Joshua led Israel’s army to many victories over the Canaanites. Though the Israelites were outnumbered, God is never outnumbered. He encouraged, supported, and brought victory to them. After seven years of campaigning, the Israelites destroyed the alliance of Canaanite tribes.  If you are reading this for the first time, you might wonder if Joshua was possessed by evil for only evil people kill other humans; but you probably do not know the “backstory.” 

Joshua, trained by Moses, was told by God to lead the people into battles to take possession of His promised land to them.  The evil that existed and had been entrenched for generations produced barbaric people groups who performed random acts of horrendous violence to their own and others which were (and are) detestable to God. They essentially abused and murdered the weakest among them.  God’s desire was for evil to be eliminated before God’s people move in and take up residence there—all for their good and His glory.  God will prevail over evil every time.  He still does.

Joshua 11

Northern Kings Defeated

When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Akshaph, ² and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; ³ to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah. ⁴ They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. ⁵ All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

⁶ The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.”

⁷ So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, ⁸ and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left. ⁹ Joshua did to them as the Lord had directed: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.

¹⁰ At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) ¹¹ Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed, and he burned Hazor itself.

¹² Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. ¹³ Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds—except Hazor, which Joshua burned. ¹⁴ The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed. ¹⁵ As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.

¹⁶ So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, ¹⁷ from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and put them to death. ¹⁸ Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. ¹⁹ Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. ²⁰ 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.

²¹ At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. ²² No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.

²³ So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

True, undeniable victory is ours because Jesus came into a world of darkness as the Light of the World, exposing all evil that existed.  He then conquered the Enemy of darkness with resurrection power over death. Max Lucado writes;

“The world sees “victory” in a different light than the Bible does. The Bible sees victory as the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary and his resurrection. It has a future look and understanding.

Sometimes life doesn’t seem fair, does it? Have you ever wondered why good people have to hurt? Why the innocent suffer? Often it seems that those who have been most battered by life seem to understand Jesus best, and his assurance finds its way into the darkest corners of life, because regardless of our circumstances, God meets our needs. By surrendering to him, the ultimate victory is ours.” Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible

The victory is ours because of Jesus!  The war as been won. Victory is ours when we believe Jesus died to save us and then rose from death to prove He was “God in flesh” and is Word who moved into the neighborhood of humanity (see John 1).  This truth alone gives us our hope and assurance of a future, eternal life with Him!  Walking with Jesus, talking with Jesus, becoming more like Jesus in every way by the power of God’s Holy Spirit living within us is answering Jesus’ call of “Follow Me.” 

Trusting God’s plan of directions with His personally designed purpose for each one of us is doing what Joshua (and Jesus) did; “As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.”

If we really believe Jesus came to save us from our sins; we repent of our sins to Him because we believe.  When we believe; we have won the victory in the battle over our souls. 

Two choices.  Satan is THE enemy of death.  Jesus is our Savior and Lord of our lives who gives Life because He is Life.  These two choices to follow are given to us daily.  There will still be skirmishes with evil who does not give up in his efforts to pull us away from our belief with distractions and deceptions while attempting to deconstruct and dismantle our hope, love, faith, and trust in our Lord. 

“Hold firm to your faith”—God’s warns believers throughout His Word.  “Be strong and courageous, for I am with you” God tells Joshua with every battle with evil he faces.  Jesus tells us the same. In John 16:33, he said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Trouble is a part of life. The question is not if you will have difficulties but WHO you decide to listen to and be led through troubles in victory.

We are blessed and assured that someday we will enter a world where there will be no more pain, no more tears, and no more sorrow.  God’s promises are true.  We can count on God to do what He says.  Can He count on us?  If we have no faith in the future, then we have no power in the present. If we have no faith in the life beyond this life, then our present life is going to be powerless. But if we believe in the future and are assured of victory, then there should be a dance in your step and a smile on your face.  Our behaviors will reflect what we really believe.

Pause to carefully and prayerfully meditate on this question: Do you believe?  God is asking us right now to declare, confess and profess our faith in Him with each breath we take.  Do you really believe what God says is really real?

Here’s a follow up question:  Do I really believe that God has my best interests at heart? If I do, then like Joshua; I don’t want to leave anything left nothing undone in my love, faith, and obedience to God.  I want to be assured of victory, both in the future and in the present.

We can ask God to help us with our doubts.  We all have them.  He will not turn us away.  God knows our hearts.  Be honest. God likes honesty with humbled hearts who seek Him and ask for help.  Be still, let go and know God.  God/Jesus/Holy Spirit gives us all we need for each moment of every day.  When Jesus said, “And I will be with you always, even unto the end of the age,” (Matthew 28) He meant every word.  Victory is ours when we believe Him and do what He says.

Follow Jesus.  Leave nothing undone in all that God commands again through His Son to us: Love God. Love each other. There is no one on this earth that God does not love.

Lord,

Thank you for saving us by forgiving us of all our sins.  We cannot do that for ourselves. You willingly and obediently chose to do that for us.  There is no one like you who gives life and light in the darkness. Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

I’m yours.  And I’m listening.

In Jesus Name, Amen