So Joshua took all that land,(Y) the hill country and all the Negeb and(Z) all the land of Goshen(AA) and the lowland(AB) and the Arabah and the hill country of Israel and its lowland (AC) from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as(AD) Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon below(AE) Mount Hermon. And he captured(AF) all their kings and struck them and put them to death. Joshua made war(AG) a long time with all those kings. There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except(AH) the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took them all in battle. For it was the LORD’s doing(AI) 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,(AJ) just as the LORD commanded Moses.
-Joshua 11:16-20
It is rather stunning to read through the chapters of Joshua where the Israelites are marching throughout the land of Canaan and to note just how dominating that army was. No one could stand before them. They slaughtered everyone. They left none alive. No mercy was shown, and all were completely and utterly destroyed.
It might be easy to look at Joshua and note how courageous and faithful a leader he was. After reading through chapter 12, I was reminded of the fear that the ten spies had of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, and how it was only Joshua and Caleb who had faith that the victory could be attained. You think of the fear that those 10 spies had, and then compare that to the great victory that Joshua achieved, and you might be tempted to glorify Joshua. But, reading through the book of Joshua, you note a common refrain. “The Lord delivered them into the hands of Israel” It was only and completely by the sovereign power and faithful hand of God that Israel was allowed to enter and conquer the land that had been promised to Abraham. Throughout their history after Egypt, Israel proved themselves time and time again to be faithless and cowardly. Yet, God continued to have mercy upon them and still allowed them to enter the Promised Land.
It was the Lord who hardened the Canaanites hearts. It was the Lord who delivered the 31 kings into Joshuas hands. It was the Lord who allowed the absolute domination by Israel of the nations that Israel destroyed. The Lord was faithful, the Lord was merciful.
Thus, the lesson for us: no matter what we do, not matter what we want, no matter what we try, if the Lord don’t Will it, it ain’t gonna happen. It is by Him that we “…live and move and have our being.” He is God, we are His people, and may He ever be glorified and made known!