FEBRUARY 25, 2022 BE STRONG! BE COURAGEOUS! JOSHUA 11:1 – 15 JOSHUA’S NORTHERN CAMPAIGN
Joshua 11:1 – 15 “Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about these things, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph, to the kings of the north in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Chinnereth, in the foothills, and on the slopes of Dor to the west, to the Canaanites in the east and west, to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country, and to the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
So, these kings came out with all their armies, a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore, along with a great number of horses and chariots. All these kings joined forces and encamped at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for by this time tomorrow I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn up their chariots.” So, by the waters of Merom, Joshua and his whole army came upon them suddenly and attacked them, 8and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who struck them down and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. They struck them down, leaving no survivors. Joshua treated them as the LORD had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned up their chariots.
At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and struck down its king with the sword, because Hazor was formerly the head of all these kingdoms. The Israelites struck down everyone in Hazor with the sword, devoting them to destruction. Nothing that breathed remained, and Joshua burned down Hazor itself.
Joshua captured all these kings and their cities and struck them down with the sword. He devoted them to destruction, as Moses the LORD’s servant had commanded. Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds, except Hazor, which Joshua burned.
The Israelites took for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they struck down all the people with the sword until they had completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed. As the LORD had commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. That is what Joshua did, leaving nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.”
Yesterday we discussed the possibility that Joshua 10 and 11 actually represent ancient conquest accounts and are not totally factual but idealized accounts that were intended to encourage the Israelites. Such accounts were common throughout the ancient world and included language of annihilation, repetitive and redundant language, hyperbole, common narrative structure, and focus on the leader. If you examine these verses from Joshua 11, you can see the same elements. The opposing forces are described as being “as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” These verses describe complete destruction of the enemy armies, as well as all of the people in their cities, “not sparing anyone who breathed.” Joshua and his men supposedly traveled extremely long distances over rugged terrain with multiple changes in altitude to complete the conquest. Joshua burned all the chariots and hamstrung all the horses.
Did Joshua actually fight the enemies described in these verses? Most certainly! Did God help Joshua? Yes! But when archaeologists have excavated in the tells representing many of these cities, they have not uncovered a uniform level of destruction for a given time period; instead, the cities evidently were destroyed over a period of up to 200 years.
These accounts give us an insight into the heart of Joshua. Most Talmudic scholars believe that Joshua did write most of the book, right up to the part describing his death. If Joshua wrote Chapters 10 and 11, this might explain the reasons behind the idealized descriptions of the campaigns. Joshua was a military leader, and military leaders commonly generated conquest accounts describing their victories in the most glowing terms. One of the things that sets Joshua’s accounts apart from those of the Egyptians and the Babylonians is that Joshua gives credit to God for guiding and strengthening the Israelites. Joshua also may have written these accounts in the hopes of encouraging those who would succeed him. Conquest accounts were also written to encourage the general public that the leader was bringing order and peace to a situation. Joshua wanted to make sure that the Israelites remembered that God was on their side.
APPLICATION: Joshua truly was a man of great faith and great accomplishments, a man whom God used mightily. Nobody else could have possibly taken over leadership from Moses. Joshua had served Moses and had been mentored by him for most of the forty years in the wilderness. There is no doubt that Joshua did win many great battles against enormous odds. There is also the possibility that new archeological discoveries may yet further substantiate Joshua’s accounts.
What lessons should we take from Joshua’s descriptions of his campaigns? Joshua emphasized the need for persistently combating evil. Many times, we only confront evil when it is convenient or we know we are unlikely to suffer; however, the real test of character comes when our stand for righteousness may cost us our jobs, our homes, or even our lives. God has allowed Joshua’s accounts of his campaigns to remain as part of His Word as an encouragement, not only to the ancient Israelites, but to everyone who stands for righteousness. In some parts of Africa, Asia, and India, Christians are being tortured or dying for their faith. Certainly, remembering Joshua’s descriptions of God’s watch care can strengthen one’s resolve.
Before judging Joshua too harshly for exaggerating, let’s think about the times when we have said such things as “Wow! I was DYING out in that heat today!” “I thought this day would NEVER end!” “I have no idea how my boss thinks I can possibly get through all this work!” We weren’t really dying; we were uncomfortable. All days end sooner or later. And many times, our problems with our work load involve our refusal to tackle things promptly and thoroughly. Joshua’s story should encourage each of us to realize that when God has called us to do something, He will give us the strength and the guidance to make it.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Thank You for the example of Joshua, who pursued his enemies, carrying out Your plans and who never wavered. Help us to be faithful as we follow You. In the matchless Name of Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
February 25, 2022 at 7:52 pm
As all things are possible through the Lord, perhaps he was in several places at one time, where chapters 10-11 are concerned. There is something rattling around in my head that say’s it might be so.
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