Joshua
11:19-20 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.
In the end “the land had rest from war”. It took
struggle, death and warfare to bring the people of God peace from their
enemies.
Israel had learned its lesson after one mistake. She did
not sign a peace accord with any other inhabitant of the land. Israel responded
to their threats by looking to God. In obedience, they waged war against the
surrounding nations and in the end completely destroyed them all. Israel had
responded to God’s faithfulness by fulfilling the divine command.
Israel’s obedience was made easier by God. He caused the
inhabitants of the surrounding lands to resist any desire to seek peace with
Israel. Unlike the Gibeonites, the warring Kings sought to destroy Israel with
overwhelming force. As God hardened Pharaoh’s heart against Moses, so he
hardened the hearts of these kings against Joshua. To protect Israel against
the sin of idolatry, God commanded her not to show mercy to the enemy. To
enable Israel to keep his commandment, God caused the enemies to fight her
rather than seek mercy and peace.
Joshua portrays for us a divine strategy for life. It
took great faith to be obedient to God when Joshua faced what seemed to be
insurmountable opposition from his enemies. Yet, Joshua trusted God’s promise
that “no man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just
as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake
you.” (1:5)
Joshua has become an example
for future generations of godly leaders. We will find the same success in our
lives as we accept divine encouragement and instruction, and combine it with faithful
obedience to Christ. The we will be able to accomplish God’s plan in our lives.
