SHOWERS

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Joshua 12:1 – Now these are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the Arabah eastward:

Thus far, we have seen how Israel crossed the Jordan and with the Lord's help conquered Jericho, Ai, the southern alliance and the northern confederacy.  These detailed battles give us insight into the way God moved on behalf of his people.

In the battle of Jericho, we found that the miraculous hand of God was very prevalent.  God went before his people and did things they could not do.  In these cases, Israel's army had a 'lesser' role in the victory, although they were still actively involved in the outcome.

In the battle of Ai, we find the opposite.  The labor of Israel is more prominent; God either chooses not to use miraculous intervention or his intervention is hidden from view.  However, this does not mean that Israel stood alone.  We know she was assisted by God at every step, even though there were times when her army had a more traditional role in the conquest of an enemy.

From the deception of the Gibeonites we learned that God's people must always consult him before engaging the enemy.  When we try to take the lead without him, it normally results in a mess, which God must fix! 

The defeat of the southern five-king alliance shows us that no matter how strong, powerful, well connected, well funded or untouchable our enemies may seem, they are no match for God!

The defeat of the northern confederacy, which consisted of 31 separate kingdoms, reminds us that our God is sovereign, and his will always comes to pass. No matter how impossible the situation looks from man's point of view, God is well able to defeat his enemies. God has never, and will never, lose a battle! He can turn any situation around in a split-second of time.

The entire book of Joshua also shows us that after a victory, God will often give us progressively tougher battles.  Each victory increases our faith and experience, which trains/prepares us to face stronger enemies.  Thus, we see that God always sets us up to succeed.  Plus, when we lean on him and gain victory for his kingdom, he rewards us for our service!  So, whatever you are facing right now, rest assured that God will use it for your good. 

As we read about the territories that Israel captured in battle, let's keep these facts in mind.  Let's also remember that God never changes (Hebrews 13:8), which means these truths apply not just to ancient Israel, but to the church as well.

Joshua 12:2-3 – Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from the middle of the valley as far as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, that is, half of Gilead, and the Arabah to the Sea of Chinneroth eastward, and in the direction of Beth-jeshimoth, to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, southward to the foot of the slopes of Pisgah;

Here in Joshua chapter 12, we are presented with a historical record of Israel's conquests. The record begins with the victories over Sihon and Og. Both of these wars took place before Israel crossed the Jordan, while Moses was still leading Israel.

The first battle was against Sihon, king of the Amorites. Again, we find that Israel was not the aggressor in this war. As Israel came close to the Amorite kingdom, Moses sent messengers to Sihon asking him to allow Israel to pass through his territory on the way to the Promised Land.

Moses vowed that Israel would not engage them in battle, nor would they take any crops, animals, etc from the Amorites. In fact, they even promised not to leave the main road. All they wanted to do was to pass through the land peacefully.

But Sihon refused.  Instead of saving his kingdom by allowing Israel to quietly pass by, he gathered his army and attacked them.  Not surprisingly, he was defeated, and Israel took possession of all his land, which was east of the Jordan River. You can read the details of this battle in Deuteronomy 2:26-37.

Joshua 12:4-5 - � and Og,king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all Bashan to the boundary of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and over half of Gilead to the boundary of Sihon king of Heshbon.

Moses also led the battle against Og, king of Bashan, who was considered a very formidable opponent.  He attacked Israel as she came near Bashan. 

Og was a giant – a descendent of the Rephaim (or Anakim).  Scripture tells us that he had an iron bed that was 9 cubits (13.5 feet) long and 4 cubits (6 feet) wide (Deuteronomy 3:11)!

Scripture also tells us that many of the cities in his territory were fortified with high walls as well as iron gates and bars, yet the Lord delivered all 60 of his cities into the hands of Israel.  You can read the full account of this war in Deuteronomy 3:1-31.

In the eyes of the world, this was an astonishing victory for the untrained, ill-equipped army of Israel.  But in the eyes of the Lord, it was nothing!

Joshua 12:6 – Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the people of Israel defeated them.  And Moses the servant of the Lord gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

The land east of the Jordan river that formerly belonged to Sihon and Og then became the possession of Israel.

The tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh asked Moses to give them this land for their inheritance (See Numbers chapter 32). After consulting with the Lord, their request was granted, with the stipulation that their armed men must cross the Jordan and assist the rest of the nation in conquering the land west of the river (which they did).

In general, we find Israel marching from victory to victory.  They entered the Promised Land, enjoyed the favor of God and reaped the fruit of their labor.  Their success was based upon faith in God. 

The opposite was true of the Canaanites.  They are continuously swept away in torrents of destruction.  Their ruin was based upon their unbelief - because they served false idols, no amount of earthly weapons or fortified walls could save them.

What was true in the natural realm then, is true in the spiritual realm now. 

Those who have placed their faith in God can expect to reap eternal life, glory, honor, peace and a meaningful existence. Those who cling to false idols can expect to reap wrath, tribulation, anguish and meaningless despair.

Joshua 12:7 – And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, that rises toward Seir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments...

The remainder of this chapter gives us a more detailed list of the kings and people that Israel vanquished and the territory they subdued. 

The limits of the territory they now controlled were, generally speaking, from the Jordan River on the east, to the Mediterranean Sea on the west.  It extended as far north as Baal-gad and as far south as Edom.  You can read more about their boundaries in Numbers 34:2-12.  But the main point being made here is that God was faithful to his word – he had given Israel possession of all the land that was promised to them through Moses.

Now take a moment to reflect upon some of the promises God has made to the church:

He promises that we will overcome and be victorious.  He promises to give us the gift of Holy Spirit.  He promises that the gates of hell will not prevail over us.  He promises that we will inherit an eternal kingdom.  He promises that at the appointed time, he will return to earth and take us to heaven.

The list goes on and on.  What promises can you think of?  Whatever they may be, we can be confident that God will keep all the promises he has made to us, just as he kept those made to Israel. 

Joshua 12:8 -  in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negeb, the land of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites);

Did you know that before Israel ever entered the Promised Land, God promised to give them the land of seven different nations/people groups?  

Deuteronomy 7:1 -When the LORD your God shall bring you into the land to which you go to possess it, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you;

Yet, when we read this verse (Joshua 12:8) we find only six nations mentioned.  Who is the seventh nation and why aren't they mentioned as being subdued by Israel?

If we compare the list of nations in Deuteronomy with the list here in Joshua, we find that the seventh nation is the Girgashites.

The tradition of the Jews says that when Israel came to conquer the land, they voluntarily withdrew into Africa, leaving their cities and lands to be possessed by Israel, thus saving their lives and retaining their possessions.  For this reason, they are not listed as being vanquished. 

Other explanations assert that over time the Girgashites were incorporated into one of the other six nations and ceased to exist as a separate group by the time Israel came into the land. 

Regardless of what actually happened, one thing is certain - the land God gave to Israel was truly flowing with milk and honey.

There were fruitful hills, perfect for growing olives, figs and other delights. There were fertile valleys suitable for growing corn, barley and wheat. There were areas of forest which provided lumbar and areas of wilderness in which to graze the flocks. There were also abundant springs of water. The land held everything that a flourishing nation could need or want!

Joshua 12:9-24 -  the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; the king of Tirzah, one: in all thirty-one kings.

Verses 9-24 give us a list of the 31 specific kings that were overthrown by Israel. As you can plainly see, I did not type out the names of every single king and kingdom because the individual names are not critical for today's study. However, if you have a chance you might want to check out a map of the region during this era, as many of the locations can still be pinpointed.

As you probably already noticed, the names appear in the order in which they were vanquished, beginning with the king of Jericho and ending with the king of Tirzah.

At this point, the bulk of the Promised Land had been conquered. That is not to say that the entirety of the property was under Israel's control. It merely indicates that there were no more major groups who were actively attacking or fighting against Israel. For the most part, any remaining kingdoms simply kept to themselves and did not seek to overthrow Israel.

God will now command Joshua to divide up the Promised Land among the twelve tribes.  Each tribe was then responsible for overthrowing any remaining Canaanite cities or kingdoms in their territory.

The division of the land was not accidental.  Scripture tells us that God alone determines the boundaries of every nation:

Acts 17:26 – And he [God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place...

The implications of this are clear.  God had ordained a set period of time for the Canaanite nations to occupy the land.  But now that time had come to an end; the land was turned over to Israel.  In addition, each individual tribe was allotted a specific space. God's purpose in determining the boundaries of the nations is very clear:

Acts 17:27 - that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. 

Although it may be past our understanding, Paul clearly tells us that the boundaries of each nation are divinely orchestrated to encourage the people to seek and find God. 

This in turn leads to the conclusion that God had divinely determined which spaces were best suited for each tribe. Each of them was given an allotment that would not only suit their needs, but challenge their faith, and lead them into a deeper relationship with God. Thus, they were given the opportunity to fulfill God's highest destiny for mankind: to seek and serve the living God.

We will discuss this concept more fully in our future posts, as we look at the division of the land.

Let me offer you some encouragement and some relief:

As we look at the conquest of the Promised Land, we notice that God always sets his people up for success; there is no situation that even comes close to exhausting the limits of God's power and authority. 

For instance, when the five-kingdom alliance came against Israel, God used that situation to increase Israel's faith. When the 31-nation confederacy was formed against them (complete with a cavalry and iron chariots), God simply used that situation to help Israel conquer the land faster. God uses every circumstance for our good, no matter how dark or frightening it may seem to us.

What was true for God's people then, is still true for God's people (the church) today. 

There can be no doubt that God has set the church up for victory: Jesus is the head of the church (Colossians 1:15-20); we operate in his power and authority, not our own. And since every name in heaven, on earth and even those under the earth must bow to him, we are assured of victory.

Philippians 2:9-11 – Therefore God has highly exalted him [Jesus] and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The only thing that remains for us to do is listen to the voice of God and then step out in faith to fight evil forces in the spiritual realm which are terrorizing our nation (Ephesians 6:12). 

The conquest of the Promised Land teaches us that we do not need to be afraid to do this, because God is with us.  If we will answer the call and engage the enemy through prayer and confession of the scriptures, God will give us the victory. 

Let me offer you some strength:

Scripture declares that each of us has been given a measure of faith (Romans 12:3) and some amount of talent (Matthew 25:14-30). It is God's will for his people to use their faith and talents, not hide them in the ground! As we do so, they strengthen, grow, mature and eventually bear fruit. Israel continuously exercised their faith while using their talents during the conquest of the land.

We too, must exercise our faith and put our talents to work.  If you are in the midst of a battle right now that seems impossible or that seems like it is taking forever, don't give up!  Remind yourself that the soldiers of Israel were no doubt tired or weary from time to time, but they never gave up.  They may not have seen a way to defeat the enemy, but God had a way already planned out.  The same is true in your situation.

When the time was right, God stepped in and turned their situation around in an instant, and he will do the same for you! 

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Joshua 11:10-11 – And Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms.  And they struck with the sword all who were in it, devoting them to destruction; there was none left that breathed.  And he burned Hazor with fire.

Here we have the final outcome of those who participated in the war against Israel.  As we would expect, their ends were exactly the same as those of the southern alliance – they were defeated and destroyed.  The outcome at Hazor is particularly recorded because of its role as the organizer of the confederacy.

Jabin, king of Hazor, was the commander-in-chief.  He had apparently escaped the battle with his life and immediately retreated to what he thought was the safety of his walled city.  He must have felt particularly relieved when Israel left the area to pursue the troops to Sidon and Mizpah. 

But his hope was built on the shifting sand.  His city was not an oasis of safety but a trap of death; it was subdued by Israel and burned to the ground.  He and all his remaining subjects were slain. 

On a side note, it is worth noting that this was not the end of Hazor. Other Canaanites eventually rebuilt it and settled there, establishing the same city and government. Hazor once again caused Israel trouble during the era of the judges (Judges 4:2). Interestingly, we find that during this later period they were still coming against Israel with cavalry and chariots.

Joshua 11:12-14 – And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua captured, and struck them with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded.  But none of the cities that stood on the mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor alone; that Joshua burned.  And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the people of Israel took for their plunder.  But every person they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any who breathed.

Every single kingdom that fought against Israel was defeated - no exceptions.  And every single person in those kingdoms received a sentence of death so that their worship of false gods and demonic powers would not corrupt the people of Israel (Deuteronomy 20:16-18).  The only kingdom to be spared was Gibeon, who became laborers in the service of the temple. 

However, not every city was burned as Hazor was.

Before Israel had even entered the Promised Land, God declared that he would give them the houses, food and possessions of their enemies:

 

Deuteronomy 6:10-11 - And it shall be, when the LORD your God shall have brought you into the land which he swore unto your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you great and beautiful cities, which you built not, and houses full of all good things, which you filled not, and wells dug, which you dug not, vineyards and olive trees, which you planted not...

It made no sense for Israel to completely destroy and/or burn these resources/blessings. Instead, they were enriched by the spoils of their enemies. The people of Israel possessed their homes, drew water from their wells, ate their crops and inherited their livestock.

These blessings allowed them to start a new and prosperous life in the land that flowed with milk and honey! This is an example of the wealth of the wicked being transferred to the just (Proverbs 13:22).

Joshua 11:15-16 – Just as the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did.  He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.  So Joshua took all that land, the hill country and all the Negeb and all the land of Goshen and the lowland and the Arabah and the hill country of Israel and its lowland.

This verse gives a general description of the land taken under the leadership of Joshua. Notice that it is a description, not a list of assets. Obviously, every single kingdom that was subdued by Israel is not mentioned here. The overall point is that God (and Joshua) continued in the work of the conquest, uninterrupted, until it was finished.

This is a very comforting thought.  We can be sure that God will faithfully continue his work in our generation too, because he never changes (Malachi 3:6).  This means that when he begins to subdue evil in our government, he will not stop until every foe of the church is vanquished.  When he begins to subdue evil in our school systems and universities, he will not stop until every foe of the church is vanquished.  When he begins to subdue evil forces that cloud the minds/hearts of sinners preventing them from accepting the gospel, he will not stop until every foe of the church is vanquished.  Hallelujah!

However, before we start a victory dance, let's remind ourselves that we (like Joshua) must continue to partner with God in this important work. We must faithfully and continuously work to elect godly men and women into government positions. We must support righteous people to serve on our school boards and act as trustees of colleges and trade schools. We must continue to do everything within our power to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation across the globe.

Here is some good news to keep in mind as you continue in the daily fight:  Although the battle may seem to last a long time, we have the assurance that we will be victorious, if we don't give up.

Galatians 6:9 – And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

God is not going to single-handedly transform our culture and our nation without including us in the process.

However, if we agree to partner with him, we can be sure he will both start and complete a good work in our midst. We can expect victory over darkness; we can be sure that the great revival which we hope for will become a reality.

Joshua 11:17-18 -  from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon.  And he captured all their kings and struck them and put them to death.  Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

We are not going to go into detail on the location of the places listed in verses 16-17.  Suffice to say, the scripture is telling us that God granted Joshua and the Israelite army control of the Promised Land. 

But it didn't happen overnight. Once Israel crossed the Jordan, they conquered Jericho, Ai and the five-nation southern alliance very quickly. However, the overall conquest of the land took 'a long time'.  What does that mean? Based on comments made by Caleb after the defeat of the confederacy, many scholars believe it took five years to finish the conquest (Joshua 14:10). Others, however, believe it took as long as seven years. 

One thing is clear - after the war with the southern alliance, God significantly slowed the pace at which Israel conquered other kingdoms.  Why would he do that?  Why didn't God give his people complete victory in about 18-24 months?

• For one thing, drawing out the conquest gave the remaining Canaanites time to repent. They heard about the God of Israel and they had seen evidence of his mercy towards the Gibeonites. If they had desired to do so, they too could have surrendered to Israel, which would have saved their lives and given them a chance to serve the Lord.

• Kingdoms that were not under attack or siege by Israel carried out their normal routines. This was especially important with regards to farming. The Canaanites would plant crops, and as Israel took the land little by little, there were always supplies readily at hand. We could say that the Canaanites essentially planted and harvested provisions for the continued support of the Israeli army. If Israel had conquered all of the kingdoms in about a year, they would have been left with no provisions and no time to plant crops. Famine would have ensued.

• The Lord told Israel long before they stepped foot into the Jordan that they would only take the land a little at a time because otherwise wild animals would multiply and destroy the land:

Deuteronomy 7:22 - And the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you little by little: you may not consume them at once, lest the wild animals of the field become too numerous for you.

• God also caused the conquest to be drawn out to give Israel 'skin in the game'. In other words, people who obtain something without a sacrifice or investment on their part have little value for the thing they obtained. If God had miraculously given them the entire land quickly, they might not have valued their inheritance as much. But since they had blood, sweat and tears invested in the conquest, the land was very important to them.

• The drawn out warfare sharpened the military skills of Israel, which were necessary for them to hold the land.

• The protracted period of time also provided an opportunity for God to show/teach his people how to be persistent. They needed to learn the art of resting and trusting in him over time, because not every battle passes quickly.  This period of warfare exercised the patience, courage and perseverance of Israel as well as her faith in God.

Joshua 11:19-20 – There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon.  They took them all in battle.  For it was the Lord's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

At first glance, these verses seem difficult to understand.  The concept of the Lord hardening a heart so that it should be destroyed, is foreign to what we know about him:

Psalms 103:8 – The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.

How then, are we to understand this situation? What does it mean when the Lord 'hardens' a heart?

There is an analogy that effectively describes the hardening this way:  God is like the rays of the sun shining down on the world.  When the sun strikes wax, the wax softens and becomes pliant.  When the sun strikes clay, the clay is hardened and becomes brittle.  It is the same sun, but we get different results based on the makeup of the item the sun touches. 

So it is with the hearts of men.  God's mercy shines down on all.  Some will surrender to him (like Rahab) and become pliant.  They will repent and turn towards God.  Others (like the kings of Canaan) will harden their hearts and become brittle, refusing to repent.  By rejecting God, they seal their own destruction.      

For example, we read in the scriptures that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who then refused to allow Israel to go free (Exodus 7:13, 9:12, 14:17).  There can be no doubt that Pharaoh knew about Jehovah.  Moses had spoken of him and Pharaoh himself had seen numerous proofs of his existence and power. 

Consequently, Pharaoh had a choice to make – would he humble himself and surrender to the mercy of Jehovah, or haughtily continue to serve the false gods of Egypt?  One path led to life, the other to death.

Here is something else to consider: God could very easily have used any means at his disposal to frighten or intimidate Pharaoh into choosing him. Doing so would not have been a problem for God at all! But God did not do that. Instead, he stepped back and allowed Pharaoh to make his own choice.

As we know, Pharaoh chose to stick with false gods, who fed his inner desires of pride, control, greed and general perverseness.  Although he initially decided to let Israel go free (to give himself relief from the plagues), he changed his mind and pursued Israel with all the military might he possessed.  Once the Egyptians came against Israel in war, God stepped in and destroyed them. 

Thus, we can conclude the following:

• Pharaoh had knowledge of the true God.
• He had physical evidence which backed up that truth.
• He had a fair chance to make his own choice.
• He chose to reject God's mercy and thus his heart was hardened when touched by the light of God.
• Because of his choice, he attempted to destroy Israel and thus he sealed his own fate.

The 'hardening' of the Canaanites was very similar; the conquest of Canaan was never a massacre of innocent, non-resisting inhabitants.

The people of that land had been given a measure of spiritual insight. For instance, we are expressly told that Rahab (the woman of Jericho who assisted the spies) knew all about God and the wonders he performed on behalf of Israel (Joshua 2:9-11). According to her own testimony, so did everyone in Jericho. In fact, so did every kingdom in Canaan.

The inhabitants of Canaan had both seen and heard of the miracles the Lord had performed. These included Israel's freedom from Egypt, crossing the Red sea on dry land, the manna in the wilderness, the defeat of Sihon and Og, the crossing of the flooded Jordan River and the battle at Jericho.

At that point, all of the kings of Canaan had a choice to make. It was the same choice Pharaoh faced. They could choose to turn to Jehovah or keep serving their false idols. God stepped back and allowed them to make their choice.

All of them chose to resist God and as a result all of them were hardened by the light of God. All of them chose to aggressively attack Israel and try to destroy her. Once they did, they sealed their own fate because Israel had every right to fight back when attacked.

I cannot help but wonder if we are not seeing a similar scenario play out on the world's stage today.  At the writing of this post, terrorist groups have broken a peaceful situation by attacking the Israelites in Gaza.  Now Israel has the right to fight back.      

Joshua 11:21-22 – And Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction with their cities. There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain.

 

The Anakim or the sons of Anak, were a fierce race of giants which lived in various places in Canaan.  They are specifically mentioned here because they were one of the main excuses given by the men of Israel for not entering the Promised Land.  This happened during Israel's first opportunity to take the land under the leadership of Moses (Numbers 13:22, 31-33). 

Because the giants terrified the men of Israel so much, it was important that they be defeated so they didn't hinder the continued progress of Israel.

Think of it this way: If the Anakim remained in the land, they would always be a source of fear and terror to Israel. Whenever Israel saw them, they would be filled with anxiety and fear, thinking that their most difficult battles were still in the future. Their presence would obscure the glory of God and undermine the faith of Israel. Therefore, they had to be defeated sooner rather than later.

During this 5-7 year period, Joshua and his army put to death all the giants they could find. However, they were not completely destroyed. Some fled to the Philistine cities of Gaza, Gath and Ashdod which were located close to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

The Anakim continued to be an enemy of Israel for many years to come. You have no doubt heard of one of the more famous sons of Anak – Goliath of Gath, who was slain by king David.

 

Joshua 11:23 – So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses.  And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments.  And the land had rest from war.

It's important that we understand what this verse says and what it doesn't say. 

It tells us that Israel, under the command of Joshua, had overcome all overt resistance. All the kings and kingdoms that had declared war on Israel had been defeated. Israel had possession of many cities and towns which were a sufficient habitation for the people at that time.

It does not say that every single city or district within the Promised Land had been subdued and purged of Canaanites. Indeed, it would have been unwise to conquer more territory until the Israelites were peaceably settled in the land they already controlled.

Nevertheless, enough progress had been made so that Joshua could now divide the land up among the twelve tribes.  Once this was done, it would then be up to each tribe to subdue the Canaanites who lingered in their share of the inheritance.

As we mentioned previously, this plan allowed the land to be continuously cultivated and it kept the wild animals for overrunning the territory.  By allowing the Israelites to settle into communities, it also gave the families peace and rest.  Once they were ready, they could go back out to war and subdue more of their inheritance.

As for their part, the Canaanites offered no further organized resistance to the division of the land among the Israelite tribes; they seemed to be content to stay in their remaining cities.  This period of peace provided the opportunity to rest and to divide up the land.

When we study this account of the Promise Land, we are reminded that Joshua was a type of Christ.   He led Israel in battle until the people rested from war.  Similarly, Jesus is the commander-in-chief of God's army.  He is, and will continue, to lead the church in conquering the world for his kingdom until the time when God calls us home to heaven, where we will have eternal rest (Hebrews 4:8-10).   

Just as Israel's battles ended in victory, so will ours:

Victory has been promised to the people of God all through the scriptures. It began in the book of Genesis where God declared that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15), and it continues until God calls us home to a new heaven and earth in the book of Revelation.

Our victory is secured by God's help. As we studied Joshua chapters 1-11, it was evident that as Israel conquered the Promised Land, God was aiding his people every step of the way. In the same way, we are victorious in spiritual warfare because God is fighting for us (Psalms 118:6), because he is giving us strength to fight (Psalms 117:1) and because Christ has already conquered our enemies:

1 Corinthians 15:57 - But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Victory is obtained through battle. Just as Joshua and the Israelites had to fight to obtain the promises of God, we too must stand and fight against the principalities and powers of this age (I John 5:4, Ephesians 6:10-11), claiming God's promises and taking the kingdom of God by force (Matthew 11:12).

Let me offer you some encouragement:

The Anakim or the race of giants, are mentioned in today's post.  Fear of these giants was one of the main reasons Israel refused to step into the Promised Land on their first opportunity.  As a result of their rebellion against God, Israel was forced to wander in the desert for 40 years.

Let's examine that a bit more closely.  The claims of the 10 spies were accurate – the giants were very big, very fierce, very strong and very experienced.  They represented a very real threat/challenge.

The ten spies' mistake was not incorrectly assessing their enemy – it was in surrendering their hearts/minds to fear. The minute fear rose up within them, they should have fought it off with faith. Instead of fearing what might be true or what might happen, they should have reminded themselves of what they knew to be true and what they knew was going to occur:

• They were God's chosen people.
• God had promised to give them the land.
• God had proved his faithfulness by protecting them in the 40-year wandering and bringing them to the threshold of the Promised Land.
• God had promised never to leave them; he had instructed them to be strong and of good courage.

But instead of keeping their minds focused on these promises of God, they allowed fear to take over and rob them of their blessing. 

Stop and meditate on that for a minute:  Israel lost the battle in their mind first - long before they were defeated in the physical realm.  We can conclude that the way we think has a lot to do with our victory or defeat. 

Ask yourself this question: What are you filling your mind with?

The truth of the scriptures? Praise and worship songs? Testimonies of those who have overcome? Things that are good and perfect (Philippians 4:8)? Or with worldly thoughts, melodies and stories that have no lasting value?

I strongly encourage you to examine and gain control over the thoughts of your own mind. 

Let me offer you some relief:     

The church of Jesus Christ is facing some formidable opposition.  There are demonic forces that want to destroy our nation, our families and our children.  Their power and strength are very real. 

The good news is that when Jesus fights on our side, we cannot be defeated!  However, we cannot just sit by and do nothing.  We must partner with God through prayer, confession of his word and practical action.  When we engage the enemy in this fashion, God is sure to give us the victory, just as he did for Israel!

This also applies to our personal lives.  What 'giant' are you facing today?  Your foe may be powerful.  It may have been deeply entrenched in your situation for many years.  But it is not invincible!  It must bow to the name of Jesus Christ:

Philippians 2:10 - That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;  

Remember – giants can be defeated if you follow God's commands and stay in faith!

Let me offer you some strength:

Scripture tells us that there is a time for everything under the sun (Ecclesiastes).  Israel had seasons of war and seasons of peace.  They had seasons of 'enough' and seasons of prosperity.  They had seasons of intense labor and seasons of bountiful rest. 

The same is true in our lives.  For example, when we are younger, we have seasons of intense labor when we work, marry and raise children.  But this gives way to seasons when we are established in our careers, the children are grown, and we have more free time.  Some people are in a season where they must care for their parents or grandchildren.  Others are in a season of learning or training.  Some of us may find ourselves in a season of transition.      

 Regardless of what season you are now experiencing, know that God is with you.  He will never leave you, or forsake you.  He will never let you down.  He will give you rest, peace and strength, as he takes you safely from one season of life to the next.  

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Joshua 11:1-3 – When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaphand to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor on the west to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.

Welcome back, dear readers! We are studying the book of Joshua, which relates the story of how Israel took the Promised Land – the territory of Canaan.

Keep in mind that Canaan was not a nation united under one king or central government. Instead, it was a conglomeration of small kingdom cities, each with its own ruler, its own military and its own agenda. These small kingdoms often fought against each other for various reasons. Nevertheless, they agreed to join together for the purpose of defeating their common enemy.

The church could learn a lesson from this confederacy – now is a good time for Christians of all denominations and classes to put our minor differences aside and unite against our common enemy, Satan.

In chapter 10, we found an alliance of five kingdoms led by Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem.  The kingdoms of this alliance were in the southern regions of the Promised Land, near the city Jebus, which would later be named Jerusalem.  This alliance of nations was utterly destroyed by Israel.

In chapter 11 we find a very similar narrative.  This time there is a confederacy of multiple kingdoms/nations led by Jabin, king of Hazor.   The kingdoms of the confederacy were located in the northern regions of the Promised Land.

Jabin: As we have seen in other instances, 'Jabin' is not a name but a title that was used by the kings of Hazor. The word/title literally means 'he shall understand' and is equivalent to 'the wise' or 'intelligent'.

Hazor: 'Hazor' means 'enclosed' or 'fortified'. There were at least three cities in Canaan with this name. Two were located in the south and were part of the inheritance of Judah. However, the city involved in the confederacy of chapter 11 was a major city in the northern part of Canaan. It would later fall into the inheritance of the tribe of Napthtali (Joshua 19:36). It was believed to be the strongest fortress in the north.

Although Joshua will destroy and burn it to the ground (Joshua 11:11), it will eventually be rebuilt by the Canaanites and once again become a powerful center of government and military might� About 130 years after Joshua dies, we find another 'Jabin' sitting on the throne who kept Israel under slavery for twenty years before God rescued his people by the hands of Deborah and Barak (Judges 4 and 5).

At the time of the events recorded in Joshua, Hazor was powerful enough to have a number of smaller tributary cities/kingdoms under their control. These are the unnamed kingdoms referred to in verses 1-3. These may be the same kingdoms mentioned later in Joshua 12:9-24, where 31 different kings are mentioned.

So Jabin, upon learning of the defeat of the alliance led by Adoni-Zedek, forms a military confederacy of the northern nations.  The purpose of the confederacy was the same as that of the defeated southern alliance – to subdue or destroy the children of Israel.

Joshua 11:4-5 – And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.  And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

The phrase 'the sand upon the sea shore' is a hyperbole often found in scripture.  It conveys the idea of a vast number; far too many to actually count or even estimate.  God himself uses this phrase when describing the number of descendants of Abraham:

Genesis 22:17 -That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies;

However, in this case it is used to describe the overwhelming number of troops that were coming against Israel.

We can conclude that the forces of the confederacy were not only greater in number, but they were better equipped and therefore much more formidable than those of the alliance. In addition to foot soldiers, they also had a cavalry and chariots – the ancient equivalent of an armored car!

Cavalry: Obviously, a soldier riding an enormous war horse has a big advantage in battle.According to the noted historian Josephus, the confederacy had 10,000 cavalry soldiers. Other historians tell us that Egypt supplied the Canaanites with these animals.

Chariots: The war chariots were probably like those of Egypt which were made of wood and tipped with iron. It has been reported that the chariots had forward facing, iron tipped spikes attached to the yokes of their horses.  In addition, they were made with strongly fortified wheels and had iron scythes attached to poles projecting from the center of the wheel. As the chariot flew through the enemy ranks, these iron implements mortally wounded anyone who did not get out of the way.

Without the Lord on their side, the Israeli soldiers would certainly have been terrified, especially considering that their own army consisted entirely of foot soldiers.

All of Israel's previous battles had been fought man-to-man in the mountainous terrain near Jerusalem.  The battle for the north, however, took place near water on a flat plain.  This made it feasible for the enemy to use chariots.  Scripture tells us the name of the lake was Merom, but it exact location is unknown.

Nevertheless, it is always good for the people of God to remember that even though the majority of us cannot see into the spiritual realm, we can be assured that those who are for us are greater than those who are against us (II Kings 6:16). 

Joshua 11:6 – And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel.  You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire."

Before this epic battle, Joshua did not fail to stop and consult the Lord.  God, in his great mercy, reassures Joshua that due to his intervention, Israel would once again be victorious over her enemies, just as he had promised:

Deuteronomy 20:1 -When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and a people more than you, be not afraid of them: for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Even though they enemy was to be slain by the swords of Israel, the scriptures give the credit to God; he was the one who delivered them into the hands of Israel.� Without his presence and protection, Israel would have been defeated.

We cannot help but notice that God reiterates his promises of victory to Joshua over and over and over again.  Why does God do that?

He does it because our faith is in constant need of nourishment.  If we regularly meditate on the past victories God has given to us personally, to the church and to our nation, it keeps our faith healthy and strong.

We can also feed our faith through testimonies. There can be no doubt that testimonies are extremely powerful in the spiritual realm.  Scripture tells us that the combination of the blood of Jesus with the word of our testimony defeats our enemy, Satan:

Revelation 12:11 -And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death.

Let me say it again:  Your testimony is powerful!  Open your mouth and proclaim what God has done for you!  Doing so will prepare you for the next battle you face.  It is also important that you share it with others because your testimony will feed their faith too.  After all, if God has delivered you, he will do it for others as well!

God goes on to remind Joshua that two things must be done after the victory:

One, Israel was to hamstring the horses.  This means that they were to cut the hamstring tendons in the thigh of the horse.  Once severed, this sinew cannot be healed, so the horse would be lame or unable to walk/run properly. 

Second, they are to not only destroy but burn all the enemy's chariots.

Why would God make Israel do that?

The answer is simple – because God did not want Israel to adopt the methods of warfare used by the heathen nations.  If they became adept with these weapons, they would soon begin to trust in their own strength and power, which would eventually fail them.  Victory for God's people can only come through depending on Him (Psalms 20:7). 

Before we move on, let's discuss the word 'tomorrow'. In this verse God says that 'tomorrow' at the same time, he would give the enemy into Joshua's hands. We know that Hazor was approximately 60-80 miles from Gilgal, the base camp of Israel. Josephus tells us that Joshua spent five days traveling from Gilgal to the encampment of the kings.

So, either Joshua was already near to the enemy camp when God spoke to him, or the word 'tomorrow' is used in a general sense meaning soon or immediately.

Joshua 11:7 – So Joshua and all his warriors came suddenly against them by the waters of Merom and fell upon them.

Just as in the battle with the southern alliance, Israel catches the northern confederacy by surprise.  They believed Israel was still miles away, but they suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere! 

Israel caught them off guard while they were garrisoned between the mountains and the lake.  Because of this position, the horses and chariots would not have had room to deploy effectively, and the confederacy had no time to organize them into a fighting position.  Before they could do anything, Israel attacked.   

Joshua 11:8 – And the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh.  And he struck them until he left none remaining.

First of all, we cannot overstate the hand of God in the conquest of the Promised Land. The kingdoms cities in Canaan were in close enough proximity that they could have solidified as a single fighting unit the minute that Israel crossed the Jordan.�But because of the influence of God, they didn't.  Even Jericho, who was the first kingdom to fight the unknown invaders, did not request reinforcements from the other kingdoms. 

After that miraculous victory, it could only have been the mercy and goodness of God which caused the Canaanites to form a southern alliance and a northern confederacy, dividing Israel's enemies so they could be defeated more easily.

Just as with the southern alliance, the slaughter of the northern confederacy was swift and sure.  As the fighting intensified, the confederate soldiers turned and fled as fast as possible to one of two distant locations.

Some fled northwest to the metropolis of Sidon.  In ancient times, Sidon was the capital city of Phoenicia.  You may have read about this city other places in the scriptures.  It is often mentioned in conjunction with its nearby neighbor, Tyre (Matthew 23:11, Mark 7:31, Luke 10:13-14, etc).  Sidon is described as 'great', which refers to its wealth, its importance as a commercial/trading hub, and its overall size.  As a well-fortified city, it was a logical place for the fleeing soldiers to seek refuge (or so they thought).

The scriptures indicate that survivors of the confederacy also fled to Misrephoth-maim. The location and significance of this city is unknown. The meaning of its name is 'burning waters'. This leads to speculation that the area was either a natural hot springs, or a place filled with ditches where salt was manufactured through the evaporation of water.

Despite their efforts to flee, the men of Israel continued to pursue and destroy their enemies until none were left.  However, this was only because they had rejected the mercy of God.

The people of the northern confederacy had ample opportunities to surrender to Israel.  But they rejected the chance to become proselytes and vassals/tributaries of Israel, where they could have experienced God's grace.  Therefore, God delivered them into the hands of Israel who became his instruments of justice.

Other soldiers fled northeast to the valley of Mizpeh, but their efforts were also in vain.    

Joshua 11:9 – And Joshua did to them just as the Lord said to him:  he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

As previously mentioned, the confederacy was unable to use their horses or their chariots because of Israel's surprise attack. So, once they fled the battle in fear, Israel was free to enter their base camp, destroy their horses and burn their chariots.

Again, this was done according to the command of God, who did not want Israel to develop a trust in their own abilities; he wanted Israel to remain dependent on him for their military victories.

But it served another purpose as well - to teach Israel not to be afraid of man-made weapons/war implements.  The disabled horses and charred chariots were clear evidence that no weapon of man could defeat the children of God, regardless of how formidable it may seem at first.  For the children of Israel, seeing the destruction of the horses and chariots served the same purpose as putting their feet upon the necks of the five kings – it reminded them that no weapon formed against them could defeat the living God!

Isaiah 54:17 – No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication is from me, declares the Lord.

The conquest of the Promised Land also demonstrates how God builds up or matures his people spiritually. When Israel first crossed into the Promised Land, their faith was not exceptionally strong. God used the smaller battles against Jericho and Ai to build up the faith of his people, so they could withstand the tests that were still to come.

The next war involved a much bigger enemy – the alliance of the five southern kings. Again, we see that God encouraged his people to go to war because he would be with them, just as he had in Jericho. Victory in this greater war caused Israel's faith to grow even stronger and deeper. Their fighting skills also increased at the same time.

It was only after this growth that they were in a position to take on the extremely formidable northern confederacy which had both cavalry and chariot divisions.

It has been observed that God proportions our trials to our strength and our strength to our trials.  How true this is!

In other words, God trains his people in such a way that each battle the church faces makes us stronger and fuller of faith.  This in turn sets us up for even greater victories for the kingdom of heaven.  The same principle holds true in our personal lives as well.

So, the next time you encounter a battle, instead of thinking, 'why me', think, 'what is God doing in my life through this moment', because you can be sure he intends that battle to be for your good!    

Let me offer you some encouragement and relief:

In this narrative, we find that the enemies of Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore.  They were also better equipped and better trained.  When looking at the situation from the natural point of view, Israel had every reason to be afraid of losing the battle – but they were victorious!

We know that God never sets us up to fail.  If he brings you to a battle, he will never leave you; he will fight on your behalf just as he did for Israel. 

Deuteronomy 31:8 – The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.� Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

The key is that we must do our part.  For example, suppose there was an issue with your local school board.  Suppose they decided to adopt a practice that was completely against the word of God. 

This would qualify as an example of God bringing you to a battle.  The established school board may be bigger, more organized and have more resources on their side, just like the northern confederacy.  In the natural, it may seem like you don't have a chance.

But don't look at things from the natural point of view; see them as God sees them.

Start by emulating Joshua - spend time praying and if necessary, fasting. Confess the word of God over the situation.  Then formulate a plan – schedule a meeting or come to the next meeting prepared to give a succinct, well written rebuttal to the issue at hand. Wait for your turn to speak and make your case.

If the battle isn't won at that point, be persistent.  Calmly find out what the next step should be.  Gather other Christians and people of the community who are on your side and continue to fight through social media, news outlets or other public forums.  Then watch for God to bring you the victory.

Let me offer you some strength:

We all go through seasons where everything in life seems difficult.  Accomplishing even a simple goal seems almost impossible due to numerous obstacles!  But instead of complaining, giving up or lamenting 'why me', let's begin to look at these situations from another point of view.

We know that God often stretches and grows our faith through trials and difficulties.  This somewhat painful process is for our good:

• It matures our faith so we can be even more effective in the kingdom of heaven.
• During the process, we come to know God in a deeper and greater way.
• By winning battle after battle, we will be earning greater and greater rewards in heaven.
• Our victories will be a testimony which helps others overcome.

The list of benefits goes on and on.

The next time you find yourself in that kind of a situation, why not just ask Holy Spirit what he is trying to teach you through that difficulty? If we work with him instead of against him, we will undoubtedly get through the process must faster, which is what we want anyway!

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Psalm 116:17 - I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

Hello readers!  We are taking a quick break from our study of Joshua to take a timely look at the topic of thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is the act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors and mercies we have already received or will receive in the future. 

While we set aside a special day each year to be thankful, the truth is that Christians should be living a lifestyle of thankfulness to God because he bestows boundless gifts and mercy upon us every single day!

Below is a list of things to be thankful for.� Keep in mind that these suggestions are merely starting points; as you begin to meditate on them, let your heart lead you into greater and newer realms of thanksgiving and praise based on your personal relationship with Jesus!

First and foremost, Christians are thankful for the forgiveness of sin through the blood of Christ:

1 Peter 1:18-19 - Since you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain manner of life received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  

What good things are you enjoying today?  Family, friends, a successful business, good health, retirement, or a child you never thought you could have?  What about peace, joy, the promise of eternal life or spiritual gifts? 

The sacrifice of Christ is the basis for all the blessings we will ever receive.  His blood broke the authority of satan in our lives, atoned for our sin, and reunited us with Father God, who is the source of all good things (James 1:17).

We should never let a single day go by without being thankful for the sacrifice he made on the cross!    

Christians can be thankful that we will receive an inheritance in heaven:

I Peter 1:3-4 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you�

As good as life on earth is for most of us, it doesn't compare with the wonders of heaven!  Some people mistakenly think that heaven will be boring.  They think Christians will sit on clouds all day, just playing harps! 

But the scriptures give us a very different picture of life in heaven.  We will be living in a city, enjoying the company of God and others, engaging in fruitful/meaningful work and exploring new realms.  In fact, scripture tells us that we cannot even begin to fathom how stupendous our next life is going to be (Isaiah 64:4, 1 Corinthians 2:9)!

So regardless of what difficulties or disappointments you may have in this life, be thankful that God has prepared a place for you in heaven; and one day you will be with him forevermore (John 14:2-3). �

Christians can be thankful that we do not walk through life alone:

Isaiah 43:1-2 - But now thus says the LORD that created you, O Jacob, and he that formed you, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame scorch you.    

Wow! What a wonderful promise from God! 

We are all well aware that life is not a bed of roses.  At some point, each of us will encounter tough circumstances which threaten to overwhelm us.  And sometimes the people we count on for help fail us or abandon us. 

But thankfully, that is never the case with God.� He is not a 'fair weather' friend; he is our all powerful, all knowing, faithful King, who walks with us in every circumstance (even in the valley of the shadow of death - Psalms 23:4).� He will never leave us or forsake us; he will not allow us to be overwhelmed, as long as we trust in him.� �

Christians can be thankful for spiritual armor:

Ephesians 6:14-17 - Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

God has not left us defenseless in this world; he has provided us with the weapons we need to partner with him and defeat the enemy of our soul.  Now there is a reason to be thankful!

One of our strongest defensive weapons is the shield of faith.  So, what is faith, and how do we use it as a shield? 

In simple terms, faith is believing what God says; its trusting that what he promises us will come to pass because he faithfully keeps his word.  When satan tries to attack us with lies, fear, worries/anxieties or any other evil, we can open the bible and remind ourselves of God's promises of peace, safety, healing and deliverance.  When we stand firm believing the word of God, our faith firmly blocks the attacks of the devil.

As wonderful as that is, there is even more good news – you can increase your faith.  Think of it this way:  Faith is a lot like your muscles.  If you exercise your muscles, they expand and grow, making you stronger.  In the same way, if you exercise your faith by believing in God during a trial, your faith will expand and grow, making you spiritually stronger.  This prepares you for greater spiritual victories.    

In Hebrews chapter 11, we have a listing of some of the astonishing things that people have done with their faith.  Take a few minutes and read through it; your own faith will be strengthened by it!

Our armor also includes an exceptionally powerful offensive weapon – the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

This is a weapon which we wield with our mouths.� By praying and declaring the promises of God over every situation in our lives, we can gain the victory over satan and change the circumstances of our lives and the lives of those we love.� The ability to pray and declare the word of God is a gift that we should be thankful for each and every day!

Christians can be thankful for each other:

Romans 12:4-5 - For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

In the book of Romans and again in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul describes the church as the body of Christ.  

Our bodies are made up of very different parts like hands, feet, kidneys, brains, etc.  Each part has an essential duty to perform and together they make up a complete, fully functioning body.

So it is with the body of Christ.� Each Christian has a different yet essential role in the body of Christ.� Some of the people in your church will have the gift of prophesy or tongues or healing.� Others will be gifted in preaching, teaching, worship or administration.� It takes all of the members working together to make a fully functional church.�

Today is a good day to be thankful for the individuals in your church who allow God to work through them to minister to you!� It's also a good day to be thankful for the gifts and talents God has given to you.� Thank him for the opportunities you have to minister to others. ��

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

Scripture tells us that with God all things are possible.  Because that is the case, Christians will always have limitless reasons to thank, praise and worship our God.

This raises an important question - What methods can we use to express our thanksgiving?

• We can use our mouths to vocally give thanks to God for what he has done.� While verbal thanksgiving is an essential part of our prayer life, we can give thanks to God at any time.� You can do it while driving, while mowing the lawn or while falling asleep at night.�

• We can also express our thankfulness by using the gifts God has given us.� For example, we can show our thankfulness for the word/promises of God by using them in spiritual warfare.� We can show thankfulness for the body of Christ by showing up at church each week and participating in the service.

• We can actively demonstrate thankfulness for our blessings by ministering to the poor.� Jesus says that when we feed the hungry, visit the sick or provide for the needy, it is the same as ministering to him (Matthew 25:40).

• We can show our thankfulness by spreading/sharing the gospel message with the lost so that they too can enjoy eternal life and all of the other blessings of God.� ����

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving Day!

�

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Joshua 10:16 – These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

The narrative of the Canaanite alliance now continues.  As you recall, five of the kingdoms in Canaan (Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon) formed a military alliance against Israel.  They were led by Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem.

Instead of directly attacking Israel, they decided to attack Gibeon, the new vassal state of Israel. There was some strategy to this maneuver. In their minds, there was a good chance that Israel wouldn't even come to fight, since the treaty with Gibeon was based on deceit. And even if Israel did show up, they couldn't defeat a five-army alliance. So either way, the five kings felt they had a good chance to win this battle and put a halt to the progress of Israel, who was pushing forward into the center of Canaan.

But Israel did honor their treaty with Gibeon.  God instructed Joshua to take the fighting men and enter into battle against the alliance, for he was giving all five nations into the hands of Israel (Joshua 10:8). 

As we would expect, God kept his promise!  He sent a tremendous thunderstorm which put fear into the soldiers of the alliance.  Once the battle started, and Israel was becoming the clear winner, the enemy soldiers turned and fled.  At that moment, God rained hailstones upon them and they died.  Scripture tells us that more died from the hailstones than from the swords of the men of Israel (Joshua 10:11).

Not surprisingly, the kings of the alliance also fled from the battle.  Escaping both the swords of Israel and the hailstones from heaven, they took refuge in one of the many caves in the region near Makkedah. 

I am sure the kings felt they would be safe in the cave; but there is no escaping from the eyes of God! 

Jeremiah 23:24 – "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?" says the LORD.  "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD.

The Lord knew exactly where these men were; indeed it was only by his sovereign hand that they were able to avoid death long enough to make it to the cave. But their respite was temporary; God was reserving them for a more public judgment and execution that he might show his power through the situation. This was the same thing we saw in Egypt when Pharaoh survived all ten plagues, only to die in the Red Sea (Exodus 9:16).

This brings up a point we don't want to miss: God is continually aware of where his children are, what they are facing and how they are doing.  In Psalms 139, David tells us that God:

• Knows when we sit down and when we stand up.
• Knows our thoughts before we think them.
• Knows every word that is ever formed by our tongues.
• Saw us when we were still in our mother's womb.
• Knows the number of our days before we are born.

That Psalm goes on to say that there is no place in hell, heaven or on earth where God cannot find us; no matter where we are he is there to lead us and hold us:

Psalm 139:10 - Even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

What an encouraging thought! God loves us more than we can ever know! If you are facing a battle today or if you are feeling a little discouraged, please stop and read Psalms 139. It will take less than 5 minute and I guarantee it will become one of your favorite Psalms.

Remember, God sees you, he knows your trials and temptations, he is well aware of your burdens and he is there to help!

Joshua 10:17 – And it was told to Joshua, "The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah."

As the battle is winding down, Joshua apparently sent a detachment of men to scour the surrounding territory to look for any remaining stragglers that were not killed by the hail or by the swords of his men.

Israel wanted to find and slay these fugitives before they entered the safety of a walled city, where they could live to fight another day. 

As they were passing through the area surrounding Makkedah, one of two things happened.  Either the people of that town told them where the five kings were hiding, or the men of Israel found them as they searched the caves for fugitives.  In any case, I am sure there was great joy when the kings were discovered!

Notice that the five kings were found together.  It is highly unlikely that they would all flee to the same cave by chance.  The implication is that they had a backup plan to save themselves should the battle go in Israel's favor.  So at some point, they all fled together to a predetermined location, where they hoped to go undetected until they could flee to safety.

Joshua 10:18-19 – And Joshua said, "Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them but do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies; attack their rear guard. Do not let them enter their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand."

In our prior post we saw that Joshua asked the Lord to cause the sun to stand still so that Israel had enough time/daylight to vanquish all her enemies.  There would be time to deal with the kings later; for now a stone was rolled into place which effectively made their cave a jail cell.

Joshua then directs his men to continue pursuing the enemy troops of the alliance.  Remember, Israel had been instructed that anytime the Lord delivered an enemy into their hands, they were to utterly destroy that foe:

Deuteronomy 7:1-2 - When the LORD your God shall bring you into the land to which you go to possess it, and has cast out many nations before you, �and when the LORD your God shall deliver them over to you; you shall strike them, and utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them:

Since that was clearly the case in this conflict, Israel had a duty to track down as many remaining enemy soldiers as possible and kill them.

Joshua 10:20-21 – When Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a great blow until they were wiped out, and when the remnant that remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, then all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah.  Not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel.

Eventually, as night fell, the men of Israel returned to their camp at Makkedah.  The text specifically states that ALL the men returned safely; none of them died or suffered an injury when fighting or chasing after their enemies.

That is an amazing statement!  Israel fought against an alliance of five highly trained, well equipped armies and not a single man died!  Only God could make that happen!   

Scripture also declares that 'not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel'.  A similar expression is noted in Exodus 11:7.  In that verse, the author declares, 'against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue.'

Both phrases are proverbial expressions which basically describe freedom from alarm and immunity from assault. 

In other words, no person or nation was brave enough to challenge, threaten or accuse Israel after their victory. No one dared to cast any reproach upon them, to slander them or even to disagree with them. In fact, there was such a fear/respect for Israel among the Canaanites at that point, that not so much as a dog dared to bark at them!

Joshua 10:22-23 – Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me from the cave."  And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

The events of this verse undoubtedly occur the next day or even the day after that because it took time for the army to return after pursuing their enemies.  Plus, after such a long battle, exhaustion and hunger were very real issues for the men.  It was only after they had rested and recovered that they opened the cave and dealt with the kings of their enemies.

What do you think was going through the minds of the kings as they waited in the darkness of the cave?

Keep in mind, these were the first quiet moments they had for at least two days. As they reflected on the events of the last 48 hours, it must have seemed like they had stumbled into a nightmare!

Just the day before, they had been full of pride and confidence.  They felt their alliance and its plans couldn't be defeated.  They felt they had the upper hand.  They were already having dreams of taking spoil, enlarging their territories and having their names recorded in history. 

With great anticipation, they marched to Gibeon and set up camp.  They spent the night eating, drinking, trash-talking and waiting for daybreak so they could overtake the citizens of Gibeon.

But the morning light did not bring the easy victory the kings were counting on – instead it revealed the armies of Israel who immediately burst upon them!

The attack was so unexpected, so sudden and so ferocious, there was no time to organize or prepare. 

As the battle commenced, a storm of terrifying power broke over the battlefield.  There was darkness, wind, rain, thunder and lightning.  In vain the kings tried to shout instructions to their men, but no one could hear over the noise of the storm.  The five kings watched in horror as confusion and pandemonium flowed through their armies. 

As Israel gained the upper hand, those who had not been slaughtered literally turned and fled for their lives. There was nothing the kings could do to regain control of the situation, so they too turned and fled.

But even that did not stop the fear and terror of the Canaanites, for as soon as they fled, enormous hailstones fell from the heavens and killed more men that the sword!  How was it possible that these hailstones from the heavens killed every Canaanite but spared every Israelite? 

Desperately, the kings had prayed to the gods of the sun, moon and stars to hasten the coming of night so their men could escape.  Surely their gods, whom they faithfully worshiped, would save them.  But no - their gods were unwilling or incapable of helping them.  As the hours passed, both the sun and moon stood still in the heavens as silent witnesses of the Canaanite's destruction.    

As the kings sat in the darkness of the cave they must have been utterly astonished at how suddenly and completely their situation had changed.  Just a few short hours ago, they were anticipating a complete annihilation of Israel, but now they were huddled in fear, hoping their own lives would be spared.  

From Israel's point of view, the story was very different. 

God had allowed the five kings to form the alliance, and he had directed Joshua to fight them.  On the surface, it looked like a nearly impossible task.  Israel had definite reasons to fear the alliance: 

• The warriors of Canaan were experienced fighters, who were skilled and brave.
• Their numbers were huge.
• They were fighting on their own territory where they knew the terrain.

But God had assured Joshua of victory (Joshua 10:8).  Israel was not to fear – God had given the entire alliance into their hands; they just needed to step out in faith and engage the enemy.

So Joshua, acting in faith, marched his army straight to Gibeon.  There was nothing but surprise and fear in the eyes of their enemy; they were clearly not expecting Israel so soon.  No sooner had the battle started when God showed up in a big way, with a massive storm.  But the thunder and lightning which terrorized the Canaanites did not frighten them.  Instead, a supernatural peace was upon the whole army and they fought together as a cohesive unit. 

Their enemies, which just hours before had seemed so powerful and formidable, were now retreating in terror.  As Israel began to pursue them, God rained down tremendous hailstones from the sky.  Thousands of Canaanites had been killed by the stones, yet not a single man of Israel was injured.  Hallelujah!  God had kept his promises and come to the aid of his people yet again!  

Even the five kings, who had been found in a cave, had been taken captive.

The bottom line is that God had suddenly and completely changed the fortunes of his people.  What looked like a certain failure had turned into a victory of epic proportions.  It was astonishing to experience/watch God bring down the enemies of his people so swiftly – in less than 48 hours. 

Romans 8:31 - What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?    

The key was for God's people to keep their eyes on him, not on their circumstances.

What enemies are you facing today?  Have you been called to a battle where your enemy seems bigger, stronger and better equipped than you?  Does the situation look desperate?  If so, remember this:  If God is for you, no one can defeat you!  Keep your eyes fixed on the Lord, stand on his word in faith, and watch for your victory to manifest!

Joshua 10:24 – And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, "Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings."  Then they came near and put their feet on their necks.

These events most likely occurred one or even two days after the battle. The stone was rolled away, and the five kings were led out to face Joshua, who commanded that they lay face down upon the ground.

The scripture tells us that all the men of Israel were present, obviously gathered as close to this scene as they could get.  Then Joshua called the 'chiefs' forward.  This refers to the lower or junior officers of the army - men who were the leaders during the actual battle.  We might think of them as captains or sergeants. 

Joshua then calls for the chiefs to form a line and one by one they were to literally place their feet upon the necks of these vanquished kings. 

This was not a new or unique practice. Many Assyrian and Egyptian monuments depict their military heroes doing the same thing.  However, they did it out of arrogance – as proof of their own superiority and strength.

But that was not the purpose in Israel's case. First, we notice that Joshua, the ultimate leader, did not place his feet upon the enemy. This reflects his modesty and speaks to the fact that God was the true leader of the nation.

Second, this was not for the glory of any one man.  It was a purely symbolic action which represented the complete subjection of the people of Canaan to the nation of Israel.  Or we could think of it this way:  It represented Israel's certain and complete triumph over all their adversaries (Deuteronomy 33:29, Malachi 4:3).

II Samuel 22:40-41 – For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.  Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.

It was very meaningful for the men of the nation to see this; it was an image of victory that their generation would never forget.  It was also very meaningful for the chiefs to participate in the event; those who bore the brunt of the labor deserved to share in the fruit of it.  This action would give them further strength and courage in the battles that Israel was yet to face. 

Although victory was the most obvious lesson in this act, there were others too. 

It was a reminder to Israel that God was sovereign, and his will always comes to pass.  No matter how impossible the situation looks from man's point of view, God is well able to defeat his enemies. 

It was also a reminder that the people of Israel were to execute the judgment of God exactly as he ordered. No one was to be spared based on their wealth, status, or job title. No one was spared out of pity. All were equal in the sight of God and all suffered the same judgment.

What principles can we find in this lesson that apply to our own lives?

First, remember that sin always brings ruin.  The Canaanite kings rejected Jehovah.  In fact, they were so arrogant they assumed they could easily conquer his people.  Sin clouded their thinking and filled them with the vain delusion that they could be victorious when fighting against God himself!  Then when things went wrong, they tried to hide themselves, not realizing that their sin will always find them out.

Numbers 32:23 -  behold, you have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.  

The five kings thought they were safe within the dark confines of the cave, but it became their prison and eventually their grave.  Sin promises the world, but only delivers death.  Don't be deceived by it!

Second, those who remain faithful to God will at last see their enemies subdued. The warriors of Israel endured a long march and a bitter conflict. But in the end, they were able to put their feet upon the necks of their enemies.

As of right now, the church is also in a long and bitter conflict with the enemy of our souls.  But in the end, God will place him under our feet just as surely as he did the five kings:

Romans 16:20 - And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.  

Sometimes the battle seems to take forever, but don't give up!  If we remain faithful and patient, God will reward us.

Joshua 10:25 – And Joshua said to them, Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous.  For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight."

These are the same words that God spoke to Joshua before Israel crossed the flooded Jordan River near Jericho.

The most exciting and perhaps significant words in this verse are 'your' and 'you'. They show that the Israelites were not to attribute their victory/success to Joshua or any divine favor resting upon him as an individual. As long as the nation served God faithfully, his divine presence would be with them no matter who was at the helm of the nation. And if they were on God's side, success was assured.

For their part, God's people are called upon to be strong and courageous/brave.  The new covenant Christian is certainly to exhibit such graces as humility, meekness and forgiveness.  But that does not mean we are to be walked over like door mats.  We are to stand strong by resisting sin, conquering territory for God's kingdom and pulling down the strongholds of our enemy.  Our goal is to win the world for Christ, which will take both courage and bravery.     

Joshua 10:26-27 – And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees.  And they hung on the trees until evening.  But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

As we have mentioned before, the Israelites did not hang people in the sense we think of it. They did not tie ropes around the necks of the five kings and drop them down so their necks broke.

Criminals (in this case the five kings) were killed in some other fashion, and their dead bodies were hung up for public display/disgrace/humiliation.  They were generally hung up by the wrists, not the neck.  The purpose was both to fulfill justice and to deter others from committing the same crimes. 

Dead bodies which were hung up were never left overnight.  There was really no benefit in doing so, because in the darkness of night, no one was looking upon the bodies as an example of justice or deterrence.

One day was enough to show people that justice had been executed and to admonish them to take heed.  Besides, God had decreed that if a body was let up overnight, it would defile the land (Deuteronomy 21:23), and no one wanted that.     

After throwing the bodies back into the cave, the entrance was filled with large boulders.  This stood as a memorial to Israel of their victory over the alliance.  It also prevented any remaining Canaanite soldiers from giving their kings an honorable burial.

Joshua 10:28-39 – As for Makkedah [and Libnah, and Lachish, and Eglon, and Hebron, and Debir] Joshua captured it on that day and struck it, and its king, with the edge of the sword. He devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining.  And he did to the king of Makkedah [and Libnah, and Lachish, and Eglon, and Hebron, and Debir] just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

We are going to look at verses 28-39 as a whole, because they are essentially the same. Once Israel had defeated the armies of the alliance, Joshua and his troops immediately moved forward in taking several more cities in Canaan.

These are the specific cities which were taken at that time: Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron and Debir. 

In each case, Israel captured the city, killed its inhabitants (as commanded by the Lord), took everything else as plunder and set the place on fire.

The only other note in this history is found in verse 33, which tells us that the Horam, the king of Gezer, mustered his troops to go out and assist the king of Lachish.  Scripture tells us that Israel killed all his people during the battle against Lachish; not one was left standing.  

Incidentally, did you notice that two of the cities of the alliance (Jerusalem and Jarmuth) are not listed as being conquered by Israel?

We aren't entirely sure why that was the case. Some commentators speculate that Israel's army was so fatigued by all these battles that they simply couldn't fight any more. Others believe that Israel was simply satisfied with the progress they had made, and so they did not desire to go any further at that time.

If that was the case, they wasted a perfect chance to take those cities!  As we know, Jerusalem was not taken until much, much later with a great amount of difficulty.

Joshua 10:40-41 – So Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel commanded. And Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, as far as Gibeon.

The territory described in this verse is basically south of Jerusalem.  Later, when the land is divided up into parcels and assigned to the various tribes, most of this land falls to Judah.

The significant part of this verse is that Joshua 'devoted to destruction' or killed every single Canaanite person because God had commanded him to do so.

Had Joshua taken it upon himself to order the massacre of thousands of people including women and children, we would rightly brand him a monster. No excuse could justify his cruel actions.

However, because he is performing the command of God, his actions are justified.  And because it was a direct command of God, no one has the right to second guess this decision.  Although it seems to us as if many of these people (including women and children) were innocent, we need to remind ourselves that we don't know the whole story.  Only God knows the end from the beginning.  Only he can see the thoughts and intents of the heart.  He is the potter and human vessels of clay have no right to question his authority or the way he deals with the nations (Jeremiah 18:1-10, Romans 9:14-24).

Joshua 10:42 – And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. 

The phrase 'at one time' refers to one military campaign or expedition, which probably lasted a few weeks.

These conquests were so rapid and so stupendous they cannot be attributed solely to the military cunning of Joshua or the valor of Israel's army. The main cause of these victories was the fact that God fought for Israel. Indeed, when we look at this chapter as a whole, it becomes very evident that only God could have made this happen.

We must remind ourselves that God has not changed; he is still the master of the heavens and earth.  If we pray and ask for wisdom and strength to extend his kingdom in this generation, he will surely answer us:

Luke 11:9-10 - And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.

If that is the case, why don't we see more results?  Is it a lack of faith?  Do we ask for things that are too small?  Or are we more interested in obtaining the things of this earth rather than the things of heaven?

Joshua 10:43 – Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

At last, when the fierce battles were over, when the kings were subdued and their cities burned to the ground, the fighting men of Israel returned to their main camp at Gilgal. 

There they enjoyed a season of rest.  The plunder was divided up among the nation.  And most importantly, Israel returned to the tabernacle where they made sacrifices of worship and thanksgiving to God.

As one commentator noted, 'When we have completed our victories over the powers of sin and Satan, we shall return, under the conduct of our divine Joshua, to our eternal rest in the camp of God'.  Amen!

Let me offer you some encouragement and some relief:

In today's post we noted that the five kings tried to hide themselves in the darkness of a cave, but their efforts were in vain because God always knows where we are and what we are doing. 

While that was bad news for the kings, it is encouraging news for us!  God always knows where you are and what is happening with you.  No one else may know or understand your situation but God does!  Your current circumstances were filtered through him before they even touched you. 

Remember, God never sets his children up to fail.  Even though the situation seems dire, you can be assured that God has victory for you.  

If you find yourself in circumstances that look hopeless, just remember that Israel probably felt the same way as they faced the alliance, but God didn't let them down. He gave them an epic victory which benefited them and brought glory to his name. He is more than capable of bringing you to your victory too, and giving you a testimony that will help others and bring him glory.

Let me offer you some strength:

I don't know about you, but I feel that when God tells us something, it must be important, right?  If that is the case, how important would something be if God said it multiple times?

When we read through the scriptures, we find that God tells us over and over and over again not to fear our enemies or become dismayed by our circumstances.

Rather than looking directly at our circumstances, we need to see them through the 'glasses' or 'lenses' of God's word.  

For instance, you may have been diagnosed with an illness.  In the natural, that situation can look scary, expensive and even hopeless.  But when you remember that God has already paid for your healing by the stripes he took during the crucifixion, suddenly that illness looks a lot smaller.  Suddenly, it looks like an opportunity to for victory and a testimony.  Rather than a defeat, it becomes a chance to give God glory on this earth.

The next time you face a battle in life, put your faith in God and his promises and remember not to be afraid or dismayed!   

The same principle holds true for the church.  For years our enemy has slowly been eradicating God from society.  But enough is enough!  Now is the time for the church to stand up and boldly push back/fight against the forces of evil in our culture. 

We do not need to be afraid to do so, because we know that God fights on our behalf.  He will give us victory in the battle, just as he gave ancient Israel victory over the kings of Canaan, if only we will step out in faith and go to war with him.   

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Joshua 10:1-2 – As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors.

Thus far we have seen Israel gain victory by a miracle (Jericho), a strategy (Ai) and a surrender (Gibeon).

In chapter 9, we examined the account of the Gibeonites who used deceit to trick Israel into making peace with them and sparing their lives. They became laborers who cut wood, hauled water and performed other menial tasks at the temple for the priests and Levites.

Since the four cities of Gibeon had entered into the treaty with Israel, it meant that Israel now had a very strong foothold in Canaan.  This caused a fresh wave of fear to crash over the remaining kingdoms in Canaan. 

Their fear was well founded.  Gibeon was a large, prosperous, well-fortified city and its warriors were brave and fierce.  If they surrendered to Israel, what chance did the remaining kingdoms have of victory?  

It was this fear of Israel that caused many of the other kings in Canaan to band together, forming a military alliance against Israel (Joshua 9:1-2).  The leader of the alliance was Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem.

There are two points we want to make here.

First, 'Adoni-zedek' is not an actual name.  It is a title used by the Jebusite kings, similar to the title 'Pharaoh' which was used by the rulers of Egypt.

Second, this is a good time to stop and discuss the name 'Jerusalem'.  This city was originally called Salem (Genesis 14:18).  It was also known as 'Jebus' by the Jebusites who lived there.

When the Promised Land was split up between the tribes, this city technically fell to the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:28), although it was right on the border between them and Judah. Judah, the bigger and more war-like tribe, eventually captured the lower part of the city. Still, the upper portion of the city, known as the stronghold of Zion, remained in possession of the Jebusites (Joshua 15:63, Judges 19:10-12).

It wasn't until much later that David stormed the stronghold of Zion, captured it, and renamed it the 'city of David' (II Samuel 5:6-9).  The actual name 'Jerusalem' only came into use once David had established the city as the religious and political capital of the nation.

So, at the time these events actually occurred, the city was being called 'Jebus'.

Joshua 10:3-4 – So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir, king of Eglon, saying, "Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon.  For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel."

Here is a general idea of the placement of these five cities:

• Jerusalem – Again, this city existed as Jebus during the time of Joshua. Much later, during the era of the kings, David moved the tabernacle there and made it the capital city of Israel. [The tabernacle would later be replaced with the temple of Solomon, built by David's son.] The Jews considered Jerusalem the most important city in the Promised Land because it was the center of political and religious life. For this reason, the location of other cities is often given in relationship/proximity to it.

• Hebron – This city was located approximately 30 south of Jerusalem. It fell into the territory of Judah. Hebron has a rich and varied history in the scriptures; it is the city which Caleb will eventually conquer and keep for his possession.

• Jarmuth – There were actually two cities in Canaan with this name. The more northern city was within the eventual territory of Issachar (Joshua 21:29). But the one in the alliance against Israel was about 18 miles from Jerusalem and was within the territory of Judah.

• Lachish – This city is also very prominent in the scriptures and plays in important role in the history of Israel. For example, Amaziah king of Judah was assassinated in Lachish when he fled from Jerusalem (II Kings 14:19). Lachish was besieged by Sennacherib (II Kings 18:14-17) during the reign of Hezekiah, and by Nebuchadnezzar during the reign of Zedekiah (Jeremiah 34:7). It too was in the territory of Judah.

• Debir – There is no definite information to indicate the exact location of this city. However, scripture does tell us that it fell within the territory of Judah (Joshua 15:39).

We know that some of the places/locations in this chapter (such as Jerusalem) were not so named until much later in Israel's history.  It can therefore be concluded that either the book of Joshua was penned (written down on paper) a long time after these events occurred or else a scribe went back and updated the material so later readers were able to identify the locations mentioned in the text.  

At any rate, the plan of the five kings is simple. Gibeon is now a vassal (slave) of Israel. Rather than attacking Israel directly, they attack Gibeon, knowing that if they overthrow Gibeon, they will not only punish them for abandoning the alliance, but they will also put a sudden halt to the advance of the Israelites. Re-taking the cities of Gibeon would be a significant blow to Israel both militarily and psychologically. In the natural realm, the strategy of the alliance is a good one.

What about Israel?  For their part, even though God has promised to give them the land, they do not aggressively move forward eager to destroy all those in their path.  In fact, Israel was never the aggressor in this war with the five kings; it was the Canaanite alliance that prompted this war and thus sealed their own destruction.

As for us, we see the hand of God at work in this alliance.  The five kings thought they would be stronger if they banded together.  But God turned this into an opportunity for Israel to subdue five nations all at once.  This is a good time to remind ourselves not to be overwhelmed by our circumstances.  If God is on our side, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

Joshua 10:5-6 – Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.  And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal saying, "Do not relax your hand from your servants.  Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us."

We know that Jerusalem was inhabited by the Jebusites while the Hittites lived in Hebron.  Yet, in this verse, the five kings are described as being Amorites.  Why is that?

The Amorites were the most powerful and numerous tribe/people group within the territory of Canaan. For that reason, the people of the region were often referred to as simply the 'Amorites' or 'Canaanites'. Both terms are generic names for any of the tribes or people groups living in Canaan.

We know that Adoni-Zedec, the king of Jerusalem, was the leader of the alliance but we are not entirely sure why.  He may have been the most powerful among the five nations.  Or maybe the alliance was his idea.  Or perhaps the other kingdoms were dependent upon his kingdom in some way.  For instance, if Hebron or Elgon depended on Jerusalem for protection or certain crops or other economic reasons, they would have no choice but to submit to Adoni-Zedec's authority.    

Whatever the reason, the five kings gathered their armies and advanced on Gibeon with Adoni-Zedec leading the attack.

As we would expect, at the first sign of trouble the people of Gibeon immediately dispatched messengers to Joshua, calling for aid. Even though they had obtained their treaty with Israel by deceit, it was evident that the treaty was binding, so the Gibeonites felt that Joshua was obligated to help them. In truth, those who pay allegiance to another should reasonably be able to expect their protection.

And of course, we immediately see the spiritual parallel here: We are the servants of God; our allegiance is to him and him alone.  We are just as weak and undeserving as the Gibeonites, yet God has entered into a covenant with us.  Therefore, when the powers of darkness come against us, we can rely on our heavenly Father to come to our aid.  We can also take comfort knowing that he is infinitely stronger and wiser than our enemy.  Our God has NEVER lost a battle, and he never will!  We can place our faith in him with the utmost confidence.

Psalms 119:94 – I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts.

When our spiritual enemies come against us and threaten to destroy us (as they surely will), let us seek the aid of God through prayer and stand in faith on his promises.

As an aside, what do you think went through Joshua's mind when the messengers of Gibeon arrived requesting help? 

Is it possible that he felt a sense of guilt or remorse? I believe Satan tried to convince him that he was personally responsible for this whole mess, because of the mistake he made in securing the treaty with Gibeon. I am also sure the enemy tried to fill him with regret and embarrassment. Maybe Satan even tried to convince Joshua that he was being chastised by God because of his mistakes. However, the reality is that none of that was true.

The events that were taking place were not because God was angry with Joshua or because he wanted to punish him.  They were happening to give Israel an astonishing victory and to bring glory to God.  In the natural, Israel could not defeat the alliance.  So when God blesses her with the victory, his name is glorified and the remaining heathen nations learn about him.  That is what God was accomplishing through this situation.  His plans are always so much bigger, greater and far-reaching than we ever imagine!

The enemy may try to attack you in the same way – by trying to fill your mind with doubt or feelings of unworthiness. He may suggest that God can't use you in ministry because of a mistake/sin you committed in the past. He may try to convince you that God is angry/disappointed in you and so you are unfit to be near him or participate in his kingdom.

If the enemy tries to put that kind of burden on you, do what Joshua did – go directly into the presence of God and 'clear the air'.  Get the reassurance you need to move forward into victory.  Whatever battle you are facing, you can be sure it isn't a punishment from God; it's a test of faith that is going to bless you, build your testimony and bring glory to God!

Joshua 10:7-8 – So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.  And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands.  Not a man of them shall stand before you."

 

The kings of the alliance seemed very sure of victory at Gibeon (see verse 4).  Perhaps they believed that Israel would abandon Gibeon, since the treaty they made had been forged through deceit. After all, that's probably what they would have done, if they were in Joshua's shoes.

But Joshua does not rely on his own wisdom.  He seeks the will of God in this matter.  I am sure that because of his recent mistake, he made no move to leave Gilgal until he had clearly heard the voice/instruction of God.  But once he did, he promptly gathered his fighting men and immediately set out on the long march to Gibeon.  He went with the assurance that he had no reason to fear the enormous forces gathered against him, because God was going to give him victory.

There are two significant points here that we need to apply to our own lives.

First, we too must boldly place our faith in God, just as Joshua did. Instead of looking at our circumstances or the might of those who oppose us, let us keep our eyes fixed on God, who is bigger, wiser, richer, stronger and better equipped than any enemy we face. He is willing to lead us to victory, if only we will follow him.

Second, when we hear the voice of God, we must not wait to act! Joshua was assured of victory, but he did not use that as an excuse to delay marching to Gibeon. When God tells you to call and encourage someone, or to donate money, or to start a new program/ministry, DO NOT DELAY.

Follow his commands immediately and you will prosper. The voice of God should energize/spur you on to complete your work as opposed to giving you an excuse to be lazy.

And once again, we can't help but notice the mercy God displays towards the Gibeonites.  God could simply have abandoned them to destruction by the alliance, but instead they are spared which results in an opportunity for them and their future generations to know the Lord.

Joshua 10:9 – So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal.

The last time Israel made this journey, it took three days (Joshua 9:17).   Tradition says that this time, they made the march in a single night, although that is not confirmed.  All the scriptures really indicate is that Israel did not delay, but promptly answered the call of the Gibeonites.

Some commentators believe that Joshua completed the entire march from Gilgal to Gibeon in a single night.  This would be a distance of approximately 20 miles.  That is certainly possible for skilled warriors, but it would have been very tiring. 

Other commentators feel that this journey took longer.  The way the scripture is worded, it would be possible for Israel to have marched a day, camped overnight, marched the second day and instead of camping a second night, they could have marched all night and arrived at Gibeon 'suddenly' the next morning. 

In either case, it seems that the alliance was either not expecting Israel to come at all, or they were not expecting them for several days yet.  Israel's arrival threw the alliance into a state of fear and confusion. 

Joshua 10:10 – And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

How exactly did the Lord throw the enemies of Israel into a panic?  The men of the alliance may have been frightened simply by seeing the army of Israel arriving on the scene unexpectedly.  However, there may be another explanation as well. 

At other times, the Lord 'terrified' Israel's enemies with strong storms of lightening, thunder and wind:

1 Samuel 7:10 - And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and brought confusion upon them; and they were routed before Israel.

We know that God is shortly going to cast hailstones down on Israel's enemies, so it would make sense that a powerful storm would be brewing during this time, with strong winds, thick clouds and drastic changes in temperature.

I don't know about you, but I feel that storms can sometimes be very scary; especially if hail is falling and a tornado is nearby!  It would be one thing to hide inside/take cover during a storm like this, but to be out in the open and expected to fight in a battle would be very frightening indeed!

Nevertheless, the battle commenced and Israel 'struck a great blow' upon her enemies.  The soldiers of Israel continued to chase down the Canaanites even as they retreated.

We are told that the enemy soldiers ran up the ascent of Beth-horon. This is another reference to a city that did not exist during the time of this battle.

Beth-horon ('house of caves') actually consisted of two cities (upper/north and lower/south), which were founded by a descendent of Ephriam (I Chronicles 7:24).  The cities were located about 6-7 miles west of Gibeon on mountains with a steep pass between them.  It was this pass that the enemy soldiers were using to try and reach the higher ground of the mountain top in order to defend themselves (or hide in the caves). 

As we mentioned previously, a later scribe or editor gave us the names of these cities so we could know/understand the exact location of the battle.

And as it turns out, the location of the cities of Beth-horon were significant.  The main road from Jerusalem to the seacoast went through the pass described in this verse.  This makes both the pass and any cities located there very strategic and important to national security.  In fact, we find both cities being strongly fortified by King Solomon (II Chronicles 8:5).  Jewish tradition says this was the same spot where Israel later destroyed the forces of Sennacherib (II Kings 19:35). 

The point is that Israel's overwhelming victory was made possible by God, who was fighting on their side. In other words, Israel couldn't have accomplished this in her own strength. It was God working through (or in conjunction with) the soldiers of Israel which brought about this victory over the alliance:

Psalms 44:3 – For not by their own sword did they [Israel] win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you [God] delighted in them.

In the same way, we are powerless against the forces of evil that come against us.  However, if we listen to Holy Spirit and take action as he directs us, we can be sure that he will fight for us and victory will result.

It logically follows that God is the one who should receive the glory for not only the victories of ancient Israel, but also for the spiritual victories of the church in this age.

Joshua 10:11 – And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died.  There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

The soldiers of the alliance were already terrified by the storm which God brought upon them at the time of battle.  As if that were not enough, Israel was slaughtering them at will.  All hope was lost; those that were left began to flee for their lives.  They were heading for the top of the mountain in the hope of finding a cave or safe hiding place to spend the night. 

But they never made it to safety because at that moment, God again influences the battle. He caused large, deadly hailstones to fall upon the soldiers of the alliance. According to the scriptures, the number of men who died by the hailstones was greater than the number who were killed by Israel's army.

And as you may recall, this was not the first time God had used hail against the enemies of Israel. 

The seventh plague to befall the Egyptians was a plague of hail, with fire and thunder.  The storm and the hail were so bad, that any man or beast left outside was killed.  In addition, all of the trees and crops were also destroyed (Exodus 9:13-33).  Egypt suffered, but God protected his people from this disaster (Exodus 9:26).

Apparently, God keeps hailstones in storage just for occasions such as these:

Job 38:22-23 -Have you entered into the treasury of the snow? or have you seen the treasury of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

Some commentators have described these hailstones as God's bullets; God was like a sniper who was sure to hit whoever he aimed for, even when Israel was mixed up with the enemy.  Regardless of where the enemy soldiers ran for cover (Azekah or Makkedah or the mountain top), the hail pursued and overtook them.

Joshua 10:12-14 – At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.  Is this not written in the Book of Jashar?  The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.  There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.  

Joshua knew that many of Israel's enemies were being slaughtered, but he also understood that all those who escaped would regroup and as a result, Israel would have to battle them again at some point in the future. Clearly, it was in Israel's best interest to slay all of her enemies in one day, but sunset was not far off and Joshua did not think there would be time to finish the work.  Accordingly, he makes a God-inspired declaration of faith that the sun would stand still until Israel had annihilated the five armies of the alliance

Verses 12-13 have caused a lot of controversy in the academic community.  The question is this:  Did the sun and moon literally stand still for a day, or was this simply a poetical statement?

First, it's important to understand that when interpreting scripture, it is always best to seek a literal interpretation unless there is something in the text to indicate otherwise.

In this case, a literal interpretation would mean that God stopped the earth from spinning around the sun for roughly 24 hours. While we can't prove that happened, there is nothing to disprove it either.

Scientists can come up with all kinds of reasons why this could not have happened. But it can be argued that God is omnipotent; he who formed the earth and set it upon its axis is well able to make it pause or stop for a time, if he wished. He is also well able to address any adverse consequences that might arise as a result of the stoppage.

Conclusion: This scripture could be interpreted literally.

However, there is something in the text that causes us to suspect (or at least consider) a poetical interpretation.  It's the phrase 'Is this not written in the Book of Jashar'. 

'Jashar' literally means 'upright'.  The Book of Jashar was a kind of national sacred book which contained songs and poems in praise of the heroes of Israel.  It was essentially an anthology of the 'golden deeds' of Israel and her heroes.  New songs and poems were added in each generation. 

The point to be made here is that this book was a book of poems and songs. Since that is the case, the descriptions of the sun and moon standing still could easily be poetical imagery.

Conclusion: This scripture could be interpreted poetically; if that is the case, these events did not actually take place.

In the end, we are left with three possible explanations of the events of this memorable day:

First, it could have been a real and literal event in which God stopped the earth from rotating around the sun. This would have lengthened the day and given Israel a chance to defeat her enemies instead of allowing them to escape during the night.

Second, this could simply be a poetical description which indicates that time seemed to stand still as Israel fought the alliance.  This explanation says that Joshua 'poetically' asked God to give him time to defeat his enemies before nightfall.  God answered his prayer not by literally lengthening the day, but by assisting Israel in killing her enemies; before the close of the day the five kings and their armies were slain, which was an answer to Joshua's prayer.

Third, there are those who believe that God caused a refraction of light (or some other atmospheric phenomenon) to occur, causing the sun to appear above the horizon after its setting and which produced sufficient light to enable Israel to pursue and overcome her enemies.  This explanation still maintains that a miracle occurred; it just wasn't a pause in the earth's orbit of the sun.

What do you think? Which explanation seems most likely to you?

Joshua 10:15 – So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

This verse is out of place in the narrative.  Joshua and all of Israel did not return to Gilgal until after the end of this military campaign, which hasn't happened yet.  At the end of this day, they return to their military encampment at Makkedah, not Gilgal.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

No matter how strong, powerful, well connected, well funded or untouchable your enemies may seem, they are NOT greater than our God! 

The alliance of five kings appeared to be a very formidable enemy to Joshua and his troops.  Indeed, in their own strength they could not have defeated their enemies.  But Israel was assured of victory, because God fought on her behalf. 

Likewise, the forces of evil that are at work today in our society seem infinitely powerful. And it's true that in our own strength we cannot hope to uproot or defeat them. But thankfully, we are not just relying on ourselves. God fights on our behalf just as surely as he did for Israel and because of that we too are assured of victory.

Let me offer you some relief:

Joshua wasn't perfect; he made some mistakes, as we all do.  When you fall from grace or make a mistake the key is to repent, seek forgiveness and then move on.

Satan wants to hinder you from doing that.  He wants to keep reminding you of past failures to make you think you are unfit for God's service, or that God is harboring some kind of grudge against you.

But Satan is a liar, so don't let him deceive you.  If failure eliminated you from God's service, then no one would be serving God! Scripture tells us that a righteous person may fall, but he or she always gets back up again:

Proverbs 24:16 - For a just man falls seven times, and rises up again: but the wicked shall fall by calamity.

In other words, never give up!  Dust yourself off and get back into the service of the King immediately!  

Let me offer you some strength:

There are differing opinions on whether or not the sun actually stood still in the sky as Israel fought against the Canaanite alliance.  But one thing is absolutely indisputable – God fights on behalf of his people!

Psalm 18:17 - He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them who hated me: for they were too strong for me.

When Jesus returns to earth to get his bride (the church) he won't be coming to get a group of defeated, timid, weak or fearful people who are hiding in caves waiting to be rescued. He will be coming to get a victorious, confident, strong, brave, overcoming church who learned to partner with God to defeat the powers of darkness!

Whatever battle you are facing today, know this: When you are weak, God is strong on your behalf. The battle may not unfold the way you thought or hoped it would, but you can be sure that God will see you through to victory.

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Joshua 9:1-2 – As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

As we saw in chapter 8, Israel was victorious in their second attack against Ai.

Assuming Israel traveled to Mount Ebal to worship and renew the covenant, there was a period of several weeks (or more) between chapters 8 and 9. During this time, Israel rested and prepared to move forward with the next stage of the conquest.

Meanwhile, their enemies were finally starting to make plans for fighting back. Truthfully, it's really odd that they didn't do this sooner. After all, they were well informed of the miraculous events surrounding Israel:

• God freed them from the rule of Egypt after punishing Pharaoh and his people with the 10 plagues.
• God parted the Red Sea so Israel could safely cross over.
• God supplied food, water and clothing for them for the past 40 years.
• God led and protected his people with a pillar of fire/cloud.

Furthermore, they knew that God had promised to give the land of Canaan to his people.  So, it wasn't like the kingdoms of Canaan didn't have advanced warning that Israel was coming!  Therefore, it is strange to think that they did not make any plans or alliances before Israel crossed the Jordan and defeated both Jericho and Ai.

On the other hand, it was even stranger for the Canaanites to try and fight back now.  They certainly had full knowledge of the events that had taken place at Jericho.  They knew that Jehovah had miraculously intervened and caused the walls to fall, so Israel could rush in and take the city.  They were aware that Ai had been taken by ambush. 

Knowing this, we can't help but wonder why the kings of Canaan didn't reach out to Israel to try and work out a peace treaty, rather than making futile plans to destroy them in battle. We can only surmise that their minds and hearts were blinded by Satan.

At any rate, the kings of Canaan formed some kind of political/military alliance in which all the kingdoms agreed to fight together against their common enemy. Think about that for a minute – in the past, each of these small kingdoms had fought against the others for various reasons. Each was always trying to get the best of his neighbor. Yet, they put aside their differences and united themselves under the common goal of destroying the enemy.

This is a great lesson for the church, if only we would learn it!

This verse mentions the coast of the 'great sea', also known as the Mediterranean Sea.  That area was largely inhabited by the Philistines, Phoenicians, Syrians and Sidonians.  It is likely that these people groups also united with the Canaanites against Israel.

Joshua 9:3-5 – But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes.  And all their provisions were dry and crumbly.

The city of Gibeon was in a cluster with three other towns – Chephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.  Together, they formed a kingdom that was mainly inhabited by Hivites.  These cities were located approximately six miles north-west of Jerusalem. 

There are no records that indicate that Gibeon had a king. It appears that this federation of cities was governed by a group of elders or senators as opposed to a single ruler.

Clearly, these senators had a better understanding of the political landscape than the kings of Canaan.  They seem to have figured out that all the inhabitants of Canaan were to be destroyed and they correctly surmised that they could not be militarily victorious over Israel and her God, Jehovah. 

They also realized that if this was truly the case, Israel had no incentive to make a peace treaty with them.  (The leaders of Gibeon may or may not have known that Israel was forbidden to make a treaty with them – Deuteronomy 7:1-2).  Israel could simply destroy them and take their territory in the same way they defeated Jericho and Ai.

The bottom line is that the kingdom of Gibeon passed up the opportunity to be part of the Canaanite alliance, because they believed it would result in failure.  Because of this refusal, Gibeon is now odious in the sight of the other kingdoms.  The kings of Canaan feel that Gibeon has weakened the alliance; their failure will result in Israel gaining yet another foothold in Canaan.

But the senators of Gibeon have other plans. Instead of using military force, they decided to try and defeat Israel through deceit and trickery.

While this seems like a long shot, it was their only hope.  If their gambit failed, they would be doomed to death, which was the same outcome they expected through battle, so they had nothing to lose. 

Their basic plan is to pretend they have come from a very far country seeking to make peace with Israel and serve Jehovah. 

That seems like a weird plan, unless you are familiar with the commands of the Lord in Deuteronomy 20.  In that chapter, God gives Israel some basic laws concerning warfare. 

According to Deuteronomy 20, when Israel comes near to a city which is 'far from them' with the intention of warring against it, they are first to offer terms of peace to the people of the city:

Deuteronomy 20:10 – When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it.

If the city accepts Israel's offer, the people will live and become forced labor for the nation of Israel.  If they refuse to make peace, Israel is to kill all the inhabitants of the city and take their possessions as spoil after they capture it.  

God is very specific that this is the rule when dealing with kingdoms that are not in Canaan:

Deuteronomy 20:15 – Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not cities of the nations here.

As surprising as it sounds, the men of Gibeon must have known about this law; no other explanation satisfactorily accounts for their actions.  Some scholars wonder if the Gibeonites had spies that witnessed/heard the events on Mount Ebal and acquired this information on that occasion. 

Regardless of how they knew this fact, the men of Gibeon approach Joshua pretending to be ambassadors from a distant foreign nation.

Obviously, back in that era there were no hotels or other amenities for travelers. Those embarking on a long journey had to take supplies with them. So, to make their story plausible, the Gibeonites show up with old worn-out shoes, torn and mended clothing, stale bread, wineskins that are patched and saddle bags that are falling apart.

It seems odd that their shoes would be worn out, until we realize that those who could only afford a single donkey or mule loaded it up with supplies for their journey, and then walked alongside the animal.  This practice would naturally account for the worn out shoes.   

Joshua 9:6 – And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us."

The men of Gibeon travel to Gilgal, the camp Israel had established near the Jordan River before they fought Jericho. Once they arrived, they asked for a meeting with Joshua, the elders and the heads of each tribe, who made up Joshua's advising board/council.

We can surmise that they flattered the men of Israel, detailing how they heard of their great military feats and of the miracles of Jehovah. 

Eventually the Gibeonites got around to the purpose of their visit – they asked Joshua/Israel to make a covenant of peace with them, because they came from a distant land.  It said it was their desire to be friends/allies of Israel and to serve Jehovah. 

Joshua 9:7-8 – But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?"  They said to Joshua, "We are your servants."  And Joshua said to them, "Who are you?  And where do you come from?"

Clearly, Joshua and the elders had concerns about this request.  Their hesitation was founded, at least in part, on the command that God had given them when they left Egypt: 

Exodus 23:31-32 - I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.  You shall make no covenant with them and their gods.

(See also Exodus 34:10-12, Numbers 33:55, etc). 

The men of Gibeon cleverly avoid giving Joshua any definite information. They simply reply, 'We are your servants.' This statement implies that they are humble people who acknowledge the inferiority of their own nation as compared to the greatness of Israel; their only desire is for both nations to live in peace through a mutual alliance or covenant.

For his part, Joshua does not seem fully convinced by their story.  He continues to ask for more specific information.  He seems concerned to protect the nation against deceit as well as against open force.

We should remember that our spiritual enemies also come in two forms.  Satan is not only a roaring lion seeking those he can devour (I Peter 5:8), he is also the sly serpent who fooled Eve with a half-truth in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:4). 

I venture to say that more people have fallen into sin when confronted with a half-truth than when confronted with an outright lie or faced with persecution. 

For this reason, it is very important that we are in the word of God daily. We need to know EXACTLY what the word says, as opposed to just having some vague idea of what we think God said or promised.

Joshua 9:9-10 – They said to him, "From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth."

The cleverness of the Gibeonites can be seen in their reply to Joshua.  They pretend to have undertaken their journey for religious reasons - to acknowledge the greatness of Jehovah and the miracles he has already performed on behalf of his people.  They imply that they have the highest respect for Jehovah and would like to become his worshipers.  But sadly, this was all a lie designed to ingratiate themselves with Joshua.  What hypocrites they were!   

They are also smart enough to mention Israel's deliverance from Egypt as well as their victories over Sihon and Og, while leaving out any references to Jericho or Ai.  Denying any knowledge of these recent events gives further support for the false story that they had come from a nation far away.

Joshua 9:11-13 – So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, 'Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, "We are your servants. Come now, and make a covenant with us. Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst.� And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey."

The Gibeonites have gone 'all out' to make their story believable.  They take great pains to show the men of Israel the worn-out state of their supplies, which they claim is evidence that their story is true.

We also notice that the Gibeonites do not request any specific terms for the treaty, which was odd.  They are willing to accept a pledge of peace on any terms, as long as the process takes place immediately – before their deception is detected!  It may have been the lack of give-and-take on the treaty or the undue haste to ratify an agreement that made Joshua wary of their request.

Joshua 9:14 – So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask council from the Lord. 

Alas! The men of Israel looked at what was presented to them in the natural realm (the moldy bread, torn clothing etc) and made a decision on what appeared to be true.

It was inexcusable for them to make such a serious decision on such limited facts. Their decision was even MORE inexcusable when you consider that they could have sought the council of God at any time.

 

Hadn't they just seen the way God was able to pick a single man (Achan) out of the entire nation of people?  Hadn't they just witnessed how God revealed to Joshua exactly what Achan had done wrong and where the stolen items were located?  Wasn't the high priest standing by, at that very moment, to inquire of the Lord for them (Numbers 27:21)?   Yet, they did not consult him!

This treaty was an important matter which deserved a full/complete investigation before a decision was rendered.  The fact that the leaders of Israel did not consult God shows their actions were negligent and foolish. 

In summary, we could say that Israel was trusting in outward appearances only, without seeking the advice of God, who is more than happy to give his people a direct revelation of his will.

God is still in the business of speaking to his children today:

John 10:27 - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:   

However, we often make the same mistake that Joshua and the elders made – we don't bother to consult God before making important decisions. Even though we think we can weigh the evidence ourselves, it is always good to ask God for confirmation before making critical decisions in life.

At other times, we hear what God is saying, but shockingly, we don't listen.  When that happens we are acting out of a spirit of lust (we want what we want, whether or not God has approved it for us) or a spirit of pride (I know more than God). 

We must avoid these mistakes at all costs!   

Let's pause here and ask ourselves the 'what if' question:  What if Joshua had asked the Lord for guidance in this situation?  What do you think would have happened? 

For one thing, we can be sure that God would certainly have revealed the lies of the ambassadors.  In addition, most scholars believe God would have spared the Gibeonites from destruction, as long as they repented, cast out their idols and agreed to live by the laws of the covenant.  In other words, if they truly wanted to become followers or children of God, they would have been given that opportunity (John 6:37).

Joshua 9:15 – And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

Joshua and the men of Israel agree to make a covenant of peace with the men of Gibeon.  This covenant was more than just a pledge not to kill them.  It also entailed the protection of the Gibeonites' territories, privileges and liberty.    

The covenant was ratified by an oath on the part of Israel.  They did not swear by themselves or by any of the gods of Canaan, but by Jehovah, the God of Israel.  In other words, Israel had called upon God to witness the sincerity of their promise to Gibeon. 

Joshua 9:16 – At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them.

The question is, how did Israel discover the truth?

One possibility is that the ambassadors of the Gibeonites sent someone from their party back to the city to bring tiding of success to their fellow countrymen.  When the cities of the kingdom heard this good news, they couldn't help but celebrate. 

Meanwhile, Israel undoubtedly sent spies out to gather information on the next cities/kingdoms to be conquered after Ai.  As they quietly scouted out the area of Gibeon, they heard news of the treaty and realized Israel had been duped.

Another possibility is that some deserters from one of the other Canaanite cities happened upon an Israeli scouting party and told them of the fraud.   

Joshua 9:17 – And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day.  Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

When the fraud was discovered, a bigger detachment of soldiers was sent to the kingdom of Gibeon to confirm the truth.

Joshua 9:18-19 – But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.  Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders.  But all the leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them."

Now Israel is faced with a perplexing problem:  Since Gibeon had been deceitful in obtaining the covenant, did Israel have to honor it?

On the one hand, a case could be made for voiding the covenant since the Gibeonites caused Israel to swear an oath based on a fraudulent claim.  The people of Israel could hardly be expected to obligate themselves to a contract which hinged on deception.

This seems to have been the opinion of the general population.  They griped and complained to the leaders about honoring the treaty.  However, most commentators attribute this to a spirit of greed.  They feel the people of Israel were angry because they were denied the spoils of the four cities.

On the other hand, some maintain that the oath, although unlawfully made, did not require Israel to do an unlawful thing. Therefore, the covenant should stand. They point out that it was Israel's own carelessness that led them into the treaty and it was now their duty to abide by it.

 However, there is yet another consideration.  We find that the rulers of Israel were very loath to break the agreement because they had sworn by/invoked the name of the Lord when making the treaty.  They were very concerned that the wrath of God would fall upon them if they broke the covenant. 

Besides, if they broke their oath, it would bring dishonor to the name of God among the heathen nations.  They don't want to provide the people of Canaan with a reason to distrust or doubt Jehovah.  Besides, breaking the covenant wouldn't negate their sin/fault in making the covenant in the first place.

In the end, the leaders of Israel will keep their promise and enforce the treaty, despite the discontent of the people. They will not annihilate the people of Gibeon. This actually caused Israel to suffer economically, as they did not obtain the spoil of these four cities.

So, we find that Israel was willing to suffer loss in order to make sure that the name of the Lord remained unsoiled.  This was a difficult but important lesson and one that we should consider following in our own lives.  And, as we will shortly discover, God was pleased with their decision.  Through their commitment to this covenant, God gave Israel her biggest military victory in all the wars of Canaan.    

Joshua 9:20-21 – This we will do to them:  let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.  And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them.

Though Israel committed to sparing the lives of the Gibeonites, they punished them for their deception.  They were sentenced to life-long servitude to the nation. 

This decision pacified the discontented congregation of Israel. Although they were angry when the Gibeonites were spared, their anger was appeased when they discovered the Gibeonites and all their future generations were subject to perpetual servitude. Besides, the labor of the Gibeonites was a better public advantage than the spoil Israel would otherwise have obtained.

It also fulfilled another critical role. The main reason the people of Canaan were to be slain was because they would tempt Israel to serve false gods. However, the influence of the Gibeonites (and thus their ability to coax Israel into serving false gods), was severely diminished when they were brought into menial servitude. In this way, the spiritual threat against Israel was nullified.

Joshua 9:22-23 – Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, "Why did you deceive us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you dwell among us?  Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."

These verses center around the public trial of the Gibeonites. We can safely assume that by this time, the senators or other ruling elders of the four cities have traveled the short distance to Gilgal to meet with Joshua. Perhaps the troops of Israel forced them to come.

In the presence of Gibeon's leaders, Joshua delivers the case for the prosecution. He first reproves them for deceiving Israel, then gives specific evidence of their lies. No doubt the worn-out clothing, the moldy bread and the torn wineskins were all submitted into evidence.

Joshua then gives the verdict – he pronounces them cursed and passes sentence upon them.  In so doing, Joshua throws the blame of their servitude back upon themselves.  No injustice has been done to the Gibeonites; they cursed themselves by their actions. 

Interestingly, the men of Gibeon will respond by saying they felt compelled to lie in order to secure the treaty and they acknowledge their punishment to be just and fair.

There is some debate over the actual terms of their servitude. 

It is possible that the term 'cutters of wood and drawers of water' is a generic expression that simply refers to any menial servile task. 

But in this instance, with the addition of the phrase 'for the house of my God', the punishment seems more literal. The daily sacrifices and worship of the temple required vast amounts of both firewood and clean water. In addition, there were vessels to clean, ashes to shovel/remove, floors to sweep, etc. By providing this menial labor for the tabernacle, the Gibeonites were essentially serving the entire nation.

But their sentence also held an undercurrent of mercy. They would be forever tied to temple service, which would provide them with knowledge of the law of God. It would also keep them close to God; there would be little chance to backslide into serving baal or the other Canaanite gods.

Joshua 9:24-25 – They answered Joshua, "Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you – so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing.  And now, behold, we are in your hand.  Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it."

Here we find the defense that the Gibeonites gave during their trial. 

They found out about the command of God to destroy all the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. Based on the miracles that God had already performed for Israel (freeing them from Egypt, parting the Red Sea, manna and water in the wilderness, etc) and the military victories he had given them (Sihon, Og, Jericho, Ai, etc), the Gibeonites concluded that God's sovereignty was incontestable and his justice inflexible.

In their minds, the only option left was to cast themselves on his mercy.  This does not justify their lies or their behavior, but it does explain their motivation – fear.  They were thinking only in terms of self-preservation.    

Joshua 9:26-27 – So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them.  But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place that he should choose.

 

This is not the end of the story for the Gibeonites.  When they were brought into servitude their national importance/influence ceased to exist.  They forfeited their cities; three of them fell to the lot of Benjamin and one to Judah.  They themselves were dispersed into Jerusalem and the other cities of the Levites and priests.  As the priests rotated into Jerusalem to serve in the temple, the Gibeonites came with them.

Yet, they were never permitted to be incorporated into the nation of Israel. They simply existed as a nation of servants (Genesis 9:25).

Why do you suppose this was the case? Why weren't they adopted into the nation as Rahab was?

The answer is, because their situation was different from that of Rahab. She truly wished to serve Jehovah as God. By contrast, the Gibeonites sought a union with Israel simply as a means to save their own lives; they were not interested in serving God or knowing about him.

Nevertheless, that covenant never ended.  Hundreds of years later, during the reign of King David, we find that Israel was in the midst of the third year of a famine.  When David brought this matter before the Lord, he was told that Israel's suffering was the result of King Saul unjustly killing the Gibeonites.  Israel remained under God's disfavor until they made restitution for this (II Samuel 21).

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

Hundreds of years after these events occurred King Solomon gave a proverb that accurately summed up this whole situation:

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

How can we apply these principles to our own lives?

• I encourage you to seek the Lord in all of life's major decisions. Even if you think you can read the facts correctly and you believe you have made a sound decision, you should consider getting a confirmation from the Lord. Scripture tells us that our God is the only one who knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10). Since he knows the future, he knows how kingdoms, circumstances and events are going to change. He alone understands the impact your decisions will have in the future. So lean into him, ask for wisdom and follow his advice!

• When Holy Spirit nudges you to take a second look at something, take the time to listen to him. Clearly, Joshua had some misgivings about the story he was told by the ambassadors of Gibeon. But it doesn't appear as though he investigated much further. What caused him to ignore his uneasiness? Was it a time crunch? Did he feel like he was the only one who had an issue with their story? Did he allow the majority to make a decision without speaking his mind?

• What about you? Have you ever been in a situation where you had those same misgivings? Perhaps your mind was not at peace, or you felt a 'check' in your heart/spirit, or your intelligence told you that something just wasn't adding up, so to speak. If so, DON"T IGNORE THESE SIGNS. They may very well be promptings from Holy Spirit to warn you that something isn't right. When you feel them, stop and ask God to give you supernatural wisdom in that situation.

• It is obvious that God had mercy on Joshua; He made the situation with the Gibeonites turn out okay. But at the same time, Joshua certainly suffered for his mistake. I am sure he had many sleepless nights until this situation was resolved. He was publicly embarrassed for making such an obvious mistake. He had to deal with the one thing he most feared – a complaining spirit taking hold of the congregation of Israel. He lost some influence with the other kings of Canaan and possibly with some of his own elders. The people of the nation suffered a financial loss.

• Joshua could have spared himself all of that heartache and trouble by seeking the council of God instead of trusting his own wisdom. I don't know about you, but I have no interest in sleepless nights, embarrassment or financial loss. I am committing myself to asking God for confirmation of all my major decisions!

• While these lessons certainly apply to us as individuals, they also apply to the church. Satan is out to deceive God's people, to make us look stupid and inept in front of the world, and to cause us as much trouble as he can. His goal is to stop us from advancing the kingdom of heaven. Fortunately, we are not ignorant of his tricks (II Corinthians 2:11).

May the church of Jesus Christ press forward in the advance of his kingdom just as Israel advanced to take the Promised Land!

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Joshua 8:23-24 – But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him near to Joshua.  When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the edge of the sword.

Chapter 8 deals with the conquest of the city of Ai.  As we studied in our last post, God spoke to Joshua and confirmed that he was once again going to fight for Israel, since the devoted things had been removed from the nation. 

God then proceeded to give Joshua a plan for capturing Ai – he was to set an ambush behind the city. 

So Joshua instructed the troops marching towards the gates to fake a retreat.  Once the enemy chased after them, the detachment of men hidden behind Ai rushed out, took the city, set it on fire, then turned and attacked the rear guard of Ai's army.  At the same time, the soldiers who were faking a retreat turned and began to fight in earnest.  The troops of Ai were caught in the middle of the two groups and slaughtered by Israel.

The Israeli forces also captured the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua.  As the leader of his kingdom, he was singled out for intentional public disgrace and reproach.  His execution was to be a warning to the other kings of Canaan. 

That being accomplished, the troops headed back to Ai where they destroyed every person who was left in the city – men, women and children. None of them were spared; all were destroyed.

While that may seem harsh to those in our culture, we should remind ourselves that the decision to kill everyone in the city was not made by Joshua or the army commanders.  It had been mandated by God, the righteous judge, who knows the hearts of every person.  Israel was simply the minister of his justice.

Joshua 8:25 – And all who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000, all the people of Ai.  

When the scripture says that those slain were 'all the people of Ai', it does not mean only the inhabitants of that city but rather all the people associated with it.  As you recall from our last post, the nearby town of Beth-el sent a detachment of soldiers to assist the army of Ai.Based on the narrative in scripture, we know that the soldiers of Beth-el perished alongside the men of Ai and they are included in the phrase 'all the people of Ai'.

Joshua 8:26 – But Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction.

As we noted in our last post, Joshua was standing on high ground with his javelin in his hand when the battle began.  Many scholars believe he had a flag, ensign or banner secured to the javelin.  When the time was right, God signaled Joshua to stretch out his javelin toward Ai.  This was the signal for Israel to stop their fake retreat, turn around, and begin earnestly fighting the enemy.

Scripture tells us that Joshua 'did not draw back his hand' until all the people of Ai were dead.  What is meant by that?

• Some people think it means that the entire army, as directed by Joshua, did not stop their attack until all of their enemies were slain.

• Others say that once Joshua raised his spear, he did not lower his hand/weapon until the battle was over and the city was taken.

Again, as we mentioned in our last post, if this was the case the circumstances would have been very similar to the battle between Israel and Amalek.  During that battle, as long as Moses kept his arms/hands in the air Israel was victorious, but whenever he put his arms/hands down, Israel's enemies were victorious.  Moses had people who actually assisted him by holding his arms up during the battle.  Could it be that Joshua had that kind of assistance too? 

In either case, it was clear that God was assisting Israel in the battle and that he should be praised and worshiped for the victory.

Joshua 8:27 – Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their plunder, according to the word of the Lord that he commanded Joshua.

Once the people had been destroyed, the men of Israel went into the city and looted it.  They brought all the plunder to the priests and elders, who then divided it up equally between all the men of Israel; the share of the man who went to battle was the same as the share of the man who stayed behind.

Thus, the wealth of the wicked was given to the just (Proverbs 13:22).  Israel used the livestock, money and other treasure to sustain them until the Promised Land was taken and they could return to more civilian pursuits like farming or shepherding.

  

Joshua 8:28 – So Joshua burned Ai and made it forever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day.

As we noted earlier in this chapter, God instructed Joshua to treat Ai in the exact same manner as he did Jericho, with the exception of the spoil.  This meant that Ai was to be destroyed and burned, just as Jericho was.  It also meant that the soldiers could take anything and everything of value from the city. 

Once the city had been emptied of all that was worth taking, Israel set the place on fire until it was nothing more than a heap of ashes. 

We know that Joshua spoke a curse over anyone that would rebuild the city of Jericho.  Nothing of that kind is mentioned in connection with Ai, yet we find no more mention of it in scripture which seems to indicate that it was never rebuilt.

Now is a good time for us to notice that Jericho and Ai are the only two cities in Canaan whose capture is fully detailed.  The conquest of these two cities is believed to be an example or a blueprint of all the rest of the battles fought by Israel as she claimed the Promised Land.  Let's examine that in greater detail.

• In the battle of Jericho, we find that the miraculous hand of God is very prevalent. God goes before his people and does things they cannot do. In these cases, Israel's army has a 'lesser' role in the victory, although they are still actively involved in the outcome.

• In the battle of Ai, we find the opposite. The labor of Israel is more prominent; God either chooses not to use miraculous intervention or his intervention is hidden from view. However, this does not mean that Israel stood alone. We know she was assisted by God at every step, even though there were times when her army had a more traditional role in the conquest of an enemy.

Together, these two victories give us a picture of the partnership between Israel and God in the taking of the land.  

In our world today, there are still demonic strongholds that need to be conquered by the church.  We can expect for these battles to be similar to those fought by Israel under Joshua (and Moses).  In every instance, the victory will be obtained by a partnership between the church and Holy Spirit. 

What is our role in the partnership?

• We must be well prepared for battle by having on the full armor of God (Galatians 6).

• We must never be afraid or dismayed; we must trust God fully because he fights on our side (Joshua 1:9).

• We must always listen and follow the instructions of God, just as Joshua did (Joshua 8:2) even if those commands don't make sense in the natural realm.

• We must always remember that the battle is first won in the spiritual realm through prayer and fasting (Zechariah 4:6). Victory is the result of God's Spirit, not our own strength or intelligence. Once victory is established in the spiritual realm, it will be manifested in the natural realm.

What is God's role in the partnership?

• God directs the battle and enforces the victory. If a miracle is needed, he will provide one whether it be financial, political, military, provisional (water, food, etc) or even weather related (Joshua 10:11)!

Joshua 8:29 – And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.

It was now time for the punishment of the King of Ai, who was said to be notoriously wicked and a blasphemer of Jehovah.  His blasphemy of God no doubt reached a high point after Ai's first victory against Israel. 

This man did not die an honorable death in battle.  Instead, he was brought before Joshua like a criminal who is taken to court and sentenced to death as a malefactor or criminal. 

Although his body was hanged on a tree as a public display, he was most likely dead before being placed there. Back in the times of ancient Israel it was not customary to hang people alive as we would picture today. Criminals worthy of death were killed another way (often by strangling), and their bodies hung up for display after death.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 - And if a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is to be put to death, and you hang him on a tree:  His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that your land be not defiled, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance.

According to the command of God, the body was taken down at the end of the day and thrown in the entrance to the destroyed city.  Some scholars feel this was because the entrance to the city was the place where he sat in judgment of others; it represented the seat of power where he made unrighteous decrees and where he blasphemed the Lord of Hosts.  Therefore, it was fitting for him to be cast there after his untimely death.

A heap of stones was placed over the body.  The heap was a testimony to the eventual end of the wicked; those who rebel against God will fall under his judgment.  It was also a testimony that God was alive and well and fighting on behalf of his people. 

Joshua 8:30-31 – At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, "an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool."  And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings.

Verses 30-35 have caused a difference opinion among students of the scriptures.

On the one hand, verses 30-35 seem quite out of place.  Israel has only recently crossed the Jordan River and has only taken two cities on the edge of the Promised Land.  

It is difficult to imagine that Israel would pause at this point and undertake the solemn events which occurred on Mount Ebal, because that mountain is located in the center of the country – territory that is still under the control of the Canaanites. 

Furthermore, the distance from Gilgal (the home base of Israel) and Mount Ebal is approximately 30 miles. Those who feel these verses are out of place say it would be almost impossible for the nation to march 30 miles into enemy territory and spend time observing these rites on Mount Ebal without being attacked by one or more enemies.

Those who believe this theory also point out that the very next narrative (the deception of the Gibeonites) which takes place in Joshua 9:1, clearly takes place in the context of a spirit of fear which has come upon the people of Gibeon due to the conquest of Jericho and Ai.

Those who hold to this opinion believe that this passage, Joshua 8:30-35, should actually be at the end of Joshua chapter 11, as a climax to the record of Joshua's victories.  They believe the events on Mount Ebal took place much later in the history of Israel.

Others believe that the events described in verses 30-35 did, in fact, occur just after the conquest of Ai and before the deception of Gibeon.    

Those who hold this opinion point out that with the conquest of Ai, Israel gained possession of a major thoroughfare – the road to Shechem.  They also believe that much of the land directly north was wooded and sparsely inhabited.  When combined with the fact that a renewed fear of Israel had fallen upon the people of Canaan, it would not have been a problem for the entire nation of Israel to travel to Mount Ebal just after the fall of Ai. 

Furthermore, proponents of this theory believe there is a definite reason behind the events taking place at this specific time.  Their reasoning goes something like this:

The purpose of the conquest of Canaan was to establish a nation that lived by the laws of God.  This nation would be an example of God's love and power to the rest of the world.  Through their example, they would draw other nations (people) into a relationship with God. 

In keeping with that purpose, God gave Israel a divine opportunity to proclaim/announce/establish his Word in the heart of the country almost immediately after they entered it.

This was significant because once God's law was established/proclaimed in the land, Israel then moved forward to remove all those who rebelled against it.  Thus, it was vital that the law of God be publicly proclaimed in the land immediately.    

Both theories have compelling points.  Which do you believe is true?  

While you are making up your mind, let's examine what took place at Mount Ebal in more detail. 

During the lifetime of Moses, God commanded that three things should occur after Israel entered the Promised Land: 

• They were to go to Mount Ebal, build an altar there and sacrifice to the Lord.
• They were to erect stone pillars, cover them with plaster, and write the law of God upon them.
• They were to listen to the priests call out the blessings and curses.

We find these commands in Deuteronomy:

Deuteronomy 27:4-5 - Therefore it shall be when you are gone over Jordan, that you shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster.  And there shall you build an altar unto the LORD your God, an altar of stones: you shall not lift up any iron tool upon them. 

First, let's discuss the altar.  It had to be of uncut stones, which was the standard way of making an altar to God.  According to scripture, if man cut or shaped the stones in any way with iron tools, the altar would be polluted (Exodus 20:25).

The purpose of the altar was to offer burnt offerings (atonement for sin) and peace offerings (worship, fellowship, communion with God) to the Lord:    

Deuteronomy 27:7 - And you shall offer peace offerings, and shall eat there, and rejoice before the LORD your God.

Previously, this had been done when the covenant was established between God and Israel (Exodus 24:5).  By the observance of these same rites, Israel was effectively renewing their covenant with God in the Promised Land. 

Joshua 8:32 – And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the Law of Moses, which he had written.

Unlike the altar, the stone pillars could be shaped by iron tools. We are not told how many of them were actually erected, but there was quite a bit of writing to do. Once the pillars were formed and erected, they were covered with 'plaster' which probably contained a mixture of lime and other elements. At some point, the law of God was inscribed into the surface. Thus, a public record of the law of God was created in the center of the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 27:8 - And you shall write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.

But what, exactly, was written on the stones?  The stones definitely did not contain the totality of the law; it would be an almost impossible task to put the entire Pentateuch on the stones.  Besides, it would be too much for anyone to stand there and read!  We can be sure that the Ten Commandments were definitely written on the pillars, but was there anything else?  

In the context of Deuteronomy 27 & 28, the 'law' refers to the blessings and curses which were announced during this solemn occasion (you can go back and read them yourself). Therefore, it is assumed that these same blessings and curses were also written on the stone pillars. Thus, the blessings for obeying God (and the curses for rebellion) were clearly spelled out for everyone who lived in the Israel.

This brings up an interesting point – It could be said that if the priesthood or the children of Israel fell into sin, the rocks would cry out/testify to the truth of God's law!    

Joshua 8:33 – And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel.

Now we come to the third command that God gave Israel when she entered the Promised Land – the reading of the blessings and curses. 

If we go back and examine the original command given through Moses in Deuteronomy 27, we find that six of the tribes of Israel were to stand upon Mount Ebal.  These six tribes were Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali (Deuteronomy 27:13).  The tribes were probably stationed near the base of the mountain.

The other six tribes – Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph (Ephriam and Manasseh) and Benjamin – stood on the base/lower slopes Mount Gerizim, which was directly opposite Mount Ebal.

The priests and the Ark of the Covenant were in the valley between the two mountains. 

When everything was quiet, Joshua began by reciting the blessings first.  After each blessing was spoken by the Joshua, the entire nation of people would shout 'amen'. 

After all the blessings had been spoken aloud, Joshua moved on to read the curses.  Again, there was a pause after each curse where the children of Israel would shout 'amen'. 

The word 'amen' actually means 'so be it'.   By saying 'amen' the children of Israel were acknowledging the consequences they would face based on whether or not they followed the law.

Joshua 8:34-35 - And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.  There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

It is good to note that the entire nation of Israel was present during this time. As the blessings and curses were read, everyone from the oldest and most respected elder to the youngest child was included. This showed that no one was exempt from the consequences of either obeying or disobeying the law.  Those in positions of power such as judges or officers were just as much under the law as the lowliest hand maid.

Second, we note that everyone, even strangers who desired to live in the land, were included under the law.  This was an encouragement to all proselytes who acknowledged Jehovah as God.  It was also a foreshadowing of the age of grace, when Gentiles would be welcomed into the kingdom of God.

Please note: God's intentions are to bless his people. If anyone fell under a curse, it was due to their own disobedience. God very plainly laid before them life and death, blessings and cursing (Deuteronomy 30:19) and it was up to them to make the choice. That hasn't changed; we still have the same choice today!

Did you know that Israel was required to have a public reading of the Law once every seven years (Deuteronomy 31:10-11)? 

Did you also know that when Israel entered the era of the kings, each king was supposed to write his own personal copy of the law (Pentateuch) with his own hand (Deuteronomy 17:18-20), so that he would know the law and be reminded to live by it?  What a great idea – I wish we could get our government leaders to do the same!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In today's post, we noted that Jericho and Ai are examples or blueprints of the way God's people partner with him on earth.  Sometimes, the work of God is more obvious, especially when he works a miracle on our behalf.  At other times, the labor of God's people is more evident, even though God is still with them at every step.

We also noted that in the world today, there are demonic strongholds that need to be vanquished.  This will occur through a similar partnership between God and his people, the church. 

Personally, I believe this is one reason why Satan tries so hard to cause strife and divisions within the body of Christ.  Think about this: Scripture tells us that one child of God can cause 1000 enemies of God to run, but two children of God can cause 10,000 to flee (Deuteronomy 32:30).  There is power in unity! 

One of the signs of Christian maturity is that we are able to overlook minor faults or differences of opinion which would otherwise cause strife or division among the members of the church.  When we do so, we promote unity in the body. 

I encourage you to begin practicing unity within your own church congregation.  There are some things that we can just agree to disagree on!  In other words, don't let small insignificant differences of opinion stop you from joining your brothers and sisters in fighting spiritual battles together. 

Let me offer you some relief:

In our relationship with God there are some things that only he can do. 

For instance, you can share the gospel with someone, but only Holy Spirit can activate that word in the heart of a person and cause them to be saved.  You can pray for someone in faith, but only God can heal them.

I know people who don't want to share the gospel or pray for others, because it seems like nothing happens when they do. 

If that describes you, let me give you some relief – you don't have to be stressed out.  Just stick to doing your own job (sharing/praying) and let God worry about his (producing results). 

When you learn to follow the commands of God and stand in faith, you will be free from worry and doubt.

Let me offer you some strength:

Our lesson today makes it obvious that God places a high premium on both his word and our relationship/fellowship with him. 

In ancient Israel, copies of the law were kept in the tabernacle and were read to the people by the priests.  Aren't you glad that things have changed?  Now, each one of us can have our own copy of God's word.  We have paper copies, electronic copies and even audio recordings of it.  We are more blessed by access to the word of God than ever before!

The same is true of our fellowship with God. In ancient Israel, people fellowshipped with God through the prescribed festivals/feasts that occurred during the year, as well as through offerings and sacrifices. But today, we can fellowship with God anytime! Because of the sacrifice of Christ, we have unlimited, open access to his presence. We can fellowship with him through prayer, fasting, communion, praise and worship.

God has blessed us far over and above the privileges that Israel enjoyed, so take advantage of those blessings. As we spend more time in his presence, he will strengthen us for whatever battles lie before us (Psalms 18:39)!

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Joshua 8:1 – And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not fear and do not be dismayed.  Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai.  See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land."

Now that the sin of Achan had been removed from Israel, they are ready to conquer Ai.

We can understand that they might be a little hesitant to move forward, since they had been routed the last time. For this reason, God comforts Israel by specifically telling them not to be afraid or discouraged; he was guaranteeing their victory against Ai, just as he did at Jericho. With God once again on their side, they were assured of being successful.

Notice that God commands them to bring the entire army to the battle this time. As it turned out, the entire army did not need to fight in the war against Ai. However, knowing there were reinforcements at hand must have been reassuring to the active troops. Besides, it was important that the entire army be on hand to witness the victory that God was about to work on their behalf. This would build up their faith for the next battle.

We should also consider the viewpoint of the other kingdoms of Canaan.  When Israel crossed the Jordan, all the Canaanite kingdoms melted with fear (Joshua 2:11).  They believed that Jehovah, the God of Israel, was more powerful than any of their own gods.  Any hope they had of defeating Israel melted along with their courage. 

However, when Israel was defeated by the insignificant kingdom of Ai, it changed the way these heathen nations thought about God. They began to think that the victory at Jericho was nothing more than a fluke. And if that was true, then Jehovah was not a God to be feared or worshiped. But with the defeat of Ai, fear of the Lord returns to the heathen nations in Canaan.

As for the king of Ai, he had not been idle while Israel was taking care of the business of Achan.  Anticipating that Israel would attack again, he called upon the people of nearby Beth-el for military assistance. 

Joshua 8:2 – "And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king.  Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves.  Lay an ambush against the city, behind it."

During the battle of Jericho, God had literally given the victory into Israel's hands.  He made sure the walls fell so that Israel could go in and take the city. 

However, that was a 'one-time' situation. In the case of Ai, God was not going to give Israel the same type of miraculous assistance. From now on, the army of Israel was going to have a more active and traditional role in attacking her enemies and taking the land.

This was important because with each battle, Israel's army was gained more experience and more confidence. So instead of a miracle, God gives Israel strategic plans for an ambush, which they would need to carry out themselves. This is not to say that God did not help Israel; he certainly did. His help just came in a different way.

This presents us with an interesting spiritual parallel.  God has given to each one of us a portion of faith:

Romans 12:3 -For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.

God will allow the enemy to attack us on occasions, because it gives us an opportunity to use our faith.  As we use/exercise our faith, we find that it both grows and strengthens.  This in turn allows us to fight even greater spiritual enemies and gain bigger spiritual victories.  We can conclude that it actually good for us to engage in spiritual battles because it seasons us and prepares us for the future.  In much the same way, Israel was strengthened and seasoned by every battle they faced – including the one with Ai.

God commanded Israel to treat the city of Ai just as the city of Jericho, with the exception of the spoil. This meant that all the inhabitants of the city were to be killed and the city burned. But this time, the men were free to enrich themselves with whatever spoil as they could carry away.

The resources and treasures of Ai were only the beginning - Israel was henceforth permitted to take the spoil of the all the rest of the cities they conquered.  These supplies would be Israel's means of support throughout the years of the conquest. 

Joshua 8:3-4 – So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai.  And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night.And he commanded them, "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it.  Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready."

While the battle plan is clear, the numbers seem a bit confusing.

In verse one, God instructs Joshua to send the entire army out to capture Ai.  In verse three, we are told that Joshua forms a detachment of 30,000 men and sends them out under cover of night to station themselves behind the city of Ai in preparation for an ambush.  Yet verse 12 says Joshua 'took about 5000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city'.

This difficulty has been explained in a couple of different ways. One theory says that Joshua sent the detachment of 30,000 men behind the city of Ai, but then he took 5,000 of that 30,000 and reassigned them to a position much closer to the walls of the city. They probably concealed themselves in the immediate perimeter of the town. Their job was either to intercept the first squads that were sent out of Ai, or to block the roads so reinforcements from other cities could not join the battle. The remainder of the army approached the main gate of Ai under the command of Joshua.

While this is a possibility, it should be noted that it would be very difficult for 30,000 men to successfully travel to Ai undetected, even if it was night.  The sound of their footsteps alone would be quite loud. It would only take a single barking dog to give their position away!

Another explanation for the discrepancy/difference between verses one, three and 12 is that the 5,000 mentioned in verse 12 was simply a transcription error, or what we might call a 'typo'.  In other words, the number mentioned in verse 12 should have been 30,000, but the man who manually transcribed the scriptures simply made an error.  If this is correct, then there were only two groups – the 30,000 who spent the night in ambush behind the city and the rest of the army who marched on the front gates at the command of Joshua.

But there are problems with this theory too.  We are left with the same difficulty of 30,000 men sneaking up on the city in the middle of the night.  There is also another issue as well.  There were approximately 600,000 soldiers in the army of Israel.  If the majority of the army (over 550,000 men) marched straight toward the front gates of Ai, the men of Ai would never have left the city.  They would have been far better off to force Israel into a siege, rather than fighting them man-to-man. 

This brings us to the third possibility. Joshua must have brought the entire army with him to Ai, because that was what God instructed him to do. The army camped on one side of a valley, while Ai was on the other side. Most of the army remained hidden from view.

Joshua then formed a detachment of 30,000 soldiers to mount the attack on Ai.  Of these 30,000 Joshua sent 5,000 to lay in wait behind the city, while the other 25,000 would attack the main city gates.

This explains why the men of Ai weren't afraid to leave their city and fight – they thought they were only fighting a force of about 25,000.   This scenario also makes more sense because it would be much more realistic for 5000 men to sneak up on the city rather than 30,000.

Joshua 8:5-6 – "And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city.  And when they come out against us just as before, we shall flee before them.  And they will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city.  For they will say, 'They are fleeing from us, just as before.'  So we will flee before them."

Regardless of the actual numbers, the overall battle strategy was clear:

There was a band of soldiers hidden in the woods behind the city of Ai.

Meanwhile the other 25,000 hand-picked men would visibly approach the main gates of the city. When the army of Ai came out to engage in battle, Israel would pretend to be afraid. They would stage a carefully orchestrated retreat, which mimicked their last defeat.

The men of Ai, thinking they were going to easily defeat Israel again, would empty the city in pursuit of Israel.  As they chased the Israelites, they would get further and further away from the city.   

Joshua 8:7-8 – "Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will give it into your hand.  And as soon as you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire.  You shall do according to the word of the Lord.  See, I have commanded you."

When the army of Ai traveled far enough away from the city, the Israelite ambush force was to attack the city. With the help of God and all of the troops outside the city walls, it should be easy for the small detachment to subdue the city.

Once they had control of the city, they were to set a fire. This was the signal that the city had been taken. Once the fire was set, the men would reform ranks near the gates.

When Joshua smelled the smoke and saw the fire, he would signal the rest of the troops to stop the fake retreat.  They were to turn around and begin fighting the men of Ai, who would then be trapped between the two Israelite forces. 

Joshua 8:9-10 – So Joshua sent them out. And they went to the place of ambush and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai, but Joshua spent that night among the people. Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

The elders of Israel were the chief magistrates and rulers of the people.  Essentially, they were advisors to Joshua.  It was natural for them to accompany him to the battle lines, to assist him with advice if needed and to give him encouragement. 

These men also assisted in dividing the spoil. 

Numbers 31:27-And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:

It was the elder's job to make sure that the spoil taken from the city was divided equally between the combatants and the rest of the people.

According to the command of God, the distribution of the booty was always the same – the share of the soldiers was the same as the share of those who stayed behind. Thus, the entire nation of Israel benefitted when a city was conquered.

Joshua 8:11-12 – And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai. He took about 5000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

It is evident that Joshua was a good general. We know that in verse two, God suggested that Joshua use an ambush against Ai. But it was up to Joshua to work out the details.

• He was the one who decided the number of troops to put on the ambush.
• It was his idea to send them at night, to maintain the utmost secrecy.
• It was Joshua who came up with the strategy of drawing the men of Ai outside the city by faking a retreat, while his other troops easily subdued a city devoid of any soldiers.
• It was his idea to set a fire in the city as a signal that it was taken and the ruse was to be discontinued.

All in all, Joshua planned a very good attack against his opponents.   

Joshua 8:13-14 – So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city.  But Joshua spent that night in the valley. And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place, toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle.   But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

Joshua's troops went down into the valley by night. They stationed themselves where they would be easily seen by the soldiers of Ai at the crack of dawn.� (Joshua himself went to higher ground, as we will see). The king of Ai, who did not see the ambush behind him or the total number of Israeli troops hiding across the valley, thought Israel was attacking with a very small group of men, just as they had before.

In his pride, the king of Ai confidently hurried to gather his troops and engage Israel in battle.  He was sure this day would be a day of great victory for him; songs would be written to glorify his military might and the strength of his gods.  His fame would spread throughout the land of Canaan.  He would be enriched by the spoil he would take from the camp of Israel, not to mention the treasures he would obtain by stripping the dead soldiers. 

Little did he know that by the end of the day, he would be dead.

Clearly, the true victory in this battle was given to Israel by the Lord of Hosts.

• It was God who gave Joshua the idea of an ambush.
• It was God who 'blinded' the understanding of the king of Ai (and his advisors) so that he did not suspect the trap that was set for him.
• It was God who silenced the footsteps of the 5000 soldiers so that they could sneak up behind the enemy undetected.
• It was God who protected the men of Israel as they faked a retreat.

Thus, we see that even though God did not move in the same miraculous way he did at Jericho, he was still the reason Israel won the war.

Joshua 8:15-17 – And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness. So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua, they were drawn away from the city.Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.

This verse mentions that the troops of nearby Beth-el also participated in this battle. 

Beth-el was a walled city smaller than Ai.  It is believed that Beth-el was a tributary of Ai.  As such, the two cities would have made a pact that if/when one of them was attacked, the other would render aid.  For this reason, the majority of the troops of Beth-el had already been stationed in Ai right after the first attack of Israel. 

The scripture tells us that 'not a man was left' in either Beth-el or Ai. This does not literally mean that the entire male population went out to war; the very old and the very young obviously stayed behind. The meaning is that every military man left the city in the battle with Israel.

Joshua 8:18-19 – Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand."  And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.  And the men in the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it. And they hurried to set the city on fire.

Joshua's use of the javelin is another indication that God was directing the army of Israel and giving her victory.

Practically speaking, Joshua no doubt stayed on higher ground with the javelin in his hand.  Many scholars believe he had a flag or ensign attached to the end of the javelin, to make it more visible. 

From his vantage point, he could see the entire battle unfold.  He watched as the gates of Ai opened, and Israel's enemies hurriedly rushed from the safety of the city while shouting threats.  He saw his own men fake a retreat down into the valley.  The troops of Ai got further and further from the city and at precisely the right moment, the Lord spoke to him, commanding him to point the javelin toward Ai. 

At that signal, the ambush was sprung.  The 5,000 hidden troops rushed into the undefended city, immediately captured it, and quickly set a portion of the city on fire.

Although the fire was big enough to send the message that the city was taken, it was not intended to destroy the whole city, as they still wanted to loot it.  After they had taken all of Ai's goods and livestock, then the city would be completely destroyed.

The raising of the javelin was not just a sign to spring the trap. It was also a symbol or token of God's presence and assistance. One can't help but compare it to the battle against Amalek, where Moses sat upon a rock and raised his hands into the air:

Exodus 17:11-12 - And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.  But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

In verse 26 of this chapter, we learn that Joshua kept the javelin raised and pointed at Ai until all the enemies of Israel were destroyed. Again, this shows that God was actively fighting on behalf of his people, even though this miracle was not as noticeable as the walls of Jericho falling down.

Joshua 8:20-21 – So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers.  And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.

Suddenly, the tables turned.  The men of Israel turned around and began to fight the men of Ai in earnest.  Meanwhile, the surprised men of Ai began to smell smoke. 

They soon realized their true predicament – they had left their wives, their children and all their possessions unguarded.  The city had been taken and they were sandwiched between their foes.  They literally had no hope or chance of escape.  They were so panic stricken, they froze.

Joshua 8:22 – And the others came out from the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side.  And Israel struck them down, until there was left none that survived or escaped.

Because of the assistance of God, the men of Ai found themselves surrounded at the exact time they were most confident of victory. This is a very comforting principle for the church of Christ.

Sometimes it seems as though evil is everywhere and we aren't making any headway against it. It seems as though darkness always wins. But we can take hope knowing that if we stop and listen to the Lord, he will turn the tide when the time is right.

When he pours out his Spirit the powers of darkness will be broken. The Satanic forces that have blinded the spiritual eyes of people will be removed and they will flock to Christ. God has not set his church up for defeat, but for victory. And that victory may just come when our enemy is most confident of his success.

Which do you think was louder – the shouts of victory from the men of Israel or the shrieks of the men of Ai, who were overcome by terror and confusion?

Job 20:5 -That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

The enemies of Israel were unable to fight or flee; death was certain for each one of them.  Job was correct when he noted that the triumph of the wicked is short lived.

What lessons can we learn from the account of the battle of Ai?

Israel won her battles by partnering with God. We will win our battles in the same way. God will give us victory, but we must listen to his voice and follow his leading.

• God's timing is always perfect. While we prefer that everything happens instantly, that is seldom God's plan. Scripture tells us that there is a 'time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens' (Ecclesiastes 3:1). We should submit not only to God's commands but his timing as well.
• Each person had a part to play in the victory against Ai. Some of the men stayed at the camp, while some were assigned to the ambush party and some marched straight to the city. The elders did their part by dividing the spoil. When the church fights against the forces of darkness, each of us will have a part to play too; no one person can do it all. Be sure you understand your gifts and spiritual abilities and make use of them.

• Over and over and over God instructs his people not to be afraid. When the church looks at the evil forces arrayed against her, we must keep in mind that there is nothing to fear because God fights on our behalf. He has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against his church (Matthew 16:18).

• We should do everything within our power to elect and support godly officials, like Joshua. When we have honest, upright, God-fearing men and women in positions of leadership, the entire country will benefit. But when evil is in power, we will all suffer.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

As we mentioned previously, God has given each individual person in the church a role to play in the defeat of evil.  The apostle Paul likens this to the members of a human body – some are the hands, some are the eyes, some are the knees, etc.  The point is that each one of us has distinct gifts and abilities that are useful to the kingdom of heaven and to the local church.

So please don't withhold your gift from the body.  You may have the exact skill that is needed during the battle.  Think of it this way – a soldier would be much less effective if he only had one arm or one foot.  In the same way, the body of Christ cannot operate at full strength unless all the members are actively involved.

Let me offer you some relief:

The gifts and talents that we possess must be strengthened and developed.  For instance, you may have the spiritual gift of words of knowledge.  But it will take practice to clearly hear these words from Holy Spirit and to know how to deliver these messages to the body of Christ. 

All of us are bound to make mistakes as we grow in our gifts.  So, let's be patient with one another.  Let's also be sure to submit to the pastor's authority, so mistakes can be kept to a minimum when they do occur.

Whatever you do, don't allow a mistake to stop you from using your gifts. Learn from what you did wrong, pick up the pieces and continue the fight!

Let me offer you some strength:

You are a vital part of the army of God! Therefore, it is imperative that you strengthen and prepare yourself to do well in battle. You can begin by checking the status of your spiritual armor.

According to Ephesians 6:10-18, every Christian should have a complete set of armor including the belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, shoes made of the gospel message, a helmet of salvation, a shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. 

Good soldiers check their weapons/clothing before the battle begins.  This gives them the best chance of success in the conflict.  Likewise, we need to prepare in advance for attacks of the enemy.  What is the status of your armor?  Today is a good day to find out!

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Joshua 7:13 – Get up! Consecrate the people and say, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, "There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel.  You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you."'

As we saw in our last post, Joshua and the elders of Israel were fasting, weeping, mourning and prostrating themselves before the Lord. They were seeking an answer as to why the forces of Israel had been routed by the people of Ai.

As we would expect, God answered that humble (and desperate) prayer.  The remainder of this chapter gives us the details of God's reply.  It also delineates God's specific instructions for dealing with this situation.

First of all, God very plainly stated that someone in Israel had stolen from Him – they had taken spoil from Ai which was devoted to destruction.  Therefore, the curse of destruction which was on the stolen items had now passed onto the entire nation of Israel.

Secondly, now that Joshua knew about the problem, it was time for him to 'get up' and take action.

He immediately issued a command to the Israelites to consecrate themselves, because the Lord was going to appear or manifest himself in their midst in an unusual way the next morning.

Clearly, the people needed to undergo some rite of purification, since they could not come into the Lord's presence while unclean. Due to the very short time frame, the actual purification ritual was probably limited to bathing and putting on clean clothing.

But even this minor action had an effect upon the people. It caused them to stop their normal routines and take time to examine their own hearts/lives. It was a chance for all of them to repent for their sins, even though they were not responsible for taking the devoted things.

Furthermore, the purification process would have had a somewhat calming effect upon the people.  Prior to this, they were in a state of shock and fear because of the defeat at Ai.  They did not know what to do or where to turn.  (Where can you turn when God is against you?)  Now that they knew someone among them had sinned and God was going to call them out, it must have given them a degree of peace/hope because God was providing a way for the nation to move forward.

According to the command of Joshua, everyone went through the purification process - including Achan and his household. One can't help but wonder how Achan, the guilty party, is able to persist in rebellion against God. Why doesn't he go to Joshua, confess his guilt and beg for mercy? Why does he stubbornly harden his heart against the Lord and keep up the charade of his innocence?

We obviously don't know what was going on in Achan's heart or mind, but we do know that sin sears/burns our consciences and causes us to harden our hearts before the Lord (I Timothy 4:2).  That may have been the case in this situation.

An element of pride was probably also at work in Achan's life.  No one wants to publicly admit they were wrong or accept the shame and guilt associated with such a crime.  Since that is exactly what would have happened to Achan if he had confessed, we surmise that his pride contributed to his decision to continue hiding his sin/guilt. 

In addition, Achan may have justified his actions by believing that he was not the only thief – he assumed other soldiers had surely pilfered a few things too.

Achan was more than willing to keep quiet and escape judgment/punishment while others were found guilty. He probably felt that he was so clever, he could hide his sin from Joshua. While that may have been the case, he couldn't hide it from God!

So, the combination of self-justification, pride and a seared conscience resulted in a man unwilling to confess his sin and seek mercy.

Joshua 7:14 – "In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the Lord takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the Lord takes shall come near by households.  And the household that the Lord takes shall come near man by man."

God is going to reveal the guilty party before the entire nation. He will do this by narrowing down the entire population to just a single person.

He begins with the largest sub-group in the nation – the 12 tribes.  It would be really difficult and time consuming for 1/12 of the entire population to 'appear before' the Lord.  This 'appearing' was done by having a representative of each tribe standing in for the tribe itself. 

When we say 'appear before him' the implication is that this meeting took place outside the entrance to the tabernacle or the holy place with the high priest in attendance.  Each representative would come and stand before the priest who would then cast lots to reveal whether or not this man represented the guilty tribe. 

Once the guilty tribe was discovered, the clans or branches of the tribe would present themselves before the Lord (via the priest) and the guilty clan chosen.  After that, the individual families within the guilty clan would come forward.  Again, this was probably done through representatives.  However, once a particular family was implicated, the men appeared before the Lord one-by-one and the guilty party was revealed.

It was common in Israel for decisions to be made by casting lots. For instance:

• When Israel wanted a king, the entire nation presented themselves to the Lord in the exact same manner (tribe, clan, family, man) and Saul Son of Kish was revealed to be the first king of Israel (I Samuel 10:19-21).

• When one of the soldiers had broken Saul's command to fast, they used the same method to identify the guilty party – Jonathan (I Samuel 14:40-43).

• The Promised Land itself was divided by lot among the tribes of Israel (Numbers 26:55, 33:54, Joshua 13:6, etc).

• It was used by the 11 apostles to chose who would replace Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:26).

Joshua 7:15 – "And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel."

Today, in our culture, we don't like to hold anyone accountable for their actions.  Police forces are being de-funded and prosecuting attorneys are seeking little or no punishment for criminals.  Respect for authority has all but disappeared.

Because of that, many will feel that the judgment of God was harsh or severe.  But they are wrong! Man has no right to judge God at any time. The punishment decreed for the guilty party was just; it was already determined by the law (Leviticus 27:28-29) and by a vow of the children of Israel:

Joshua 1:18 – Whosoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you commanded him, shall be put to death.  Only be strong and courageous.  

The guilty party, along with his children and all he had, is to be annihilated so that there is no remainder of the cursed things among the nation of Israel.  The punishment was severe because the sin was so perverse and grievous: 

• The guilty man defied, disrespected and insulted the God of the universe by breaking the specific command God had given.
• He trampled God's rights by stealing what legally belonged to him.
• He took something that was dedicated to God/appropriated for the service of his temple, and took it for his own personal use.

To say he did 'an outrageous thing' in Israel is an understatement!   

The guilty man has shamed the nation of Israel by dishonoring the name of God. Furthermore, because of his actions, God's name and reputation have been disgraced in front of all the heathen nations of the world.

The penalty for this abominable act serves as a warning to people in all ages to take heed how they rob God and disregard his holy commands. 

This is a good time for us to remind ourselves that we too are guilty of sin in the eyes of God; we have broken or disregarded his holy commands just as Achan did.  But, hallelujah, the price for our iniquity (eternal death) has been paid by our Redeemer, Christ Jesus. 

If we accept his forgiveness and live by his holy commands, we are accepted into the kingdom of heaven; we are passed from eternal death to eternal life:

2 Timothy 1:10 - But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

However, if we harden our hearts as Achan did, we will receive the full punishment that is due for our sin. 

Joshua 7:16-18 – So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

The 'casting of the lot' was appointed by God himself and, as previously mentioned, it was commonly used as a method to ascertain the divine will of God in making decisions or judgments in Israel. 

Proverbs 16:33 - The lot is cast into the lap; but its every decision is of the LORD. 

No matter how casual it seems, the casting of the lot was serious business; it was under the direct control of God and he used it to display his infinite wisdom and justice.

But how, exactly, did the lot work?

Actually, we aren't completely sure. We have no concrete information as to the precise steps taken in the casting of the lot.  In fact, scholars believe that several different modes were practiced. Some variations may have been as simple as having two different stones in a vessel or bag and one stone being drawn out. Another variation may have been the roll of what we know as a die (or dice).

While this might be frustrating to our curiosity, there is probably a very good reason why Holy Spirit made sure this information was not passed down to us. Let's be honest – if we knew all about casting lots, we might try to use it ourselves.

It would be wrong for us to rely on the lot now because we have been given access to Holy Spirit.  Scripture tells us that Holy Spirit has access to the mind of God; if we need wisdom or instruction or knowledge of the divine will, we need only ask him and he will speak to us:

1 Corinthians 2:10-11 - But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.  For what man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.  

What we do know for sure, is that the lot was not a trivial occurrence.  It was to be used only in matters of the greatest importance and only with the utmost respect for God.  To use it in any other way was a mockery of God. 

It's also good to remember that because God was making the judgment via the lot, everyone had to abide by the decision once the lot was cast.

So, in the early morning, after bathing and having a time of introspection, the citizens of Israel gathered near the door to the tabernacle and watched to see what would happen.

Once the tribe of Judah was judged guilty, most of Israel probably breathed a sigh of relief! Even though the whole nation had fallen under judgment, God was now separating the holy from the wicked. Those who were righteous had nothing to fear.

Once the family of Zabdi was called out, Achan must surely have known that he was going to be found out.  But despite the many chances God gave him to repent, he still stubbornly maintained his innocence until, finally, he was revealed to be the sinner who had troubled the entire nation of Israel.

Joshua 7:19 – Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him.  And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me."

Through the use of the lot, God has revealed the guilty party almost as if he pointed to him with his own finger!

There was no reason for Achan to aggravate his crime with vain denials.  Accordingly, Joshua assumes his guilt and urges him to make a full confession without 'whitewashing' the truth or spinning any of the details to make himself look better.  Doing so would bring glory to God, because it would prove his omniscience, and show that the coming judgment against Achan was righteous.

A full confession would also be the best thing for Achan himself.  Under the law, his punishment must be death, but he still had an opportunity to repent before God so that his eternal soul could be saved.

Joshua 7:20-21 – And Achan answered Joshua, "Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath."

Specifically speaking, Achan took 200 shekels of silver, a bar (your translation may say 'tongue' or 'wedge') of gold weighing 50 shekels and a cloak/robe from Shinar. 

Shinar was the plain on which Babylon was situated.  So the cloak or robe in question could also be called a Babylonian garment.  Back in these times, the Assyrians were famous for the manufacture of beautifully dyed and richly embroidered robes.  These robes were found throughout the Middle East and were typically worn by prophets and kings, who wore them on state occasions.  The robe that Achan took may very well have been the royal robe of the king of Jericho.

We can't help but notice that this narrative does a great job of showing us the progression of sin in our lives.

Lust or desire first enters the eye, then sinks into the heart, where it takes root, grows and produces a sinful action which eventually result in death.

James 1:14-15 -But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.

In this case, Achan saw the items.  In his heart he desired/coveted them but instead of reminding himself that these items were dedicated to God, he allowed his heart to lust after them.  That lust/desire caused him to stretch out his hand and steal the items from God.  And, as James tells us, sin always brings for death.  This manifested itself in a very literal way in the life of Achan – he is about to be sentenced to death for his crime.  However, let's keep in mind that the physical death of Achan represents the spiritual death that occurs in every person when they sin against God.

Now that we know the facts of the actual crime, let's examine the confession of Achan. 

The first thing we notice is that he emphatically admits that he sinned against God.  We can be sure that stealing the devoted things was no accident, nor was it a mistake, nor was it a matter of ignorance on his part.  He saw the items, he coveted them and he purposely sinned against God by stealing them!

But before we pat ourselves on the back thinking we are better than Achan, let's take a moment to remind ourselves that anytime we commit a sin, it is also an offense against God!

Joseph calls this to our attention in a vivid way back in the book of Genesis.  As you recall, Joseph was working in the house of Potiphar where he was in charge of the entire household.  Joseph is minding his own business when Potiphar's wife asks him to have a sinful sexual relationship with her. Joseph refuses to do so, plainly acknowledging that any/all wickedness is a sin against God:

Genesis 39:9 -There is none greater in this house than I; neither has he [Potiphar] kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

Joseph, like Achan, could probably have hidden this sin from other people. But he knew that nothing is hidden from God; he would be well aware of it.

We are also reminded of the time King David sinned by trying to hide his affair with Bathsheba.  He thought he had succeeded in keeping the matter a secret, but God had seen his sin and severely punished him for it (II Samuel 12)! 

This is a good time for each of us to consider our own lives.  Even though our sin may escape the knowledge of the whole world, it is not concealed from God.  He is the one we ultimately sin against when we break his laws.  If we have any concealed sin in our lives, it is best to confess and lay it down before the Lord immediately.  We would do well to remember that sin is crouching at our door; we must master it or it will consume and destroy us (Genesis 4:7).

Joshua 7:22-23 – So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath.  And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel.  And they laid them down before the Lord.

The entire nation is waiting at the presence of the tabernacle, watching this trial unfold.  Remember, all of them are under a curse, until the guilty party is found and judgment is carried out.  For these reasons, the messengers hurry to Achan's tent and retrieve the stolen items.

Notice that there can be no doubt about Achan's guilt. God pointed him out as the culprit, Achan himself made a full confession and now the items in question are found and presented before the Lord at the entrance to the tabernacle. In this way, all Israel could see the facts against Achan; there was nothing that could be said in his defense.

This also proved to the entire nation that God was justified in the punishment he gave to Achan.

Joshua 7:24 – And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had.  And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.

No mention is made of Achan having a wife at this time, but his family is included in the punishment. As we mentioned previously, it seems cruel and barbaric to slay innocent children and animals along with the criminal. However, we need to remind ourselves that our earthly wisdom is not worthy of comparison to God's divine knowledge.

We have neither the insight nor the wisdom to question God.  We would do well to remind ourselves that God's ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts are higher our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).  He has the right to deal with each individual as he sees fit.  

Furthermore, many scholars believe Achan's family was guilty of conspiracy.  He could not have hidden his loot under his tent without their knowledge, yet none of them came forward to confess. 

Remember this also:  Just before the battle of Jericho, all the soldiers were specifically warned/reminded not to touch the devoted things; if they brought these items into their homes, their homes would become cursed.

Deuteronomy 7:26 - Neither shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you become an accursed thing like it: but you shall utterly detest it, and you shall utterly abhor it; for it is an accursed thing.

So the entire Israelite assembly, led by Joshua, gathers all that belongs to Achan and carries or leads them to the neighboring valley to carry out the sentence of death.  Thus, Achan's entire household was destroyed as though it had become part of Jericho.   

For this reason, it was henceforth called 'the valley of Achor' or 'the valley of trouble' because of the trouble this affair caused Israel.

Joshua 22:20 – Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.

The whole nation participated in the punishment of the offender, which was appropriate since his guilt fell on them all.  We therefore conclude that each of us is 'our brother's keeper' – we are not to turn a blind eye to the sin of our brothers and sisters.  If we discover a serious sin in their lives, we should reach out in love to help them get back on the right track.

Joshua 7:25-26 – And Joshua said, "Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.

Joshua refers to the original instruction of the Lord, where he specifically states that anyone who takes the devoted things brings trouble upon himself (Joshua 6:18). 

The truth is that sin of any kind brings trouble.  Consider some of the situations in your own life and you will agree.  We can all think of circumstances where one of two things is true: 

• We sinned and it brought trouble upon us (and possibly those near to us).
• Someone close to us sinned and we got some of the backlash of it.

For example, if a husband or wife commits adultery, that sin will not only bring them trouble, but it affects the other spouse as well as any children from that marriage.  If one of the parties to the sin is a Christian, trouble is brought down on the entire church and those in the congregation are also troubled by it. 

Sin has often been compared to the ripple effects caused when a stone is tossed into a lake.  This is an appropriate illustration, because sin reaches out and troubles all that are near to it. 

Furthermore, once a sin has been committed the 'clean up' from it can last for years. In a marriage where infidelity has occurred, it would take a very long time for trust to be built back up (if indeed that is even possible).  Children may be emotionally or physically scarred for life due to divorce or other marital problems.

The point is that sin is trouble! The enemy always tries to downplay the effects of sin when he is tempting you, but remember – he is a liar. The momentary pleasure of sin is not worth the trouble it brings to you and those near you.

Interestingly, several generations later there would be another man who was considered to be a 'troubler of Israel'.  This was none other than wicked King Ahab (I Kings 18:18)! 

As for Achan, there was no chance of a reprieve; the judgment pronounced upon he and his family was death. However, he did have a chance to repent before this judgment was executed. In the end, his public execution and the heap of stones covering his grave stood as an example to the rest of the nation.

The great heap of stones was probably the result of each individual member of the community (or a representative of each family) casting a single stone upon the grave.

This act was a sign that each person considered the crime/sin of Achan to be detestable in their sight.

Once Achan and all that belonged to him were removed from Israel, God's fierce wrath abated, and Israel had peace once again. 

In our own lives it is good to remember that when we put away or remove sin from our lives through true repentance and reformation, we will also remove 'trouble' from our lives and enjoy peach with God.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

It is funny how many people will justify sin by claiming it isn't really hurting anyone.  The truth is that sin is very dangerous!  It always brings spiritual death into the lives of those who harbor it. 

Sadly, the consequences don't end there.  Our sin can dishonor the name of God among sinners, driving them further away from the Lord instead of drawing them near to him.  It can also have lasting effects on those around us, even though we are not aware of them.

The best thing we can do is pray and ask Holy Spirit to show us areas of our lives that need to be cleansed, changed or redeemed. In doing so, we will honor the name of the Lord, and draw sinners into his saving grace.

Let me offer you some relief:

In the Old Testament, very few people had the privilege of coming into the presence of the King and making a request.  It was a great honor just to have the king hear your petition, although you were not guaranteed to get what you asked for.

Now consider the benefits you enjoy as a Christian – a child of God.  Because Jesus has forgiven our sin and clothed us with his righteousness, we are able to boldly come into the throne room of the God of the universe and make as many requests as we want (Hebrews 4:16).  We can come at any time, stay as long as we like, and tell him absolutely everything! 

And we have the assurance that he will answer our prayers, just as he did for Joshua! So whatever your situation, whatever answers you desperately need, seek God in prayer and he will speak to you.

Let me offer you some strength:

As we noted in today's post, sin is the result of the lust/desire that we have for something that isn't lawful for us to have/experience.  The good news is that we can successfully fight against that lust/desire and chase it away!  God promises that whenever we are tempted to sin, he will provide a way of escape for us:

1 Corinthians 10:15 – No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

We can access that escape hatch by memorizing the word, being accountable to someone else, and practicing diligence in what we see, watch, read, etc. 

What methods work best for you when you want to escape the sin that is crouching at your door?