Joshua: God’s Strategies for Victory, Part 3
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
The Southern Campaign
Joshua 10:1–5 ESV:
As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.” 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.
The giants were centered in Hebron.
There is something interesting about Adoni-zedek, the king of Jerusalem. Remember Melchizedek, during the time of Abraham? He was also the king of Jerusalem. The kings of Jerusalem called themselves kings of righteousness. Adoni-zedek means “the Lord of righteousness.”
The kings of Jerusalem thought they were gods. The king of Jerusalem organized the different groups with a goal of inspiring fear in Israel. Up until now, Joshua had only had to deal with one city at a time. Now there are five powerful kings and cities that Joshua will have to fight at the same time.
Joshua 10:6–7 ESV:
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.” 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.
When the people of Gibeon were attacked, they called on Israel for help on the basis of their covenant with them. Joshua honors the covenant, but this time he does it God’s way.
Joshua 10:8–9 ESV:
Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal.
Isaiah 8:12 KJV:
Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
Fear not only causes you to freeze, but it also causes confusion. The first thing God told Joshua was, “Do not fear them.”
Joshua moved the army during the night and “came upon them suddenly.” He took them by surprise.
Joshua 10:10–11 ESV:
10 And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
What a miracle! The hailstones fell on the enemy but not on the Israelites! When you don’t give in to fear but pursue the enemy all the way through the battle, as you are pursuing is when God does the miracles.
QUOTE:
When there is an area of fear in our lives, it has to be confronted head-on.
Joshua 10:12–14 ESV:
12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
“Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.
If they hadn’t had the extended day in which to wipe them out, they would have made it back to their fortified cities, and Joshua would have had to fight them city by city.
The proper use of the authority we’ve been given is to ask God what we should do and then obey.
They marched all night long to reach Gibeon, then they fought all day long, then they fought even longer. This was probably about 36 hours of constant action. When you don’t have the strength in yourself, God can strengthen you.
Philippians 4:13 APNT:
I find strength for everythingin Christ who strengthens me.
God listened to the voice of a man who listened to God.
That’s the thing with fear; if you don’t deal with it, there will be another day when you’ll have to deal with it over again.
Joshua 10:14 ESV:
There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.
2 Timothy 1:7:
(KJV) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
(APNT) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but [a Spirit] of power and of love and of instruction.
As we examine Joshua’s courageous action, we can only conclude that in a magnificent measure, he was a man imbued with the Spirit of the living God. Not only did he move ahead with enormous confidence and courage, but also with a distinct concern for his new associates, the crafty Gibeonites.
Above and beyond all his generosity and valor were the godly attributes of an unusually wise leader who, in years to come, would be respected all across this region.
Too often, Christians behave in ways that at first may seem brave and bold, but they lack the compassion, mercy, and wisdom of those led by God’s Spirit. All three ingredients are essential to success—power, love, and wisdom—if we are to enjoy our Lord’s blessing on our behavior.
Joshua 10:16–19 ESV:
16 These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17 And it was told to Joshua, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them, 19 but do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies; attack their rear guard. Do not let them enter their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.”
Sometimes fear is built over a process of time. The spirit of fear is one of those principalities and powers.
Joshua 10:20–21 ESV:
20 When Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a great blow until they were wiped out, and when the remnant that remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, 21 then all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. Not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel.
The enemy did have a remnant that went into the fortified cities, but the kings are still trapped in the cave.
Joshua 10:22–27 ESV:
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.” 23 And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24 And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. 25 And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” 26 And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening. 27 But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.
Ephesians 1:21 ESV:
And he [God] put all things under his [Jesus Christ’s] feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
If you read through the entire Book of Joshua, you’ll see that he is always setting up big rocks (at the Jordan, at Gilgal, on Mount Ebal, and now at the mouth of this cave). The rocks would help people remember. The rocks were physical reminders of what had happened.
Joshua continued pursuing them into the cities.
Joshua 10:40–43 ESV:
40 So Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel commanded. 41 And Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, as far as Gibeon. 42 And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. 43 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
Later, it lists eight more kings that Joshua defeated in the Southern Campaign.
Three keys that are applicable for us today:
- Pursue until the end of the battle.
- When your own strength fails, that’s when God will come through.
- There’s joy in the victory, and it’s our job to testify to the greatness of God.
YouTube: The Battle Belongs to the Lord:
2 Corinthians 10:3–4 ESV:
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
Scripture References
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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