“The Land Had Rest” Joshua 11:15-23

There’s something about the completion of a difficult task or chore. We work hard at doing the job, pouring ourselves into it. Sometimes, the work is physical; other times, it’s mental; usually it’s a combination of the two. Regardless, once we finish whatever it was we were doing, there is a sense of accomplishment and a satisfaction at having done a job well.

One of the best feelings about such an event in our lives is that time of rest immediately after. Sure, there may be other tasks needed to be completed, others to be undertaken. But for that moment, it means something to stand and realize that what was once a chore is now a part of our past. We can sit back and know there is no need to be involved in that task again.

Today’s passage looks at the completion of Joshua’s task as war leader for the nation of Israel. In the passage, we are told that Joshua was obedient to the Lord, and the victory was complete.

Background

With the battle of Gibeon complete, Joshua and the army have conquered the kingdoms of the hill country in central Canaan. The second part of Chapter 10 speaks of a victory over the kings of the southern part of the land, and the first part of Chapter 11 tells of the conquest of the northern kingdoms. As commanded by God, there were no survivors in any of the battles. God’s judgment, through the arms of Israel, was exacted upon the people of Canaan. And, in destroying the people of the region, God was protecting His people from the temptation of idolatry and following foreign gods.

In summarizing the victories, the Bible gives us three verses in Chapter 11 that speak of how and why Joshua was successful.

Central Truth: When we faithfully follow God’s will, we find the battles are won.

In doing God’s will:

We obey His commands (15)

Over the course of his lifetime, Moses had come to have a deep faith in God and had learned that it was not only right to obey God’s commands, but it was the best thing to do. Even when Moses thought God was making a mistake, Moses demonstrated his faith in doing what God called him to do. In this way, Moses’ faith grew and his knowledge of God grew as well.

God had told Moses to destroy the people of Canaan (cf. Exodus 23:27-33). God told Moses that the conquest of the land would be gradual, to allow Israel to grow in numbers and be better prepared to take possession of the land. God also told Moses that He would go before them to bring terror to the people of the land.

As God had told Moses, so Moses told Joshua what God’s command was. The verse is very specific: “Moses commanded Joshua, and he did it.” Throughout this book, Joshua has almost always been careful to obey God. There are the two exceptions where Joshua failed to ask of God—before the first battle with Ai and when the Gibeonites brought their request for a treaty—but on the whole, Joshua has been faithful to follow God’s commandments and instructions. As a result, as we read through the book of Joshua, we readily see how God is bringing victory to His people.

We have no idea how long it took Joshua and Israel to conquer the land, but we read that Joshua didn’t stop until he had completed the task. “He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.” This tells us that Joshua was true to his calling and faithful to the One who called him.

Can it be any different for us today? God calls each of us to a task, and He expects us to be obedient to Him and His word. As we go about our daily living, it is up to us to be aware of God’s moving in our midst and leading us each day. As we see in Joshua, there is a need for constant communication between ourselves and God. Only as we listen to His voice do we understand where God is leading us and what He wants us to do. Like Joshua, we need to be faithful to fulfill the task given us, leaving nothing undone of all that He commands us.

Trust Him to prepare the way for us (20)

Just as Joshua had done all the Lord had commanded him to do through Moses, so Joshua trusted the Lord to prepare the place and the time for the work to be done. The verse immediately preceding this one says that no one sought to make a treaty with Israel apart from the Gibeonites. The reason they refused to do so is stated in v. 20: “For it was the Lord Himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that He might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.”

Just as God had hardened Pharaoh’s heart when Moses told him to set Israel free, so God hardened the hearts of those who were to be eliminated because of their sinfulness.

When the Bible says that God hardened someone hearts, it is my belief is that that person is so far gone in their rebellion against God that they are beyond repentance and salvation. It is my belief that this is what blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is—the total rejection of God and the inability to be prompted by the Spirit. It is God’s desire that all will come to Him and be saved (cf.1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9), but the time to be saved is limited. The writer of Hebrews, quoting from Psalm 95:7-11, says, “Today, if you hear My voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert.”

Regardless of when we turn away from God, if there is no repentance, then there will be judgment, and God saw to it that the people of Canaan paid the price for their idolatry and rebellion against Him.

Just as God hardened the hearts of those who fought against Israel, God can soften the hearts of those we speak with. God does not call us to a ministry without giving us the means of carrying out that ministry. He will equip us, enable us and lead us. He goes to prepare a way for us, and all we have to do is follow His leadership.

We find rest (23)

The last verse we look at comes at the end of the chapter. In the verses between v. 20 and this one, we are given a summary of what Joshua had done. In the listing of the lands that Joshua conquered and the people that were destroyed, there is also a short note that “no Anakites remained in Israel’s territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.”

Verse 23 tells us that Joshua took the land, just as God had directed, and then it tells us that “the land rested from war.” There was still work to do. Although most of the cities remained intact and that the fields had already been planted, there was still the need to tend the fields, to make the towns and cities their own. There was the need to establish governing bodies and determining ownership of the land. While God had designated which tribes of Israel would have which land, there was still subdivisions to do.

When God gives us a task to do, He allows us to rest after the completion of the task. That doesn’t mean that we get to take the rest of life off; it only means that there are other things to do and see to. We can rest in the knowledge we have accomplished the great task, but as we enjoy our rest, we still need to be open to God’s direction and calling. One task may end, and we may rest from its completion, but there will always be other tasks, other callings, other missions.

Conclusion

We are nearing the end of the work of God through Joshua, but there are still things to be done and said. The key to Joshua’s ministry, though, is that he did what the Lord commanded, and he trusted God to lead him and show him how to do the work.

The same is true for us. If we will hear and obey, we can do great things in Jesus’ name. Not for our praise, but for His praise. As we just read, it was God’s commands that Joshua followed. It was God who prepared the way and it is God that gave them rest from war. There is no doubt that all Joshua did was by God’s grace, mercy and might.

Trust in God. Follow His ways. And we will find rest for souls.