this army (v. 6). The Israelites surprised the coalition armies and God gave them the battle. The Israelites followed the surviving armies in all directions, leaving no survivors (vv. 7–9). Joshua also captured the city of Hazor, executed the king, struck down all the people, and burned the city (vv. 10–11). Interestingly, there is archaeological evidence of the destruction of Hazor in the fifteenth century B.C.5

Joshua 11:12–15: In Israel today, there are many “tells,” or mounts, in which cities are built upon former cities. Note that the Israelites only destroyed the city of Hazor, so these other cities are probably at the bottom of many of these tells (vv. 12–13). From all these cities, the Israelites took the things of value and the cattle for themselves. They left no one alive, just as God has commanded Moses, who commanded Joshua (vv. 14–15).

The annihilation of whole groups of people make us uncomfortable, especially people who are concerned about human rights. Was it necessary? Or did Joshua become bloodthirsty in the process? Nelson’s Commentary explains that God told Moses the destruction of Canaan was because “the Canaanites were being judged by God for their wickedness”⁶(Deuteronomy 20:16– 20). God is an extreme God when He wants to set His people apart. Look at what He did to His Son so we could be with Him.

Joshua 11:16–23: These verses provide a summary of Joshua’s conquests—the hill country, the Negev, Goshen, and the foothills (vv. 16–17). Joshua took it all, even land like the Negev that is mostly desert. Joshua had been a man of action for a long time (v. 18). Wiersbe explains that this long time lasted seven years, based on the fact that Caleb was 40 years old at Kadesh-barnea (Deuteronomy 2:14) and it was 38 years later when they crossed the Jordan River (Joshua 14:7). Caleb was 85 (Joshua 14:10), when the Israelites’ conquest of the Promised Land was completed (so 40+38=78 was Caleb’s age at the beginning of the conquest and 85 at the end; 85–78=7 years).⁷

No cities made peace with the Israelites except the Gibeonites, and all the others were annihilated as God commanded (vv. 19–21). In verse 22, no Anakim (the giants the Israelite spies were afraid of), were left except in Gaza, Gath, and Ashod (v. 22).

1 Richard S. Hess, Joshua: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series) (Leicester, England, and Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), p. 208; quoted in Thomas Constable, Dr. Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes: Joshua, p. 66.

2 Flavius Josephus, The Works of Flavius Josephus, trans. William Whiston (London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1866; reprinted ed. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988), 5:1:18; quoted in Thomas Constable, Dr. Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes: Joshua, p. 67.

5 Douglas Petrovich, “The Dating of Hazor’s Destruction in Joshua 11 by Way of Biblical, Archaeological, and Epigraphical Evidence,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

51:3 (September 2008):489–512; quoted in Thomas Constable, Dr. Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes: Joshua, p. 67.

Gaza is home to the Palestinians. In Joshua’s command, the size of the armies and the enemies didn’t matter. All that mattered was the size of his God. Joshua took all the land because that’s what God told him to do (v. 23). He believed in his God. And, “the land had rest from war” (v. 23b)).

CLOSING

The fulfillment of prophecy was happening through the leadership of Joshua. James Montgomery Boice identified the following qualities of Joshua’s leadership ⁸:

1. Joshua did not let short-term gains deter him from long-range objects. He found the five kings, defeated the armies, and then killed the kings.
2. Joshua understood the need others have for visible encouragement. He had his commanders put their feet on the kings’ necks to encourage them.
3. Joshua took no shortcuts but pursued the campaign in a step-by-step progression that took seven years.
4. Joshua didn’t allow his early errors to unsettle or defeat him, such as the defeat at Ai and the sin in the camp (Philippians 3:13–14).
5. Joshua believed God implicitly––he was strong and courageous.
6. Joshua obeyed completely (Joshua 11:15).

These are good qualities for anyone in leadership for God.