– So here we are, lesson
number four in our series, "Joshua and Judges for Beginners from Conquest to Settled Land." As I said, this is lesson
number four in our series. It's entitled "Southern
and Northern Campaigns," and we will be covering
the material, hopefully, that you've read on your own, Chapter 9-12 in the Book of Joshua.
Let's begin with a bit of a review of what we have done so far. So far, in their quest to
claim the Promised Land. The Israelites have conquered
and destroyed a key city, the city of Jericho, as well as the lesser city of Ai. Now, we learned that
Jericho was an easy victory, as the Jewish people defeated the city through God's miraculous assistance in the form of the city walls crumbling and giving their army
easy access to the city, and a quick and decisive victory.
The city of Ai, however,
proved more difficult, not because of superior forces, but because one of the Jews, Achan, had kept clothing and
gold against God's command that no spoil was to be taken
from the conquered cities. We know that because of this one sin, their effort to take the
city of Ai was defeated until the disobedience was
revealed, and it was dealt with.
Once done, God provided Joshua
with an elaborate battle plan that gave them a decisive
victory over the city and the people of Ai who
are part of the nation of the Canaanites. After their conquest of Ai, Joshua builds an altar on Mount Ebal. According to Moses' instructions
in Deuteronomy 27:2-8, this act of worship served
several purposes for the people. For example, it renewed
the covenant with God as the people pledged
their obedience to His law. And remember, I mentioned the covenant, and I continue to come back
to this idea of a covenant, and a covenant relationship
based on the idea that God would bless the
people, protect them, give them prosperity if
the people obeyed His laws, and the people were faithful to Him.
That was the covenant. So over and over again,
we see the Jewish people, in many instances, renew
that same covenant. Another thing that the
worship at Mount Ebal produced was an acknowledgement of the seriousness of obedience to God's law, which maintained their
safety and blessings. They found out the hard
way that if they, you know, went against the covenant,
they were punished. Also, by including everyone
in this national period of worship, and by everyone, I mean
men, women, children, as well as proselytes to the Jewish faith, Joshua was promoting a national
identity of these people as a nation devoted to God. What kind of nation? Are we a warrior nation? Are we a trading nation? No, we are a nation devoted to God. That's the identity that
he was trying to impose and encourage on the Jewish people, and also, with their
sacrificial offerings, the people expressed their
gratitude for their victories and their reliance on God
for their continued success and protection. So this is a spiritual, emotional, and national high point for the Israelites in their early stages of taking possession of the Promised Land.
There's a lot more work to do, many more battles that lie ahead of them before they can completely
settle the land, and in Chapters 9-12, this portion of scripture
will detail their efforts to claim land in both the northern and southern parts of the country, but first, there's the
unusual story of the deception by the Gibeonites who were
from the city of Gibeon, and you see where the city of Gibeon is situated here on the map. The Gibeonites were part of Hivite nation, one of the nations that
needed to be eradicated, but they came up with a deception in order to save themselves.
In Joshua 9, the Gibeonites,
a group of people, as I mentioned, from the Hivite nation, living in the land of Canaan, heard about the conquests of Israel under Joshua's leadership, specifically, their
destruction of both Jericho, which was a large and well-fortified city, and yet it fell to the Israelites,
and also the city of Ai. And so, fearing for their lives, they devised a plan to
deceive the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them. And so in Joshua 9:1-7, you have the information
about the deception. The Gibeonites pretended to be ambassadors from a far distant country, not just neighbors, but
a far distant country. They wore old, worn out
clothing and sandals. They carried moldy bread
and cracked wine skins, creating the appearance
that they had traveled a great distance. They approached Joshua
and the leaders of Israel at their camp in Gilgal, and they requested a covenant
of peace with the Israelites, claiming that they had
come from a far-off land. Now, the Israelites questioned them, but convinced by their
appearance and their story, they did not consult God
before agreeing to the treaty, a similar situation then their attack, their initial attack on the city of Ai.
They figured, "Well, it's a
small city, we can take it. We just send a few thousand men without any consultation with the Lord." And of course, they learned
the hard way that that, you know, that didn't work. Well, in the same way,
the Gibeonites fooled them with their story of being from far away, and they fooled them because
they just took everything at face value, and again,
did not consult the Lord. So, some major errors here by Israel. First, as I mentioned,
they failed to consult God.
The most significant error made by them was that they didn't seek
God's guidance in this matter. They relied solely on their own judgment and the appearance of the Gibeonites, which led them to make a hasty decision. Also, they made an assumption
based only on appearances. The Israelites assumed
that the worn out clothing and the stale provisions
were genuine evidence of the Gibeonites' story, rather than questioning their intentions a little more thoroughly. This reliance on simply
outward appearances without further investigation contributed to their deception. Of course, the deception
had long-term consequences for Israel, as we find out later on. Here are a couple I'll list for you. First of all, they were obliged to honor the treaty that they
made, the peace treaty.
The three days after making the treaty, the Israelites discovered
that the Gibeonites were actually their neighbors
living within the land of Canaan. Despite the deception,
the leaders of Israel decided to honor the
covenant they had made, fearing the wrath of God
if they broke their word. It was an important thing, still is today. When you give your word,
you have to keep it, and especially if you
are the people of God, and you give your word. You definitely have to keep it, because you have to answer
to God if you don't. Another long-term consequence for them is that the Gibeonites
became perpetual servants. They had to deal with them in the future. So as a consequence, the
Gibeonites were made servants, specifically as woodcutters
and water carriers for the community, as well as the altar of the Lord.
This arrangement
persisted for generations, and what it ended up doing is
it integrated the Gibeonites into the daily life and
religious practices of Israel, although in a subordinate role, something that they were told not to do with these foreign nations. And then, of course, there
were long-term conflicts and tensions. The presence of the
Gibeonites within Israel led to future tensions. In 2 Samuel 21, many years later, King Saul violated this
treaty with the Gibeonites by attempting to
annihilate the Gibeonites, and as a result, he
brought famine upon Israel as divine punishment. And so, this incident with
Saul showed the lasting impact of the covenant and the consequences of failing to uphold it, even,
you know, generations later. So this episode highlights the importance of seeking divine guidance, and the potential
consequences of decisions made without seeking God's guidance. And of course, it demonstrates
how one error in judgment can have lasting
repercussions for a nation, and I say, not just a nation, but for an individual when we
are not careful as Christians, to go to God in prayer
about important matters and decisions in our lives.
All right, so we move
on now to the conquests, the military conquests that took place in the southern part, as
well as the northern part of the Promised Land that are described in Joshua 10:1-11:23. As I said, the Book of Joshua describes the military campaigns led
by Joshua and the Israelites to conquer the land of Canaan. The conquests are divided into southern and northern campaigns, and they detail how Israel
defeated various Canaanite kings, and took control of the Promised Lands. And so, the stories, if you wish, begin with the southern campaign in Chapter 10, and the first is the Battle of Gibeon. The king of Jerusalem, Adoni-Zedek, fearing the alliance
between Israel and Gibeon, formed a coalition with
four other Amorite kings, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon, in order to attack Gibeon. The Gibeonites sent word
to Joshua, asking for help, and Joshua and his army marched overnight from Gilgal to Gibeon
in order to render aid.
The Lord threw the Amorite
armies into confusion, and Israel defeated them. God also sent hailstones
that killed more of the enemy than the Israelites did by the sword, and we learned that Joshua prayed, and the sun stood still over Gibeon, prolonging the day until
Israel could achieve a complete victory. We read about that in Joshua 10:12-14. There's also the defeat
of the southern coalition in Joshua 10:16-28. After Joshua's miraculous
victory at Gibbon, where God caused the sun to stand still, and sent hailstones upon
the fleeing Amorite armies, the five kings of the
Amorite coalition realized their defeat was imminent.
These kings were Adoni-Zedek,
who is the king of Jerusalem, Hoham, king of Hebron,
Piram, king of Jarmuth, Japhia, king of Lachish,
and Debir, king of Eglon. These kings represented
some of the most powerful city states in Southern Canaan. Fearing for their lives,
they sought refuge together in a cave at Makkedah. Now, when Joshua learned that the kings were hiding in the cave, he ordered his men to seal
the cave with large stones, and to post a guard at its entrance. This action was strategic. By trapping the kings in the cave, Joshua could continue the pursuit of the remaining Amorite
forces without delay, ensuring that the armies of these kings were completely destroyed. Now, after the Israelite
forces had finished defeating the Amorite armies and ensuring
that none of them survived, Joshua returned to Makkedah.
He then ordered the cave to be unsealed, and had the five kings brought out. Joshua commanded that the
five kings be executed. Before they were killed, however, Joshua instructed his commanders to place their feet on
the necks of the kings who were bowed low to the ground. This symbolized a complete subjugation of not only the king, but his people. This act was intended to
encourage the Israelites, showing them that God
was giving them victory over their enemies. And so, the kings were then killed, and their bodies were hung
on trees until evening, a common practice in ancient times to publicly display the defeated armies, and also to serve as a warning to others. In accordance with the law, however, stated in Deuteronomy 21:22-23, their bodies were taken down at sunset and thrown into the cave where
they had initially hidden.
The entrance of the cave was
then sealed with large stones, and remained there as a
memorial of the victory. And so there's a certain significance here about these events that took place. First, the defeat of the kings, especially with the divine intervention through miraculous
events like the hailstorm and the extended day, show that God was directly
involved in Israel's conquest. It was an element of
encouragement for the Israelites to know that God was fighting
with them and for them, but it also was a tremendous
discouragement to the enemy, to other nations who
realized that they not only had to defeat the army, but they were fighting
against the divine being. They were fighting against spiritual power that was working on
behalf of the Israelites. It was also a symbol of total victory. Placing the feet on the necks of the kings and hanging them on trees
was a powerful symbol of Israel's total
dominance over its enemies, and of course, it reinforced the idea that no power could stand
against God's chosen people.
You know, if an army is frightened, you've already got half the battle won. And then thirdly, it was
an encouragement to Israel. This public display served
to embolden the Israelites, giving them confidence that
they could overcome any obstacle with God's help, 'cause many times they were fighting against superior military
groups that had better weapons, that had more experience, more troops, so this victory encouraged
them not to be afraid to go forward and follow
Joshua into battle.
So the capture and the
execution of the five Kings of the Amorite coalition
marked a turning point in the southern campaign, leading to the subsequent
conquest of the remaining cities in the southern region of Canaan. If we go on to Chapter 10:29-43, you have a list, if you wish, of victories that are given in those passages. So the various cities that are conquered that don't give as much, or don't have as much detail, if you wish, are the following, the cities conquered. Makkedah. After executing the five
kings, Joshua took Makkedah, killing everyone there
and dedicating the city to destruction. Libnah, Joshua then moved to Libnah and conquered it similarly. The city of Lachish. Israel moved against Lachish
and conquered it in two days. The king of Geshur came to help Lachish, but he also was defeated. The city of Eglon was next, and Israel conquered it in a single day. The city of Hebron, Israel
then turned to Hebron, capturing it and putting
everyone to the sword, and finally, Debir.
Joshua took Debir, and
destroyed it completely. And so Joshua and the Israelites conquered the entire southern region, defeating all the kings and their cities. They captured and utterly
destroyed the inhabitants, following the Lord's command
given to them through Moses. The southern campaign
concluded with Israel firmly in control of the
southern part of Canaan. And so from here, we move
on to the northern campaign described in Joshua 11:1-23. Here, Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of Israel's southern victories, and formed a large
coalition of northern kings, kind of the same strategy
that took place in the south. These included kings from
Madon, Shimron, Acshaph, and others from the Northern Hill Country, the Jordan Valley, and
regions near Mount Hermon. The combined forces were
vast with many troops, and horses, and chariots. Same idea, a large army was
facing them in the North. The Lord instructed Joshua
not to fear the vast army, promising victory. He commanded Joshua to
hamstring the horses and burn the chariots of the enemy.
Joshua launched a surprise
attack on the coalition at the waters of Merom. The Lord delivered the
enemies into Israel's hands, and they pursued them
until none were left alive. And so Joshua obeyed God's
command, hamstringing the horses, and burning the chariots. After the victory at Merom,
Joshua captured Hazor, the leading city of
the northern coalition, and killed its king. He burned Hazor, and put its
inhabitants to the sword, dedicating the city to destruction. Joshua then captured all
other northern cities and their kings, killing
all the inhabitants as Moses had commanded.
Joshua captured the entire land,
including the Hill Country, the Negev, the western
foothills, as well as the Araba. He left no survivors,
and followed the commands given by the Lord through Moses. After defeating all the
kings and taking their lands, the land had rest from war. So Joshua was obedient to the Lord, didn't matter if they had vast armies, it didn't matter if they
had superior equipment, like the chariots. A key ingredient to the
victory of the Israelites was the fact that they obeyed
the Lord in what He told them, and one of the things He told them was to destroy completely these nations. And we know why, because of the possible influence
of these nations on Israel that might lead them into
idolatry, and so on and so forth. This was the reason behind the command to wipe out the nations,
leave no survivors. And so, Joshua's military campaigns successfully subdued both the southern and northern regions of Canaan. The conquests were marked
by decisive battles, divine intervention, and the total destruction of enemy cities and their populations.
These victories allowed the Israelites to take control of the Promised Land, fulfilling the covenant
promises made to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. And so, if we review very quickly, Chapter 9 of Joshua explains
the Gibeonite deception. Chapter 10 of Joshua talks
about the southern campaign, and then Chapter 11 of Joshua talks about the victories of
the northern campaign. And so, after we have the
description of all these battles, the book gives us a list of
kings that were defeated, but not necessarily by Joshua. It gives us a list of kings
that were defeated by Moses. It kind of goes back in history, and gives us this list here. So we go to Joshua 12, and in Joshua 12:1-6, the text reviews the
kings defeated by Moses before Israel's crossing
of the Jordan River and their subsequent conquest of Canaan under Joshua's leadership.
This review serves several
important purposes. First of all, it establishes continuity of God's promises and faithfulness. The review emphasizes the continuity of God's promises to
Israel and His faithfulness in fulfilling it. So by listing the victories under Moses, the text reminds the Israelites that the same God who
delivered them from Egypt and granted them victories
in the wilderness is continuing to support them
in the conquest of Canaan.
You have to understand that
the mindset at the time was that different gods
ruled in different places. There were the god of the mountains, and the god of the rivers,
and the god of the plains, and this was the normal thinking
of the peoples of the time. And one of the important ideas that needed to be
reinforced is that the god of the Israelites was
a god over everything. He was not limited by mountains or rivers, He was the god no matter where you went. It was the very same god. That's an idea that we, you know, don't find too much trouble understanding, because that's what we've been taught, but for the Israelites,
they needed to be taught these basic things about who God was.
And so, the victories
over the kings, of Sihon, of the Amorites, and Og of Bashan, which occurred east of the Jordan, were foundational for Israel. These victories demonstrated
that God was with them, and would continue to be as
they moved westward into Canaan under Joshua's leadership. In other words, the god that helped Moses conquer these other kings is the same god that would help them as they moved forward into the Promised Land to
conquer the various cities and kings that were located in that place.
A second point is it
highlighted God's role in Israel's success. The review of Moses's
victories underscores that Israel's success and
conquering enemy kings and lands was due to God's intervention and support. He was the one that gave them the victory. They were a tool in His
hands to gain the victories that they had. And also, by recounting
these earlier victories, the text reinforces the
idea that Israel's military successes are not just the result of their own strength or strategy, but are ultimately acts of
divine deliverance and judgment, and this prepares the reader
to understand Joshua's context in the very same light.
And, of course, it also
encouraged the Israelites. The review serves to
encourage the Israelites as they face new challenges in Canaan. Recalling the victories won under Moses would remind the people of
God's power and faithfulness, providing them with the confidence that He would continue to fight for them as they encountered more
formidable Canaanite kings, and the fortified cities
west of the Jordan. As I said, the same god who gave Moses the great victories in the
wilderness was the same god who would give Joshua
and the people victory in the land of Canaan. Another point is that
this list here legitimized the occupation of the Promised Land. The listing of defeated kings
legitimized the occupation of the land east of the Jordan River by the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the the half-tribe of Manasseh. The territory taken from Sihon and Og was given an inheritance to these tribes. By recounting the conquest,
the text reaffirms that this land was rightfully
Israel's by divine mandate, paralleling the conquest that
would follow under Joshua on the west side of the Jordan. Again, the same idea, the
god who gave them victory on this side of the Jordan
is also the same god who would give them
victory on the other side, on the western side of the Jordan.
It also foreshadowed future victories. The review of the victories foreshadows and sets the stage for the victories that Joshua and the
Israelites will achieve in the land of Canaan. By listing the kings and
territories already defeated, the text builds
anticipation for the reader, signaling that just as God
granted victories under Moses, He would do the very
same thing under Joshua. It assured the Israelites
that the conquest of Canaan was a continuation of God's plan. God's plan, you know, was
their freedom from Egypt. That was God's plan. That they would be in the
wilderness, that was God's plan. That they would conquer the
kings and the territories on the eastern side of the
Jordan, that was God's plan.
Now that they've crossed
over into the land of Canaan, the victories that they would have, this would also be God's plan. And then finally, it was an instruction and a reminder of God's commands. It served as a reminder of God's commands regarding the conquest and the destruction of Canaanite nations. This was not something
that Joshua dreamed up. This wasn't something that the, you know, the military leader thought. "It'd be a good idea if we go in and we wipe out these Canaanite kings." No, it was a reminder
that all of this plan and this military strategy, this was God's plan they
were carrying it out.
And so, by recalling
the previous conquests, the text reinforces the expectation that Israel must continue to
follow God's command strictly in their upcoming battles, and in doing so, it would ensure that they utterly destroy the inhabitants as they did in the east of the Jordan in order to avoid the influences
of idolatry and corruption. In summary, Joshua 12:1-6 serves to remind the Israelites
of their recent history, emphasizing God's faithfulness and power, and the legitimacy of their conquest, what they were doing was the right thing. It also serves to
encourage and prepare them for the challenges ahead, reinforcing their trust
in God's ongoing support as they move forward to conquer the rest of the Promised Land.
Don't grow weary, don't grow tired. It's tough going, and
there's more to come, and so they needed this encouragement. And then when we move from Chapter 12:1-6, we go to Chapter 12:7-24. Here, you have the kings
that are defeated by Joshua. At first, it was the kings
that were defeated by Moses. Now, you have the kings
defeated by Joshua. In Joshua 12:7-24, the text lists the
kings defeated by Joshua and the Israelites after they
crossed the Jordan River. This passage serves, again,
several important purposes. First of all, there's a
geographical significance. The passage not only lists the kings, but also implicitly underscores
the strategic importance of the regions that were conquered. These regions included key
locations throughout Canaan, from the northern areas like Hazor to the southern areas such
as Hebron and Jerusalem, indicating that Israel had gained control over vital trade routes and fertile lands that would serve them
well into the future. Also, it listed a variety of opponents. The diversity of the
kings and their cities illustrates the variety of
enemies that Israel faced.
These kings ruled over city
states with different cultures, and defenses, and strategies, showing that the Israelites
were able to overcome a wide range of challenges, how? Through God's help. It also demonstrated the
completion of Moses' work. You know, had Moses not disobeyed God, he would've led the people
into the Promised Land, and this would've been his work. And so, giving this list of
kings that were defeated in the Promised Land
demonstrates what Moses would have done had he obeyed God. So this passage, when
combined with Joshua 12:1-6, shows the completion of
the work that Moses began. Moses had conquered
territories east of the Jordan, and Joshua continued this
work west of the Jordan, fulfilling the mandate to
possess the entire Promised Land. Also, the list served
to reinforce the theme of divine justice. The Canaanite kings and
their cities were judged for their iniquity, and their defeat by Israel is presented as an act of divine justice.
It wasn't just, you know,
violence for the sake of violence. This was a divine judgment moment on these corrupt, idolatrous nations. And so this theme, it runs throughout the conquest narratives, emphasizing that the
Israelites were instruments of God's justice in the region. And finally, there's a
symbolic number of kings. The number 31 may hold
symbolic significance in ancient Near Eastern texts. Specific numbers often
held symbolic meanings, representing completeness or totality. The listing of 31 kings could be intended to symbolize the comprehensive
nature of Joseph, not Joseph, but Joshua's conquests, even if not every Canaanite
city was conquered at that time. In summary, Joshua 12:7-24
serves as a historical record, a theological affirmation
of God's promises, and a source of encouragement and unity for the Israelite people. It also highlights the completeness of Joshua's military campaigns, reinforces the legitimacy of
Israel's territorial claims, and it underscores the
importance of faithfulness to God's command. All of these kings were defeated. All of these cities were overtaken because God was with the people of Israel. And so, looking at all of
these military victories, we can draw some lessons for today.
I've chosen two, two
lessons for believers today that can be drawn from Joshua's conquest in Joshua 9-12. The first lesson is this. Seek God's guidance in every decision. Seek God's guidance in every decision. The story of the Gibeonites in Joshua 9 highlights the critical importance of seeking God's guidance
in every decision, especially when faced with situations that may seem straightforward
or perhaps deceptive.
Before making any decision, especially those that
seem urgent or deceptive, believers should pause
and seek God's guidance through prayer, through scripture, and the council of wise, godly advisors. This will ensure that their
choices align with God's will, and leads to better outcomes. In the end, as Christians,
what is it that we want? We want to be able to do things that are according to God's will, in simple matters, in complex
matters, in money matters, business, spiritual, relationship matters.
We want to do things,
we want to choose things that are according to
His will and His purpose, and so before making important decisions, always good to seek the
counsel of the Lord. Another lesson based on the
material we've looked at, trust in God's faithfulness
and sovereignty in life's battles. Let's face it, there's three chapters here of nothing but battles,
military battles in victory. The account of Joshua's military victories in Joshua 10-12 demonstrate
God's faithfulness and sovereignty in the
battles that we face in life. These chapters show that
God fights for His people, and ensures their victory
when they are faithful and obedient to His commands.
Believers are encouraged
to trust in God's power and faithfulness when facing difficulties and challenges in life. By relying on His strength
rather than their own, they can experience victory and peace, knowing that God is sovereign, and will work all things for good. The victory for the Christian is not that the problem is
resolved to his advantage, or to her advantage. We think that's the victory. "Oh, God worked, 'cause it
worked out okay for me." That's not the victory.
The victory is that we have peace of mind, and courage, and hope
no matter what happens, no matter what takes place. Even if the situation
doesn't necessarily work out for the best for us, the fact that we can accept God's will and carry on faithfully, that's a victory. That's a spiritual victory. That's the kind of victory
that we are seeking each day in our lives. All right, well, that's
the lesson for Joshua 9-12. Our assignment, as always,
I want you to reread Joshua 9-12. Now that you have some
background information, hopefully it'll be clearer
to you as you read it.
And then in preparation
for our next class, I want you to read Joshua 13-21. Remember, you do the reading at home, and we do the explanation in class, so I look forward to
seeing you again next time. God bless you, and we'll
see you for our next lesson..