Joshua More Battles

Joshua has been told to take the land. Israel isn’t the original aggressor, but there are more battles lying in wait for them. God fights for them in each one.

I’m going to admit right now that this is NOT my favorite part of the story. I HATE war! I especially HATE reading about how EVERYONE in a city was killed. “There was none left that breathed” is used several times in Israel’s conquest history. What we would call genocide today. But God had His reasons for this policy at the time.

Something of note concerning these battles though, is that Israel did NOT start them. Jericho and Ai are the only two places where we find Israel ‘picking the fight’. Once the other people see how victorious Israel was, they make coalitions to try and stop them. The one Joshua faces today is VERY numerous! But they still fail, for God fights for Israel. Let’s rejoin Joshua as they face the opposition in the Promised Land.

♥ ♦ ♥

Joshua and all the men of Israel have returned safely back to Gilgal. The same place where they had renewed the covenant with the Lord through circumcision. The place where all their campaigns have been launched from. The place that is just this side of the Jordan river.

YES. Joshua and the people have been victorious in battle. SO victorious that not one of them has been lost in battle. A feat that was previously unheard of for ANY group in battle. But Israel has the Lord on their side. HE has been guiding their battles. There has been ONE exception to this rule. It was when there was sin in the camp; at the first encounter with the city of Ai. That has not happened since.

Joshua and the people are enjoying some much-needed rest. It is good to be home; even if that ‘home’ is a temporary dwelling. It is the ‘home’ that Israel is accustomed to.

While Joshua and the people are resting, their neighbors are scheming. They have seen, through spies, the destruction rained down on those that Israel has come up against. And the people are terrified! They are determined NOT to become another casualty of Israel’s ‘settling in’ process. The remaining nations would like nothing better than to see Israel totally destroyed.

To this end, Jabin, king of Hazor has decided he has to take up the mantle and do something about Israel.

“This has to be a HUGE coalition! You saw how ineffective the five kings were against Israel. We HAVE to bring even greater forces against them.”

“Who would we include, my king?”

“We will send for ‘Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, ² and 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, ³ 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.’ (Joshua 11:2-3)”

The scribe nods in appreciation of what the king has just proposed. “If they all come, there should be no problem with wiping out Israel!”

“Exactly” replied the king with great enthusiasm. Get those invitations out immediately!”

The scribe bows greatly and then begins writing. It takes nearly half the day to get all the king’s messages written and into the hands of the couriers. By nightfall, many of the runners are reading the king’s proclamation to the people. The cities farther away will have their messages by morning.

Rather than wait for replies, Jabin prepares his troops for battle. It will be expected that his troops will lead the charge as it was his plan. He wants his troops to be the best they have EVERY been. Armor is oiled, spears and swords are sharpened, and shields polished. The king even insists on daily archery practice and marching practice.

Rather than send replies to the king’s message, the other kings simply show up at Hazor with their troops leading the way. Withing three days, the land around Hazor is filled to capacity with soldiers, horses, chariots, and every war machine available in the nation.

“It’s time we set out” commands Jabin. “We make camp at the waters Merom and engage Israel there. We should be able to see their camp from there. They will definitely be able to see ours! I bet their hearts will melt with fear when they see the size of our army” Jabin gleamed while rubbing his hands together. “Let’s go!”

It took two days for the army of Jabin to arrive and make camp. Israel’s sentries saw them the moment they crested the final hill. Word was sent to Joshua at once.

“My lord, Joshua, there is an army that covers the land coming our way.”

“Well, we have a God who is bigger than the whole earth on our side.”

“That we do” said the sentry with a twinkle in his eye.

Joshua made his way to the Tabernacle to have the Levites sound the call to arms. On his way there, the Lord spoke to him.

“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.” (Joshua 11:6)

“Exactly what I was expecting Lord” Joshua said in his heart.

The call to muster goes out and the men of Israel quickly get into their gear for war. Joshua is standing ready when they begin to assemble. Before they head out, Joshua addresses them.

“Do NOT be afraid, for the Lord our God is with us. He has promised to give them over into our hands but this time tomorrow. Stand firm in that knowledge. Do NOT let the size of their army sway your confidence. We have already seen the hand of the Lord.”

A shout went up from the men assembled. “Victory in the name of the Lord!”

With that, Joshua turned and the men of war made their way out of camp and toward the battle field. They didn’t even hesitate when they approached the enemy’s overwhelming numbers. They didn’t even stop to make camp. They simply dropped the supplies they were carrying and rushed headlong into battle.

The opposing forces were so startled by this tactic that they weren’t sure what to do at first. Finally, they regained their composure and headed into the fray. It was useless. Their blows landed ineffectually on Israel. Their backswings caught more of their own men. Even their archers were shooting their own contingent of soldiers.

Israel, on the other hand was felling soldiers all around them. One swing of the sword took down three and four men. Their shields were impervious to the strikes of their enemies. And the chariots couldn’t get close enough to even threaten a single soldier.

There was nothing to do for those opposing Israel but to turn tail and run. Israel followed right on their heels and even in their midst. Fallen soldiers left clear evidence of the direction of retreat. The ground was littered with them. Many of the enemy’s soldiers stumbled and tripped over their fallen comrades, only to land on outstretched weapons, to be trampled by their own forces, or be taken down from behind. There was no safe place.

Israel chased this originally overwhelming number “as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh.” (Joshua 11:8b) Joshua gave no quarter. ALL were slain. After their forces were defeated, Joshua had the chariots and horses gathered up. He hamstrung all the horses and burned the chariots. These would NEVER be used again in battle against Israel. And Israel would not decide to rely on these instead of the Lord.

Now it was time for Israel to turn its attention to the towns that spawned this massive army. They would pay dearly for their affront to Israel. The first to fall was Hazor. Its king had spawned this offensive against Israel.

The full army of Israel attacked the city. Nothing breathed within it once they were through. Joshua himself touched the first torch that consumed the city. It was all devoted to destruction.

Once Hazor fell, Joshua turned the army of Israel on the cities from which the other kings had come from. Israel did to these the same as they did to Hazor. They preserved the livestock as their spoils and anything of value from the cities after the inhabitants had all been slain. They burned all the cities after they were plundered except those that stood on hills. These they would use later.

“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 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 11:16-17) This was a LONG campaign for Israel, as the number of forces was great.

While Joshua and Israel were waging their battle, they killed all the Anakim that were in the territory. These were the “giants” in the land that the first generation was so fearful of. The only place in all of Canaan that they now still lived was in Gazza, Gath, and Ashdod.

Once Israel had finished this campaign, they returned to Gilgal. They had cleared the land and could now rest. There were none left to rise up against them. It was time to begin dividing up the land as an inheritance to the people.

(to be continued)

The fact that Israel didn’t instigate these battles gives my heart a little hope. I still don’t like the ‘scorched earth’ policy, but I’m giving that to the Lord. He has his reasons. HE knows best. It is my ‘job’ to trust Him and His plan. I’m glad the major bloodshed is behind us in our stories.

Father God, thank You for having Your plan well in hand. I don’t know its scope and every detail. What I do know it that YOU do. You have EVERY detail mapped out and UNDER YOUR CONTROL. NOTHING happens outside of Your knowledge. I trust You to work it all out; no matter how “messy” it looks to me. It is ALL in YOUR hands!