Joshua

Joshua Chapter 11

• Joshua 11:1 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.

So the Canaanites decide to fight back. This would have been easy, so many against one tiny nation of Israel except that we can't fight against God. If God stands by any country there isn't a mighty nation past or present that can defeat them. On the other hand, if God withdraws His hand of protection from any country, I don't care how powerful and mighty that country may be, without His hand of protection, they are powerless against a stronger enemy or an enemy whom God allows to defeat them.

We in the United States have pushed God out as a nation. We've sinned against God since the early 1960s by making the first Supreme Court decision to forbid prayer and bible reading from public schools. The country went downhill from that time. Ten years later, abortion was made legal and millions of little babies began to die horrible deaths by the hands of those who called themselves doctors. Education began to be dumbed down so that people can now go to college and come out with no real knowledge.

Actually all this started in the 1800s when the theory of evolution began. We can read Romans 1 to see what happens when we stop retaining God in our knowledge. Our minds become reprobate. We now have pornography polluting the minds of people so much that our children are not safe from predators who want to use or exploit them for evil purposes. Some say God sent the 9/11 judgment. I don't say that. God doesn't have to send anything, all He has to do is withdraw His hand of protection and judgment comes automatically.

Since writing the above paragraph, a lot has happened. Marriage between two men or two women was legalized, drug and alcohol use has increased. There is an increase in deaths of over doses even of prescription drugs. The kids minds are so warped, they do not know what gender they are. With the help of evil government leaders gender operations, allowing people to use public restrooms of what gender they identify with and many such confusing silliness is done. We have really lost our way as a nation. So how are we in 2021? Rioting, looting, fear over a virus, lockdowns, blaming, hating, anti police, anti country and anti flag. It is a mess.

If we continue they way we are going without repentance and turning back to God, our nation will be history, no longer existing just as other ancient civilizations that no longer exist because of their wickedness. Wickedness, child sacrifices, violence and much more evil is why God allowed Israel to take over the land of Canaan. Who is going to be on the Lord's side. His word is to protect us, heal us, not destroy us.

• Joshua 11:6  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for tomorrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.

I imagine that this is so the horses can no longer be used to carry chariots in battle. I don't really know the reason for this but God always has a reason for all commandments. We see here that God is again reassuring Joshua of His presence. He does not need to fear the armies coming against them because God is with them and will deliver the enemy into their hands. 

• Joshua 11:7 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 Misrephothmaim, 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.
• 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.

For some reason only the city of Hazor was burned, perhaps because Hazor was the head of all the kingdoms and this was an example to all the others. All were killed as in other places. I believe that usually a couple will escape to carry the news to other countries because word gets out somehow.

• Joshua 11:14  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.
• 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.

Joshua was very careful to obey God to the letter. After the defeat following the sin of Achan and the deceit he fell for with the men of Gibeon, Joshua was taking more precaution by following God's commands religiously.

• Joshua 11:16  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 Baalgad 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.

Some theologians say this was about 5 years.

• Joshua 11:19  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.

This whole process was according to God's will. He allowed their hearts to remain hardened so that He was justified in destroying these cities who sinned wickedly against God. This is actually what happens when we keep rejecting and refusing God's word. Eventually our sins mount up. God sends us messengers and messages to call us to repentance but after we hear, reject, hear, reject, rebel and resist the wooing of the Holy Spirit so much, our hearts get very hard and we then can't even repent because our hearts resist the truth. 

• 1Timothy 4:1,2  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

A seared conscience comes within a person that has continually rejected the word of God over and over again that he can no longer even feel guilty. I was told by someone once that I should take a drink once in a while and if I forced myself and kept doing it, sooner or later it wouldn’t bother me any longer. I immediately thought of this scripture about the seared conscience and dismissed her words to me.

If we know someone who does not do something that we think is okay, we should never try to talk them into the thing. We could harm them even with something we think is innocent. As for drinking there are some that would be inclined to over indulge if that got a hold of them and they might go on to become an alcoholic. I’ve seen this happen. What one may partake of and be able to keep in moderation, another because of inherited genes or other factors may not be able to keep in control. The craving of drugs or alcohol is strong. We need to use wisdom. This is one thing I personally have never desired to do not even casually.  It's not for me.

• Joshua 11:21 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.

The Anakims were the huge giants that made Israel afraid 40 years previously. In later years Goliath, the giant that fought against David descended from this tribe. They were very wicked. As I’ve said in previously lessons, some including Josephus and others believe that giants were caused by fallen angels that came down to take wives of the daughters of men.

Geneses chapter 6. The first race of these people was wiped out by the flood but some believe that the same thing happened again after the flood. Whether this is true or not, I do know that when we reject God or His word, we open the door to allow demonic influences in our lives. We become reprobate in our minds and it isn’t long until we call evil good and good evil.

Our society today has become very evil and we don’t even realize it. This does not have to be as long as we retain God in our lives and recognize our great need for His presence. When evil got so bad that innocent children are burned alive at the altar of an idol to appease a supposed god, it had to stop. Are we not allowing little innocent unborn children to be burned alive by saline solution to kill them while still in the mother’s womb? Something to think about. Since first writing this, some states passed a born alive bill that if a baby is unwanted by the mother, she can allow the baby to be left to die. Shame on anyone that allows that.

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