God’s Complicated Promise
Study Scripture: Joshua 11: 6 – 9, 16 – 23
Background Scripture: Joshua 6: 8:26, 10:28-43, 11:1–23, Deut. 7:1-26
Devotional Psalm 108
Lesson 3 September 19, 2026
Key Verse
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle, in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Joshua 11:20
INTRODUCTION
Our Lesson Study today is an extremely interesting one because it deals with many issues that are very relevant for modern Christian life.
Our Study points to certain warnings however as we look at how God acts to fulfill His promises.
This is an important warning because people nowadays who profess to be the people of God often think that they can do things the way they want to do things and are not prepared to act in complete precision with the instruction of God.
But here we see a man Joshua who was prepared to do exactly as God had commanded Moses and commanded him, trusting God for complete victory.
If we think we have it in ourselves to take on ourselves the fulfillment of the promises of God we will fail if we do not obey and trust God and follow the instructions of God completely. So our Study Lesson is a Lesson par excellence on how we should live.
Let us therefore examine the context of this Study Lesson Chapter. If we do not look carefully at what is happening according to the action and plan of God we will run into serious trouble.
We note that the people of Israel have not always behaved the way that Moses and Joshua behaved and they have run into trouble and have gone into exile, suffering a terrible loss of people and loss of the promised possession.
Sad to say they seem to be following along that same path and that path is getting themselves nowadays in serious trouble from which there seemed to be no way out except God decides to show them mercy.
This is of course very relevant for Christian life because all of these things as the Apostle Paul warned us are written for our instruction for those who are living at the end of the age. But sadly we also see professing Christians deviating from the express commandments of God and we see therefore many nations that profess to be Christian nations running into all kinds of difficulty from which there seem to be no way out. So we should learn from this Study that we have to follow the example of Joshua.
We are now looking therefore at the final phase of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. We stress again here that this is entry into the Promised Land by people that were all under the age of 20 years of age. Their parents had died in the wilderness because of their disobedience to the Word of God. They tempted God several times and so they died in the wilderness not having achieved victory and the blessings of the Promised Land.
So we should be careful at what we do. Let us not tempt God for if we do the consequences are quite sure. We must do everything that we can not to deviate from the express command of God and we will see when we read the book of Judges exactly what will happen to us if we do that nonsense.
Joshua 11 describes the final phase of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land follows upon Israel’s entry into the land of Canaan when Jericho and AI had fallen. Those powerful cities had for centuries prevented anyone from entering into the land against the well-organized city states.
Note that after the entry Israel got it into a covenant with Gibeon when a southern coalition attacked the Gibeonites. The Lord allowed Joshua to have a great victory over the kings and cities of the South and as a result when news about what had happened and the stunning defeats of what was considered to be impregnable cities in Canaan reached Hazor, the leading power in northern Canaan, they now organized a coalition of people far larger and better equipped than the armies Israel had already faced.
Now we should never forget that when the southern nations and cities were taken over and the defeats stunned them they faced this ragtag army of poorly equipped Israelites who had defeated Jericho by simply marching around the city and blowing trumpets. This was clearly the work of God as He fulfilled His promise to the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Remember that this promise had been delayed for over 400 years because God was not ready to destroy the Amorites that were in the land.
God had shown the people of the land of Canaan mercy and Abraham knew it because God had told him that even though he was in the land his generations would not take control of the land for over 400 years. See Genesis 15:1-16. In the interim they would be strangers in a strange land, living and developing into a nation from the 70 persons that went into Egypt.
All of this delay by God was because ”the iniquity of the Amorites” had not yet overflowed. But they did not listen to God even though they knew Him.
But Rahab the harlot heard about the message from God and she believed and was saved she and her household. But the vast majority of the people depended on their own strength and resisted God and fell.
God had delayed His action in His great mercy and kindness. But there was no listening to the warnings, and there was no repentance. The time of forbearance was now coming to an end.
So what lesson is there for us as we begin this Chapter?
Are we prepared to depend on the mercy of God to last forever?
Do we think that God is altogether love alone and there is no wrath after the full exercise of His mercy and grace?
We might think that the promises of God are complicated but they really are not. God will wait on you and talk to you constantly. But there comes a time when the day is far spent and there is no going back God has laid out His behaviour and how He acts and we should not think that it’s a complicated way of behaviour at all,.
It is a way of kindness, grace, mercy, forbearance, longsuffering.
But with all this way of love there is a way of justice and wrath.
So let us be very cautious in how we live. So one writer lays it out for us in simple fashion and people who profess to be in the covenant had better be careful. He notes:
“Under the Mosaic covenant, God commissioned Israel to execute judgment on the entrenched wickedness of the Canaanite nations and to prevent their idolatry from corrupting Israel ( Deuteronomy 7:6; 9:4-6; 20:16-18).
Israel did not gain the land through superior righteousness, and the church has received no command to reap produce Israel’s conquest.
Joshua 11 emphasizes the Lord’s sovereignty and Joshua’s obedience. The enemy possesses numbers, horses, chariots, fortified cities, and a coordinated strategy.
Israel’s decisive advantage is none of these.
The Lord speaks, promises victory, delivers the coalition into Israel’s hand, and fulfills what He had commanded through Moses.
The chapter also confronts the severity of divine judgment, explains the hardening of the Canaanite kings, removes the feared Anakim from Israel’s hill country, and closes with the land at rest from war”.
Note therefore that after Joshua had defeated the cities and kings of the South, the northern Kings joined forces and brought together a massive army to stall the advance of Israel.
But note that despite the overwhelming odds against Israel, Joshua would lead the Israelites to victory because God was with them.
God had been faithful and He demonstrated His sovereignty over every battle.
So our Chapter emphasizes the importance of persistent obedience in achieving complete victory.
Do not forget that this campaign to conquer the land of Canaan took a long time. This was no easy matter but Joshua remained faithful to the command of God and he persisted in leading Israel to conquer the land. And the people had rest.
What a lesson for our leaders!
But remember that the book of Hebrews tells us that there is a rest which Joshua did not give to the people. This was a rest that we have and that the obedient people of Israel have because of the work of the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ.
So what can we learn from this Study?
If you want to learn anything ask yourself first several questions. One writer poses these questions for us and we completely agree with him. We join him in challenging you:
“Are you facing challenges that feel overwhelming or impossible? Describe it.
Are you trusting God’s ways, even when they seem unconventional or difficult?
What does that look like for you?
Are you growing weary in a long battle or waiting season?
How do you fight that fatigue?
So we remind you and encourage you as we look at this Study Text:
- God is sovereign over all battles. This sovereignty is to give you confidence to obey and move forward. But remember your human weakness. God knew Joshua and He knows us and so God reassured Joshua, ”Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain over to Israel” ( Joshua 11:6). So get fear out of your head. Do not just talk as if you are powerful because you are not.
- Obedience brings victory. Joshua was completely reliant on God rather than on military strength or resources. Obedience to the commands of God are the key to success. Never you forget that.
- You must persevere through the long battles that will be faced. Joshua 11: 18 tells us plainly, “Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time”.
We note therefore why we have to be reminded of the lessons of this Chapter and this stress in it is that we are to leave nothing undone.
Joshua had renewed the covenant after the debacle that was reversed by God, and the city of AI finally fell (Chapter 8). The Gibeonites, who lived in the south had like Rahab heard about the coming of the Lord to Canaan and they disguised themselves and deceived the people of Israel by pretending they were helpless strangers in the land.
The people of Israel under Joshua entered into a treaty of protection with them. (Joshua 9). The people of Israel made the treaty without consulting God. (9:14-15).
God did not like this but God left that treaty alone undisturbed.
This shows you what will happen to you and how God has to be patient with you even when you disobey Him. But remember there are consequences
Now the battle continued and in Chapter 10 we heard that the five kings of the South had gotten together and this battle was so long and protracted that in Chapter 10:12-15 we are told of the amazing miracle performed by God. The passage tells us that for Israel to completely devastate the southern nations in the battle God had to have the sun stood still. Read Joshua 10.
What a miracle done by God!
Now that Joshua had defeated the southern kings and cities, Israel faced a larger coalition of kings as they approached the northern part of Canaan. Jabin the King of that area in Canaan apparently was the leading light in this area and he had heard about what had happened in the South. So he sent word to call together his allies.
Verses 1-5. “And it came to pass, when Jabin King of Hazor heard these things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the King of Achshaph, and to the kings who were from the North, in the mountains, in the plain South of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west, to the Canaanites in the East and in the West, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the mountains, and the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.
And when all these kings had met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel”.
So do you really think today that you have a problem?
Maybe you think it’s a problem but maybe it’s really not. How weak we really are despite the promises of God!
Verses 6-8. So God had to now intervene again and in intervening God told Joshua,
“And the Lord said to Joshua, ”Do not be afraid because of them, for to morrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel.
You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire”
This is an overwhelming military alliance and so the command of God is quite explicit. Israel had no comparable chariot force and so the enemies of Israel had every possible advantage.
But note that the Lord dealt with this amazing threat even before Joshua would attack and gave Joshua an explicit divine promise for this event.
Notice that God also added a command to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots so that the people of Canaan would never be able to assemble any chariot force,
But as well it would remove any possibility of a chariot force from the use of Israel.
We have to go back to Deuteronomy 17: 16 to understand this command for God had restricted the Kings of Israel from multiplying horses. In addition Psalms 20:7 told Israel not to have confidence in chariots and horses but to trust in the name of the Lord.
The conclusion therefore that Israel learned under Joshua was that Israel must not transfer its trust to a military power it had defeated.
But sadly the people of God seems to forget those instructions and try to do what they think they need to do to survive.
Men and women try to solve their problems and so we have men who are facing real and tremendous difficulties by earning a living by the sweat of the brow ( Genesis 3 curse) in the world which is really ruled by Satan, and so they end up not being able to support themselves and their families, and the women end up with extended families which they cannot support and cannot bring up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
What a sad lesson that professing believers forget also.
So do not trust in chariots and horsemen. Trust in the name of the Lord your God,
Verse 7. No we should notice that with the presence of God behind him and the promises of God with him Joshua and all the men of war used strategy in their fight. They fought with boldness and strategy and surprised the Canaanite armies with an unexpected ambush. The nation was united and the men of war were united and so they lost no time to march to face their assembled enemy.
Despite the technology of the Canaanites and the size of the opposing armies of the Canaanites Joshua was not deterred. All he needed was encouragement from God.
This was the largest and most important battle Israel fought in their war like conquest of Canaan.
God had equipped them. God did not send any lightning or having the sun stand still this time but despite this violent and bloody battle in the conquest Israel succeeded.
They worked.
Joshua did as God had commanded him and obediently fought, doing exactly what God told him he had to do to destroy the weapons of the Canaanites and all their horses and chariots.
God didn’t want him to keep them for his own army.
Notice therefore that God disdains modern weapons and so we know Israel must have confidence only in the Lord dear God.
So when you hear Christians worrying about nuclear weapons, and AI robots, and AI drones destroying the earth you should laugh within yourself. God will bring things to an end all by Himself.
The book of Revelation describes how God will do that.
The armies of Israel chased the Canaanites suddenly from the waters of Merom and attacked them and God delivered them into the hands of Israel.
Israel defeated them and chased them to Greater Sidon to the Brooke of Misrephoth and to the valley of Mizpah eastward. Israel attacked them until they had none of them remaining.
Scholars tell us an interesting sidelight of this battle as follows:
“By some accounts, the Canaanites who came to this port city of Sidon made their way to North Africa. “ it is said they founded Tingris or Tangier, where, according to Procopius (A.D.500-565), they erected two white pillars with an inscription in the Phoenician language, of which this is the translation: WE ARE THE PERSONS WHO HAVE FLED FROM THE FACE OF JOSHUA THE PLUNDERER, THIS SON OF NAVE or Nun (Clark)
Verse 9. None of the Canaanites were left. Joshua continued his fight until he had accomplished everything that he possibly could. The Lord had guided him and he obeyed everything that God had commanded. The victory was complete.
Verses 10-15. Joshua then turned and captured Hazor and the King there who was apparently the head of all the kingdoms in that part of Canaan Peter Joshua totally destroyed them as God had commanded. Only city that he burned was Hazor. Joshua did not burn the other cities. The destruction was complete and staggering.
Note carefully the theological center of the campaign. It is God that had commanded Moses and Moses had commanded Joshua and Joshua carried out the mission leaving nothing undone of all that God had commanded. He was faithful and was submissive to all the instructions that had been revealed to him not worrying because the enemy was numerous.
Note that Hazor was given special attention because it is described as the head of all the kingdoms and it was large and prominent. It led unbelief, the lust for power and dependence on it as well as idolatry. Hess records about Hazor
“The archaeological evidence of a well fortified city with international contacts confirms its leading status during the second millennium”.
Now before we feel sorry for the Canaanites we must understand that they knew that the judgment of God was coming against them. Joshua 2: 9-11, 9:24-25 tells us about this and we know that they could have like Rahab acted in faith. Or they could like the Gibeonites have surrendered. Or they could have left the area.
So these individuals, their rulers, their community, and their society were guilty. We should keep that in mind, for peoples, rulers or societies can be guilty in the sight of God.
We know this from what God did to Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19, what God did in the flood recorded in Genesis 7 to the entire occupation and population of the earth, or in Midian in Numbers 31, or sadly in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 2 Kings 17.
So we know that people are individually, and nationally responsible for corruption, rebellion degradation of the nation and the culture, and there will be perishing.
We do not know of course whether the individuals went to hell but we do know that their life on earth was taken.
What we do know for sure is that God is the Judge of all the earth according to Genesis 18:25. We also know that God is just, merciful, and righteous, and God will do no wrong.
Remember therefore that God has the right to judge individuals, communities and societies and cultures, and there is such a thing not only of personal guilt but the guilt of a society.
It is instructive that the city of Hazor was only 1 of 3 cities burned by the Israelites when they conquered Canaan. Jericho and AI were also burned. But the other cities of Canaan were taken and inhabited by the Israelites.
The campaign took a long time and God’s promise did not tell us that you do not have to have endurance, planning, and repeated battle and that there is no cost of prolonged obedience
Note that Jabin king of Hazor heard of the successes of Israel, and the nations of men feared what God was doing for His people. The southern portion of the Promised Land was all mostly now under Israel’s control.
The northern portion was held by the few powerful nations lead by Jobab king of Madon, the king of Shimron, and the king of Achshaph, not to mention the Canaanites, Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusite and Hivites which surrounded portions of land around the northern region.
The northern kings came together to defeat Israel, and in so doing created a vast army assembled together for the explicit purpose of stopping Israel from growing in that region. In part what made the army so great was the access to new technology of the chariots they rode and the horses used in conjunction with them. This technology separated them from the northern kingdom.
Just as in the past, Joshua displayed great courage especially as God assured him that He was on his side. Now again God comforts and assures Joshua that He will be with him and that success is guaranteed.
Fear for Joshua and Israel was expected facing the new challenge that these northern area kings brought, but as God assured His people then, He assures His people today that despite the odds against you, His guarantee shifts victory on to your side, as He goes before us fighting the battles securing victory. As Christians we should all take comfort in this knowledge.
After assurance and belief, action was taken. God had told Joshua to hough (meaning to cut the animal at their shin) their horses, this would destroy their hamstring and cause the horses to be lame, and unusable. They were to burn the chariots, so that Israel would not make use of them after, and have no fear the technology in the present should any nation make use of it.
This is the encouragement that God provides to His people through all generations when faced with what seems like an insurmountable problem, He provides the way through or out, and Joshua listening to God felt this and also conveyed it to the people also so that any apprehensions of danger from this army or any other they could stand on this experience to know God is with them and is for them. This is part of the wisdom of God.
Remember what Joshua and the armies of Israel did.
Joshua and his army attacked the gathered northern armies with boldness and strategy that God had provided. Joshua leading the people of God, fought them in the will of God, that is being obedient to God’s will following His instructions. They destroyed the technologically superior weapons as God instructed. The lesson in this also is that as Christians we do not need to resort to the same techniques and weapons that people of the world would use to win, we should understand God’s laws and will and fight within the instructions and manner that our God wishes to fight. This demonstrates a complete trust in Him, before the battle, during the battle and after the battle. God knows us well and proportions our trials to our strengths and our strengths to our trials.
Verses 16-23.
Joshua was successful in leading Israel into the battle. A fairly decisive victory was achieved, and he obtained the honour and advantage of a complete victory. He killed and chased them in every direction the northern armies fled too. But those that fled Joshua still pursued, to complete all the instructions concerning the battle that God had told him. God’s justice on the people of the northern kingdoms was complete.
he victory did not belong to the children of Israel in the sense that it was accomplished in their own strength, it was accomplished in the fact that they relied on God.
Joshua followed the instructions of God. Sometimes we do not fully appreciate and understand what God is asking us to do, however, if we trust in God and do what we are told, then we can after ask for understanding of what we have done. Since we as followers of God, know that He is a Just, and Holy God, we know His judgments will be true and without sin, as what humans would do.
As for leaders, they can also learn from Joshua’s example how he accepted and completed the instructions given to him from God.
His obedience to the instructions given to him from God was an instance of
1. Of his subjection to the divine will, as one under authority, that must do as he is bidden.
2. Of his self-denial, and crossing his own genius and inclination in compliance with God’s command.
3. Of his confidence in the power of God engaged for Israel, which enabled them to despise the chariots and horses which others trusted in, Ps. 20:7; 33:17.
4. Of his care to keep up in the people the like confidence in God, by taking that from them which they would be tempted to trust too much to. This was cutting of a right hand. [Matthew Henry]
Scripture records that Joshua took the entire land as the Lord had spoken to Moses and he gave it to Israel by tribal allotments since the land was a covenant inheritance not only captured property.
As a result of that we note that when Israel went into unbelief they went into exile because that was covenant discipline.
When they did not turn the land of promise into the land of salvation and spiritual blessing and obedience there would be discipline.
When the Scripture tells us that Joshua took the entire land it meant that he controlled the entire region but of course he did not take every single city. That work was left to the individual tribes.
Joshua made war for a long time with these kings and scholars estimate that this took between 5 to 7 years. We know therefore that this was not a quick work.
It is also to be noted that when the children of Israel took time to occupy the land in stages this gave the Canaanites time to repent. They could very well have followed the examples of Rahab,, the Gibeonites and the example of the city of Shechem.
But since their hearts were hard God hardened their hearts because of the necessity for judgment to be accomplished.
Romans 1: 24-28 warn us that when our hearts are hardened God will give us up to the sin that is in our heart.
This then according to one scholar named Trapp, this is judicial hardening which comes about by the deceitfulness of sin and the malice of Satan.
God accepted repentant Canaanites who surrendered and submitted to the God of Israel.
We therefore should not simply think that God has given a unique judgment on the Canaanites. God deals with all men if their heart is hard and hardened.
Note therefore that God’s grace will either harden the heart of man or will soften it.
We are told later outside of our Text that God had Joshua totally destroy the Anakim, this feared people who were unusually tall and strong and who had a awesome reputation and an intimidating influence on Israel and on the other people around them.
God had Joshua cut off the Anakim a tribe of exceptionally large and strong people. None of them were left in the land of Israel.
Israel did not have any need to fear them any more like the fear that the 10 spies had exhibited
Therefore Joshua took the whole land. This was complete victory. The Canaanite kings had been crushed. The land was given to Israel as an inheritance.
Then the land rested from war.
So we know that sinners cannot stand successfully against God. It really does not matter how many there are once you know that God is on your side the latest technology will not destroy you.
CONCLUSION
God has already overcome sin and He has told you that shortly Satan will be bound totally and put into the bottomless pit.,
So God sends you out with the same assurance “Do not be afraid of them… I will give them over, slain”.
It is quite interesting to note that when Israel refused to enter Canaan because they feared the Anakim they did not seem to realize that God would guide and provide defense so that they could face this very difficult challenge at last.
So we know that God manages the battles in the lives of His people.
We should also know that God wants the believers to submit to God’s ordering of such battles.
But just remember that believers may think that they have to go out and fight the difficult enemies first, but note that God would have believers face them last.
Do not think too highly of yourself. Man’s strength is only in his breath. That’s all he has. The breath can be taken away at any time.
Depend on God.
We know that Joshua made war with the kings of Canaan for a long time according to Joshua 14:7 and Joshua 14:10.
Remember that hardening of the heart is a work of God as we see from the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in Exodus 4:21. It comes when you are seeped in sin and refused to pay attention to what God is saying. So the Canaanites made war upon Israel so that none of them could be spared.
So take that as a warning to all of us professing believers.
Just as what was shown in this conquest of the land the taking of the whole land does not imply all the towns and villages to the very last one had been conquered and all the Canaanites rooted out from every corner of the land.
But the conquest was such that the power of the Canaanites were broken and their dominion overthrown.
Israel had received the possession of the land based on the strongest pledge of the powerful help that they have received from the Lord.
Despite the pledge of the Lord for you, after you have come to God in salvation, and sin has been conquered in your heart and you have been given a new heart and the possession of the Holy Spirit this does not mean that from time to time the Canaanites might not gain the upper hand over you.
This should not happen. God did not withdraw His help from His people because of their apostasy from Him but God had given the enemies power over them to chastise them for their sins.
So remember that God will not withdraw His help from you when you make mistakes and get into difficulty. He is still with you and will nurture you and chastise you and develop you into the child that He wants.
Be careful not to think that every difficulty you run into is because of sin in your life that you have committed. The book of Job was written to teach you about God’s promise and about how He works to improve you and to show you your shortcomings.
So just bear in mind the hymn which tells us, Glorious things of God are spoken and glorious things are spoken about Zion the city of our God. Remember also that He whose word cannot be broken has called you to his own abode.