Milo

DEBORAH
Judges 4–5

“So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may they who love You be like the sun when it rises in its strength” (Jdg. 5:31).

Women were not generally leaders in patriarchal Israel. But her sex did not disqualify Deborah, whose spiritual gifts were acknowledged by God’s people.

Overview
Deborah, the prophetess—leader of Israel, told a hesitant Barak to raise an army (4:1–11). The Israelite victory (vv. 12–24) is celebrated in one of the most beautiful of ancient poems, Deborah’s song (5:1–31).

Understanding the Text
Deborah. Deborah is identified as a prophetess. God used her as His spokesman, communicating special messages to His people. The text also says she was “leading [judging] Israel at that time.” This was very unusual in a society that emphasized male leadership and female subordination. The text also says that Deborah served as a sort of supreme court and settled disputes that could not be decided locally. Any one of these roles would set off any individual as special, male or female. Possession of all three roles indicates that Deborah was a truly unusual woman, with great personal and spiritual gifts.
Deborah reminds us that society’s stereotypes need not hold for God’s people. God’s choice of Deborah shows that He is free to work through any human being. That choice reminds us that a person’s sex does not automatically qualify or disqualify him or her for significant ministry.

Barak. Barak himself is a fascinating study. Barak was hesitant and fearful, unwilling to face the enemy unless Deborah accompanied his army (4:8). This was despite the fact that Deborah had promised Barak victory in God’s name. Dependence on God is desirable. Dependence on human beings, even those who may represent God, is not. Barak’s mistake was to trust God to act only through Deborah, rather than trust God directly. We can appreciate and honor our spiritual leaders; but we must not exalt them to the extent that Barak exalted Deborah.

“Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor” Jdg. 4:1–11. Hazor had been destroyed by Joshua. But the strategic site was rebuilt, and a new Jabin (probably a dynastic name) controlled the lowlands and “cruelly oppressed” Israel. That oppression is described in 5:6–10. The Israelites feared to travel by roads, abandoned many villages, and lacked weapons. On the other hand, the Canaanites, under their skilled commander, Sisera, had 900 iron chariots.
A look at a map shows that the oppression affected only the northernmost of Israel’s tribes, notably Naphtali and Zebulun. Deborah’s location in Ephraim’s highlands suggests that she was not directly affected.
We don’t need to be directly affected by suffering to become involved. Paul says of the body of Christ, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1 Cor. 12:26).

“Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men . . . to the Kishon River” Jdg. 4:11–16. In the dry season the Esdraelon Valley through which the Kishon trickled was ideal for chariot warfare: flat and hard, with room to maneuver. However, when wet, the valley turned to muck, making chariots a liability.
While Judges 4:15 simply says that “the LORD routed Sisera” and that “Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot,” Deborah’s song explains. She describes how “the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water” (5:4).
Baal, worshiped by the Canaanites, was originally a god of thunder and thunderstorms. Here the Lord turns the storm against the worshipers of the storm god and uses rain to neutralize their military advantage! The victory over the Canaanites was a divine judgment on the religion of the Canaanites as well as on their treatment of God’s people.

“Please give me some water” Jdg. 4:17–23. Sisera’s request for water may suggest more than thirst. Among nomadic peoples even the most deadly of enemies who was given food or drink came under the protection of his host. In the absence of her husband, Jael acted as hostess. She gave Sisera the drink he requested and hid him in her tent. She then violated custom and with a single blow drove a sharpened tent peg through his forehead.
We shouldn’t be surprised at Jael’s strength. Among nomadic Middle Eastern people women pitch the tents, so the tent peg and mallet would have been familiar tools.
Despite her violation of hospitality, Deborah blessed Jael. Unlike others, Jael came forward “to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty” (5:23).
There are times when Christians too need to step forward, even when an act of conscience goes against community standards. Civil disobedience during the ’60s—the civil rights movement—was one such time. I suspect that picketing abortion clinics in the ’90s is another time when Christians need to be willing to come forward to “help the LORD against the mighty.”

“Through the window” Jdg. 5:28–31. The imagery and irony of this brief passage has led to its recognition as perhaps the most brilliant of all ancient poems.

“They destroyed him” Jdg. 4:24. The victory over Sisera’s army drained the strength of the Canaanites. The war wasn’t over. But that battle was the turning point. The text says that after the battle the Israelites grew stronger, and finally they destroyed the Canaanite king and his kingdom. Judges 5:31 adds, “Then the land had peace for forty years.”
Some Christians believe that turning to Jesus solves all problems automatically. I’ve known one or two alcoholics who claimed that after their conversions they never wanted to touch another drop. But I’ve known many more who report that they have to struggle daily against the urge to take just one drink.
The victory over Sisera reminds us that we do have to battle the things in life that oppress us. We have to take a stand and claim the victory. But the first battle in which the enemy suffers a crushing defeat may well be a prelude to years of struggle. We, like the Israelites, need to grow stronger and stronger, and to recognize that it may take a long time to “destroy him.”

DEVOTIONAL
Staying by the Campfire
(Jdg. 5)
Deborah’s song is a victory shout. It vibrates with excitement and praise. It overflows with joy and enthusiasm. And no wonder. The battle with Sisera was the turning point for a whole generation. Twenty years of oppression were transformed into 40 years of peace. Deborah and Barak led an army of men whose proudest claim in years to come would be, “I was there, at the river Kishon.” No wonder the victory poem is so electric, so vibrant and filled with joy.
Except for a few verses in the middle. Verses that describe the tribes who failed to answer the call to battle the Canaanites. The men of Ephraim came. The tribes of Zebulun and Issachar were there. But where was Reuben? Where were Gilead and Dan and Asher when “the people of Zebulun risked their very lives”?
“In the districts of Reuben,” Deborah says, “there was much searching of heart. Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks?” (vv. 16–18) Why, when opportunity came to make history, did these people stay home, absorbed in the ordinary tasks of daily life? Sitting around the campfire. Caring for the sheep. As though nothing special were happening just over the mountain, where their brothers risked their very lives.
There’s really no answer to that question. Was it a lack of vision? A failure to see the opportunity? Was it a lack of caring, a failure to be moved by the suffering of others?
Whatever the reason, these members of God’s household failed to sense that the critical moment had arrived. They failed to act. And God won the victory without them.
And what a lesson for us today. God will win His victories with whoever volunteers. But how sad it would be for us if we were to stay by our campfire while history was made.

Personal Application
What opportunity is too great for you to miss today?

Quotable
“We will lie down for such a long time after death that it is worthwhile to keep standing while we are alive. Let us work now; one day we shall rest.”—Agostina Pietrantoni

Judges

INTRODUCTION
The Book of Judges spans the period between the death of Joshua, about 1375 B.C., to the crowning of Israel’s first king, Saul, around 1040 B.C. The book traces the deterioration of Israel’s faith and fortunes. It explains why the people of God failed to experience His blessing.
Judges takes its name from the charismatic leaders God raised up when Israel abandoned idolatry and turned to Him for help. The “judges” were national leaders in the fullest sense. Typically they functioned as military commanders, religious leaders, and governors of the tribes they served. This small book is usually valued for its stories of heroes like Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. But its message is more grim. The future is bleak for any nation that abandons God and the righteous way of life His Law describes.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS
I.
Causes of the Judges Era
Jdg. 1:1–3:6
II.
Conditions During the Judges Era:
Jdg. 3:7–16:31
Seven Cycles of Oppression/Deliverance

1. Othniel
   Jdg. 3:7–11
2. Eglon
   Jdg. 3:12–31
3. Deborah and Barak
   Jdg. 4:1–5:31
4. Gideon
   Jdg. 6:1–8:32
5. Tola and Jair
   Jdg. 8:33–10:5
6. Jephthah
   Jdg. 10:6–12:15
7. Samson
   Jdg. 13:1–16:31
   III.
   Human Consequences of the Judges Era
   Jdg. 17:1–21:25

SPIRITUAL DECLINE
Judges 1–3

“Another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what He had done for Israel” (Jdg. 2:10).

There is cause and effect in the spiritual as well as physical universe. The cause of the failure of the next generation to know God was rooted in the incomplete obedience of its parents.

Background
Centuries before, God had promised Abraham that his descendants would possess Canaan. Under Joshua these descendants, the Israelites, invaded the Promised Land. In an extended military campaign Joshua broke the power of the Canaanite city-states, and then distributed the land to Israelite tribes. But there were still pockets of resistance; areas occupied by the various ethnic groups that had settled Canaan long before. Each Hebrew tribe was responsible to drive out any Canaanites left as its population grew and its people needed more land. But there was one requirement. The Canaanites were to be exterminated or driven from the land, lest their religion corrupt God’s chosen people.
The Book of Judges tells the tragic story of a people who have been blessed by God, but forfeit their future by incomplete obedience.

Overview
Judah boldly attacked Canaanites remaining in its territory (1:1–26). But other tribes failed to drive the Canaanites out (vv. 27–36). God refused further aid to His disobedient people (2:1–5). The next generations turned to idols and intermarried with the Canaanites, causing national decline. Even the judges God provided effect only temporary recommitment to the Lord (vv. 6–23).

Understanding the Text
“The LORD was with the men of Judah” Jdg. 1:1–26. After Joshua’s death the tribe of Judah demonstrated continuing faith in God. They boldly attacked the Canaanites still within their territory. The victories they won should have encouraged all Israel.
One of the most significant things we can do to strengthen our faith is read Christian biographies. While these are not published frequently today, the life stories of men and women of faith can challenge and encourage us. Relatively recent publications like Through Gates of Splendor and Born Again, as well as older classics about Hudson Taylor and George Muller, can deepen our awareness of what God is able to do through individuals.
If only the rest of the tribes of Israel had learned from Judah’s experience, the next few hundred years of Israel’s history might have been different.

Archeology confirms the Old Testament picture of the Israelites confined in Canaan’s hill country (Jdg. 1:19). In the lowlands Canaanite chariot armies seemed too strong for the fearful Israelites to attack. Chariots like this one were the tanks of ancient warfare. By this era they were used to directly attack and smash formations of foot soldiers.

“The Canaanites were determined” Jdg. 1:27–36. The other tribes did not follow Judah’s example. They hesitated to attack the Canaanites in their territory. The Canaanites were more determined to stay than Israel was to obey God and drive them out!
This hesitation to obey God led to direct disobedience. When Israel did become strong, rather than attack the Canaanites they simply enslaved them.
Any failure to obey is a step toward direct disobedience.

“They will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare” Jdg. 2:1–5. God confronted Israel with the sin of disobedience and pronounced judgment. He would withdraw His support. Now Israel would not be able to drive out the Canaanites.
In the spiritual life, “will not” all too soon becomes “cannot.”

“Therefore the LORD was very angry” Jdg. 2:6–23. The author of Judges now injects a summary that traces a sequence of events which was repeated throughout this era. Each element of the cycle can be seen in most of the stories of the judges found in this book.
The overall evaluation of the period is expressed powerfully in 2:19. “But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”
Each cycle saw the people of God pull farther away from the Lord, and subjected them to even harsher judgments.
The normal Christian life is intended to be an unbroken walk of fellowship with the Lord. Those who see Christian experience as a cycle of sin, confession, restoration, temporary obedience, and sin again, have missed the message of this Old Testament book. Each time we choose to venture into sin we are likely to go farther. God is always willing to take us back. But sin will ultimately harden our hearts against Him.

“Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD” Jdg. 3:12–31. Judges 3 briefly outlines the story of two early judges. Note that each story incorporates all elements of the cycle outlined below.

SIN
3:7
3:12
SERVITUDE
3:8
3:13–14
SUPPLICATION
3:9
3:15
SALVATION
3:9–10
3:13–29
SILENCE
3:11
3:30

We can break cycles like this in our lives only by resisting the temptation to sin.

CYCLE OF EVENTS
SIN
2:11–13
The Israelites turn to Baal worship and immorality.
SERVITUDE
2:14–15
Foreign nations defeat, oppress Israel.
SUPPLICATION
2:15
Under oppression Israel confesses sin, prays.
SALVATION
2:16
God raised up judges to deliver His people.
SILENCE
2:18
During his life the judge keeps Israel more or less faithful to the Lord.

DEVOTIONAL
Growing the Next Generation
(Jdg. 2)
Ever run into one of those sayings designed to make parents feel guilty? Like, “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree”? Or, “The apple never falls far from the tree”?
Personally, I don’t buy the implication. Each person is responsible for his or her own choices. I can’t take credit for the godly choices my grown-up children make. And I’m not responsible for their wrong or foolish choices either.
But this passage, like so many in these early books of the Old Testament, makes it clear that each generation does influence the next. Here the text tells us that “after that whole generation [which had fought with Joshua for Canaan] had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what He had done for Israel” (v. 10). Somehow a whole generation had failed to communicate the reality of its experience with God to the next.
If you wonder why they failed, the answer is right there in chapter 1 of this Old Testament book. After Joshua’s death, only Judah exhibited trust in God and took on the Canaanite enemy. The others hesitated, fearfully. And when, by sheer force of growing numbers, they overawed the Canaanites, rather than drive them out the Israelites enslaved them. The parents failed to trust God. They disobeyed God. And their children “knew neither the LORD nor what He had done for Israel.”
You and I can’t guarantee that our children will know the Lord or live for Him. But if we trust God enough to act on His Word, if we are obedient in our daily lives, our children will never be able to say of God, “I didn’t know Him.”
The reality of who God is is displayed in the faith moms and dads put into practice, and in their obedience to His Word.

Personal Application
There’s nothing more important we can do for our children than love, trust, and obey the Lord.

Quotable
“There is just one way to bring up a child in the way he should go and that is to travel that way yourself.”—Abraham Lincoln

COMMITMENT
Joshua 22–24

“As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Josh. 24:15).

The first half of the Book of Joshua revealed what it took to conquer the land of Canaan. These chapters tell us what it will take to hold the Promised Land.

Definition of Key Terms
Serve. Joshua frequently called on Israel to serve God. The Hebrew word suggests a servant or slave. Its basic meaning is to perform tasks according to the will and direction of another. Serving God in Old Testament times did mean to worship Him. But it also meant to obey Him in all things.

Overview
The three eastern tribes erected an altar symbolizing solidarity with the Israelites in Canaan (22:1–34). Joshua addressed the leaders (23:1–16) and challenged the assembled tribes to serve God (24:1–27). Joshua died and was buried (vv. 28–33).

Understanding the Text
“You have not deserted your brothers” Josh. 22:1–9. Three tribal groups had asked for and received land east of the Jordan River. They had, however, promised Moses that their fighting men would join the other tribes for the war in Canaan. These tribes served faithfully, and were then sent home.
This concluding section of Joshua is filled with exhortations. The admonition given the eastern tribes is typical: “Be very careful . . . to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to obey His commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

“An imposing altar there by the Jordan” Josh. 22:10–34. This story shows how easy it is to misunderstand another person’s actions. When the returning tribes built an altar by the Jordan, their brothers interpreted it as an act of apostasy. God had commanded that sacrifices be made only on the altar that stood before the tabernacle. The Jordan altar seemed to the other tribes to be an act of rebellion against the Lord, and they were ready to go to war with their eastern brethren rather than risk divine punishment (vv. 19–20).
The eastern tribes explained to the delegation sent to them. They did not intend to use the Jordan altar for sacrifice. It was symbolic of the common racial and religious heritage they shared with the people west of the Jordan. By building the altar according to specifications given in the Law, the distinctive construction would provide evidence of the common heritage.
Both groups acted wisely in dealing with this issue. The western tribes decided to talk before acting. The easterners didn’t take offense, but instead humbly explained what they had done.
It’s good to remember the example of both groups when we become upset by something another person or group has done. Before we accuse, we need to go to the persons involved and talk about what has happened. And if anyone misunderstands an act of ours, rather than be upset, we need to be humble and willing to explain.

“Elders, leaders, judges and officials” Josh. 23:1–16. Joshua spoke separately to Israel’s leaders, who would be most responsible to see that God’s people continued to serve the Lord. Note the pattern of Joshua’s remarks. He begins with a promise, moves on to exhortation, and then concludes with a reminder and warning.
The promise: God who had driven out the enemy would continue to push them out before them.
The exhortation: Be strong, be careful to obey God’s Law, do not associate with pagan nations or their gods, and hold fast to the Lord.
The reminder: God has driven out the enemy, just as He has promised.
The warning: If you turn away from God, the Lord will no longer drive them out. What is more, “the LORD’s anger will burn against you.”
These four functions aptly sum up the responsibility and the ministry of most in spiritual leadership today—including parents. We are to live by and to communicate God’s promises. We are to be faithful and to exhort faithfulness. We are to remember what God has done and to remind others. We are to be aware of and to warn others of the consequences of turning away from the Lord.

“The LORD drove out before us all the nations” Josh. 24:1–18. Joshua then spoke to all the people, and in essence made a case for commitment. He reviewed all that God had done. In one of the most famous of Old Testament affirmations of faith, Joshua expressed his own commitment: “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (v. 15).
Joshua could make this commitment for himself. He could not make it for others. But Joshua could and did confront, making sure that each family in Israel realized that commitment was necessary.
The people recognized the validity of the case Joshua had made. The Lord had “brought us . . . up out of Egypt, from the land of slavery.” And God had driven out the enemy. “We too will serve the LORD,” the people said, “because He is our God.”

“He is a holy God” Josh. 24:19–27. Joshua has made a case for commitment. Now he makes clear the cost of commitment.
A person who commits himself or herself to the Lord must make a total commitment. We can make no halfway covenant with the Lord.
Even when confronted with the cost of commitment, the people insisted that they would serve the Lord.
Verse 23 indicates two ways that complete commitment is demonstrated. (1) “Throw away the foreign gods that are among you.” We are to keep nothing in our lives that might compete with God for our loyalty. (2) “Yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” We are to willingly surrender to the Lord everything we have and are.

“This stone will be a witness” Josh. 24:27. A witness is one who can testify to what he or she has seen and heard. At times inanimate objects were commissioned as witnesses to words of commitment (cf. Gen. 31:52; Deut. 31:21). Spoken words are binding. They are as permanent as the place in which they are spoken.

DEVOTIONAL
The Present Time
(Josh. 24)
There’s a wonderful epitaph for Joshua recorded here. “Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him.”
Joshua made his case for commitment. Joshua clarified the price of commitment. Joshua provided an example of commitment. And throughout his lifetime the people of Israel faithfully served the Lord.
About this time someone is likely to object and point to what happened after Joshua died. It’s true that after these few bright decades God’s people deserted Him. For some 400 years during the Era of Judges, Israel knew cycles of brief revival and deepening apostasy. Yet what happened during those centuries had nothing to do with Joshua.
The New Testament puts it this way. “The present time is of the highest importance” (Rom. 13:11, PH). What that verse points out is that the only time you or I have is the present. We can’t change the past. We can’t control the future. But we can live for God in our today.
That’s just what Joshua did. He served God as long as he lived. And, in his day, Israel served God.
You and I have no guarantee of what will happen to our children, our grand-children, or our great grandchildren. Actually, that isn’t our concern. We can’t control the future. All you and I can do is follow Joshua’s example of personal commitment and so influence those who are alive with us now.
Probably no one who reads this will be memorialized by some institution that lasts through the generations, as Luther was by the Lutheran Church, or as D.L. Moody was by the Moody Bible Institute. Probably we won’t even be remembered two or three generations hence. Even if we were, that wouldn’t be important. What is important is summed up in the epitaph Scripture gives to Joshua. All the days of his life, Israel served the Lord.
Joshua was faithful to God as long as he lived. As long as he lived, Joshua influenced the men and women of his day.

Personal Application
Touching just one life for God is the most significant thing any human being can achieve.

Quotable
“A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine.”—D.L. Moody

ALLOTMENT OF THE LAND
Joshua 13–21

“Their inheritances were assigned by lot” (Josh. 14:2).

The Bible says, “So the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their forefathers” (21:43). The struggle may be long. But the fruit of victory is sweet.

Definition of Key Terms
Allotment. The land was distributed by casting lots. We would say “throwing dice.” No chance was involved, for God Himself governed the fall of the lots (cf. Prov. 16:33). This method was also used within the tribes to determine each family’s holdings. From this point on, each Israelite saw his family farm as a gift given him directly by the Lord. The family land was not to be sold, but to be treasured forever as a heritage from God.
In Psalm 16:6 David used the imagery of allotment to express appreciation for the role God had given him in life. As we contemplate God’s goodness to us in Christ, David’s words might well become our own. “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”

Overview
Joshua listed land occupied east of the Jordan (13:1–33). He carefully described territory occupied by the nine and a half remaining tribes in Canaan proper (14:1–19:51). Cities of refuge were established (20:1–9), and the Levites were given cities within the borders of the other tribes (21:1–45).

Understanding the Text
“Still very large areas of land to be taken over” Josh. 13:1. The power of the Canaanites had been broken by the power of united Israel. But there were still pockets of resistance in each area allotted to the various tribes.
The Israelite population was not large enough to fill the whole land. Each tribe was responsible to take additional land as its population grew.

“I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly” Josh. 14:1–15. Among the lists of tribes and cities a very personal story is nestled. Caleb was 1 of the 12 spies who had scouted Canaan some 45 years earlier (cf. Num. 13–14). Only he and Joshua had urged Israel to trust God and invade Canaan then. Now, at 85, Caleb still actively trusted God. He asked for a parcel of land still occupied by an especially warlike people, the Anakites, and confidently said, “The LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as He said.”
One of the gifts God gave me as a young Christian was the privilege of being in a church where the older men were models of just the kind of faith Caleb had. How fortunate we are to know the Calebs of today. Too often we tend to segregate older believers from our young. Yet the young people in our churches need to be exposed to godly older men and women.

“They . . . did not drive them out completely” Josh. 17:13. Despite victory, indications of future disaster appeared among the tribes of Israel.
There was disobedience. When the population of Manassah grew, the tribe subdued several Canaanite towns in its territory. But rather than drive these people out as God had commanded, the Manassites enslaved them.
There was a failure to trust. When challenged to take the extra land the tribal members claimed they needed, they responded, “All the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots” (v. 16). Despite the unbroken record of military victories won with God’s aid, iron chariots blocked this tribe’s vision of God.
Past spiritual victories are no guarantee our faith will remain strong. We need to concentrate each day on obeying and trusting God.

“Flee to these designated cities” Josh. 20:1–9. This is the third major passage on the cities of refuge, to which someone who killed another person accidentally might flee (cf. Num. 35; Deut. 19). A general principle of biblical interpretation is that anything repeated twice is very significant. Here we have a topic that is treated at length in three Old Testament passages. This clearly shows the importance God places on protecting the innocent when dealing with criminal matters.
We need to be careful that in our concern for justice we do not violate the rights of the innocent.

Joshua 20. The towns given priests and Levites were scattered through territories given the other Israelite tribes. The priests and Levites had been commissioned to teach God’s Law. Every family in Israel was to be near to those who could instruct them in God’s ways.

DEVOTIONAL
Time to Let Go
(Josh. 19:49–51)
It’s hard to imagine Joshua relaxing under an olive tree or tending vines on a terraced hillside behind his house. He’s such an active and dynamic person. Neither generals nor spiritual leaders seem to be candidates for retirement.
Still, with the victories won and the land divided, Joshua settled down on his own inheritance. The Bible says he received the town of Timnath Serah, and “built up the town and settled there.”
Actually, Joshua’s retirement wasn’t simply a well-merited reward for his decades of exemplary service. Joshua was retired for the benefit of Israel! Why?
When the people of Manasseh needed more land (Josh. 17), they hurried to Joshua and complained. Joshua told them, “Clear land for yourselves.” The Manassites argued, fearful because the Canaanites had chariots of iron. They wanted Joshua to fight their battles for them. But Joshua wisely said, “Though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”
That last phrase is the key. “You can drive them out.” It was time for Israel to stop depending on Joshua and to step out on their own. Manasseh, and all the other tribes, needed to trust God for themselves.
Joshua’s wisdom in retiring is a lesson each of us needs to apply. We need to apply it as our children grow up, and especially when they leave home. We can encourage them. But we need to stop doing everything for them.
Counselors need to apply the lesson in their relationship with counselees. Spiritual leaders need to apply it in their relationship with a congregation, an organization, or with disciples. There comes a time when each of us needs to step down and tell those we have nurtured, “You can drive them out. It’s time for me to retire. And time to learn what God can do for and through you.”

Personal Application
In what relationships do you need to retire and let others be responsible for themselves?

Quotable
“When God contemplates some great work, He begins it by the hand of some poor, weak, human creature, to whom He afterwards gives aid, so that the enemies who seek to obstruct it are overcome.”—Martin Luther

TOTAL VICTORY
Joshua 9–12

“So Joshua took the entire land” (Josh. 11:23).

The Bible says that Joshua waged war against Canaan’s kings “for a long time” (11:18). God never said victory was easy. He only promises that victory is sure.

Definition of Key Terms
Destroyed. These chapters repeatedly speak of destroying completely, or totally destroying, Canaanite cities and all their inhabitants. The reasons for this policy need restating. (1) The Canaanites were a wicked people whose religion and morals were corrupt. The war and its devastation were a direct divine judgment on the Canaanites for their sins. (2) The Israelites were called to a holy lifestyle. Any Canaanites left in the land would (and did!) corrupt Israel religiously and morally. The destruction of the Canaanites was intended as protection for God’s people.
Joshua’s victories were complete, but he did not in fact exterminate all Canaanite peoples. Each Israelite tribe was to “mop up” any Canaanites left in the territory given to it. The failure of succeeding generations to carry out the divine policy of extermination led to the spiritual and national disasters that policy was intended to avoid.
One final note. The various peoples who settled in Canaan represented larger populations than existed in other lands. God’s command to exterminate was limited to those living in Canaan, and did not involve extermination of an entire race.

Overview
The Gibeonites tricked Joshua into a peace treaty, which Israel honored (9:1–27). In a series of brilliant campaigns Joshua first crushed the southern (10:1–43) and then the northern (11:1–23) city-states of Canaan. The section concludes with a list of conquests (12:1–24).

Understanding the Text
“The men of Israel . . . did not inquire of the LORD” Josh. 9:1–27. The story of how the Gibeonites, who lived just a few miles from the Israelite camp, tricked Joshua into making a treaty is especially instructive.
First, it reminds us of the importance of prayer. The Israelites examined the moldy bread and sour wine the Gibeonites presented as evidence that they lived outside of Canaan, and accepted their story without inquiring of the Lord. While you and I are to examine situations carefully before making decisions, we can’t rely on the evidence of our senses alone. We need to make important decisions a matter for prayer.
Second, when the Israelites realized they had been tricked, they honored the “treaty of peace” they had made with the Gibeonites. Israel had made an oath and committed themselves. The fact that they were tricked did not invalidate the promise. We need to honor our word because we have given it. Whether others prove faithful or not, we are to be true to our commitments.
Finally, God redeemed Israel’s mistake. The next chapter tells us that when other city-states in Canaan attacked the Gibeonites, Joshua came to the Gibeonites’ aid and struck the exposed enemy armies. When we are faithful, God can use even our mistakes to accomplish His purposes.

“Five kings of the Amorites” Josh. 10:1–28. Five ethnically related kings of cities in Canaan’s hill country joined forces to punish the Gibeonites for making peace with Israel. Joshua responded immediately to a plea for help and, after an all-night march, surprised the Amorite forces.
This was a great strategic victory, for the Amorite armies were caught in the open, outside the walls of their cities, where they could be more easily crushed.
God’s intervention for Israel is seen in two circumstances. Hailstones killed many of the enemy. And the “sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day” so the slaughter of the Amorites could be completed.

“So Joshua subdued the whole region” Josh. 10:29–43. The defeat of the Amorite forces left their southern strongholds undefended. Joshua immediately turned his forces southward, and crushed the major cities in that region.

“They came out with all their troops . . . a huge army” Josh. 11:1–23. The northern city-states joined forces and gathered a huge army, which included a large chariot force. Josephus reports that this army had 300,000 foot soldiers, 10,000 cavalry, and 20,000 chariots!
The word “suddenly” describing Joshua’s attack may intimate what happened. In biblical times chariots, often a decisive weapon in battle, were disassembled for transport over hills to the battlefield, and were reassembled there. It is possible that Joshua attacked the enemy before the chariots could be put back together and deployed.
Whatever element of tactics was involved, “the LORD gave them [the enemy] into the hand of Israel.” We are to fight wisely, but the outcome of the battle is still entirely up to the Lord.

“Hamstring their horses and burn their chariots” Josh. 11:6. Why was Joshua told to destroy the captured war material of the enemy? Most likely because Israel was to depend on God, not on military strength. Because Joshua did depend on God, this command was obeyed.

“These are the kings of the land” Josh. 12:1–24. Most scholars believe that the Conquest, described so graphically in these chapters, actually took about seven years to accomplish. When total victory had finally been won, Joshua carefully listed the 31 Canaanite city-states that he defeated. Israel could look back on this impressive list and be encouraged. God, who had promised victory, had kept His word. Surely God could be trusted for victory in battles yet to come.

In a series of brilliant campaigns Joshua first conquered central Canaan, splitting the land in two. (1) He then turned south and subdued that region. (2) Finally he attacked and crushed major northern strongholds. (3) His divide-and-conquer strategy, his tactics of all-night marches and surprise attacks, are still studied in modern military academies.

DEVOTIONAL
The All-Night March
(Josh. 10)
I remember all too well how she used to sit there at the table, waiting for God to act. “I really want to serve God,” she’d say. And I think she meant it. But even when opportunities came—an invitation to teach a Bible study, a call from a friend who asked her to visit—she’d wait. “I can’t do anything on my own,” she’d say. “I have to wait till God tells me to go. I have to wait till I see Him act.”
Of course, my friend had never met Joshua. Or watched Joshua put his faith into action. If she had, she might have been surprised. Joshua wasn’t the kind of person to wait around. Yes, he knew how important it was to listen for and to obey God’s voice. But Joshua also knew that in most situations a person has to use ordinary judgment.
That’s what happened when Joshua received word from Gibeon that a combined Amorite force was attacking their city. Joshua didn’t say, “I’d better wait till God acts.” He got his army together, commanded an all-night march, and the next morning took the enemy by surprise. And then God intervened, joining in the battle by hurling hailstones on the Amorites and by causing the sun to stand still. Joshua’s all-night march had put him in the very place he needed to be for God to act.
Sometimes we’re unrealistic in our expectations. We sit still and want God to act for us. The fact is that God usually acts only after we have demonstrated a faith like Joshua’s. It’s after that all-night march, when the battle is joined, that God acts.
So the next time you have an opportunity to serve—to teach a class, to counsel a friend—don’t wait. Seize the opportunity. And expect God to act when you’re actually serving. That’s the place you need to be for God to work through you.

Personal Application
When opportunities to serve come, take them!

Quotable
“You can measure what you would do for the Lord by what you do.”—T.C. Horton