Josué 11
Thomas Constable · Citado em PreceptAustin
Josué 11
Constable - The waters of Merom (v. 5) were evidently close to the village of Merom that was west of Hazor. Some scholars equate the waters of Merom with Lake Huleh. Lake Huleh lay to the north of the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee). Others equate Merom with Madon, about five miles west of modern Tiberias. These locations seem less likely. GEORGE BUSH Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 11 5. Were met together. Heb. יועדו yivvâedū, were assembled by appointment. In pursuance of previous arrangements. Chal. ‘Met at a time agreed upon’ At the waters of Merom. Generally understood of the lake Semechon or Samechonitis, lying between the head of the river Jordan and the lake of Gennesaret. The name imports ‘highness,’ and is supposed to be so called because its waters were higher than those of the sea of Galilee. The Arabic Samaka, from which Semechon is derived, has the same import. It is situated in a valley, and is now called Bahhrat el-Hhule, i. e. the lake of the valley, a valley formed by the two branches of mount Hermon. In summer the lake is for the most part dry, and covered with shrubs and grass, in which lions, bears, and other wild beasts conceal themselves. Joshua 11:6 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel; you shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire." Do not be afraid because of them: Jos 10:8 Ps 27:1,2 46:11 tomorrow at this time: Jos 3:5 Jdg 20:28 1Sa 11:9 2Ch 20:16, hough, Jos 11:9 2Sa 8:4 you shall hamstring their horses: De 7:16 Ps 20:7,8 46:9 147:10,11 Pr 20:7 Isa 30:16 31:1 Ho 14:3 Joshua 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Joshua 1:5 “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 8:1 Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. Isaiah 41:10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ JEHOVAH TO THE RESCUE! Then - Marks progression in the narrative and immediately Joshua confers with Yahweh. Now it is time for God to speak! Notice His first words surely address Joshua's greatest doubts (and need). The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid because of them - Israel must have carried out reconnaissance, performing military observations and ascertaining that a huge army that was arrayed against them. Joshua would have thought something like "Mission Impossible," and in human terms that is correct, but not with God (cf Mk 10:27). Yahweh had made promises to Abraham, to Israel and to Joshua and He is ever faithful to keep His promises. Had it been written in his day, Joshua would have sung this hymn after hearing these encouraging words.... Just When I Need Him Most Just when I need Him, Jesus is near, Just when I falter, just when I fear; Ready to help me, ready to cheer, Just when I need Him most. Refrain: Just when I need Him most, Just when I need Him most, Jesus is near to comfort and cheer, Just when I need Him most. Just when I need Him, Jesus is true, Never forsaking, all the way through; Giving for burdens pleasures anew, Just when I need Him most. Just when I need Him, Jesus is strong, Bearing my burdens all the day long; For all my sorrow giving a song, Just when I need Him most. Just when I need Him, He is my all, Answering when upon Him I call; Tenderly watching lest I should fall, Just when I need Him most. For - Term of explanation, explaining how God plans to keep His promises! Tomorrow at this time - God is very specific, not just saying sometime in the future so you will need to wait. Before crossing the Jordan, Israel had to wait 3 days. Before conquering Jericho they had to wait 7 days. But this time Yahweh says "no waiting period" required. Cyril
Josué 11
Constable - Joshua subdued the whole land (v. 23) in the sense that there were no more pitched battles by the combined Israelite tribal forces following Joshua’s conquests. God expected individual tribes to subdue the remaining towns and pockets of resistance from then on (cf. 13:1; Judg. 1:1)....The major war with the Canaanites ended (v. 23), but minor battles and mopping up operations were still necessary. Not only did the Israelites obtain the land, but they defeated the Canaanite kings and broke their power. Kitchen - “The error of contrasting Joshua’s rapid campaigns (misread as permanent conquest) with slower occupation in Judges 1 misses the point entirely. And how often the proponents of this theory omit even to read Joshua 13! Thirty-one dead kinglets (Joshua 12) were not a conquest in depth, merely a cropping of the leadership. At the end of Joshua’s career, there still remained ‘very much land to be possessed’ (13:1)—both the areas listed (13:2–6) largely unreached by Joshua’s vigour, as well as the in-depth settlement of most of the districts already raided. That process was more painfully slow, even in Joshua’s lifetime; cf. the remarks in Joshua 18:2–3 (Joshua’s rebuke), besides the frustrated efforts recorded here and there (Josh. 15:63; 16:10; 17:12, 16).” (Quoted by Constable) Henry Sell - “There has never been a greater war for a greater cause. The battle of Waterloo decided the fate of Europe, but this series of contests in far-off Canaan decided the fate of the world.” (Bible Study by Periods online) Gotquestions.org - During the conquest of Canaan, God intervened miraculously on several occasions, including the day the sun stood still (Joshua 10). Israel was largely successful in defeating or driving out the Canaanites; however, they were not completely successful. Sometimes they left pockets of Canaanites to continue to rule themselves, and sometimes they enslaved the Canaanites (Judges 1). Both of these things had been forbidden by God, who told Israel to drive them out completely (Deuteronomy 7:2). As a result, the Canaanites remaining in the land became a temptation and a snare to the people of Israel. At times Israel would worship the Canaanites’ gods, and at times God would allow those remaining pagans to rule over them. The book of Judges tells the story. Today, there are many who find fault with a God who would order “genocide.” However, the Bible makes it clear that God was sending Israel into the Promised Land to punish the people who were living there for their wickedness. Certainly God has the right to administer judgment in this way. Possession (gift, heritage) (05159) nachalah from nāḥal = signifies giving or receiving property which is part of a permanent possession and as a result of succession) means Inheritance, heritage, possession. A possession is any piece of property that passes by law to an heir on the death of the owner. It also speaks of God's promises to His people, such as the promise of the land to national (redeemed remnant) Israel. Rest (undisturbed)(08252) shaqat is a verb which means to cause quietness, to pacify, to allay, to be still, to be quiet, to be undisturbed. Basically the meaning of shaqat is a state of tranquility, as when the land has absence of war (2Chr 20:30). The first use in Joshua is used figuratively to describe that "the land had rest (Lxx = katapauo = to cause something to cease, to cause to be at rest - Heb 4:4, 8, 10) from war." (see similar uses below of the land having rest or being undisturbed by war) Even in these repeated notices of “rest” in Judges that use the verb shaqat, these periods of "rest" were not the permanent rest promised in the nuah group of words. The same shaqat type is observed in Joshua 11:23 and Joshua 14:15 where the land is given this type of “rest” from war. However it was only a temporary lull in the continuous surge of the restless sea, Isaiah 57:20, a “respite” from days of trouble, Psalm 94:13. This type of rest must be separated from what God calls “My Rest.” (Hebrews 3:11, Hebrews 4:3, 5), which supremely is found only in Christ when one believes in Him and rests from his efforts to save himself. In Ruth 3:18-note Naomi tells Ruth that Boaz "will not rest (Lxx = hesuchazo = to be at rest)" until he resolves the matter of who is to be the kinsman redeemer. In Isaiah 30:15 we read "For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength." Sadly the last part of that verse says "But you were not willing!" In Isa 32:17 what brings true security and tranquility reading that that "the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness (Lxx = anapausis = cessation from wearisome activity for the sake of rest) and confidence forever." Thus it is righteousness which brings true tranquility. The tossing sea "cannot be quiet (still, at rest, calm)." (Isa 57:20) Shaqat describes people (Israel) "at rest, that live securely" (Ezek 38:11) which speaks of a sense of safety and security. There is a similar meaning of shaqat/rest for the land from disturbance of war in the following passages all dealing with the Promised Land.... 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. Joshua 14:15 Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war. Jdg 3:11 Then the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. Jdg 3:30; So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was undisturbed for eighty years. Jdg 5:31 Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD; But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.” And the land was undisturbed for forty years. Jdg 8:28. So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon. Irving Jensen - A good way to relieve the heaviness of soul induced by the record of bloody and devastating battles is to see afresh the place of the battles in Israel’s history from the divine overall perspective. A review of the main aspects of Israel’s wars in Canaan forcuses attention on three things, namely, their origin, agent, and result. 1. The origin of the wars was God. They were His wars. The man whom Joshua saw with sword in hand at the commencement of the battles was from God (Joshua 5:13). It was God who brought Israel to battle, to purge the land of idolatry. It was God who gave Israel the victory, that she might have a land to dwell in. 2. The agent of the wars was Israel. A man, Joshua, and a multitude, the Israelites, were the soldiers and conquerors and executioners, acting in obedience to their Commander-in-chief, God. Whatever they did in obedience to His directives had the unique quality of being holy. This was vividly demonstrated to Joshua, again at the beginning of the wars, when he was told that the ground on which he stood was holy (Joshua 5:15). The land as well as all that was needed for its conquest was holy. If the battles were bloody and desolating, they were holy. If they were many and long, they were holy. God was using the Israelites to purge and punish idolatrous nations, and destruction by war was His chosen method. 3. The result of the wars was rest. The wars were not the ultimate purpose of God. They were to bring in the rest. For there could not have been rest for Israel with idolatrous peoples dwelling in their midst. The phrase in Joshua 11:23 “the land had rest from war” speaks only of rest negatively. Positively, this was the rest of a dwelling place in a homeland, of prosperity both materially and spiritually. It is noteworthy to observe that when God commissioned Joshua to bring Israel into the land (Joshua 1:2–9), the emphasis was on the positive blessings of rest, with only a brief allusion to the conflict aspect of its attainment (Joshua 1:5). The major spiritual applications for Christian living are derived from the truths described above. God wants the Christian to enter into rest, to prosper spiritually in the rich environment of His daily blessings. The weights and sins which so easily detain and beset the Christian (Heb. 12:1) need to be dealt with and driven out, for there is no rest in their presence. The Christian intent on living in God’s blessings will find that such a life comes not without conflict for the simple reason of the presence of the enemies of the soul. But the battle is really God’s battle, and the Christian, weak in himself, will find that for faith and obedience to God, God will fight for him, drive out the enemy, give him the victory, and thus let him enjoy the blessings of the rest-land. Rest-living for the Christian is partaking of Christ (Heb. 3:14) and looking to Him (Heb. 12:2). All the rest-land blessings stream from His wounded side. In a real sense Jesus has taken the land of promise for His children by His defeat of Satan on the cross, and the Christian’s appropriation of Canaan blessings depends on living in Him, above the storms and safe from the foes. (Joshua- Everyman's Bible Commentary: Rest-Land Won) Joshua 11:23 Entering Promised Land So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Loin had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel (Joshua 11:23). Writing to a new generation after World War 1, Winston Churchill challenged, "You have not an hour to lose… Don't be content with things as they are. `The earth is yours and the fullness thereof.' Enter your inheritance; accept your responsibility." God gave Israel the land of Palestine as their inheritance. He first promised it to Abraham, and He reconfirmed His pledge to others throughout Old Testament times. In addition to whatever land he owned, the Jewish man would pass on his possessions to his children. Only the priests and Levites owned neither land nor possessions; their inheritance was the Lord. In the Old Testament, a person had rights to an inheritance only through the death of a parent or relative. Under Roman law of New Testament times, a person became an heir at birth, though he might not receive a full inheritance until a family member died. In Jesus Christ, the truths about inheritance from both testaments reached their pinnacle: He died that we might enter our inheritance; and He gave us a second birth that we might accept our responsibility F B