Joshua 14:1

Joshua 14:1 says, And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them.  Joshua wasn't alone in distributing the land to the tribes of Israel.  Eleazar the priest was also involved.  Joshua was the head of the army, but the priest would also represent God.  Verse two states, By lot was their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe.  The nine and a half tribes chose their land by lot as God had instructed Moses to do.  The leader may have changed, but God's plan had not, nor will it today as one spiritual leader passes away and another arises.  Verse three adds, For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them.  This was already discussed.in the last few verses.  Verse four continues, For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.  The two sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephram were two of the tribes that received land on the other side of the Jordan, and the Levites received no land, making the total number of tribes that received land twelve.  Verse five declares, As the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land.  Though the land was distributed by lot, it was still done in accordance with God's will.  I don't believe that we can us this as a justification for gambling today though, because this really wasn't gambling.  It was following God's instructions to Moses.  Verse six states,Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.  The tribe of Judah came to Joshua and Caleb, the other spy who had said they could take the land, spoke to him.  Caleb reminded Joshua of Moses' promise to them.  Joshua and Caleb were the only two of their generation to enter the promised land.  God will always reward faithfulness.  Verse seven adds, Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.  Caleb said that he was forty when he went to spy on the land for Moses and brought him the good report based on what was in his heart.  I believe we can say that he had faith in God, and we must today no matter what the situation may be.  Verse eight declares, Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.  Caleb said that the majority of his brethren opposed his report, and they won.  In this case, the majority was not right, and we will find ourselves in the minority as followers of Christ today in most cases.  Verse nine states, And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.  Caleb said that Moses had promised him the land that his feet trod on as an inheritance forever, because of his faithfulness to God.  We have an everlasting inheritance today as followers of God, though we will never be able to claim it in this lifetime.  Verse ten continues, And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.  Caleb gave God the credit for keeping him alive for the forty five years since they had first reached the promised land.  We can be certain that God is keeping us alive today if we are doing His will and following His purpose in our life.  Verse eleven declares, As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.  Caleb said that he was still as strong as ever.  We may not be physically as strong as we once were, but we need to be spiritually as strong.  Verse twelve adds, Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.  Caleb did not say since he was old and the LORD  had made a promise to him to give him an easy place to settle.  He said give him the mountain where some strong people lived, and that if God was with him, he would drive them out.  I believe that too often we, as Christians, want the easy and prosperous way, instead of asking for a greater challenge to show that we live by faith in God.  Verse thirteen declares, And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.  Joshua granted Caleb's request and gave him Hebron.  Verse fourteen adds, Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.  Caleb's inheritance came, not because of his age, but because he had totally followed the will of God, just as our everlasting inheritance will come today.  Verse fifteen concludes, And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.  Hebron had a different name at one time, before it was defeated by Arba.  Now, it would belong to the tribe of Judah, because of God and Caleb's faith in Him.  No matter how great our enemy may be, if we put our faith in God we will always be victorious spiritually.

Joshua 13:14

Joshua 13:14 says, Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.  The tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe, were given no inheritance of land.  Their inheritance was to come from the sacrifices offered to God.  Since we as followers of Christ today are priests of God, maybe we shouldn't look for material blessings either, but should simply be content with what God provides for us daily.  Verse fifteen states,  And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families.  Moses had already given the tribe of Reuben their inheritance.  The next few verses specify the area of land that Reuben received.  Verse sixteen says, And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;  Verse seventeen states, Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon,  Verse eighteen adds, And Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,  Verse nineteen continues, And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zarethshahar in the mount of the valley,  Then verse twenty says, And Bethpeor, and Ashdothpisgah, and Bethjeshimoth,  Verse twenty-one states, And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country.  Verse twenty-two declares, Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.  This speaks not of a city, but of a particular person who was slain by the Israelites.  His name was Balaam, son a Beor, the soothsayer.  The people of Israel were not only defeating cities, but also the ungodly practices of the people of that area, just as we must today.  Verse twenty-three says, And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages thereof.  This concluded the specifications of the area of Reuben and his family.  Verse twenty-four declares, And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the children of Gad according to their families.  Now we are told of the area of the tribe of Gad given to them by Moses before he died.  This was still on the other side of the Jordan from the promised land.  Still, it became the promised land to these people.  We are still on the other side of Jordan in this life, but we are still living with the promise of a heavenly home.  All we can do in the mean time is be content with where we are as long as we are following God's will.  Verse twenty-five says, And their coast was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer that is before Rabbah;  Verse twenty-six states, And from Heshbon unto Ramathmizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir;  Verse twenty-seven adds, And in the valley, Betharam, and Bethnimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, Jordan and his border, even unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth on the other side Jordan eastward. Then verse twenty eight concludes, This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families, the cities, and their villages.  This may or may not have been as large an area as the tribe of Reuben had received, but it was what Moses had promised them under God's guidance.  We today should not be concerned with what other people may or may not have been blessed with by God, but should simply be content with what God blesses us with.  Verse twenty-nine declares, And Moses gave inheritance unto the half tribe of Manasseh: and this was the possession of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh by their families.  Half the tribe of Manasseh were the others promised land on this side of the Jordan by Moses.  Verse thirty says,  And their coast was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, threescore cities:  Verse thirty-one adds, And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were pertaining unto the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even to the one half of the children of Machir by their families.  This was the land given to half the tribe of Manasseh.  Verse thirty-two declares, These are the countries which Moses did distribute for inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the other side Jordan, by Jericho, eastward.  This was the conclusion of the division of the land on this side of the Jordan.  Verse thirty-three states, But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them.  Once again we are told that the tribe of Levi received no land.  Now that the land was actually being distributed, the Levites might have been feeling left out, but Moses reminded them that this was what was promised to them.  We should never feel left out if someone else seemingly receives a greater blessing than we do.

Joshua 13:1

Joshua 13:1 says, Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.  Joshua was getting old, but there was still a lot of land that Israel was to possess.  God was not saying that it was time for Joshua to quit, but that he still had a lot to do.  As long as we live, we should be willing to allow God to work through us, no matter how old we may be.  Verse two states, This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,  God then began to tell Joshua what land yet remained to be conquered.  Joshua did not just decide that the people of Israel would conquer this additional land, but God told them that they would.  We should never allow our own wants and desires to motivate us, but we should always seek God's will for our life.  I don't believe that this means that we are to decide what we want and then pray until God gives it to us.  Verse three adds, From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:  Verse four continues, From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:  Verse  five adds, And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath. Then verse six concludes, All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.  There was a lot of land yet to be conquered, but God told Joshua that He would drive out the people before Joshua.  Then, Joshua was to divide the land among the people of Israel according to God's directions.  God was still to be in control.  When we are spiritually victorious today, we will only be so by the power of God, and we should follow His leadership even in the victory.  Verse seven says, Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,  The other nine and a half tribes were to divide the land for an inheritance.  Two and a half tribes already had their inheritance on the other side of the Jordan.  I believe that we can say that many people have already gone on to their inheritance in heaven today, but the rest of us should continue to work for God's glory and share the blessings that God gives us.  Verse eight adds, With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them;  God simply stated that the two tribes, plus half of another not mentioned, had already received the land promised to them by Moses on the other side of the Jordan.  Of course, they did fight with the rest of the people of Israel to defeat the enemy on this side of the Jordan.  We cannot take the attitude that we have our blessings from God and that nothing else matters.  We as followers of Christ are all in the fight against the forces of Satan as long as we live.  Verse nine states, From Aroer, that is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon;  Verse ten adds, And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;  Verse eleven continues, And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah;  Verse twelve concludes, All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out.  God reminded Joshua of the people that Moses had led the people of Israel to defeat and had promised to the two and a half tribe.  God honored the promise made by Moses because Moses had made it in God's name and under God's leadership.  If we make promises today in God's name and by His leadership then He will honor the promise.  We cannot make promise in God's name without knowing for sure that it is His will for what we promise to happen.  The one thing that I know for sure that we can promise is everlasting life for anyone who accepts Christ as his or her Savior and Lord.  Verse thirteen declares, Nevertheless the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.  The people of Israel honored the agreement made with those who had deceived them.  Though God did not lead them to make this decision, He did lead them to honor it.  We need to be careful what we promise in God's name, because He may not always honor our promise as He did at this time.

Joshua 12:1

Joshua 12:1 says,  Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east:  This chapter lists all the kings that the people of Israel defeated in the promised land.  The people of Israel were successful because they followed God's guidance, and as long as we follow the guidance of God today as Christians, we will be successful in defeating all of our enemies as well.  Verse two states, Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;  First listed was the king of the land on the other side of the Jordan, who had been defeated earlier by Moses and the people of Israel.  Verse three adds, And from the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea on the east, the way to Bethjeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdothpisgah:  Verse four continues, And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,  Then verse four concludes, And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.  This was a rather large territory, but it was still on the other side of the Jordan from the rest of the promised land.  Still, it would be considered a part of the promised land.  Physical barriers should not separate God's people today.  We are all children of God if we are followers of Christ, having accepted Him as our Savior and Lord.  Verse six declares, Them did Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.  After defeating the king of this land, Moses gave it to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.  These were the tribes that sent their men across the Jordan to help defeat the rest of those in the land with the promise that they could return after the other people had been defeated.  Past victory and even security because of that victory did not exempt them from continuing to fight for the fulfillment of God's promise to all the people of Israel.  If we are followers of Christ, we are already assured of a home in heaven with Him, but that does not mean that we can quit the fight to reach the world with the gospel.  Verse seven says, And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions;  Now, we are given a list of the people defeated under the leadership of Joshua.  Whether Moses or Joshua was the earthly leader, God was the One Who gave the victory.  It does not really matter who the earthly leader of a church is today, because God is the real leader.  Though it is important that a church, a fellowship of believers, be led by the man that God has for them, the man himself is not the reason that the church will be successful or fail to be.  God is.  Verse eight says, In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:  We now start to have just a listing of the people who were defeated.  Verse nine says, The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;  Verse ten states, The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;   Verse eleven says, The king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;  Verse twelve states,  The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;  Verse thirteen says, The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;  Verse fourteen states, The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;   Verse fifteen says, The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;  Verse sixteen states, The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;  Verse seventeen adds, The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;  Verse eighteen continues, The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;  Verse nineteen adds, The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;  Verse twenty continues, The king of Shimronmeron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;  Verse twenty-one states, The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;  Verse twenty-two adds, The king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one;  Verse twenty-three continues, The king of Dor in the coast of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one;  Then verse twenty-four concludes, The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.  There were a lot of kings and kingdoms defeated by the people of Israel, through the power of God.  Some were defeated under the leadership of Moses and some under the leadership of Joshua, but all were defeated by the power of  God.  When we, as followers of Christ, overcome spiritual enemies today, no matter how long the list may be, it will always be by the power of God.

Joshua 11:12

Joshua 11:12 says, 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.  God's command had not changed since He gave it to Moses, even if it wasn't carried out until after the death of Moses and those that it was first given to.  God's command will never change, and if we are His people, we are called to carry it out.  If we don't, someone else will be chosen to do so, until the return of Christ.  Our command is to defeat the enemies of God with the gospel of Christ.  Verse thirteen adds, But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.  None of the other cities around them were burned, except for Hazor.  Verse fourteen continues, And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.  Once more, the people of Israel took the spoils of the city, but they killed all the men of the city.  This was in accordance to God's command.  We today are called on to destroy all the evil in our lives, but I am not sure we can always keep any spoils that come from destroying that evil.  Verse fifteen declares, As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.  God had commanded Moses and Moses commanded Joshua.  God commanded the disciples to go into all the world and share the gospel, and that command has passed down to everyone who believes in Christ as their Savior and Lord since.  We cannot leave any of God's work undone as long as we are able to carry it out, but once we are gone, someone else will carry on God's work.  Verse sixteen says, So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;  Then verse seventeen adds, Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.  Joshua and the people of Israel continued to carry out God's command to remove all the people from the land that God had promised them.  Even though God had promised them the land, He still required them to act in faith in following His command to take the land.  God has given everlasting life to every person, but each person must accept it by faith for it to have any meaning to him or her.  God allowed one generation to wander in the wilderness until they died because of their lack of faith, and He will allow people today to reject His salvation if they choose to do so.  Verse eighteen adds, Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.  Taking the promised land did not happen overnight.  Joshua and the people of Israel were at war with the people there for a long time.  The war against evil in the world is a lifelong one for those who are followers of Christ.  We can never feel that since we have overcome some evil in our life that we have overcome all of it.  Verse nineteen states, There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.   The people of Gibeon, who tricked the people of Israel into a truce, were the only ones who were spared.  No one today who refuses to accept Christ as Savior and Lord will be spared the coming judgment of God, and there will be none spared who have attempted to trick their way into God's kingdom.  Verse twenty declares, For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.  As I have said before, I don't believe that God made it impossible for those already in the land to come to the people of Israel in peace, but that God knew that they would never put their faith in Him and accept His word to guide their lives.  Verse twenty-one says, And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.  Then verse twenty-two adds, There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.  All those in the promised land were destroyed, but some people remained outside the promised land.  Even if we rid our lives of all things that are not there in accordance with God's will, in this life there will always remain things close to us to tempt us to allow sin back in.  Verse twenty-three concludes, 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.  After defeating all the enemies in the promised land, as God had instructed Moses to do, Joshua and the people of Israel rested from war.  Unfortunately, we as followers of Christ will never be able to rest from war with the world, because this world is not our promised land, but heaven is.  Still, we can rest easy in God's promise that heaven is already our spiritual home if we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Just as with God's promise to Moses, the victory is assured.

Joshua 11:1

Joshua 11:1 says, And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,  A new alliance was forming against Joshua and Israel as a result of their success so far.  Other people had heard about the power of Israel because of their God, but they still thought that if they united that they could defeat them.  The people of the world today often unite in an attempt to defeat God's people, but this is only true if they feel that we are a threat to them.  Verse two states, 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,  Then verse three adds, 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.  This was an even bigger alliance than the first one.  We as Christians should not be surprised if the enemy gets larger as we defeat the first one.  Satan is not going to give up easily in his quest to defeat the people of God.  If we are not under attack, it may be that we aren't doing anything to threaten the people of the world.  If we lose the little wars in our life, their may never be a big one.  Verse four declares, And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many  A multitude like the sands of the sea with all their chariots and horses went out to fight against the people of Israel.  It wasn't really just the people of Israel that they would be fighting though, but it was the God of Israel, the only true and living God, that they were to be fighting against.  When we encounter enemies in the world today, we must make sure that we are following God's guidance and are living by His power if we are going to be successful.  Verse five states, And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.  These armies were united against Israel.  We may at times look around us and see an enemy that looks too big to defeat, but we must simply continue to put our faith in God. knowing that He has never failed us in the past and never will today or in the future.  Verse six declares, 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. God spoke to Joshua and told him to not be afraid, that tomorrow He was going to deliver the enemy to Joshua in defeat.  When confronted with an enemy, whether big or small, we must simply listen to what God tells us to do.  Verse seven adds, So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.  Joshua and the army of Israel fought the enemy by the waters of Merom.  We are told that they came upon them suddenly.  If we are fighting against the enemies of God, there is no reason to delay.  Verse eight proclaims, And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.  Joshua and the army of Israel did not defeat the enemy, but God did.  The army of Israel chased them for a long way, then they destroyed them all.  It is not enough that we just chase away the enemies of God for awhile, but we must destroy them out of our lives.  The enemy may not be an actual army, but it may be a temptation to stray away from God's will.  I believe that unless we destroy the temptation completely that it will come back, stronger than ever.  Verse eleven concludes, And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.  Like Joshua, we must do what God directs us to do in our lives today if we are to successfully follow Him.  Joshua did not act on his on in any of this, but always acted under the leadership of God.

Joshua 10:28

Joshua 10:28 says, And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, 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.  Joshua continued to defeat those people who were already in the land.  Past success should not stop us from continuing to move ahead with the work that God calls us to.  Verse twenty-nine states, Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah:  The people of Israel, led by Joshua, continued to move ahead just as we must.  Verse thirty declares, And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.  The people of Libnah were defeated by the power of God, working through the people of Israel.  The king was dealt with the same way the king of Jericho was.  Verse thirty-one adds, And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:  Joshua and the people of Israel were not just resting and celebrating after their victory, but were moving on to the next enemy.  We today as followers of Christ cannot be content in celebrating one victory for God, but we must continue to fight against sin in the world.  It is not going away until Christ returns.  Verse thirty-two states, And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.  Once more, the people of Israel were successful because God gave them the victory.  We today can only be successful by following God's guidance and relying on His power.  Verse thirty-three says, Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.  Horam, the king of Gezer, came to help the people of Lachish, and he and those who came with him were slain as well.  We should not be surprised when the lost people of the world unite to attempt to defeat those who stand for God.  Verse thirty-four adds, And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:  Joshua and all of the people of Israel were united in defeating the people in the promised land.  We today, as Christians, must be united in defeating the enemies of God if we are to be successful.  Verse thirty-five continues, And they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.  The battles were not taking long, and the result was always the same.  This was not because of the power of Israel, but because of the power of God.  Verse thirty-six declares, And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it:  Verse thirty-seven adds, And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.  Whatever city Joshua and the people of Israel went against fell to them.  Verse thirty-eight states, And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it:  Then verse thirty-nine adds, And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.  This cycle of events continued as long as there was an enemy to conquer.  We need to be as diligent when we are confronted by the enemies of God today.  We should never be content to allow evil to go unchallenged.  Verse forty declares, 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.  Joshua had said over forty years before that Israel could defeat the people of the land under the power of God, and he saw it happen.  When we have faith in God and follow His guidance, we can be just as certain of the outcome.  Yet, we too often wander in the wilderness of doubt.  Verse forty-one adds,  And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.  Then verse forty-two continues, And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.  Joshua was completely successful because God had given the enemies over to Him.  We may be the instrument that God uses, but the victory is always His, and we should give Him the credit and praise.  Verse forty-three concludes, And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.  After all the people in the country that they had encountered so far were defeated, Joshua and the people of Israel returned to Gilgal.  When we have defeated all the enemies God has us fighting against, we should return to peace and security with Him.  Of course, this may never happen in this world, but we can be certain that it will one day happen.  The victory is God's and He calls us to share in it.