Joshua 10 (5)

On that day Joshua took Makkedah, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them—all the people who were in it. He let none remain. He also did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah; and they fought against Libnah. And the LORD also delivered it and its king into the hand of Israel; he struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. Then Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish; and they encamped against it and fought against it. And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah. Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he left him none remaining. From Lachish Joshua passed to Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it and fought against it. They took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; all the people who were in it he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish. Joshua 10.28-35

Reflect.
1.  Israel is on a roll, and the target is the pagan nations of the south. Can you see the logic of this campaign, why it makes sense to target an entire region?

2.  We note that, while the people of these nations are being destroyed, the cities are left intact, unlike Jericho and Ai. Why?

Think about it.
The rest of Joshua 10 depicts a very aggressive military campaign against the cities and peoples of the southern part of the land of Canaan. The impression we receive is that Israel is moving quickly from one city to the next, destroying the people but leaving their cities, then moving on to the next city. There is little time for celebrating.

We can imagine the impact of this campaign on the cities of this region. No one could resist Joshua and all Israel; therefore, everyone must have lived in terror and dread. We cannot help but weep for the destruction of so many people. At the same time, we need to remember that each of these nations has positioned itself as an enemy of Joshua and his God. Believing they could be victorious, despite all they had heard and seen, they condemned themselves to the destruction God visited upon them.

The same is true for all who resist the Gospel of Jesus today. Jesus wept for those who chose to stand in ignorance of and rebellion against the Lord. He gave up His life for them, and in the process, taught us how we must regard the lost people in our lives.

Meditate and discuss.
1.  God had promised His people abundant material blessings, as well as peace (Deut. 28.1-14). The Canaanites were in the way of Israel’s realizing those promises. What obstacles stand between you and greater realization of the precious and very great promises of God (2 Pet. 1.4)? How are you attacking those obstacles?

2.  Israel’s campaign to gain the promises of God was deliberate, aggressive, and ongoing. Does this describe your approach to working your Personal Mission Field? Explain.

3.  Keeping in mind the promises of God (Gen. 12.1-4; 2 Pet. 1.4), the people in your Personal Mission Field, and your calling to the Kingdom and glory of God (1 Thess. 2.12), write a prayer that you could use at the beginning of every day, as you take up your calling and work anew.

“And again, Lachish is interpreted ‘way.’ But in the Scriptures, a way is both a laudable and a culpable thing. That is not difficult to demonstrate, as it says in the psalms, ‘And the way of the impious will perish’; and in another place, on the contrary, ‘Make straight the way for your feet.’ Therefore it can also be understood here that the city of Lachish was at first the way of the impious, and afterwards, when it was destroyed and overthrown, it was won over to the right way with the Israelites reigning.” Origen of Alexandria (185-254AD)

Lord, set me on a campaign footing every day, and lead me into my Personal Mission Field to…

Pray Psalm 149.
As you pray, meditate on the people you will see today, and seek the Lord for the grace you will need to bring His grace and mercy to them. Memorize a stanza from the psalm that follows, and sing it throughout the day.

Psalm 149 (Toulon: I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art)
Sing to the Lord a glorious song and new!
Praise Him you people, to Whom praise is due!
Let us rejoice, let us be glad in Him
Who has created us and cleansed our sin.

Praise Him with dance, with tambourine and lyre!
To be so praised is God’s one great desire.
Lord, beautify Your holy ones with grace; 
Show us the mercy of Your saving face.

Sing to the Lord, exult with great delight!
Sing on your beds with joy to God by night!
Sing praise and take His Word into your hand;
Publish His grace and wrath in every land!

T. M. Moore

Where does the book of Joshua fit in the ongoing story of God’s covenant? Our workbook, God’s Covenant, can help you discover the place in God’s work of redemption not only of Joshua but of all the books of the Bible. God’s Covenant is a valuable resource to guide you in all your studies in God’s Word. To order your copy, click here. And when you order, we’ll send you a free copy of Bricks and Rungs: Poems on Calling.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006).