Josué 11
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Josué 11
Guzik - We need not think that God parceled out some particular judgment upon the Canaanites. He dealt with their hearts the same way He deals with all men’s hearts, but God’s grace either hardens the heart or it softens it. To meet Israel in battle - God so moved in their hearts that they would attack Israel and not seek peace. In order that he might utterly destroy (charam; Lxx = exolethreuo) them - God's purpose was ultimate and total annihilation. That they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy (shamad) them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses - No mercy but destruction is a description of hearts that are so depraved that God has given them over to their sins and the just punishment for their abominable sins! This is indeed a frightening description. 🙏 THOUGHT - Dear reader, if you have never taken refuge from the coming wrath of God, then you need to immediately repent and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (see the commands of Jesus in Mark 1:15+) before it is too late! One day it will be too late and your doom will be eternally sealed! Cyril Barber rightly states that "Sin had run its course. The evils wrought by the Canaanites and Amorites caused the Lord to given them over to a hardness of heart (cf. Ro 1:18–19, 24–32). In the end the judgment of God came upon them, and their hearts were so hardened by sin they never thought of repentance (cf. Hebrews 10:32). (See Joshua: A Devotional Exposition - Page 135) Butler - “Here is a biblical lesson which has always been difficult for the people of God to learn. Deuteronomy commanded Israel to obey God, destroy the inhabitants, have no mercy, make no covenant, make no marriages (7:1–3). Such a command had a divine purpose. It removed the temptations to follow other gods. From the days of the Judges and especially from the period of Solomon onward, the great temptation was to make political alliances through covenants and political marriages between royal families (1 Kgs 11:1–8; 16:31; 20:30–43). To protect Israel against the major sin of idolatry, God commanded her not to show mercy to the enemy. To enable her to keep his commandment, God caused her enemies to fight her rather than seek mercy and peace.” (See Joshua - Page 92) Harden (02388)(chazaq) conveys the basic meaning of to be or become strong (Jos. 17:13), to make strong or strengthen, in the Hiphil to take hold of or seize ("retain His anger" - Mic 7:18+), in the Hithpael to strengthen oneself (to take courage 1 Sa 30:6). To be courageous. To overpower. Chazaq describes strength - severity of a famine (a "strong" famine) (2 Ki 25:3, Jer 52:6), strength of humans to overpower (David and Goliath 1Sa 17:50, cf 1Sa 17:35 = seized;, Amnon and Tamar = 2Sa 13:14), in a battle, to capture (2Chr 8:3), Samson's last demonstration of supernatural strength he prays "please strengthen me" (Jdg 16:28). Used in the charge "Be strong and courageous" (Josh 1:6, 7, 9,18, Josh 10:25, "be firm" = Josh 23:6; "Be strong and courageous" = Dt 31:6-7, 23). Chazaq used 12 times in Ex 4-14 of hardening Pharaoh's heart (cf similar use in Josh 11:20). In a great passage in Da 11:32+ we read "“By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength (chazaq) and take action." As in the Qal, when the object of the verb is the heart (ten times), the verb is translated "harden" (Exodus 4:21f.) W E Vine adds "The strong form of the verb is used in Exod. 4:21: "…I will harden his [Pharaoh's] heart…." This statement is found 8 times. Four times we read: "Pharaoh's heart was hard" (Exod. 7:13, 22; Exod. 8:19; Exod. 9:35, niv; kjv, rsv, nasb, "was hardened"). In Exod. 9:34 Pharaoh's responsibility is made clear by the statement "he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart…." All uses of chazaq in Joshua - Jos. 1:6; Jos. 1:7; Jos. 1:9; Jos. 1:18; Jos. 10:25; Jos. 11:20; Jos. 17:13; Jos. 23:6; GEORGE BUSH Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 11 20. It was of the Lord to harden their hearts. On the subject of God’s hardening the hearts of men, see Note on Ex. ch. 4:21. The meaning here is simply that having sinned for a long tract of ages against the light of conscience and providence, God was now pleased to leave them to a judicial hardness of heart, to give them up to vain confidence, pride, stubbornness, and malignity, that they might bring upon themselves his righteous vengeance and be utterly destroyed. This result is said to be ‘of or from the Lord,’ because he did not interpose to prevent it. As the Lord commanded Moses. This expression occurs here and elsewhere in this connexion, v. 15, ‘to show that Joshua and Israel did not act out of cruelty, revenge, and avarice; but simply in obedience to God, which alone could induce pious men to make such undistinguishing slaughter of their fellow-creatures: and doubtless many of them did very great violence to their own feelings and inclinations, while engaged in that service.’ Scott. QUESTION - Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? ANSWER - Exodus 7:3-4 says, “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out...my people the Israelites.” It seems unjust for God to harden Pharaoh’s heart and then to punish Pharaoh and Egypt for what Pharaoh decided when his heart was hardened. Why would God harden Pharaoh’s heart just so He could judge Egypt more severely with additional plagues? First, Pharaoh was not an innocent or godly man. He was a brutal dictator overseeing the terrible abuse and oppression of the Israelites, who likely numbered over 1.5 million people at that time. The Egyptian pharaohs had enslaved the Israelites for 400 years. A previous pharaoh—possibly even the pharaoh in question—ordered that male Israelite babies be killed at birth (Exodus 1:16). The pharaoh God hardened was an evil man, and the nation he ruled agreed with, or at least did not oppose, his evil actions. Second, on least a couple occasions, Pharaoh hardened his own heart against letting the Israelites go: “But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:15). “But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:32). It seems that God and Pharaoh were both active in one way or another in the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. As the plagues continued, God gave Pharaoh increasingly severe warnings of the final judgment to come. Pharaoh chose to bring further judgment on himself and his nation by hardening his own heart against God’s commands. It could be that, as a result of Pharaoh’s hard-heartedness, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart even further, allowing for the last few plagues and bringing God’s full glory into view (Exodus 9:12; 10:20, 27). Pharaoh and Egypt had brought these judgments on themselves with 400 years of slavery and mass murder. Since the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and Pharaoh and Egypt had horribly sinned against God, it would have been just if God had completely annihilated Egypt. Therefore, God’s hardening Pharaoh’s heart was not unjust, and His bringing additional plagues against Egypt was not unjust. The plagues, as terrible as they were, actually demonstrate God’s mercy in not completely destroying Egypt, which would have been a perfectly just penalty. Romans 9:17-18 declares, “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’ Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.” From a human perspective, it seems wrong for God to harden a person and then punish the person He has hardened. Biblically speaking, however, we have all sinned against God (Romans 3:23), and the just penalty for that sin is death (Romans 6:23). Therefore, God’s hardening and punishing a person is not unjust; it is actually merciful in comparison to what the person deserves.GotQuestions.org The Lord Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart? Note that the same topic is raised again in Deuteronomy 2:30, Joshua 11:20 and 1 Samuel 6:6. While these allusions are briefer, one can be sure that the process of accountability and human responsibility was just as fair as in the case of Pharaoh. The theme of “hardening” occurs twenty times between Exodus 4 and 14. But the most troublesome aspect of these verses is that in ten out of the twenty occurrences God himself is said to have hardened Pharaoh’s heart. This fact troubles many readers of the Scriptures, for it appears God authors evil and then holds someone else responsible. Did God make it impossible for Pharaoh to respond and then find Pharaoh guilty for this behavior? God twice predicts he will harden Pharaoh’s heart. These two prophetic notices were given to Moses before the whole contest began (Ex 4:21; 7:3). However, if these two occurrences appear to cast the die against Pharaoh, it must be remembered that all God’s prophecies to his prophets have a suppressed “unless you repent” attached to them. Few prophecies are unconditional; these few include God’s covenant with the seasons in Genesis 8:22; his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David; his new covenant; and his covenant with the new heavens and the new earth in Isaiah 65–66. In general, only the promises connected with nature and our salvation have no dependence on us; all others are much like Jonah’s message to Nineveh. Even though Jonah never even hinted at the fact that Nineveh’s imminent destruction (only forty days away) could be avoided by repentance, the king assumed such was the case, and Jonah’s worst fears were realized: the nation repented and the barbarous Assyrians did not get what was coming to them! In Pharaoh’s case, Pharaoh initiated the whole process by hardening his own heart ten times during the first five plagues (Ex 7:13, 14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 34, 35; and 13:15). It was always and only Pharaoh who hardened his heart during these plagues! Rather than letting the work of God soften his heart during these plagues and concluding that Yahweh is the only true God, Pharaoh made this evidence the basis for hardening his heart. Meanwhile, the plagues must have had some impact on the general population of Egypt, for when the Israelites left Egypt, they were accompanied by “many other people” (Ex 12:38). Even Pharaoh’s own magicians confessed, “This is the finger [the work] of God” (Ex 8:19), and they bowed out of the competition with the living God. It appears that Pharaoh reached the limits of his circumscribed freedom during the fifth plague, for after that time, during the last five plagues, God consistently initiated the hardening (Ex 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8, 17). God is not the author of evil. There is no suggestion that he violated the freedom of Pharaoh’s will or that he manipulated Pharaoh in order to heap further vengeance on the Egyptian people. God is not opposed to the cooperation of pagan monarchs. Pharaoh could have cooperated with God just as Cyrus did in the Babylonian exile; God was still glorified when that king decided on his own to let Israel return from Babylon. If Pharaoh had acted as King Cyrus would later do, the results of the exodus would have been the same. It is Pharaoh, not God, who is to be blamed for the hardening of his own heart. (Hard Sayings of the Bible) Joshua 11:21 Then 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 utterly destroyed them with their cities. the Anakim: Jos 14:12-14 15:13,14 Nu 13:22-23 De 1:28 2:21 9:2 Jdg 1:10,11,20 Jer 3:23 9:23 Am 2:9 Joshua utterly destroyed: Jos 10:42 24:11,12 Ps 110:5,6 149:6-9 Rev 6:2 19:11-21 Joshua 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: Deuteronomy 1:28+ Where can we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there.”’ JOSHUA UTTERLY DESTROYED THE ANAKIM (MOST OF THEM) Then - Marks progress in the narrative, in this case dealing with the "big boys!" This is a reversal and refutation of the unbelief of the 10 spies in Numbers 13:27-33+! 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 utterly destroyed (charam; Lxx = exolethreuo) them with their cities - The giant Anakim were no match for Joshua and His "giant" God. Rod Mattoon - Anakim means “long neck.” The word was used of chains around the camel’s neck. These were the giants of the land and the reason why God’s people would not go into Canaan the first time. The Anakims terrified the spies. They felt like grasshoppers. God kept His promise though and helped Israel to conquer them. The greatest worry and fear of Israel was conquered by the Lord. He will do the same for our worries and fears too. Our worries and fears do not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empty today of its strength. Fear not tomorrow, God is already there. When it comes to your actions, if you fear that which people will know, don’t do it. No matter how awesome the giants are in our life, Jesus Christ can help us conquer them and give us rest. Whether its sinful habits, broken relationships, severe temptation, health problems, financial or marriage problems, the Lord can solve your problems and get you through your trials. (Treasures From Joshua) Guzik adds an interesting thought - Significantly, Israel faced the Anakim last, only after God had trained them in battle and in working with Him through the months of conquest.. When Israel refused to enter Canaan out of a fear of the Anakim, they did not realize that God would manage their affairs so they would face this most difficult challenge last. God knows how to manage the battles in your life.. And we must allow God to manage those battles. All too often we are convinced that we must go out and fight the Anakim first, when God would have us face them last. GEORGE BUSH Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 11 21. At that time. That is, during this war; in the course of these conquests. The words refer to no special point of time, as the work was gradually accomplished during the lapse of a considerable period. Some suppose this to be merely a recapitulation of the military operations detailed ch. 10:36–41, adding here a memorable circumstance there omitted, viz. the destruction of the Anakims, with the rest of the inhabitants of those places. Of this gigantic race, see on Num. 13:33. Their cutting off is particularly mentioned here, because they had been such a terror to the spies forty years before, to whom their bulk and strength made them appear as absolutely invincible. Even the opposition which they feared the most was overcome. ‘Never let the sons of Anak be a terror to the Israel of God, for even their day will come to fall. Giants are dwarfs to Omnipotence.’ Henry. Though these Anakims were now for the most part reduced, yet numbers of them escaped and took refuge in the country of the Philistines, and settled there, from whom Goliath, and other giants, descended. After a time some of them returned with followers, and rebuilt the cities from which they had been expelled; and Caleb and Othniel, to whom that region was assigned, vanquished and destroyed them after the division of the land. Ch. 14:6–15; 15:13–17. Joshua 11:22 There were no Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod some remained. only in Gaza: Jdg 3:3 1Sa 17:4 2Sa 21:16-22 1Ch 18:1 29:4-8 Ashdod: Jos 15:46 2Ch 26:6 Ne 13:23,24 Joshua 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Numbers 13:28 “Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. Deuteronomy 9:2 a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know and of whom you have heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the sons of Anak?’ (ANSWER: Joshua in the power of Jehovah!) MOST OF THE GIANTS WERE "CUT DOWN TO SIZE!" There were no Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod some remained - It is notable that these were the same giants the Israelite spies had feared in Nu 13:28! Joshua for some reason did leave a few Anakim in the coastal cities that were later occupied by the Philistines. The giant Goliath comes from the city of Gath some five hundred years later (1 Samuel 17:4). Campbell remarks that the fact that some remained "later proved to be an unfortunate oversight on Joshua’s part because in David’s time Goliath came from Gath to defy Israel and her God (1Sa 17:1-58) (The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament or Here) Rod Mattoon on some remained - The Anakims are driven out except for the Philistine cities of Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. This oversight would later afflict Israel in the time of David. Goliath was an Anakim who came from Gath. He defied God and Israel. The lesson here is if a problem is not dealt or conquered, it can come back to haunt you later on. Wild oats need no fertilizer. (Treasures From Joshua) QUESTION - Who were the Anakim / Anakites? ANSWER - The Anakim/Anakites were a formidable race of giant, warlike people (Deuteronomy 2:10, 21; 9:2) who occupied the lands of southern Israel near Hebron before the arrival of the Israelites (Joshua 15:13). The Anakim’s ancestry has been traced back to Anak, the son of Arba (Joshua 15:13; 21:11), who at that time was regarded as the “greatest man among the Anakim” (Joshua 14:15). The name “Anakim” most likely means “long-necked,” i.e., “tall.” The Hebrews thought them to be descendants of the Nephilim, a powerful race who dominated the pre-Flood world (Genesis 6:4; Numbers 13:33). When the twelve Israelite spies returned from exploring the Promised Land, they gave a frightening report of “people great and tall” whom they identified as the sons of Anak (Deuteronomy 9:2). The Israelites, seized with fear and believing themselves to be mere “grasshoppers . . . in their sight” (Numbers 13:33), rebelled against God (Deuteronomy 1:26-28) and refused to enter the land God had promised them. The Israelites were exhorted by Moses (Deuteronomy 1:19) not to fear the Anakim, but they refused to trust God’s promises (Deuteronomy 1:32-33). As a result, God became angry (Deuteronomy 1:34-39) and prohibited the “evil generation” from entering the Promised Land; Joshua and Caleb were the only exceptions (Deuteronomy 1:35-36). Because of their fear of the Anakim and their rebellion against God, the children of Israel were forced to wander for another 38 years in the wilderness. During the conquest of Canaan, Joshua expelled the Anakim from the hill country, and Caleb finally drove them out of Hebron completely. However, a small remnant found refuge in the cities of Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod (Joshua 11:22). Many Bible scholars speculate that the Anakim’s descendants were the Philistine giants David encountered (2 Samuel 21:15-22), including Goliath of Gath (1 Samuel 17:4-7). GotQuestions.org All uses of Anakim - Deut. 1:28; Deut. 2:10; Deut. 2:11; Deut. 2:21; Deut. 9:2; Jos. 11:21; Jos. 11:22; Jos. 14:12; Jos. 14:15 Related Resources: American Tract Society Anak, Plural Anakim Easton's Bible Dictionary Anakim Fausset Bible Dictionary Anakim Holman Bible Dictionary Anak, Anakim Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Anak, Anakim Smith Bible Dictionary Anakim International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Anakim Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Anakim McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Anakim The Jewish Encyclopedia Anakim GEORGE BUSH Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 11 22. So Joshua took the whole land. Not absolutely the whole, for in ch. 13:1, the Lord himself is represented as saying to Joshua, ‘There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed,’ but all the country described here and in the preceding chapter; the greatest and best part of it. Joshua 11:23 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 divisions by their tribes. Thus the land had rest from war. according to all: Ex 23:27-31 34:11 Nu 34:2-13 De 11:23-25 according to their: Jos 14:1-19:51 Nu 26:52-55 the land: Jos 11:18 14:15 21:44,45 22:4 23:1 Ps 46:9 2Ti 4:7,8 Heb 4:8-9 Joshua 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Hebrews 4:8-10 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. SUMMATION OF JOSHUA'S CONQUEST AND THE BOOK OF JOSHUA This chapter concludes with a summary statement of the Book of Joshua, describing first the conquest of the land and then the division of the land. So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses - In a sentence the writer summarizes Joshua 1-11. As noted below (note), which Joshua did take the whole land, individual Canaanite cities remained to be conquered by the individual tribes. Campbell comments on took the whole land - But how is the statement, “Joshua took the entire land,” to be understood when later it was written that “there are still very large areas of land to be taken over“? (13:1) To the Hebrew mind the part stands for the whole. It thus only needs to be demonstrated that Joshua took key centers in all parts of the land to validate the statement that he had conquered the whole land. A. J. Mattill, Jr. has meticulously analyzed the conquest of Canaan by surveying the geographical divisions of the land and the representative parts of it subdued by Joshua (See full article - “Representative Universalism and the Conquest of Canaan,” Concordia Theological Monthly 35. January 1964:8–17). Included are conquered sites on the coastal plain, the Shephelah (foothills), the central plateau, the Jordan Valley, and the Transjordan plateau. No area was totally bypassed. Joshua did indeed take the entire land, just as God promised he would if he followed the divine Word rather than human wisdom (cf. 1:8). Also see comments on 21:43–45. (BORROW The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament) Rod Mattoon - Joshua took the whole land which meant he had established a military presence in the land. It did not mean every part was subdued. The enemy was beaten and scattered, but there was still much territory to be possessed. Each tribe of Israel was to apply individually the lessons it learned when the nation was a united army. They were to live by faith individually. In the book of Judges the tribes fail, not because of God’s power, but because of a lack of faith and obedience. Today, a Christian must live by faith on his own. He can’t grow on the faith of his parents or grandparents. He must walk with God himself.(Treasures From Joshua) And Joshua gave it for an inheritance (nachalah) to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes - This description summarizes Joshua chapters 12-22 in which the conquered land was allotted to the tribes. Thus the land had rest (shaqat; Lxx = katapauo) from war - Of course this physical rest for the land was a pale foreshadowing of the spiritual rest for the life that places its faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Who gave the invitation Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30+) Joshua 13:1 reads "Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the LORD said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed. (notice it says "possessed" not "conquered!")" At first glance this statement in Joshua 13 seems to contradict the statement that "the land had rest from war." The solution is in the fact that Joshua's conquest was over key cities but Israel did not take every city nor did they slay every Canaanite. What they did however was enough to break the Canaanite's power and control over the land. In that sense the land had rest from war. This enabled Joshua to portion out the allotments to each tribe, but it was up to the individual tribe to gain final mastery over the Canaanites who remained in the land. In fact in Judges chapters 1-3 we see that after Joshua's death there was still land that had to be conquered by the individual tribes (e.g., see Jdg 1:3-4+, Jdg 1:8-11ff+). 🙏 THOUGHT - Even as Joshua gave Israel rest from war, our Joshua/Jesus gives us rest for our souls (Mt 11:28-30+) and yet there are still many battles to be fought against the "Canaanites" in our "land". And so every believer must daily fight against the "Canaanites" in our life (cf 1Ti 6:12+), the world, the flesh and the devil. Our final and full rest will not come until we are gloried and forever with Jesus. Related Resources: Rest in the Bible Dr Walter Kaiser's excellent summary - The Promise Theme and the Theology of Rest - Bibliotheca Sacra: Volume 130
Josué 11
Guzik adds that "In the same sense, Jesus has already defeated the enemy and conquered the land, but He also calls us into battle to gain what is ours." THOUGHT In short each believer has to possess his/her possessions which God has promised us in Christ (Eph 1:3+, 2Pe 1:4+, cf Jn 10:10b) and the key to possessing our possessions is the same key used by Joshua's - OBEDIENCE! .Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey! Believer's Study Bible:- Organized resistance from the Canaanites having been eliminated, Joshua was ready to begin dividing the land and assigning to the various tribes the "mopping up" operations. This verse, then, may be called a structural "pivot," looking back and then forward. This first main division of the book concludes with a summary of conquest in ch. 12.