The Southern Campaign

Joshua 11

            The treaty with Gibeon was tested almost immediately. Gibeon’s neighbors, smelling a traitor, gathered for war against them. Israel won decisively, pursuing them relentlessly, and humiliating and killing their kings. So that the Israelites could not brag about their prowess, the Lord intervened in two ways: first, massive hailstones, which Joshua says killed more than the Israelites. It’s a significant choice. Baal, the chief god of Canaan, was considered the god of the storm, but here is Yahweh of Israel using something that should have been Baal’s and using it against them. Imagine grabbing the robber’s weapon and using it to subdue him. Second, the sun stood still so that the Israelites could continue the pursuit and finish the victory.

            If you’re keeping count, that’s now seven cities down. From there Joshua turned south and the rest of the campaign is recorded briefly: Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, Debir, and the whole of the Negev. Interestingly, Lachish is a fortress that guarded the approach to Jerusalem, but Joshua doesn’t mention that important city. He tells us that the king of Jerusalem and his army were destroyed, but he doesn’t mention the city falling. Because it didn’t. The purpose of the book of Joshua is to show how the Lord gave the land to His people. When we come to Judges, we’ll find out that Israel didn’t finish the job and that that failure has bad consequences. That’s later. For now, we’re to rejoice in the subjugation of the south and Israel’s total dominance because the Lord fights for her.