Joshua conquers the northern kings

Joshua Chapter 11

The scene: Kings from the north joined together to battle the Israelites who now controlled the southern half of Canaan.

King Jabin of Hazor sent urgent messages to the king of Madon, the king of Shimron, the king of Acshaph, and all the kings of the norther hill country and Jordan Valley south of Galilee, the kings of the western foothills, king of Naphoth-dor on the west, kings of Canaan, kings of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Hivites.

All responded and mobilized their warriors to fight Israel. They established a camp around the water near Merom to fight. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, by this time tomorrow they will all be dead. Cripple their horses and burn their chariots.”

So Joshua and his warriors traveled to the water near Merom and attacked suddenly. The Lord gave them victory over their enemies. Not one warrior was alive and their horses were crippled and chariots burned as the Lord instructed. Then Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and killed its king. The Isralites destroyed every living thing in the city and then burned it.

Josuah slaughtered all the other kings, just as Moses commanded, the servant of the Lord. However, Joshua did not burn any of the cities build on mounds, except Hazor. And the Israelites took all the goods and cattle of the ravaged cities for themselves.

Joshua successfully conquered the entire region and Israel territory now extended all the way from Mount Halak to Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon in the valey of Lebanon. No one in this region made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites of Gibeon. All others were defeated because the Lord hardened their hearts and caused them to fight the Israelites instead of asking for peace. During this period, Joshua destroyed all descendants of Anak, who lived in the hill country. No one was left in the land of Israel, though some still remained in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod. Joshua did as the Lord instructed him to do and gave the people of Israel the land as their special possession, dividing it among the tribes. So the land had rest from war.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: There were two kings of Hazor named Jabin. The weaker one is mentioned in Judges 4:2,3. The one in this chapter is powerful and had an advantage over Joshua. But even outnumbered, those who honor God can be victorious. In Deuteronomy 6: 10-12, Moses predicted that Israel would occupy cities they had not built themselves. Most of the cities were physically saved, but not Hazor because it was a hotbed of wicked culture and its' capture weakened the will of the Canaanites to resist.

The actual conquest of the land of Canaan took seven years. The descendants of Anak, who were wiped out, were the giants of tribes that the Israelites feared in Numbers 13-14. This time they did not let their fear prevent them from claiming the land.

How does this chapter relate to us today? Joshua obeyed the instruction given by God. The theme of obedience is repeated often in the book of Joshua, partly because obedience is one aspect of an individual that those who believe can control. We can't control what other people say in our lives or how they treat us. But we can control our choice to obey our God. We must be always be aware in our daily challenges, that obeying God is of the utmost importance. He will see us through the most difficult times and when we look back, we can see that God never stops working for us when we believe.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, Teli’s family, Logan and the newly born Stella who is taking mother’s milk now and Lori (who suffered a terrible accident)and her family. Update on Stella: She has gained four ounces, but there is still concern for her lungs.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, those who need jobs, those who are about to lose or have lost their homes. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.