THE CONQUEST - THE REST. Joshua 11 None of the conquered cities replaced Gilgal, where the Lord brought Israel into the land He promised them more than a generation earlier. The only city that made peace with Israel was Gibeon. The central and southern tribes were all defeated, including some of the giants who had so intimidated the previous generation of Israelites. The land was subdued by the victories the Lord granted His people. However, there were still people left that needed to be sought out.
Sadly, because of Israel’s lack of commitment and faithfulness, enemies remained hidden. These God allowed to stay to test His own people’s willingness to follow His word to the end. Good and evil cannot coexist peacefully. Light and darkness trying to mix only cause confusion and uncertainty. Israel fell short of fulfilling the Lord’s command.
After celebrating the high points and victories in our Christian life that the Lord has brought about, we need to return to the foundation, the root of our faith. We should remember the cross and Christ's work on our behalf, not only during difficult times that tend to discourage us but also when life is good. In the clear, shadowless light of the cross, we examine the motives behind our actions. It's then that we assess ourselves to see if the world, the flesh, or the devil are influencing us, causing pride, complacency, or compromise. We must be reminded that the weapons of our spiritual warfare are not "carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds."
Separation means we step out in faith in the word of God and commit ourselves to obey Him. To do that, we must reject any strength and power the world offers. Our only Master is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Even when all the hosts of the earth unite to stop the work of God, "In vain do earth and hell oppose, for God is stronger than His foes." God hears and honors those who honor Him despite the odds against them.
Kings from the north united under Jabin, king of Hazor, to fight the Israelites, who by then controlled the southern half of Canaan. Hazor was like the capital of that region. All the rulers involved were clearly afraid. However, except for Gibeon, none sought peace. Their hearts were hardened against Israel and the Lord. Someone has said, "The same sun that melts the snow hardens the clay." Many of the kings gathered a large force—including chariots and horses—and camped at the Waters of Merom. Joshua carefully followed all the Lord commanded, and God granted victory. Joshua and the entire Israelite army launched a surprise attack. The enemies’ chariots were useless in the thick forests of the area, and Hazor, the largest Canaanite city in Galilee, was destroyed.
The fact that “the Lord hardened their hearts” is often misunderstood by people who only read words without grasping the message behind them. Hardness of heart relates to a person's attitude toward others, life circumstances, and their response to God. We have been given free will to make our own choices. People are not forced into disobedience against their will. Deciding to do right or wrong is our responsibility and a right from God. Deep within us is moral freedom to either follow what God wants as our main motivation or to pursue what we desire most.
The Bible presents us with a sovereign God who is the creator, sustainer, and upholder of everything by the power of His word. He not only made the universe but also controls it. In His sovereign will, He created human beings in His unique image, with a mind capable of reason, emotions to express ourselves in many ways, and our will that allows us to make moral choices and act on our decisions.
People are free to choose their own attitudes and biases, and as a result, accept the outcomes of those choices. When God “hardens the heart” of people who persistently resist His love, mercy, grace, and longsuffering, God will accept the decisions they make. He does not demand that they love Him, even though He continues to love them, understanding the value and potential of each person.
If a person does not want to know or love Him, they must accept the consequences that distance from God will bring forever. Hell and the lake of fire are real places, not imaginary ones, and they are the eternal destination for those who choose to follow the path of sin. That path leads away from God, and the final result is that the person is lost to God forever. “Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.” “If that light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!”
The hearts of the different tribes in the northern part of the promised land were hardened by God as a result of their evil and immoral practices, which their own children also continued. They created gods from their imaginations and then crafted visible idols to worship, even though they made these idols with their own hands out of wood, stone, and metal. Rebellion against God begins in a person's heart when they choose darkness and oppose the light that was once within them. People, then and now, must be born again of the Spirit to enter God’s kingdom.
God’s sovereign plans and purposes are open for us to learn from, believe, and act upon. His will for people is clearly revealed in the Bible. We know that “God our Savior will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” Through genuine human choices and responsibilities, God fulfills His sovereign purposes. He helps those who love and obey Him to do His will, even if they fail at times. He also hardens those who despise and reject Him, knowing that is what they want and intend to do.
We need to trust God in every situation we face because He knows all the facts about every place, every circumstance, and every person. Joshua carried on what Moses started. Moses predicted in Deu.6:10-12 that Israel would take over cities they had not built. Hazor was burned, however, because it represented the wicked culture of that area. The complete destruction of the city served as a lesson to all surrounding nations. Although the conquest appears to have happened quickly based on how little space it takes in the book, it actually took about seven years. The united army of Israel, made up of the twelve tribes, traveled through the land, defeating opposing armies and kings. They were able to keep the spoils for themselves, and the cities aside from Hazor became the homes of the Israelites.
It is not easy to take up someone else's work and finish it the way they initially intended. In assembly life and Gospel service, much of what we do involves continuing the work others began or were responsible for, carrying it forward just as it was under the guidance of those who came before us. We often expect quick changes in our lives and rapid victories over sin. It’s easy to grow impatient and feel like giving up because progress seems slow. Every truth we learn must be personally applied after we hear it.
All victories were achieved through the Lord's power working for Israel. He drove out the enemies with hornets and other means, demonstrating that God was in control of everything during the conquest. However, the Lord left remnants of people in different areas to test the obedience of His own people. The possessions we have must be claimed. Each tribe had to take responsibility for what God designated as theirs. Change rarely happens overnight or in a short period.
The Anakites were the giants the Israelite spies described when they first gave their report [Num.13-14]. However, this time, the people didn’t let their fear stop them from engaging the Anakites in battle and claiming the land. Some of the Anakites remained, as Israel later discovered (Goliath of Gath). This is where Israel's united action in Canaan comes to an end. Their victories have been decisive. The enemy still lives there, but they were defeated and scattered. God had given the entire land to His people. Now, each tribe had to take possession of what it had potentially received through the conquest of the whole nation. Each tribe needed to apply the lessons learned during their unified war to claim its inheritance. Their failure to take what Joshua had given and assigned to each of them was not a reflection of God's power but of theirs.
Every truth we learn must be applied by faith and personally integrated into our lives, or it will mean nothing. The victory of the cross was definitive, but we only experience it when we reflect on the truth we've received and make it personal. Joshua secured the entire land – victory was complete – and he distributed it to the people. Whether they received it or not depended on their individual faith to step in and claim it.
The land finally found rest from war. The greatest cause of conflict in our lives is allowing things we know go against God's will. When we begin to obey, the soul finds peace from war. The victory Jesus Christ achieved can satisfy every need. “He purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High.” [Heb. 1:3]. Just as the land was to Israel, Christ is to us. The land rested from war—the Lord Jesus Christ sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High.
The victory of the cross has claimed the entire territory. Jesus Christ is Lord because of Calvary. The rest of the Lord Jesus is not the rest of exhaustion or inactivity but the rest of satisfaction. He sits in full assurance, with the complete expectation that the fruits of the cross will be reaped. The sacrifice of the cross has been demonstrated to be sufficient and complete for the salvation of the world.
The rest of the Savior is the calm, poise, assurance, and satisfaction of a work finished. Therefore, He is seated. He is present as a man, for His fellow men, and it is God’s purpose that we share that rest with Him [Eph.2:6]. We can find the result of that rest when we learn to depend on His strength, allowing Him to shape us and let the fever and rush of life fade into the peace of the Lord. The Christian resting in the Lord is not lazy; He or she is active and committed to the work of the Lord. The peace and rest are in our hearts, undisturbed by storms and challenges around us. The Christian who rests in the Lord remains calm in life's situations and has the strength to do whatever God’s will requires.
When our will is no longer selfish, our work aligns with God's purposes. The Christian who rests in the Lord delights in Him and receives the desires of the heart [Ps.37:4]. Our Joshua, the Lord Jesus, has taken possession of the whole land. All the fruit of Calvary is available to every one of His children. He is seated at the right hand of God; the Holy Spirit dwells within us; the Father is at the throne of grace. All of this enables us to live above the sin of the world, resting in Christ.
When sin has taken away the "peace of God," which acts as the umpire of our soul, then we need the rest that comes from forgiveness. That brings a sense of relief, acceptance, and assurance that the long period of strife and contention has ended. This kind of rest lifts a burden that was difficult to bear. After enduring long periods of spiritual warfare, the "rest for the people of God" is relief and joy. We may look back on those times and gratefully trace the hand of God that brought the peace and spiritual blessings we had prayed for.
For seven long years, the battles were fought as God, in faithfulness to His people, led them to claim the land of promise. The odds were against them, but they persevered until the land God promised belonged to them. God gave Israel victories, though with fewer men than would normally be used in such a conquest. The strong military of the northern tribes had horses and chariots, which would be comparable to tanks in our day. Yet, by the power of God, victory was achieved.
Obeying God is something we can control. We have the choice to deeply commit ourselves to listening to His word, learning His will, and acting on what we know is right. Then He will take action for us, and His power will be displayed in ways and results that clearly show it is “God who is working in you to will and do of His good pleasure.”
I cannot control what others do or think regarding their service and work for God. Nor can I demand what I believe I am owed from them or from God because if I received what I truly deserve, I would be lost forever. But I can control whether I obey my Lord, listen to His instructions from the Scriptures, and act on what He tells me. It is within my power to rise up in the strength of the Holy Spirit and confront the enemies opposing the King of kings and the Lord of lords. I can choose whether to remain in comfort and complacency or to go forward with the Gospel message under the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Victories require time because there is much land to conquer, and obedience is essential for God to grant success. Looking back at the land God has promised, I tend to become lax when progress is slow or the results are not what we expected. The Lord has promised never to leave us or forsake us, so through God’s power and my obedience, I will take the "land" He has promised and claim what He has given.