13 March

Bible in 365 Days

Joshua 9-11

Joshua 9

The Book of Joshua describes in detail the leadership of Joshua over the Israelites after the death of Moses. Separated into three parts, chapter 9 of Joshua deals with the aftermath of the battle of Ai and the treaty Israel made with the Gibeonites without proper counsel.

Many countries west of Jordan found themselves banding together in order to defeat Israel. One such people were the Gibeonites who decided to fool the Israelites into thinking that they were from a faraway land. They pretended to be from an outside land because they knew that those inside were certainly marked for death.

They came in droves dressed in shabby clothes as a disguise. They approached Joshua as if they were weak, harmless, and seeking a covenant with Israel. Joshua believed that Gibeonites were not a part of the city of Canaan. He was unaware of them being of Hivite decent and from a country that wished to attack Israel. He agreed to the terms of the treaty which stated that Israel would never attack the Gibeonites. The decision turned out to be a horrible mistake as consultation from the Lord was not taken.

The deceptive plot was discovered by the Israelites, but because of the covenant made with the Gibeonites before God, they had to let them live or face the wrath of the Lord. The people of Canaan did not go unpunished however. Joshua made the Gibeonites serve out their days as slaves to the Israelites. Their duties included cutting wood and carrying water for the people of Israel. Although this was hard work for the Gibeonites, serving as slaves meant that the people of Israel were sworn to protect them.

Joshua 10

The five Amorite kings of Eglon, Lachish, Jarmuth, Hebron, and Jerusalem joined forces and fought against Gibeon. The Gibeonites sent a message to Joshua at the Gilgal camp and asked him to save them. Joshua took his entire army because God had told him not to afraid because he would win this battle.

Joshua took the enemy by surprise and defeated them at Gibeon. God hurled massive hailstones down upon them. Most of the enemy perished from the hail compared to those that were killed by the Israelites' swords. Joshua then returned with all of the Israelites back to the Gilgal camp.

The five Amorite kings fled to hide in a cave at Makkedah. Joshua told some of his men to block the opening of the cave with large rocks. After the fighting was over, Joshua had the cave opened and the kings brought to him. Joshua told the men of Israel and his army commanders to put their feet on the kings' necks and they did so.

Joshua then had the five kings put to death. He had their bodies put on trees which were put on display until sunset. Joshua then ordered that the bodies be thrown into the same cave where they were had been hiding. The cave was once again blocked off with large rocks.

Next, Joshua took Makkedah and destroyed everyone in it. Just as he had done to the king of Jericho, he did it to the king of this city. Joshua and his army attacked Libnah. Joshua left no survivors and he killed the king of Libnah. Joshua and his men did the same to Lachish.

Joshua also defeated the Horam king from Gezer that had helped Lachish. After that, Joshua and all of the Israelites attacked Eglon and destroyed everyone there. He did the same to Hebron and Debir.

Joshua and all of the Israelites conquered the entire region, along with the hill country, western foothills, Negev, and the mountain slopes. The kings did not survive nor any of the people in those areas. God had commanded this. Then Joshua took all of the Israelites back to the Gilgal camp.

Joshua 11

When King Jabin of Hazor learned that Israel's army was headed his way, he contacted the kings of Madon, Akshaph, Shimron, as well as the northern kings. Theses kings and their men joined forces to fight against Israel. God told Joshua to be brave because he was going to win the battle. God also told Joshua to burn their chariots and to also cut the legs of their horses.

Joshua and the Israeli army attacked the enemy and defeated them. Joshua also captured Hazor. He put its king to death with a sword. Joshua's army destroyed everyone and burned Hazor. Joshua conquered all of the royal cities and their kings. He had them all put to death by the sword. He did this because Moses said God had commanded it. Israel only burned Hazor. The Israelites took all of the livestock and plunder from these cities.

Joshua captured the hill country, Negev, Goshen, western foothills, Arabah and all of the foothills and mountains of Israel, from Mount Halak to Baal Gad. He also captured all of the kings and had them killed. Joshua fought against these kings for quite some time. The Hivites that lived in Gibeon made a peace treaty with the Israelites.

The rest did not because God had hardened their hearts so they would fight Israel, and also so Joshua could destroy all of them because God told Moses to do this. Then, Joshua went and eliminated the Anakites that were living in the hill regions from Anab, Debir, Hebron and also from the Judah hill country to all of the hill regions of Israel.

Joshua completely destroyed their towns and everything in them. When Joshua was finished there were no more Anakites living in Israel's territory. The only survivors were in Ashdod, Gath and Gaza. Joshua took control of all of the land that he had conquered just like God had directed Moses. He gave the land to Israel as their inheritance based on their tribal divisions.