Joshua 11:1-23

Introduction

At this point, the Book of Joshua becomes a little too leaden. The list of cities, kings and civilizations destroyed begins to pile up on top of each other, creating a overwhelming pile of bodies. Many simply choose to ignore the Joshua, leaving the death and destruction behind. But if a person is in chapter 11, they obviously have not taken that route. Therefore, they are forced to deal with a loving God and war in the same chapter. Some options to reconcile God and war are:

1. Openness Theology--God did not see the future nor know that Israel would choose to fight. Possibly, He knew Israel would fight, but He had no idea that the Canaanites would contine to resist. Not only is this a gross heresy, but it is a heresy the text of chapter 11 refutes.

2. Triumph of Free Will--Some suggest that God saw the war coming and knew Canaan would resist. It grieved His heart and He hoped it wasn't the case. Unfortunately for God, He has created a world where free will reigns and He simply had to sit back and watch this one play out. Not only is this a gross overstatement of a distortion of "free will," but like the first option, it is also refuted by this passage. Actually, God trumps the "free will" of men in this chapter, not vise versa.

3. That's the OT God--A simple reading may cause some to claim this is the Old Testament God, as if we have another Divinity in the New Testament. This is "hyper-dispensationalism" at its greatest extreme, for the doctrine of immutability states that God does not change. Not only that, but the New Testament credits God with some of the same activity.

Commentary

Verses 1-5
Jabin, king of Hazor, gathers the ragtag group of remaining kings together to fight against Israel. The armies gathered together with mass and with chariots. Though God described defeating chariots when laying out laws for warfare (Deuteronomy 20:1), this is the first mention of chariots in the Book of Joshua.

Verse 6-9
Again, God reminds Joshua to not be afraid. Similar to Psalm 20:7, God encourages Joshua that He will secure the victory. The Canaanites may have chariots, but the Israelites have the Lord. Joshua is to destroy the chariots and render the horses useless in the victory. We see his obedience in verse 9. With God's encouragement, Joshua and the Israelites took the battle to the Canaanites. They did not wait for their enemy to finish organizing and attack, instead, they placed the enemy on the defensive with their swift action. Again, victory is attributed to God, for we are told "The Lord delivered." We see they destroyed the enemy as they are delivered into their hand, defeated, pursued and struck so that no one survived.

Verses 10-15
Since Jabin had led the attack, Joshua sets his focus toward him. He strikes Jabin dead, as well as destroys the city of Hazor with fire. Some imagine this as standard operating procedure for the Israelites, but it was rare that they razed and burned a city. Like Jericho and Ai, Hazor represented a chief city and faced a stricter judgement. Though Israel killed all of the inhabitants of the cities, most of the city structures were preserved and the spoil was taken as plunder. This was in obedience to the Law they had received from Moses (Deuteronomy 20:15-20), which allowed them to enjoy cities they did not build and crops they did not plant (Deuteronomy 6:10-11). Joshua and the Israelites were not only obeying God's command regarding this battle, they were honoring God by obeying His commands regarding the entire campaign.

Verses 16-18
Joshua's victory is described in geographic detail, however it should be noted that this victory took time. The fact that the campaign would take time is a sign of God's gracious favor (Deuteronomy 7:22).

Verses 19-20
I find these verses to be the focal point of the chapter. Joshua juxtaposes the Gibeonite response and the response of the remaining Canaanites. Much more will be said about these two verses in the exposition below.

Verses 21-22
Unlike their fathers, who feared the Anakim, Joshua and the Israelites rout them from all of Canaan but the Gaza, Gath and Ashdod regions.

Verses 23
God does not desire for Israel to fight forever. But after they have been obedient to fight, He grants them victory, and ultimately He gives them rest.

Exposition--How could a Loving God call for all this war?

Paul reminds us that the Christian is engaged in a fight, but it is not a physical battle (Ephesians 6:11-20). Following Christ's direction (Matthew 26:51-52), the believer realizes the battle is greater than anything a sword can accomplish.

[As a side, Romans 12-13 speaks of the goverment's role in applying force. While a Christian is not allowed to engage in personal strife, this is not necessarily speaking to the role of a Christian in military service, where the battle is dictated by the government for societal reasons. While the issue of believers in the armed forces is debatable to some, all those within orthodoxy have agreed that no war or battle should be fought under a Christian banner. At various times in history, the Church has used the sword to exert force, and each time her testimony to Christ has been greatly diminished.]

Perhaps the Israelites were acting against God's will? This "solution" is immediately proven faulty when we see the Lord commanded Joshua to fight this battle (v 6) and then delivered the enemy into their hands (v 8). Clearly, the Lord was not displeased to see the Israelites fight.

Perhaps God had no choice? Could He hate warfare, yet the actions of the Canaanites penned Him in to the point where Israel must fight? This may appear plausible, until we remember that God ordained the entire campaign (v 15). Even more striking, God sovereignly ordained that the Canaanites would continue to resist by hardening their hearts (v 20). Not only did God permit the war, God is pleased to see it happen.

But how could a loving God harden the hearts of some, leading to their destruction. For this answer, it is important for us to check out Romans 9:14-23.

Paul begins the chapter discussing how God could be faithful to His promises to Israel, though Israel has rejected Him. He reminds the reader that God has done this in the past; choosing Jacob but rejecting Esau. This was not due to their actions, but due soley to God's sovereign choice. This naturally causes one to question God's justice. Is it fair to elect some an not others? Paul then reminds us that it is mercy that elects some to salvation. Pharaoh was raised up to demonstrate God's power. But if Pharaoh was raised up to demonstrate God's power, and if God hardened His heart to see to it that he accomplished His task, how could God then hold Pharaoh accountable? Paul asks this question and then reminds us that the creation cannot pretend to understand all about the Creator. We are not in a seat of position to tell God what He must do.

To the contrary, Paul lays out the concept that some are created for destruction to show the elect the power of God's mercy. By seeing the destiny of the unregenerate, the elect then glorify God all the more for His amazing grace. By contrasting their wrath with our mercy, the riches of God's glory are made known!

But how does this display mercy and not just God's wrath? There are a couple of things to consider:

1. The Canaanites destiny is the result of divine judgement. In the midst of God's covenant to Abram, God detailed the fate of the Amorites. After 400 years of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites will return to the promised land with possessions from the Egyptians (all prophesies fulfilled, thus making an Openness perspective difficult to reconcile). Why the long amount of time? God explains to Abram, "the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete." Man, woman and child; there are no innocent Amorite victims. These were nations that turned their backs on God and entered into perverse practices to worship false gods. They were receiving God's just wrath.

2. Israel also deserved God's just wrath. Ezekiel 16 clearly articulates that Israel was not innocent either. Her father was an Amorite and mother was a Hittite (v 3). God tells Ezekiel to remind the Israelites of their humble, even disgusting, origin. God then instructs Ezekiel to chastise Israel for its very unfaithful behavior. She is called worse than a prostitute, because she actually pays countless men to come sleep with her. It is clear that Israel was never desirable, nor has she made herself desirable. But despite her behavior (v 61), God will keep His covenant with them (v 62).

Clearly, Israel deserves the same fate as the Amorites and all of Canaan, but God has called them out as objects of mercy. This is not due to their working or their origin, but simply due to God's gracious election. Ideally, Joshua and the Israelites should be fighting this battle knowing they deserve the same fate, if not for God choosing them. This is powerfully displayed in their knowledge that they are not winning the battles, but God is bringing the victory.

So how should we respond in the face of destruction? What should our response be when we see tragedy, pain and agony around us? Jesus instructs us in Luke 13:1-5. Some people question Jesus about Pilate's murder of some Galileans in the temple. More than likely, since Jesus uses the term "hypocrite" to describe some in the crowd (12:56), these are Pharisees or teachers of the Law who are questioning Him (since hypocrite was a common title He gave them). More than likely, they were not informing Jesus of an event for the first time, but typical to their mode, they are testing Him by asking His opinion of the tragedy. Jesus questions their self righteousness. Do they suppose those who died at the hand of Pilate died becasue they are worse sinners? Never backing away from their tests, Jesus reinforces His question by asking about the Tower of Siloam. Were the eighteen killed when the tower fell worse sinners than others? Jesus answers both questions with an emphatic, "No!" He then reveals the real reason for the tragedy, that it would call others to repentance. They were killed so that we may see, realize His mercy that we have survived and then repent.

It is ridiculous when some claim, either at the hands of man or nature, that a tragedy is a direct result of greater sin. God is not pleased when people suppose tragedy befell an area because it is comprised of more sinners. When a territory floods, or injustice prevails upon victims, those escaping the tragedy should not assume they are more righteous. Rather, they should be driven to their knees, wondering why they have survived. Why didn't this tragedy strike them? Christ would answer them that they have survived for mercy's sake, that they would still have time to repent.

But one may wonder, why bother trying to repent. If God sovereignly chooses whom He may save, why even turn to the Savior. Aware of their sin and their due penalty before God, one may assume that they could not turn to God purely. And they would be absolutely correct. However, mercy is again found in Joshua 11:19.

The Gibeonites did not come to Israel purely. They did not come before Israel (and the Lord) without any spot or stain. In fact, the very way they declared their surrender was through deception and lies. (This also is not unlike Rahab's salvation. How gracious is God, that though Rahab and the Gibeonites submited to the power of God, they entered into the submission violating God's very standard for integrity. We do not need to try to excuse their actions (which arguements to do so are weak and flimsy), but rather see the beauty of God's mercy. Despite their lying and trickery, God appointed them as objects of mercy and rescued them. Though in each case, Israel had vowed not to harm either party, it would not have been difficult for God to have destroyed Rahab with the falling wall of Jericho or "friendly fire" from her fellow city dwellers. Likewise, Gibeon could have easily fallen at the hands of other swords or even through hailstorms (which God actually used in the battle to preserve Gibeon). No, when God entered them into His covenant, He forgave all of their sins, even the ones committed in the midst of their conversion!

For the saint, this has tremendous ramifications. He should understand that his conversion has no other explanation but the merciful election of God. Personally, though I do not remember many of the details, I know I favorable responded to the gospel at a young age, at the testimony of a faithful VBS worker. Why did I respond? Contrasting myself with therich, young ruler, I am forced to make a couple of observations. a) I am not as righteous as he. He kept the Law, was educated and was well respected. b) He had a better Evangelist speaking to him. He was in the audience of Jesus Christ. I can't even remember the name or face of the woman who shared the gospel with me. However, I can guarantee she wasn't as powerful as the Savior. What other explanation is there, but the mercy of God to choose?

I should never present God as unknowing, too weak or uncaring in moments of tragedy. Instead, I should call out to others that these things have occured so that they may repent. I should call them to embrace God's mercy in Christ. They should see that while they are still drawing breath, God is giving them opportunity to repent of their sin and trust in the goodness of Christ on the cross. While their is still time, they could have their sin penalty paid for and recieve the righteousness of Christ. They cannot do this by their own work, but must depend soley upon the grace of God. They need not wonder if they are one of the elect, for their repentance and faith are a sign that they are. God will turn down none that call out to Him! They need not worry about cleaning their life up before they come, for like Rahab and the Gibeonites, God overcomes all sin at the cross.

Also, the believer should be aware of the gracious, patient mercy of God. A time of relative tranquility may not be the perfect gauge of a pleasing life. God will discipline His children (Hebrews 12:4-17). How much better to respond to God's mercy now, confess your sin and repent, and see His patience to discipline as His divine mercy. Why wait for the rod?

Conclusion
Joshua 11 is certainly a difficult chapter for many to face. The genocide can seem difficult to reconcile with the mercy of God. But as we consider the Israelites and their unworthiness to be chosen, we remember that we too have no appeal to Christ on our own. We should be reminded that God could destroy all in their sins and be just. Yet, because of His mercy, some are chosen to live. This is not a picture of an angry God, calling for the destruction of innocent victims. Joshua 11 is the picture of a merciful God, calling His elect out of the destruction they equally deserve. When we see His wrath upon objects designed for destruction, it should cause us to rejoice all the more in His mercy and call others to delight in Him as well!