Joshua 11:1-23
Q.1. What prompted Jabin to unite the northern kingdoms against Israel? How large was the Canaanite army? How well were they equipped? – (Josh.11:1-5 c.f. Josh.2:9-11; 10:1-2)
Rahab told the spies that the people of Canaan were well informed about the miraculous escape of Israel from Egypt, and their successful campaigns against the nations east of Jordan (Josh.2:9-11). The Gibeonites had been so traumatised by Israel’s successes, that they had deceitfully made a covenant with them (Josh.9:1-2, 9-10; 10:1-2). After Israel’s defeat of the five kingdoms to the south, Jabin, king of Hazor, galvanized the nations from north, east, and west together, to destroy the advancing army of Israel (Josh.11:1-3). The coalition was huge and well equipped, complete with horses and chariots – They came out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots (Josh.11:4).
Q.2. What gave Joshua confidence against this huge army? Why would God instruct Israel to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots? – (Josh.11:6-9 c.f. Dt.17:16)
The Canaanites were no match for Israel, because God was with Israel (Josh.10:14 & 25). The Lord encouraged Joshua – … Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel (Josh.11:6). So – The Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, so that they defeated them … and they struck them until no survivor was left to them (Josh.11:8). Joshua also – … did to them as the Lord had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire (Josh.11:9). Some people may question why God would give such a strong order. However, this complied with His warning to Israel to not trust in horses and chariots, but to trust in the Lord for their protection and victories. Moreover, the land could not sustain hundreds of ‘unproductive’ horses (Dt.17:16 c.f. 1 Kgs.10:26-39; Ps.20:7).
Q.3. From where did Joshua get his instructions regarding destroying the enemies? Did Israel burn all the cities? How long did the campaign last? – (Josh.11:10-18 c.f. Num.33:50-56; Dt.7:1-6; 20:16-18)
Jabin, the leader of the alliance, and his city were destroyed, including everyone and everything in it. Joshua did this in compliance with God’s command to Moses (Josh.11:12 & 15). God had told Moses why they were not to enter into covenant with the nations living in the Promised Land – 16 Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you, 18 so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God (Deut.20:16-18). They captured the other cities and kept the spoils of battle, but – they left no one who breathed (Josh.11:14 c.f. Josh.11:13). We learn from Caleb’s brief biography, that the conquest of Canaan took seven years – Joshua waged war a long time with all these kings (Josh.11:18 c.f. Josh.14:6-12).
Q.4. What covenants did Israel make with the Canaanite nations? Did Joshua remove all the Anakim from Canaan? How did Israel bring peace to the land? – (Josh.11:19-23)
Apart from the Gibeonites, Israel made no covenant of peace with any nations living in Canaan (Josh.11:19). There were giants called Anakim living in the land, who had filled ten of the spies with fear, forty years earlier (Num.13:28-29 c.f. Gen.6:1-4). Now, led by Joshua, the Israelites – … cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua destroyed them with their cities (Josh.11:21). The only Anakim to survive were among the Philistines at Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. These would later be defeated by David and his mighty men (Josh.11:22 c.f. 1 Sam.17:4; 2 Sam.21:15-22). Joshua did have to lead his army to possess Canaan. However, it was God Who had promised the land to Israel, and He had fought for them, finally bringing rest from war (Josh.11:23).