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Joshua 9-12
Lose One
Win the Rest
Psalm 33:13-22 Hoping in Our Help and Shield
13.Yahweh looks from heaven. He sees all the sons of men.14.From the place of his habitation he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,15.he who fashions all of their hearts; and he considers all of their works.16.There is no king saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.17.A horse is a vain thing for safety, neither does he deliver any by his great power.18.Behold, Yahweh’s eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his hesed/loyal covenantal love;19.to deliver their soul from death, to keep them alive in famine.20.Our soul has waited for Yahweh. He is our help and our shield.21.For our heart rejoices in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.22.Let your hesed/loyal covenantal love be on us, Yahweh, since we have hoped in you."Observation
33:13-22.God looks over all He created, and considers their hearts and works. He notices the limitations of temporal power. Those who trust in it will be disappointed. But those who fear God and hope in His hesed will be delivered from danger/death, kept alive in famine, and experience His loyal care of them. Those who trust in His holy name will rejoice.
Application
God's eye looks upon those who look to Him in loyal hope; they will rejoice in His help.
Prayer
God, thanks that You see my needs and are committed to protecting me because I hope and trust in Your promises; may I not look to any other help, except what You provide. Amen.
Proverbs 9:10-12 Knowing and Choosing God's Pleasure
10.The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”11.For by me your days will be multiplied. The years of your life will be increased.12.If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it.”Observations
9:10-12.Those who don't fear God haven't taken the first step on the road to wisdom, and are therefore still fools. Those who know God, what He likes and dislikes, are well on their way to understanding, a word that means to discern between two options. Thus wisdom is choosing the right objectives, among the many options in our world, and the right means of obtaining them. What's right? What pleases God; what's right in His sight.
9:11.
On the positive side, choosing what pleases God results in an abundant life, which pleases us.
9:12.
On the negative side, choosing what just pleases us, scorning wisdom, is mocking God. That results in consequences we must bear, which aren't enjoyable. The parallelism would indicate a short painful life, in which death is almost a welcome relief (until you consider what awaits the fools).
Application
If we want to live happily ever after, fear God and choose to do what pleases Him.
Prayer
God, You created the world and me, and surely know what's best; save me from the folly of thinking I know better than You. Help me choose Your will every day. Amen.
Joshua 9-12 Lose One, Win the Rest
Israel gets deceived because they fail to seek God's counsel, resulting in their enemies ganging up on them. However, God is greater than His people's mistakes, and supernaturally comes to their aid as they seek to obey Him.
Joshua 9 Smart People Seek God's Counsel
1.When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it2.that they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.3.But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,4.they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins, old and torn and bound up,5.and old and patched shoes on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.6.They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country. Now therefore make a covenant with us."7.The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "What if you live among us. How could we make a covenant with you?"8.They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Joshua said to them, "Who are you? Where do you come from?"9.They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of Yahweh your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,10.and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites Sihon and Og .11.Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and tell them, "We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us.12.This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we went out to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and has become mouldy.13.These wineskins, which we filled, were new; and behold, they are torn. These our garments and our shoes have become old because of the very long journey."14.The men sampled their provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from the mouth of Yahweh.15.Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The princes of the congregation swore to them.16.It happened at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they lived among them.17.The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.18.The children of Israel didn’t strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. All the congregation murmured against the princes.19.But all the princes said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.20.This we will do to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them."21.The princes said to them, "Let them live, so they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the princes had spoken to them."22.Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you live among us?23.Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be bondservants, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God."24.They answered Joshua, and said, "Because your servants were certainly told how Yahweh your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.25.Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do."
26.He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they didn’t kill them.27.That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of Yahweh, to this day, in the place which he should choose.
Observations
9:1.Those who follow God will experience both obvious and devious attacks by the enemy of their soul.
9:3.
The Gibeonites were Hivites, the nearby people whom the Israelites were forbidden to leave alive, much less make a binding covenant with. The Gibeonite motive was to save their lives, not follow Yahweh, and they used Satan's tactic of deception to dupe the Israelites into a covenant that was in disobedience to God. This covenant causes Israel's enemies to gang up on them (next chapter).
9:14. The people failed to seek counsel from God, perhaps a result of their past successes.
9:26. The Israelites keep their word sworn before Yahweh. This demonstrates that they were not blood-thirsty invaders bent on conquest for their own sake.
Application
Because we have an very deceptive enemy, always seek counsel especially in seeking God's will in areas with long-term consequences, like relationships.
Prayer
God keep me from being deceived by my desires or demons, so I don't make stupid long-term mistakes; help me humble myself to seek wise, godly counsel regarding Your will at all times. Amen.
Joshua 10 Score: Israelites Killed 0 – Pagans Living 0
1.Yahweh said to Joshua, "Don’t fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you."2.that they were very afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.3.Therefore...king(s) of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon...4.Come up to me, and help me, and let us strike Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel."5.Therefore the five kings gathered...all their armies, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it.6.The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, "Don’t abandon your servants! Come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us."7.So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
8.Yahweh said to Joshua, "Don’t fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you."9.Joshua therefore came on them suddenly. He went up from Gilgal all night.10.Yahweh confused them before Israel, and he killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon...11.As they fled from before Israel...Yahweh cast down great stones from the sky on them, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than who the children of Israel killed with the sword.12.Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh in the day when Yahweh delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still on Gibeon! You, moon, stop in the valley of Aijalon!"13.The sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn’t this written in the book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the midst of the sky, and didn’t hurry to go down about a whole day.
14.There was no day like that before it or after it, that Yahweh listened to the voice of a man; for Yahweh fought for Israel.
15.Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.16.These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.18.Joshua said, "Roll large stones to the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them;19.but don’t stay. Pursue your enemies...Don’t allow them to enter into their cities; for Yahweh your God has delivered them into your hand."21.All the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.22.Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me."23.They did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him:24.When they brought those kings out to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him, "Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings." They came near, and put their feet on their necks.25.Joshua said to them, "Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for Yahweh will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight."26.Afterward Joshua struck them, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until the evening.
27.It happened at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.28.Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king. He utterly destroyed them and all the souls who were in it. He left none remaining. He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.29.Ditto Libnah32.Lachish33.Gezer34.Eglon36.Hebron38.Debir40.So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, and the South, and the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded.41.Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon.42.Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time, because Yahweh, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43.Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.
Observations
10:1-6.As a consequence for not seeking counsel, Israel faces a foe five times larger. Israel had the covenantal responsibility to come to Gibeon's aid (greater powers needed to protect the lesser powers who had pledged allegiance and subservience to them).
10:7-14.
God supernaturally aided Israel. Although He could have just wiped them out Himself, He uses Israel, the folks to whom He gave His revelation, so others could see His might and have a point of contact with the true God (one could argue that the Gibeonites were like Rahab in this respect). The Canaanites worshiped the Sun as well as the Moon (Jericho), so God shows Himself to be the One who controls them. See Digging Deeper for Joshua's Longest Day.
10:15. There is no record of Israelite casualties in the entire chapter.
10:21-27.
In killing the kings, who were “sons of the gods”, Joshua demonstrates the supreme rule of Yahweh over the pagan gods. In the rest of the chapter all the pagans are wiped out according to Yahweh's explicit instructions, with the kings explicitly mentioned.
Application
God fights our battles when we obey Him; don't stop obeying until you've finished fulfilling His commands.
Prayer
God of the sun, moon, stars, hail, and my life, help me be completely loyal to You, and obey right away, all the way. Amen.
Joshua 11 Promises Fulfilled
1.When Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph,2.and to the kings who were on the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west,3.to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.4.They went out, they and all their armies with them, many people, even as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.5.All these kings met together; and they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel.6.Yahweh said to Joshua, "Don’t be afraid because of them; for tomorrow at this time, I will deliver them up all slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire."7.So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly, and fell on them.8.Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them, and chased them...until they left them none remaining.9.Joshua did to them as Yahweh told him. He hamstrung their horses and burnt their chariots with fire.10.Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword: for Hazor used to be the head of all those kingdoms.11.They struck all the souls who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was no one left who breathed. He burnt Hazor with fire.12.Joshua captured all the cities of those kings, with their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; as Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded.13.But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only. Joshua burned that.14.The children of Israel took all the spoil of these cities, with the livestock, as spoils for themselves; but every man they struck with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them. They didn’t leave any who breathed.
15.As Yahweh commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua. Joshua did so. He left nothing undone of all that Yahweh commanded Moses.19.There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took all in battle.20.For it was of Yahweh to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as Yahweh commanded Moses.21.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 utterly destroyed them with their cities.22.There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.23.So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Yahweh spoke to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. The land had rest from war.
Observations
11:6-9.Horses and chariots were the advance war machines. Israel didn't need them because God was their mighty Warrior.
11:10-13. Hazor, the capital was the only hilltop city destroyed, both for political and religious reasons (center of pagan/demonic worship).
11:15. Joshua did what God said, and got blessed. Good Joshua!
11:20. God hardened the Canaanites in their initial inclination to oppose Him and Israel, just like He did Pharaoh, so that He might destroy them for their idolatry, (as planned in Genesis 15) and protect Israel from their influence.
11:21. Anakim were the giants that first terrified the Israelites in Numbers 13.
Application
Regardless of the size of our problems, God will take care of them if we do as He instructs, totally.
Prayer
God, You are the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who protects and prospers His obedient people; may I never lose sight of that truth. Amen.
Joshua 12 Score: Kings Killed – 31; Kingdoms Inherited - All
1.Now these are the kings of the land, whom the children of Israel struck, and possessed their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon...6.Moses the servant of Yahweh and the children of Israel struck them. Moses the servant of Yahweh gave it for a possession to the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.7.These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the children of Israel struck beyond the Jordan westward, from Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon even to Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir. Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions...2...all the kings thirty-one.
Observation
12:1-7. The people obeyed, and the King of Kings fulfilled His promises through His servants.Digging Deeper
Joshua's Longest Day
The miracle of the Sun and Moon standing raises scientific eyebrows like no other act of God. For if the earth stopped rotating, everything on it would spin off it due to Newton's (and God's) Laws of Motion. The tidal disturbances would also be catastrophic. If the earth kept rotating and the sun and moon stopped, we would still have the tidal effects, and the consequences in the cosmos of the sun rotating around the earth are difficult to grasp. For those who believe in the God of creation, for whom nothing is too difficult, managing the effects of such an event are all in a day's work (even while beaning Canaanites with hailstones). For the more skeptically inclined, there are alternative considerations:
1) The account is an interpolation from a fictional work, the Book of Jasper.a) The problem with this is that there doesn't seem to be a textual tradition that leaves out the account, and the Book of Jasper is referred to as historical in 2Samuel 1:18.b) Josephus also mentions that the day was lengthened.
2) God could have tilted the earth's axis to keep things in motion and give extra hours of daylight like at the poles. This would have given the effect of the sun remaining overhead, without doing too much violence to the laws of physics or the text.
This is the second best choice, and if you're short on time, it should allow you to sleep tonight knowing that the Scriptures are still reliable. But this misses the theological point under 3b, and the historical evidence under 3c, below. I'm not sure how the waters of the earth would slosh about with a tilt, but proponents would say God could manage that.
3) The account could be translated to imply that the light was prolonged in such a way that it appeared the sun stood still. God could have localized His presence/glory (as before He created the sun, or as He will do in the Kingdom as recorded in Revelation 21:23 and 22:5). Or He could have turned up the sun and caused the moon to reflect the light so that it appeared as day.
The problems with this view are:
a) the text would have to be twisted, tortured, and lose a few words to warrant it.
b) besides violating the plain meaning and elaboration of the text, this view misses an important theological point. What might appear as an act of hubris on Joshua's part is a polemic against the sun and moon gods of the Canaanites, just like the plagues were designed to strike against the Egyptian gods. God is showing that He is greater than the gods the pagans worshiped.
c) there are historical records from Egypt, China, the Incas in Peru and the Aztecs in Mexico indicating a long day, in the references below.
Best Overview with Historical References http://www.biblestudymanuals.net/joshua10.htm
Most Technically Detailed Astronomically http://sunnyokanagan.com/joshua/
The alleged NASA accounts and official denials are great fodder for conspiracy theory types. The Scriptures don't tell us how God did it, but do indicate what was perceived, and that God has the power to do anything.
God in a nutshell: God can do anything and does what suits His purposes. Nothing that we can conceive of is beyond the ability of the God who spoke the universe into existence. He fulfills His promises, using His people to do so. He requires exact obedience, that magnifies Him as the priority of our lives. He is ruthless in judging sin, and rich in blessing His people.
Us in a nutshell: We will always be tempted by unsanctified desires, which will kill us if we don't kill them. We will be deceived if we don't seek God's perspective and input on all our decisions. Failure to remove sin from our lives is failure. When God energizes the sword, we're invincible. Our job is to do what God has ordered, regardless of our preferences or sensibilities. When we have done the will of God, we receive what He's promised.