Joshua 11 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Joshua 11 Summary - A Quick Overview

WHEN:

• Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land began around 1450 B.C. and lasted approximately 5-7 years.

CHARACTERS:

• Joshua - Moses’ assistant while he led the people in the wilderness. God selected Joshua to lead the Israelites into Canaan after Moses’ death.

• Jabin – King of Hazor. He gathered a large military force to fight against Israel in the north of Canaan.

WHERE:

• In Joshua 10, Joshua led Israel on a military campaign through the cities of southern Canaan.

• In Joshua 11, Israel fought with the kings of the north at the waters of Merom.

OUTLINE:

• ISRAEL DEFEATS THE ALLIANCE OF HAZOR (11:1-15):

  • When Jabin, the king of Hazor, heard about Israel’s conquest of the south (Joshua 9), he organized a huge alliance between himself and several of the remaining kings.

  • They brought a “great horde” of warriors, chariots, and horses to fight against Israel at the waters of Merom.

  • God spoke with Joshua and assured him He would give Israel the victory.

  • The warriors of Israel launched a sudden attack on Hazor’s alliance and overcame them.

  • The alliance retreated but Israel chased them and “left none remaining.”

  • Joshua hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.

  • After defeating the alliance, the Israelite army conquered all the cities of the kings who were part of the alliance.

  • The inhabitants of the cities were killed, and the spoil was shared amongst the Israelites.

• THE CONTINUED CONQUEST OF CANAAN (11:16-23):

  • God hardened the hearts of the remaining kings of the region, and they made war with Israel.

  • “Joshua made war a long time with all those kings” (11:18).

  • No one made peace with the Israelites except the Gibeonites (Joshua 9).

  • All the inhabitants of the land were killed, including the Anakim in the hill country.

  • Joshua “took the whole land” (11:23) and divided it between the tribes of Israel.
    

APPLICATION:

• Many people suggest the God of the Old Testament is different from the loving and patient God of the New Testament because He commanded Israel to kill the “innocent” inhabitants of Canaan.

• We examined this idea in the book of Deuteronomy, but it’s important to address it again.

• Deu 9:4-5 and other passages make it clear the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were not innocent people being terrorized by the Israelites, rather they were wicked people.

• God showed them patience for many years (Gen 15:16), but His patience wore out and He brought the Israelites into their land to execute His judgement.

• Those who try to frame Israel’s conquest of Canaan as a heartless genocide of the land’s innocent inhabitants aren’t being honest with the Scriptures or are ignorant of the Scriptures.