J
O S H U A
CHAP. XI.
This
chapter continues and concludes the history of the conquest of
Canaan; of the reduction of the
southern parts we had an account in the foregoing chapter, after which we may
suppose Joshua allowed his forces some breathing-time; now here we have the
story of the war in the north, and the happy success of that war. I. The
confederacy of the northern crowns against
Israel, ver. 1-5. II. The
encouragement which God gave to Joshua to engage them, ver. 6. III. His
victory over them, ver. 7-9. IV. The taking of their cities, ver. 10-15. V.
The destruction of the Anakim, ver. 21, 22. VI. The general conclusion of the
story of this war, ver. 16-20, 23.
|
Confederacy
Against Israel.
|
B.
C. 1450.
|
|
|
1 And it came to pass,
when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab
king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
2 And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the
plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on
the west, 3 And to the Canaanite on the east and on the
west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the
Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land
of Mizpeh. 4 And they went out, they and all their hosts with
them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in
multitude, with horses and chariots very many. 5 And when all
these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of
Merom, to fight against Israel. 6 And the LORD
said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time
will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough 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 they
fell upon them. 8 And the LORD
delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto
great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward;
and they smote them, until they left them none remaining. 9 And
Joshua did unto them as the LORD
bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
We are here entering upon the story of another campaign that Joshua made, and
it was a glorious one, no less illustrious than the former in the success of
it, though in respect of miracles it was inferior to it in glory. The wonders
God then wrought for them were to animate and encourage them to act vigorously
themselves. Thus the war carried on by the preaching of the gospel against
Satan's kingdom was at first forwarded by miracles; but, the war being by them
sufficiently proved to be of God, the managers of it are now left to the
ordinary assistance of divine grace in the use of the sword of the Spirit, and
must not expect hail-stones nor the standing still of the sun. In this story
we have,
I. The Canaanites taking the field against Israel. They were the aggressors,
God hardening their hearts to begin the war, that Israel might be justified
beyond exception in destroying them. Joshua and all Israel had returned to the
camp at Gilgal, and perhaps these kings knew no other than that they intended
to sit down content with the conquest they had already made, and yet they
prepare war against them. Note, Sinners bring ruin upon their own heads, so
that God will be justified when he speaks, and they alone shall bear
the blame for ever. Judah had now couched as a lion gone up from the prey;
if the northern kings rouse him up, it is at their peril, Gen. xlix. 9. Now,
1. Several nations joined in this confederacy, some in the mountains
and some in the plains, v. 2. Canaanites from east and west,
Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, &c. (v. 3), of different
constitutions and divided interests among themselves, and yet they here unite
against Israel as against a common enemy. Thus are the children of this
world more unanimous, and therein wiser, than the children of light.
The oneness of the church's enemies should shame the church's friends out of
their discords and divisions, and engage them to be one. 2. The head of this
confederacy was Jabin king of Hazor (v. 1), as Adoni-zedec was
of the former; it is said (v. 10) Hazor had been the head of all
those kingdoms, which could not have revolted without occasioning
ill-will; but this was forgotten and laid aside upon this occasion, by consent
of parties, Luke xxiii. 12. When they had all drawn up their forces together,
every kingdom bringing in its quota, they were a very great army, much greater
than the former, as the sand on the sea shore in multitude, and upon
this account much stronger and more formidable, that they had horses and
chariots very many, which we do not find the southern kings had; hereby they
had a great advantage against Israel, for their army consisted only of foot,
and they never brought horses nor chariots into the field. Josephus tells us
that the army of the Canaanites consisted of 300,000 foot, 10,000 horses, and
20,000 chariots. Many there be that rise up against God's Israel;
doubtless their numbers made them very confident of success, but it proved
that so much the greater slaughter was made of them.
II. The encouragement God gave to Joshua to give them the meeting, even upon
the ground of their own choosing (v. 6): Be not afraid because of
them. Joshua was remarkable for his courage--it was his master grace, and
yet it seems he had need to be again and again cautioned not to be afraid.
Fresh dangers and difficulties make it necessary to fetch in fresh supports
and comforts from the word of God, which we have always nigh unto us, to be
made use of in every time of need. Those that have God on their side need not
be disturbed at the number and power of their enemies; more are those that
are with us than those that are against us; those have the hosts of the
Lord that have the Lord of hosts engaged for them. For his encouragement, 1.
God assures him of success, and fixes the hour: To-morrow about this time,
when an engagement (it is probable) was expected and designed on both sides, I
will deliver them up slain. Though they were to be slain by the sword of
Israel, yet it is spoken of as God's work, that he would deliver them up. 2.
He appoints him to hough their horses, hamstring them, lame
them, and burn their chariots, not only that Israel might not use them
hereafter, but that they might not fear them now, their God designing this
contempt to be put upon them. Let Israel look upon their chariots but as
rotten wood designed for the fire, and their horses of war as disabled things,
scarcely good enough for the cart. This encouragement which God here gave to
Joshua no doubt he communicated to the people, who perhaps were under some
apprehensions of danger from this vast army, notwithstanding the experience
they had had of God's power engaged for them. And the wisdom and goodness of
God are to be observed, (1.) In infatuating the counsels of the enemy, that
all the kings of Canaan, who were not dispersed at such a distance from each
other but that they might have got all together in a body, did not at first
confederate against Israel, but were divided in to the southern and northern
combination, and so became the less formidable. And, (2.) In preparing his
people to encounter the greater force, by breaking the less. They first engage
with five kings together, and now with many more. God proportions our trials
to our strength and our strength to our trials.
III. Joshua's march against these confederate forces, v. 7. He came
upon them suddenly, and surprised them in their quarters. He made this
haste, 1. That he might put them into the greater confusion, by giving them an
alarm, when they little thought he was near them. 2. That he might be sure not
to come short of the honour God had fixed, to give him the meeting at the
enemies' camp, to-morrow about this time. It is fit we should keep time
with God.
IV. His success, v. 8. He obtained the honour and advantage of a
complete victory; he smote them and chased them, in the several ways they took
in their flight; some fled towards Zidon, which lay to the northwest, others
towards Mizpeh, eastward, but the parties Joshua sent out pursued them each
way. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel; they would not
deliver themselves into the hands of Israel to be made proselytes and
tributaries, and so offered up to God's grace (Rom. xv. 16), and therefore God
delivered them into their hands to be made sacrifices to his justice; for God
will be honoured by us or upon us.
V. His obedience to the orders given him, in destroying the horses and
chariots (v. 9), which was an instance, 1. Of his subjection to the
divine will, as one under authority, that must do as he is bidden. 2. Of his
self-denial, and crossing his own genius and inclination in compliance with
God's command. 3. Of his confidence in the power of God engaged for Israel,
which enabled them to despise the chariots and horses which others trusted in,
Ps. xx. 7; xxxiii. 17. 4. Of his care to keep up in the people the like
confidence in God, by taking that from them which they would be tempted to
trust too much to. This was cutting of a right hand.
|
Joshua's
Victories.
|
B.
C. 1450.
|
|
|
10 And Joshua at that
time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword:
for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms. 11 And
they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword,
utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he
burnt Hazor with fire. 12 And all the cities of those kings, and
all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the
sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD
commanded. 13 But as for the cities that stood still in
their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did
Joshua burn. 14 And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle,
the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they
smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left
they any to breathe.
We have here the same improvement made of this victory as was made of that in
the foregoing chapter. 1. The destruction of Hazor is particularly recorded,
because in it, and by the king thereof, this daring design against Israel was
laid, v. 10, 11. The king of Hazor, it seems, escaped with his life out
of the battle, and thought himself safe when he had got back into his own
city, and Joshua had gone in pursuit of the scattered troops another way. But
it proved that that which he thought would be for his welfare was his trap; in
it he was taken as in an evil net; there he was slain, and his city,
for his sake, burned. Yet we find that the remains of it being not well looked
after by Israel the Canaanites rebuilt it, and settled there under another
king of the same name, Judg. iv. 2. 2. The rest of the cities of that part of
the country are spoken of only in general, that Joshua got them all into his
hands, but did not burn them as he did Hazor, for Israel was to dwell in great
and goodly cities which they builded not (Deut. vi. 10) and in these among
the rest. And here we find Israel rolling in blood and treasure. (1.) In the
blood of their enemies; they smote all the souls (v. 1), neither
left they any to breathe (v. 14), that there might be none to
infect them with the abominations of Canaan, and none to disturb them in the
possession of it. The children were cut off, lest they should afterwards lay
claim to any part of this land in the right of their parents. (2.) In the
wealth of their enemies. The spoil, and the cattle, they took for a prey to
themselves, v. 14. As they were enriched with the spoil of their
oppressors when they came out of Egypt, wherewith to defray the charges of
their apprenticeship in the wilderness, so they were now enriched with the
spoil of their enemies for a stock wherewith to set up in the land of Canaan.
Thus is the wealth of the sinner laid up for the just.
15 As the LORD
commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua;
he left nothing undone of all that the LORD
commanded Moses. 16 So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and
all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the
plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same; 17 Even
from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baal-gad in the valley
of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them,
and slew them. 18 Joshua made war a long time with all those
kings. 19 There was not a city that made peace with the children
of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they
took in battle. 20 For it was of the LORD
to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that
he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but
that he might destroy them, as the LORD
commanded Moses. 21 And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the
Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all
the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed
them utterly with their cities. 22 There was none of the Anakims
left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in
Ashdod, there remained. 23 So Joshua took the whole land,
according to all that the LORD
said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according
to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
We have here the conclusion of this whole matter.
I. A short account is here given of what was done in four things:-- 1. The
obstinacy of the Canaanites in their opposition to the Israelites. It was
strange that though it appeared so manifestly that God fought for Israel, and
in every engagement the Canaanites had the worst of it, yet they stood it out
to the last; not one city made peace with Israel, but the Gibeonites only, who
understood the things that belonged to their peace better than their
neighbours, v. 19. It is intimated that other cities might have made as
good terms for themselves, without ragged clothes and clouted shoes, if they
would have humbled themselves, but they never so much as desired conditions
of peace. We here are told whence this unaccountable infatuation came: It
was of the Lord to harden their hearts, v. 20. As Pharaoh's heart
was hardened by his own pride and wilfulness first, and afterwards by the
righteous judgment of God, to his destruction, so were the hearts of these
Canaanites. To punish them for all their other follies, God left them to this,
to make those their enemies whom they might have made their friends. This was
it that ruined them: they came against Israel in battle, and gave the
first blow, and therefore might have no favour shown them. Those know
not what they do who give the provocation to divine justice, or the authorized
instruments of it. Are we stronger than God? Observe here, That
hardness of heart is the ruin of sinners. Those that are stupid and secure,
and heedless of divine warnings, are already marked for destruction. What hope
is there of those concerning whom God has said, Go, make their hearts fat?
2. The constancy of the Israelites in prosecuting this war (v. 18): Joshua
made war a long time; some reckon it five years, others seven, that were
spent in subduing this land: so long God would train up Israel to war, and
give them repeated instances of his power and goodness in every new victory
that he gave them. 3. The conquest of the Anakim at last, v. 21, 22.
Either this was done as they met with them where they were dispersed, as some
think, or rather it should seem the Anakim had retired to their fastnesses,
and so were hunted out and cut off at last, after all the rest of Israel's
enemies. The mountains of Judah and Israel were the habitations of those
mountains of men; but not their height, nor the strength of their caves, nor
the difficulty of the passes to them, could secure, no, not these mighty men,
from the sword of Joshua. The cutting off of the sons of Anak is particularly
mentioned because these had been such a terror to the spies forty years
before, and their bulk and strength had been thought an insuperable difficulty
in the way of the reducing of Canaan, Num. xiii. 28, 33. Even that opposition
which seemed invincible was got over. Never let the sons of Anak be a terror
to the Israel of God, for even their day will come to fall. Giants are dwarfs
to Omnipotence; yet this struggle with the Anakim was reserved for the latter
end of the war, when the Israelites had become more expert in the arts of war,
and had had more experience of the power and goodness of God. Note, God
sometimes reserves the sharpest trials of his people by affliction and
temptation for the latter end of their days. Therefore let not him that
girds on the harness boast as he that puts it off. Death, that tremendous
son of Anak, is the last enemy that is to be encountered; but it is to be
destroyed, 1 Cor. xv. 26. Thanks be to God, who will give us the victory.
4. The end and issue of this long war. The Canaanites were rooted out, not
perfectly (as we shall find after in the book of Judges), but in a good
measure; they were not able to make any head either, (1.) So as to keep the
Israelites out of possession of the land: Joshua took all that land, v.
16, 17. And we may suppose the people dispersed themselves and their families
into the countries they had conquered, at least those that lay nearest to the
head-quarters at Gilgal, until an orderly distribution should be made by lot,
that every man might know his own. Or, (2.) So as to keep them in action, or
give them any molestation (v. 23): The land rested from war. It
ended not in a peace with the Canaanites (that was forbidden), but in a peace
from them. There is a rest, a rest from war, remaining for the people of God,
into which they shall enter when their warfare is accomplished.
II. That which was now done is here compared with that which had been said to
Moses. God's word and his works, if viewed and considered together, will
mutually illustrate each other. It is here observed in the close, 1. That all
the precepts God had given to Moses relating to the conquest of Canaan were
obeyed on the people's part, at least while Joshua lived. See how solemnly
this is remarked (v. 15): As the Lord commanded Moses his servant,
by whose hand the law was given, so did Moses command Joshua, for Moses
was faithful, as a law-giver, to him that appointed him; he did his part, and
then he died: but were the commands of Moses observed when he was in his
grave? Yes, they were: So did Joshua, who was, in his place, as
faithful as Moses in his. He left nothing undone (Heb. he removed
nothing) of all that the Lord commanded Moses. Those that leave their duty
undone do what they can to remove or make void the command of God, by which
they are bound to do it; but Joshua, by performing the precept, confirmed
it, as the expression is, Deut. xxvii. 26. Joshua was himself a great
commander, and yet nothing was more his praise than his obedience. Those that
rule others at their will must themselves be ruled by the divine will; then
their power is indeed their honour, and not otherwise. The pious obedience for
which Joshua is here commended respects especially the command to destroy the
Canaanites, and to break down their altars and burn their images, Deut.
vii. 2-5; Exod. xxiii. 24; xxxiv. 13. Joshua, in his zeal for the Lord of
hosts, spared neither the idols nor the idolaters. Saul's disobedience, or
rather his partial obedience, to the command of God, for the utter destruction
of the Amalekites, cost him his kingdom. It should seem Joshua himself gives
this account of his most careful and punctual observance of his orders in the
execution of his commission, that in all respects he had done as Moses
commanded him; and then it intimates that he had more pleasure and
satisfaction in reflecting upon his obedience to the commands of God in all
this war, and valued himself more upon that, than upon all the gains and
triumphs with which he was enriched and advanced. 2. That all the promises God
had given to Moses relating to this conquest were accomplished on his part,
v. 23. Joshua took the whole land, conquered it, and took
possession of it, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses. God
had promised to drive out the nations before them (Exod. xxxiii. 2; xxxiv.
11), and to bring them down, Deut. ix. 3. And now it was done. There
failed not one word of the promise. Our successes and enjoyments are then
doubly sweet and comfortable to us when we see them flowing to us from the
promise (this is according to what the Lord said), as our obedience is
then acceptable to God when it has an eye to the precept. And, if we make
conscience of our duty, we need not question the performance of the promise.
Contents
|
Next
Section
