“For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.”
~ Joshua 11:20
Hi James and Ellen,
Are you good at following instructions? Are you good at finishing what you started? Do you do what you are asked to do with positive attitudes? Do you believe that you have the abilities to do anything that you are asked to do? Joshua was probably good at following instructions. Joshua was tasked by God to purge all the guys, gals and kids from Canaan’s land area. Canaan’s land area was the land that God was giving to His specially chosen guys and gals to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . the total land area that God’s specially chosen guys and gals would ultimately possess in Canaan’s land area was somewhere around 10,000 square miles. Delaware – which is the state where you are living, has 1,982 square miles. God expected Joshua to eradicate every single guy, gal and kid who was living in Canaan’s land area. There were a number of different people groups of guys, gals and kids who were living in Canaan’s land area. These different people groups of guys, gals and kids included the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Hivites. Joshua was probably a guy who stood out. Joshua was born in Egypt. About two months after God’s specially chosen guys, gals and kids began their exodus from Egypt to Canaan’s land area, Moses chose Joshua to be the commander of the Israelite people group’s armed forces. Shortly after Joshua was chosen by Moses to command an army that was made up of guys from each of the twelve tribal clans that made up God’s specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people groups guys and gals, Joshua won his first battle against Amalekite people groups guys. When twelve guys were chosen – one guy from each tribal clan, to spy out Canaan’s land area, the Ephraim tribal clan chose Joshua to be their spy. Joshua was an Ephraim tribal clan native. Joshua’s spy report was a positive one – ‘we Israelites can capture Canaan’. The Judah tribal clan spy – who was Caleb, sided with Joshua. The other ten tribal clan guys were convinced that it would be a suicidal challenge for God’s specially chosen guys and gals to try to take over Canaan’s land area because of the giants who were living in Canaan’s land area.
Your grandpaa does not know why God had Moses choose Joshua instead of Caleb to be Moses’ replacement when it was time for Moses to die to lead the Israelite people groups guys and gals into Canaan’s land area – the land area that He was giving to His specially chosen guys and gals to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . Caleb may have been older than Joshua. Joshua’s may have been more restrained than Caleb. Your grandpaa thinks that Caleb was always there for Moses and Joshua – to help them in any way. Caleb’s life story is for another time. Joshua 11 is the account of Joshua doing what God had told him to do – which was to purge Canaan’s land area of the guys, gals and kids who were living in the land area. When Jabin – which probably was a dynastic or imperial name used for a Hazor king, got wind of Joshua’s plans, he mobilized the kings of the people groups of guys and gals who were living in the northern and central regions of Canaan’s land area. The armed forces from the Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, Jebusite and Hivite people groups of guys and gals met in Hazor to marshal against the Israelite people group’s guys and gals who were invading their land area – which was Canaan’s land area. Instead of waiting for an attack from the assembled armed forces from the different people groups of guys and gals who were living in Canaan’s land area, Joshua – after being prompted by God to do so, attacked the coalition of armed forces that were made up of Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, Jebusite and Hivite people group’s guys at the Waters of Merom. God handed Joshua and His specially chosen guys the victory because they did exactly what He told them to do. Verse 20 makes clear what God’s involvement was in wiping out the Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, Jebusite and Hivite people groups guys who had residences in Canaan’s land area, “For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.” God sounds unmerciful and very brutal in how He had guys, gals and kids from different people groups killed over 3400 years ago from Canaan’s land area so that He could give Canaan’s land area to His specially chosen guys and gals to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . .
God has everything that takes place on planet Earth in a big picture context and in the context which favored first His specially chosen guys and gals and which favors today His specially elected guys, gals and kids. When Adam disobeyed God by eating a forbidden fruit, God allowed sin to pollute planet Earth. God is allowing sin’s ugliness, darkness and awfulness to be the back light to His grace and mercy so that His grace and mercy will stand out that much clearer for the guys, gals and kids who have made a decision of faith through heartfeltly accepting what God – as God the Son, did on a cross where He allowed His blood to be shed and His body to suffer horrific pain just for them as a ransom payment for their sins. Joshua was a faithful, loyal servant of God throughout his life. What concerns your grandpaa about Joshua is that Joshua did not pass on what he learned to another guy so that when he died, that there would be an enabled, mentored guy in place – just as he was when Moses died, to take on the job of leading God’s specially chosen guys and gals. God has given you clear life instructions on how you are to live your lives just for Him. How are you doing following God’s instructions to live your lives for Him? Just as God intervened and helped Joshua when Joshua needed His help, God will be there to help you when you need His help.
Joshua 11 (578)