AUGUST 14, 2016
THE FINAL CONQUEST
INTRODUCTION:
1. The impropriety of Israel’s league with the Gibeonites notwithstanding, in the gracious providence of God, it became the means of great blessing to His people. The negligence and presumption that allowed Israel’s leaders to be deceived so as to enter into league with a people that had been marked out for destruction was not good. However, their honoring of the agreement once it was made, and their rising up to defend their newly enlisted servants against the attack of their outraged countrymen, was the right thing to do, and God mightily blessed His people for doing it.
2. What began as an effort to defend Gibeon against retaliation from her neighbors, in effect, gave impetus to a campaign which in the end gave Israel mastery over virtually all of southern Canaan. (Ch. 10:40-42)
3. We must not think that the good outcome in this case somehow excuses the neglect on the part of Israel’s leaders which created the situation in which they found themselves. It is safe to say that had they sought counsel at the mouth of the Lord (Ch. 9:14), there would have been no league formed with Gibeon. Yet, at the same time, we must learn not to allow our failures to cause us to doubt the Lord’s goodness and mercy, nor to doubt that He is able to bring something good out of them.
4. In these two chapters we have Israel’s final conquest (Chapter 11), and a summarization of all Israel’s conquests, under both Moses and Joshua. (Chapter 12)
I. ISRAEL’S FINAL CONQUEST. (CHAPTER 11)
A. THE NORTHERN CONFEDERACY THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY BEING FORMED NOW MATERIALIZES. (CH. 9:1, 2; 11:1-3)
1. The preliminary plans that were made in Ch. 9:1, 2 here materialize into the greatest military challenge Israel has yet faced.
2. Jabin, king of Hazor, seems to have held in the northern region a similar position of power and influence to what Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, held in the south. When Jabin heard about the things that had taken place in the south, he sent messages to this many kings here named, calling upon them to join forces and prepare for war against Israel.
3. Note what prompted this action: “When Jabin HEARD.” Once more we meet with this import word. (Compare Ch. 2:10; 5:1; 9:1, 9; 10:1) Note the various reactions of those who heard such tidings. While it is true that “faith cometh by hearing” (Rom. 10:17) it is also true that “the hearing ear…the Lord hath made.” (Prov. 20:12) This is true both naturally and spiritually alike.
a) It was when Jabin heard about the burning of Ai and the subsequent events that he decided to take action and put together a great offensive, but that was before a very similar effort by the southern kings had ended in their complete destruction. Now, having heard those things, he nevertheless went forward with his plan.
b) “Those things” which Jabin heard must have included the supernatural interventions from heaven against which no army, no matter how numerous, could hope to prevail.
c) There is no accounting for this, except for the fact that the Lord did not put into his heart to seek peace, like He did with Rahab and with the Gibeonites. As with Adonizedek and his allies, so also with Jabin and his, “The Lord hardened their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle that he (Joshua) might destroy them utterly.” (Verse 20)
B. THIS NORTHERN CAMPAIGN WAS IN MANY RESPECTS DIFFERENT FROM THE WAR AGAINST THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY RECORDED IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER. (VERSES 4, 5)
1. Here the enemy forces are the aggressors, whereas in the preceding campaign Israel was the aggressor, for they came in haste to rescue the Gibeonites.
2. The allied troops assembled by Adonizedek were numerous, but nothing compared to these led by Jabin, king of Hazor, which were “even as the sand upon the sea shore for multitude.” Obviously this is hyperbolic language, but clearly the size of this army was astounding. We might learn from this to expect our battles to become more and more difficult as we fight the good fight.
3. Not only was the army enormous, but they had many horses and chariots besides. Israel had not yet encountered an army with horses and chariots. Perhaps Jabin was counting on this to give him an advantage. Did he think that his many chariots would somehow neutralize the mighty supernatural forces that he had heard about?
4. This campaign, however, would not be won through miraculous intervention like the former one. (Ch. 10:11-14) No miracles are recorded in Chapter 11.
a) The warfare of the church against Satan’s kingdom was first forwarded by miracles and signs and wonders.
b) Having been successfully proven to be of God, it was thereafter carried on, for the most part, by the ordinary assistance of divine grace in the preaching of the Word of God!
c) We saw the same truth illustrated in the taking of Jericho by miracle, and afterward, Ai by stratagem.
d) In either case, the victory is by the grace and power of God. Notice also, the victory is no less decisive in one than it is in the other.
C. THE NORTHERN CAMPAIGN WAS IN SOME WAYS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS WAR AGAINST THE SOUTHERN KINGS. (VERSES 6-8)
1. They went into both campaigns with the same assurances of help and victory. (Verse 6; Ch. 10:8)
2. Joshua and the men of Israel moved against the enemy without hesitation at the command of the Lord. (Verse 7; Ch. 10:9)
3. The victory was decisive in both cases. (Verse 8; Ch. 10:13)
4. The success of the second great campaign was just as much of God as was the first, even though there was no miracle performed in the latter. Let us not despise God’s ordinary means for want of signs and miracles.
a) Let us be certain of the fact that all true Gospel success is God’s work, and when a soul is quickened to life by the Gospel, is that not a miracle? Is it not, in fact, even a greater miracle than was the raising of Lazarus?
b) Jesus’ works bore witness who He was, and He said, “He that believeth on me…greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father.” (John 14:11, 12)
D. THE SPOILS OF WAR WERE GREAT, AND ALL BELONGED TO ISRAEL, BUT THE SPOILS DID NOT INCLUDE THE HORSES AND CHARIOTS. (VERSES 6, 9)
1. Israel was not to multiply horses, neither were they to put their trust in horses and chariots. (Deut. 17:16; Psa. 20:7; 33:16, 17)
2. Horses and chariots were the symbol of the strength of the Egyptians, and also of the heathen nations who occupied Canaan. Because they had them, they mocked God, saying that He was only God of the hills, but not of the valleys. (I Kings 20:28) Clearly, many horses and chariots were no advantage for Jabin and his hosts, and that, because God was fighting for Israel.
3. Israel needed no such advantage. Chariots were only fuel for fire, and horses an unworthy object of trust.
E. THE CITIES THEMSELVES WERE PART OF ISRAEL’S SPOILS OF WAR, EXCEPT FOR HAZOR,THE CITY OF JABIN. (VERSES 10-14)
1. Israel was to dwell in “great and goodly cities which they builded not.’ (Deut. 6:10) therefore the cities were kept intact.
2. The exception in this case was Hazor, which they burned. Apparently Hazor was destroyed because it was the city of Jabin, who was the ring leader of the attack.
F. JOSHUA WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL ALL THAT MOSES HAD COMMANDED WAS COMPLETED. (VERSES 15-20; DEUT. 7:2; 20:16, 17)
1. Joshua was a long time at war with these many kings. (Verse 18)
2. Notice, even though not a single city was able to stand against Israel, yet there was not one city that sought to make peace with them. “There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon.” (Verse 19)
a) This is a most remarkable statement. Only the Gibeonites survived, and that, because they decided not to take up arms against Israel, but instead sought and obtained peace.
b) The implication seems to be that, had they been so inclined, peace would have been possible, yet destruction and misery were in their way, and the way of peace they did not know. (Rom. 3:16, 17)
c) The natural man left to himself will choose every time to take up arms against God and His Son, even though the only hope for his soul is to give up the fight and flee to Christ for mercy. Both the terms of peace and the grounds for peace are laid out clearly in the Gospel.
G. THE ANAKIM WERE THE LAST TO BE DESTROYED IN THIS FINAL CONQUEST. (VERSES 21, 22)
1. The Anakim were giant-like mountain men, who had been a particular terror to the spies forty years before. (Num. 13:28, 33)
2. The Lord still restrains our strongest enemies until we become stronger and more experienced in grace. Even so, they may as well have been dwarfs or children, since Omnipotence was their pursuer.
H. AT LAST, THE WHOLE LAND WAS CONQUERED AND DIVIDED ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD. (VERSE 23)
1. It is clear from Chapter 13 and also the book of Judges that those words are to be regarded as a general statement. Joshua failed not any of his assignments. He did not fail in any of his attempts.
2. Thus, God made good His promises unto the patriarchs (Deut. 1:8), to Moses (Deut. 3:18), and to Joshua (Josh. 1:6).
3. Now, for a season the land rested from war.
II. A SUMMARY OF ISRAEL’S CONQUESTS. (CHAPTER 12)
A. UNDER MOSES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF JORDAN. (VERSES 1-6)
B. UNDER JOSHUA ON THE CANAAN SIDE OF JORDAN. (VERSES 7-24)
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