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More Joshua commentaries
Joshua 8:1-29
Israel Destroys the Town of Ai
Joshua 8:30-35
Joshua leads the people to Shechem
Joshua 9:1-15
Tricked into believing the enemy
Joshua 9:16-27
Making your mistakes work for you
Joshua 10:1-15
The Lord wants to fight our battles
Joshua 10:16-28
Divide and conquer was Joshua’s strategy
Joshua 10:29-43
The Lord gives the victory
Joshua 11:1-15
Joshua Captures Towns in the North
Joshua 11:16-23
A summary of Joshua’s battles
Joshua 12:1-24
The Kings Defeated by the Israelites
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A summary of Joshua’s battles
Joshua 11:16–23
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
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The first ten chapters have been an exciting adventure story of God calling Joshua to lead the Israelites in a military conquest of the land of Canaan, which God had given them. The conquest of much of the land of Canaan seems to have happened quickly but it actually took seven years. The book of Joshua covers twenty-five years of real history in the life of the people of Israel and is an important part of the inspired Word of God. The first fifteen verses of chapter 11 recount the final decisive battles in the northern part of Canaan. In this passage Joshua highlights a few new details of these years of persistent battle (vv. 16-23).
That phrase “a long time” (v. 18), refers to the fact that the conquest lasted seven years, from the crossing of the Jordan to the final battle at the waters of Merom. This is an important detail that warfare isn’t quick and easy. Opposition doesn’t just go away because we pray about it. This also highlights a wonderful aspect of Joshua’s character. Joshua was a man who understood that he was in it for the long haul. He demonstrated patience and persistence. Joshua did not muster up these qualities on his own. These qualities developed through all the years of leadership, battle after battle.
There have been times when I want to give up. I’m sure you feel the same way. One of the things that makes me want to give up is the persistence of the opposition. In this case it was the hardness of heart of the Canaanite opposition (vv. 19-20). For seven years the Canaanites mounted tough resistance to God and his people, driven by an increasing hardness of heart. They were violently and angrily opposed to everything Israel represented. It is clear that God hardened the hearts of the Canaanites (v. 20). Then it speaks of the rest that God gives: “And the land had rest from war” (v. 23).
Application
It is easy to grow impatient with God and feel like giving up hope because things seem to be moving too slowly. In this passage I am reminded to be persistent because I’m on the Lord’s side.
Joshua 11:16-23 (English Standard Version)
So Joshua took all that land, the hill country and all the Negeb and all the land of Goshen and the lowland and the Arabah and the hill country of Israel and its lowland from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. And he captured all their kings and struck them and put them to death. Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took them all in battle. For it was the LORD's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the LORD commanded Moses. And Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction with their cities. There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain. 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.
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