Joshua 11:16-23 (And Joshua Took All the Land)

Amazing artwork by Doug Kallerson.

Joshua 11:16-23
And Joshua Took All the Land

God made an offer to the people of the world through the giving of His Son. That is grace. This offer extends forgiveness for every sin ever committed. That, on the other hand, is mercy. Grace cannot be earned. If it could be, then it wouldn’t be grace.

However, mercy can be granted based on a set condition or stipulation. For example, if you are sentenced to death, the judge may say, “If you pay this particular amount, the death sentence will be commuted.” There is nothing wrong with this. The one who holds the power determines what the rules and conditions are.

In the giving of His Son, grace was extended to us. In the acceptance of that offer through an act of faith, mercy is then granted. God is the offended party, and He has set the parameters for us to accept or refuse. Similarly, the Lord set the parameters for when Israel entered Canaan.

That is stated clearly and unambiguously in the Law of Moses. In his commentary of Joshua 11:19, John Gill states the following without agreeing or disagreeing with what the Jews say –

“There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel,… Though, according to the Jews, Joshua, upon his first landing in Canaan, sent letters and messages to all the inhabitants of the land, offering them peace on certain terms; particularly that he sent three messages, or proposed three things to them; that those who had a mind to flee might flee; that those who were desirous of making peace might make it; and they that were for war, let them fight; all were for the last, and so perished.” Gill

That sounds like an offering of both grace and mercy. It was undeserved and it extended to any who met the terms set forth. But does it match with the preconditions already laid out in the law? Do you remember what the law says?

Text Verse: “When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, and when  the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly   destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.” Deuteronomy 7:1-4

There is nothing in the law to even hint at the claim of the Jews that John Gill cited. It is contrary to the law, and it is not found in Joshua. Further, it is contrary to the very nature of God in Christ who is typologically seen in the verses today.

The only reason for the Jews to make up something so ridiculous is that they either thought it would make them look less unfriendly and antagonistic, or that they believe God will pardon their sins without the means of pardon available to them under the law.

As John Gill lived in the 1700s, the first option seems unlikely at best. The Jews had nothing to lose in regard to people’s impression of them over such an issue. Those who believed in the word at that time accepted that God ordained the things Israel did. Those who didn’t believe in the word wouldn’t care one iota. Only in the return of the Jews to Israel would such a commentary possibly be entertained.

On the other hand, the Jews knew they were not right with God, at least according to their Scriptures. And so, to grant grace and mercy to those of Canaan would then alleviate their own guilty consciences. This is yet another reason why I don’t recommend spending a lot of time in Jewish commentaries on the Bible.

Their thoughts are skewed because they have rejected Christ. In their rejection of Christ, who is clearly seen throughout Scripture, there will never be an understanding of what God is intending to show them and us. The less extra-biblical material you look at in regard to the word, the better off you will be.

Yes, there are good commentaries and lots of exceptional helps out there, but they must be based on Scripture and in the proper context to be of any value. Be wise and discerning in how spend time studying the Bible.

Today, we will see why the citation above is totally wrong. God does offer grace and mercy, but it is based on His unchanging nature. Let us be sure of this. When He says that Jesus is the only way for us to be reconciled to Him, we need to accept that as absolute truth from God who does not lie.

Great truths such as this are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. That He Might Utterly Destroy Them (verses 16-23)

16 Thus Joshua took all this land:

In these words, an accounting for everything taken during the Canaan campaign is made. Many translations say, “took all that land,” as if it is referring to the battles of the previous verses. Rather, it is more likely referring to what is said next. And so, “all this land” is looking ahead to the description which is detailed in the rest of the words of this verse.

These words are generally in the singular, i.e. “mountain” and “valley.” But the meaning extends to “mountains” and “valleys.” It is a broad description of the conquering of Canaan. The credit is given to Joshua as the leader of the nation. His conquests will be noted in a sevenfold division of the land. It is he who took…

16 (con’t) the mountain country,

The first division: ha’har – Literally, “the mountain,” but meaning the hill country. There is debate as to the exact meaning of these seven statements, but it appears to be describing the south first and then moving northward. As such, this would probably be referring to Canaan from that perspective and speak of the mountain country of Judea.

This is seen in Numbers 13:17 where the same term is used –

“Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains [ha’har, the mountain].”

It is even described as the hill country in the New Testament –

“Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah.” Luke 1:39

Similarly, it will be seen later in Joshua that Hebron which is in Judea will be considered as the hill country –

“So they appointed Kedesh in Galilee, in the mountains of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron) in the mountains [b’har – ‘in mountain’] of Judah.” Joshua 20:7

Next, it says…

16 (con’t) all the South,

The second division: v’eth kal ha’negev – “and all the Negev.” The word Negev means “south,” but it is also designating a specific location and is thus a proper noun – “the South.” It comes from an unused root meaning to be parched, and the Negev is a very parched land. This would be in accord with the words of Joshua 10:40 –

“So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South [negev] and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded.”

From there, it again goes back to what was stated in chapter 10 –

16 (con’t) all the land of Goshen,

The third division: v’eth kal erets ha’goshen – “and all land the Goshen.” This was a part of what was recorded in the previous chapter –

“And Joshua conquered them from Kadesh Barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even as far as Gibeon.” Joshua 10:41

In this verse, the word Goshen is prefixed by an article – “the Goshen.” Thus, it is referring to a district. The name will be used only one more time in Joshua 15:51. There, it will be referring only to a city and not the greater area now being described. As a reminder, Goshen means Drawing Near or Approaching.

16 (con’t) the lowland,

The fourth division: v’eth ha’sh’phelah – “and the Shephelah.” The Shephelah is a transitional region of soft-sloping rolling hills in South-Central Israel stretching 6 to 9 miles in length. The word comes from shaphel, to become low or abased. Thus, in comparison to the mountainous area, it the abased, the lowland. Next…

16 (con’t) and the Jordan plain

The fifth division: v’eth ha’aravah – “and the Arabah.” This is the plain that extends about one hundred miles south from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba forming a border between Israel and Jordan. The word comes from arav, to grow dark or become evening. This would be because of the darkness of the terrain. However, that is identical to arav, meaning to take or give in pledge. Next…

16 (con’t) —the mountains of Israel

The sixth division: v’eth har Yisrael – “And mountain Israel.” Although debated, this is probably referring to the mountainous region of the area north of Jerusalem and extending past Galilee northward. This would have been the area taken during the events earlier in chapter 11. Also…

16 (con’t) and its lowlands,

The seventh division: u-sh’phelatoh – “and his lowland.” This would be the lowland area of Israel north of the land of Judah and would include the coastal plain area. With this division given, more specific detail is provided concerning the area to the north…

17 from Mount Halak

min ha’har he’khalaq – “from the mountain, the Khalaq.” This is a mountain mentioned only here and in chapter 12. The name comes from khalaq, meaning “smooth.” For example, it was used in Genesis 27:11, saying –

“And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned [khalaq] man.’”

The word is used figuratively in Proverbs and Ezekiel for speaking in a flattering manner because the smooth tongue is so employed.

17 (con’t) and the ascent to Seir,

ha’oleh seir – “the ascender Seir.” Seir means hairy, coming from sa’iyr, hairy. Refer again to Genesis 27:11 –

“And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy [sa’iyr] man, and I am a smooth-skinned man.’”

The Bible gives the he-goat as an analogy because it is hairy. It is the animal used as a sin offering, such as on the Day of Atonement and elsewhere.

The mountain, Halak, is defining the southern border of Canaan as originally described by the Lord. Because it is neither the southernmost point in Canaan, and being mentioned only twice in Joshua, we can speculate that we are given these locations for typological reasons. Also, consider that both names so far, Halak and Seir, are derived from words found in one verse of Genesis. For now, the narrative continues with…

17 (con’t) even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon

v’ad baal gad b’biqat ha’l’vanon – “and unto Baal Gad in valley the Lebanon.” The name Baal Gad means “Lord of Fortune” with a secondary meaning of “Lord of the Invasion.” This is because Gad (Fortune) comes from gadad meaning to cut or invade. Baal simply means “master.” Hence it is one with authority.

Lebanon means White One or even Mountain of Snow. However, it is derived from lavan, meaning white. This is identical to lavan, or brick, because bricks turn white when fired. That word carries the connotation of works because bricks are fashioned by man as opposed to stone which is fashioned by God.

The type of valley here, biqat, comes from baqa, meaning to cleave, rend, or rip open. Hence, it is a valley that is a split between mountains. Baal Gad in this valley of Lebanon is next said to be…

17 (con’t) below Mount Hermon.

takhat har khermon – “Under Mount Hermon.” Hermon means Sacred. This location is given as the northern border of Israel. Hence, the words of this verse are essentially saying, “Everything between the southern border and the northern border was taken by Joshua.”

This cannot be taken in the absolute sense as Israel never drove out all the native inhabitants of the land. It is giving the scope of the victories attained by Joshua within the borders and concerning those armies they faced in battle. Of them…

17 (con’t) He captured all their kings, and struck them down and killed them.

It is still referring to Joshua using singular verbs. More precisely, it reads, “And all their kings captured, and struck them down, and killed them.” Every battle that he engaged in, he was victorious. Upon achieving victory, the king’s execution followed. Thus, it is a note of total victory. Of these many battles, it next says…

18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

The Hebrew reads, “Days many made Joshua with all the kings, the these, war.” The total campaign for Canaan lasted between six and seven years. Israel left Mount Sinai on the twentieth day of the second month of the second year after the exodus (Numbers 10:11). Moses then says in Deuteronomy 2 –

“And the time we took to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Valley of the Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, just as the Lord had sworn to them.” Deuteronomy 2:14

We have seen that entry into Canaan was the beginning of the forty-first year since leaving Egypt (Joshua 4:19). In Numbers 13, the spies were sent out to look over Canaan. Next, go forward to Joshua 14:10 where Caleb says –

“And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.”

Therefore, it took between six and seven years to get to this point. Caleb was forty years old in the second year after leaving Egypt. Being 85 at the end of the campaign means he was 39 when departing Egypt, 79 when entering Canaan, and another six to seven years of fighting to subdue Canaan.

19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel,

The preposition is el, unto: lo hayetah ir asher hishlimah el bene Yisrael – “no was city which acquiesced unto sons Israel.” The reason I would use this rather than “made peace,” is that it is a single word that more fully expresses the matter. It is the same word, shalam, used twice in chapter 10 and again here in relation to the inhabitants of Gibeon…

19 (con’t) except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon.

This was the people group who were the subject of the treaty made in chapter 9 and who Joshua defended in chapter 10. Hivite means Tent Villager, but it is identical to khavah or “Life,” the name of Adam’s wife, Eve.

As we have previously seen, Abarim notes that the verb form khavah “means to lay out in order to live collectively, and describes investing one’s personal sovereignty into a living collective like a symbiont. It’s mostly translated as to prostrate, which is to submit oneself wholly and bodily to a collective or to the leader of that collective.” That is what the Gibeonites are doing, submitting themselves to a collective.

The name Gibeon, or Giv’on, comes from gavia, meaning a cup or a bowl. When upside down, it looks like a hill. As such, it means Hill Town or Hilly. Remember, it is closely associated with the New Testament word Gabbatha.

19 (con’t) All the others they took in battle.

It is speaking not of the act of battle, but of the entire campaign: ha’kol laq’hu ba’milkhamah – “The all they took in the war.” Every city that Israel faced was defeated. Only Gibeon acquiesced to the power and fear of Israel, joining them through the cutting of a covenant.

20 For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts,

It is singular – heart: ki me’et Yehovah hayetah l’khazeq eth livam – “For from Yehovah was to strengthen their heart.” The meaning is that the actions and directions of the Lord caused the people to strengthen their collective heart. The Lord didn’t actively change it, but by His designs the people made their own unified heart strong against Him. And there was a purpose in this…

20 (con’t) that they should come against Israel in battle,

liqrat ha’milkhamah eth Yisrael – “to meet the war with Israel.” Instead of acquiescing to Israel as Gibeon had done, these nations knew they were to be either be anathematized or brought into subjugation. Thus, they needed to stand and fight. With their heart strengthened, the latter was their united choice.

20 (con’t) that He might utterly destroy them,

l’maan hakharimam – “To end purpose anathematize them.” The Lord was leading them to strengthen their heart against them so that they would be wholly destroyed through the act of anathematizement. They would corrupt Israel through their wicked practices, so they needed to be eliminated.

20 (con’t) and that they might receive no mercy,

l’bilti heyoth lahem teckhinah – “to no be to them supplication Giver.” This is a new word in Scripture, tekhinah. It is almost always used in the sense of supplication for favor. As such, the words here are complicated. I would suggest that rather than saying, “that they might receive no mercy,” as if the action is from the Lord, it is instead saying that the object of supplication (the Lord) is not available to them. That is because their heart was hardened against Him. As a result…

20 (con’t) but that He might destroy them,

ki l’maan hashmidam – “for to end purpose destroy them.” This is the point of how the Lord acted and directed events to occur. The people were corrupt, they would corrupt Israel, and they needed to be exterminated.

Had Joshua sent in offers of peace, as ridiculously claimed by the Jews in the opening comments of the sermon, these words could not be included in the passage. Nor would the words in the law have been given previously, which are next referred to…

20 (con’t) as the Lord had commanded Moses.

ka’asher tsivah Yehovah eth Mosheh – “for which commanded Yehovah Moses.” The commands to Moses were explicit and they were repeated several times in various ways, such as in our text verse today. The Lord commanded Moses, and Moses repeated the commands to the people.

No treaties were to be made, no voice of supplication was to be heeded, and none of the inhabitants were to be allowed to live. The Lord, through his actions and instructions, led the inhabitants to bring these things upon themselves while Israel brought destruction upon them.

21 And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains:

The word “mountain” is singular all three times in this verse. Thus, it is referring to the hill country each time. Anakim comes from anaq, meaning “neck.” Therefore, the Anakim are a clan of people known for their unusually long or thick necks or the adornments on their necks. These people were driven out…

21 (con’t) from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel;

Hebron means Alliance. Debir means Place of the Word. Anab means Grape or Fruit, coming from a root that means “to bear fruit.” Judah means Praise. Israel means He Strives with God. The Anakim were cut off from these places by Joshua. And more…

21 (con’t) Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.

They were not merely cut off, as if driven out, but they were destroyed entirely. This group is emphasized out of all of those destroyed because it was the word concerning them that brought about Israel’s time of punishment in the first place. When the spies returned from Canaan in Numbers 13, they said –

“We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:31-33

Only Joshua and Caleb stood against the word of the other ten spies. Now, the text specifically notes that Joshua led Israel in the defeat of them. And more, in Joshua 15, it will be Caleb who personally destroys the Anakim of Hebron. It next says…

22 None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel;

The verb is singular, and thus it is referring to Joshua: “None left (sg.) Anakim in land sons Israel.” Joshua, as the leader, ensured that in all of the land where Israel dwelt, no Anakim was left alive. As such…

22 (con’t) they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.

Gaza, or Azzah, means Strong. Gath means Winepress. Ashdod means Ravager. These are the only areas where these men of giant stature remained. Eventually, they and the other giants would even be wiped out from there.

23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses;

In complete obedience to the law as spoken by the Lord, and as conveyed by Moses, so Joshua did. The land was subdued, and the inheritance was secured for Israel…

23 (con’t) and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes.

This anticipates the division of the land in Joshua 13. We are given a brief summary of events now which will be more fully explained later in Joshua. The point here is to highlight Joshua’s obedience to the law and his ability to perform as the law directed.

As an informative note, a new word, makhaloqeth, is introduced here. It means “divisions,” coming from khalaq, to divide or share. Most of its 42 uses will be in the books of 1 & 2 Chronicles. With that, the verse and the chapter end with…

*23 (fin) Then the land rested from war.

There is another new word to close us out today, shaqat. It signifies to be quiet or undisturbed. It comes from a primitive root signifying to repose. Hence, one can think of idleness or being undisturbed. Rather than Israel, it is the land itself that is spoken of in this manner. With the enemy subdued, there is a sense of calm and idleness of the land which then leaves the people to relax and enjoy themselves.

Who is it that will receive mercy from the Lord?
And who is it that will be cut off forever
The answer is carefully recorded in His word
Any can know, both the simple and the clever

Those who humble themselves before Him, they shall stand
But those who are filled with pride shall be cast away
Better to humble yourself under His great hand
Than to arrogantly trust in your own deeds and turn away

Jesus has paid the price to reconcile us to God
So, let us trust in the marvelous thing He has done
Then, on heavenly streets we shall trod
And revel in the glorious victory of God’s own Son

II. Pictures of Christ

Joshua is the great type of Jesus, fighting the Lord’s battles while leading His people toward the time of anticipated repose that the He offers them. The opening statement of this section corresponds to the final words of it –

v.16 And took Joshua all the land, the this.
v.23 And took Joshua all the land…And the land rested from war.

It is like bookends to highlight what is in the intervening verses. The land is emblematic of the world to which Christ has come, retaking the authority over it from Satan. Within the verses, the word mountain is used five times. Hence, it would be good to repeat the words of Abarim quoted in chapter 10 –

“The noun הר (har) is the Bible’s common word for mountain or hill. Intuition dictates that the root of the word for mountain probably has to do with being elevated, but that’s not correct. In Hebrew thought, a mountain is not something that’s high but rather a lot of something gathered. And so, a mountain became synonymous for a large but centralized group of people (Jeremiah 51:25), or even gods (Isaiah 14:13).” Abarim

As such, there is a focus on the centralized nature of peoples. In the first verse, there was also noted the seven divisions of the land. The first division was actually that of the mountainous country. That was followed by the Negev, or parched land. It is a land devoid of water. Water carries various connotations in the Bible, but here, it would refer to life, particularly life obtained through the word.

The third division was the land of the Goshen, meaning Drawing Near or Approaching. The next was the Shephelah, meaning low or abased. After that was the Aravah or plain. This word ultimately comes from the idea of giving or taking in pledge. From there was mentioned the mountain of Israel, or He strives with God. That was accompanied by the final division of “his lowland.” We could equate that to “his abasement.”

I would suggest that these seven divisions are each referring to Christ. He is 1) the Gatherer of God’s people; 2) the Giver of water (life through the word) in the otherwise parched world; 3) the One through whom man may draw near to God; 4) the One who abased Himself in order to bring the humbled to God; 5) the One through whom the pledge, meaning the Holy Spirit, is given; 6) the One who gathers God’s people by striving with (for) God in order to accomplish His purposes; and 7) who in His striving did so in His abasement. Each speaks of His incarnation in order to retake the right to the world.

Verse 17 then referred to the scope of the events – from Mount Halak, or Mount the Smooth, and the ascent to Seir, meaning Hairy. Hair in Scripture speaks of awareness, especially awareness of sin.

Jesus came knowing no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), pictured by the smooth mountain. But He arose in the likeness of sinful man (Hebrews 2:17), pictured by the hairy mountain, in order to accomplish His work. His ministry extended, as it says, “unto Baal Gad in valley the Lebanon.” Translated through typology, this would be “unto Lord of the Invasion in the cleaving of the works.”

In other words, Christ came as an aware Man and accomplished all that was necessary under the law to bring man to God. It is His works that make it possible. All other works are insufficient to accomplish the purpose.

This was said to be “under Mount Hermon.” Hermon has been a consistent picture of heaven when it is presented. The picture is that Christ accomplished His work on the earth under the Sacred place (heaven), not in it.

From there, it said he captured all their kings, struck them down, and killed them. That is well explained by Paul in Colossians 2:15 where it says that Christ “disarmed principalities and powers” and that “He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them” in His cross.

The length of Joshua’s conquest was “many days.” Christ came, He lived many days on the earth, and He warred against the powers that stood against man. Despite the cross being the final victory over all those powers, there is no contradiction in this. One leads to the other. Joshua’s campaign suitably reflects the life and work of Christ.

Verse 19 noted that not a city acquiesced unto the sons of Israel. A city is a place of man’s creation. It is thus a place of rebellion against God because it reflects his own civilization and culture. It is independent of God, trusting in its own resources and fortifications to maintain and sustain itself. Understanding this, it then said, “except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon.”

As we saw, Hivite is identical to khavah, or life. The verb form gives the sense of submitting oneself to a collective. Also, Gibeon, or Giv’on, comes from gavia, meaning a cup or a bowl. When upside down, it looks like a hill. As noted, it is closely associated with the New Testament word Gabbatha.

Jesus submitted Himself to the Roman authority in order to establish the New Covenant in His blood. The Gibeonites submitted themselves to Joshua in order to enter into the covenant relationship that had been established with Israel.

The entire thought speaks of total exclusivity. There is uniting with Christ and there is all else. The false religions and false religious expressions of the world all stand in enmity with Jesus. All will be destroyed. Only those who submit to His collective and become united to the commonwealth of Israel will be spared.

With that, the rather difficult words of verse 20 spoke of the fact that it was from the Lord to strengthen their heart. Any religion based on man’s devising will, by default, strengthen the heart of those who follow it. It is a natural consequence of it.

Only those who will humble themselves and submit to the gospel are of any redeemable value to Him. The others are strengthened to come against Israel (God’s commonwealth) in battle. They are against God in Christ. Israel is for God in Christ – plain and simple theology.

That is where the importance of the words “to no be to them supplication Giver” arises. Anyone, in any religion outside of faith in Christ, has no avenue available for them to have their supplications heard and responded to because they do not have the Object of supplications, meaning the Lord, available to them.

As such, there is only one avenue available to them, destruction. Again, plain and simple theology. This is because it is, as the verse says, “as the Lord had commanded Moses.”

Man is under law, be it Adam or Moses. God gave the law of Moses to redeem man, but it is clearly a law that must be fulfilled vicariously by Christ. Hence, faith in Christ’s fulfillment of the law through His work, including His death, is the only avenue for man to be reconciled to Him.

With that, the seemingly unrelated words concerning the Anakim were given. The reason they seem unrelated is because they are the only people groups singled out. Their name comes from anaq, or neck. But that requires more explanation.

Anaq signifies being fitted out with supplies, and thus furnished liberally, just as a necklace is made up of many pieces. It is thus used figurately as a sign of pride as in Psalm 73:6 when referring to the wicked where it says, “Therefore pride serves as their necklace.”

Man can either humble himself before God in Christ, or he stands at enmity with God. There are no other options. That is well reflected in the proverb –

“A man’s pride will bring him low,
But the humble in spirit will retain honor.” Proverbs 29:23

With that, it said that these Anakim were destroyed from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel. The picture when considering the meaning of their names is that the proud will be destroyed from any place that is in accord with God’s purposes – Alliance with Him, where his Word is, in the place where Fruit bears, where His Praise exists, and where those who Strive with Him find their place.

The Anakim (the proud) and their cities (their place of rebellion against God) were destroyed by Joshua and they remained only in an area outside of where Israel dwelt. The idea is that anything outside of the scope of true faith in Christ is eliminated and cut off. It has no part in what God offers.

Finally, verse 23 referred to the total victory of Joshua over the land and giving it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions. It speaks of what Jesus will do for His redeemed. That will be in a land that is at peace from war. The enmity will cease, and man will be in harmony with God once again.

This is already realized for all who have come to Christ in the sense that the victory is won. Someday that will be actualized for all of His people. But the fact that it is seen here in Joshua gives us the hope-filled assurance that it will, in fact, come to pass.

God has a plan, and He is slowly and methodically working it out in Christ. It is being typologically shown in these Joshua sermons, one step at a time, so that we can see how. In the end, even if any of the typology presented is wrong, the overall picture is perfectly clear.

The victory is found in Jesus, and He has granted it to any and all who fall under the collective commonwealth of Israel. For Israel the people, it is those who have come to Christ through His finished work of the law and who have been circumcised in the heart by Him. For those of the Gentiles, it is those who have come to Christ through His cross, giving up on any other avenue of reconciliation with God.

The same salvation, in the same manner, is offered to Jews and Gentiles through simple faith in Jesus. All others will not be a part of what God is doing for humanity as He reconciles us to Himself. The theology in that regard is plain and simple. It is either Jesus or nothing with God. Nothing, by default, means total and permanent separation from Him. Consider your place, give up on self, and come to God through the finished, final, and forever work of Jesus Christ. Do it today!

Closing Verse: “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13, 14

Next Week: Luke 1:27 (The Virgin’s Name Was Mary) (Christmas 2022 Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who has defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

And Joshua Took All the Land

Thus Joshua took all this land:
The mountain country, all the South, all the land of Goshen
———-so he did do
The lowland, and the Jordan plain
The mountains of Israel and its lowlands too

From Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir
Even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below
———-Mount Hermon
He captured all their kings
And struck them down and killed them as is now known

Joshua made war a long time with all those kings
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel
Except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon
All the others they took in battle, sending them to the Pit to dwell

For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts
That they should come against Israel in battle, you see
That He might utterly destroy them
And that they might receive no mercy

But that He might destroy them, so the situation demanded
As the LORD had to Moses commanded

And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim
From the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab
———-showing no pities
From all the mountains of Judah, and from all the
———-mountains of Israel
Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities

None of the Anakim were left in the land
Of the children of Israel
They remained only in Gaza
In Gath, and in Ashdod as well

So Joshua took the whole land
According to all that the LORD had said to Moses
———-so he did do
And Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel
According to their divisions by their tribes too

Then the land rested from war
That’s the end of this chapter, and there ain’t no more

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 Thus Joshua took all this land: the mountain country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, and the Jordan plain—the mountains of Israel and its lowlands, 17 from Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings, and struck them down and killed 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, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others 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 utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

21 And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. 22 None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.

23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.