Land Divided for Children of Israel

Joshua 12-19 (KJV)

Chapter 12 in Joshua lists the kings who were defeated by Joshua and the Children of Israel. The division of the land to the tribes of Israel took place in Chapters 13 thru 19. The tabernacle of the congregation was set up at Shiloh (18:1). Shiloh was where "...Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided for an inheritance by lot...before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they made an end of dividing the country" (19:51).

Israel Battles More Forces for Inheritance

Joshua 11 (KJV)

Jabin, king of Hazor, sent word to other kings to join forces with them against Israel because he heard of all that Joshua had done. "...[H]e sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west, And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh" (vs. 1-3). When all of them came together at the waters of Merom, they formed a great multitude with many horses and chariots ready for battle against Israel.

"And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire" (v. 6).

The following day Joshua and his people suddenly came upon the multitude by the waters of Merom. "...[T]he Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel..." (v. 8). "And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire" (v. 9). "And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded" (v. 12). "...[Joshua] left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses" (v. 15).

"So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war" (v.23).

Israel Defeats Southern Cities

Joshua 10:29-43 (KJV)

Moving on from Makkedah, Joshua continued to take five more cities in the region. The cities were Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron and Debir. King Horam of Gezer attempted to help Lachish, but was also defeated. "So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed as the Lord God of Israel commanded" (v.40). "...[T]he Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal" (vs. 42,43).

Joshua and the Children of Israel fought evil with faith for their Promised Land. We have to fight evil in our spiritual battles to hold on to our Promised Land--Heaven. This is why we must armor ourselves with the Word of God to fight the good fight! (Ephesians 6:10-20; 1 Timothy 6:12).

Israel's Battles Continue

Joshua 10:15-28 (KJV)

Israel discovered the five Amorite kings hiding in a cave in the city of Makkedah. Joshua ordered for a stone to be placed over the cave opening while the Children of Israel pursued the enemies who God had delivered into their hand.

Time came when Joshua had the five kings removed from the cave to slay them. The kings represented Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon.

Joshua's agenda that day also included taking the city of Makkedah "...and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho" (v. 28).

Amorites Join Forces Against Israel

Joshua 10:1-14 (KJV)

Adoni-zedek, the king of Jerusalem, heard of all that had taken place from Jericho to Gibeon. Particularly disturbing to him was the news of how the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and joined them. For Gibeon was a great royal city with mighty men. As a result of the report on Gibeon, Adoni-zedek sent word to kings of surrounding cities to join forces with him to defeat Gibeon. "Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it" (v. 5).

"And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us. So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night" (vs. 6-9).

The Amorites fled from Israel. "[T]he Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them [to the city of Azekah], and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

"Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel" (vs. 12-14).

Israel Deceived by People of Gibeon

Joshua 9 (KJV)

Word spread to the inhabitants of the nearby city of Gibeon of what Joshua had done in Jericho and Ai. Fearing for their lives, the people devised a deceptive plan to save themselves. They dressed in old, worn apparel and packed old wine with dry and moldy bread for their provisions to appear to Joshua as his servants who had traveled a long journey "And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregations sware unto them" (v.15).

After three days, Israel learned that the people had not traveled far, but had come from the neighboring cities of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth and Kirjath-jearim. "And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us? Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing. And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do. And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose" (vs. 22-27).

Ai Destroyed by Israel

Joshua 8 (KJV)

God instructed Joshua to set up an ambush behind the city of Ai. Israel was to take it like Jericho. The difference would be that the people would be allowed to keep the spoils for themselves.

Joshua did as the Lord commanded and gathered thirty thousand men to travel to Ai by night. Five thousand of the men were positioned on the west of Ai for the ambush. The remaining men worked with Joshua to lure the people of Ai away from the city.

Joshua's plan was to lure the people away from Ai by fleeing from them. When all of the people were lured away, the five thousand would seize the city from the west.

Joshua's plan worked. All the people of Ai left their city in pursuit of Israel. "And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city" (v. 18).

"For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the Lord which he commanded Joshua. And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day" (vs. 26-28).

"Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal, As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt-offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace-offerings. And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them" (vs. 30-35).