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Joshua Chapter 11 (ESV)

Conquests in Northern Canaan

¹ When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, ² and to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor on the west, ³ to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. ⁴ And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. ⁵ And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

⁶ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” ⁷ So Joshua and all his warriors came suddenly against them by the waters of Merom and fell upon them. ⁸ And the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. And they struck them until he left none remaining. ⁹ And Joshua did to them just as the Lord said to him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

¹⁰ And Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms. ¹¹ And they struck with the sword all who were in it, devoting them to destruction; there was none left that breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire. ¹² And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua captured, and struck them with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. ¹³ But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor alone; that Joshua burned. ¹⁴ And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the people of Israel took for their plunder. But every person they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any who breathed. ¹⁵ Just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

²³ So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.

 

REFLECTION:

• It is important to note while facing the greatest warfare, Joshua followed every detailed command by the Lord. ‘He (Joshua) left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses (v15)”. Joshua carried out fully the specific orders given by God. And “theLord gave them into the hand of Israel” (v8). We are to fight wisely and obediently, but the outcome of the battle is still entirely up to the Lord.
• Do you measure yourself or other people with achievements or accomplishments? Or the faithfulness and obedience to the Lord during the process?

 

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, today’s scripture is such a powerful reminder for me! I dedicate my finances, time, and energy to You. I busy myself in Your service day in and day out, finding joy and never growing weary. But how much of it is truly done according to Your will? How much of it is for the sake of pleasing You rather than seeking the approval of others? Heavenly Father, I pray that You shine Your light into my dark heart, so I can see my pride, disobedience, and stubbornness clearly. Help me discern the true motives behind my service. Where does the source of my strength truly come from? I deeply understand that obeying Your commands far surpasses my busy service, and being obedient to Your word is worth more than any monetary offering. The sin of disobedience is as grave as the sin of practicing sorcery, and stubbornness is as sinful as idolatry. If I reject Your commands and fail to obey your will, You will also reject all the service I offer. Heavenly Father, please forgive my proud and stubborn sins. Let me seek good examples from the life of Joshua and make my faithfulness and obedience to You the measure of success in all things. Examine me, accept me, just as the vast ocean embraces a tiny wave, for You are my strength and my portion in my heart, forever and ever. Amen!

 

HYMN:

Teach Me to Obey – youtu.be/F2Jt5C1qm-E