It seems that every time a nation goes to war, it has someone who it recognises to be the enemy. It may be one who has attacked them, it may be one who has threatened to attack or it may be one who can become just another pawn in the hand of a tyrant ruler.
Israel had her enemies as well, she had the physical enemy of Canaanites and she had the spiritual enemy of sin, pride, self-sufficiency, and covetousness. Christians today, face these too and we all have to face our own spiritual warfare, Ephesians 6:10-18.
Here we find another troubled king, Jabin, king of Hazor, who hears of Israel’s victories and so, he sends for other kings to form an alliance against Israel, Joshua 11:1-3. The army they gathered was as great as the sand on the seashore, Joshua 11:4.
Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, estimated that there were 300,000 infantry soldiers, 10,000 cavalry troops and 20,000 chariots. And so, the odds against Israel were tremendous but the confederation camped at the Waters of Merom to fight Israel, Joshua 11:5.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Merom lies between Lake Huleh and Lake Tiberias some ten miles west of Jordan, where copious springs feed a tributary to Jordan.’
As has occurred already so many times in the book, God assures Joshua of victory, Joshua 11:6, the one condition was that the chariots and horses were to be made inoperable, Joshua 11:6. Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, and once again God gave them into the hand of Israel, Joshua 11:7-8. God was with them and no survivor was left, Joshua 11:8, and again, Joshua did all that the Lord told him, he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots, Joshua 11:9 / Joshua 11:6.
Cook, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Taken by surprise and hemmed in between the mountains and the lake, the chariots and horses had no time to be deployed and no room to act effectively and then, in all probability, the host of the coalition fell into hopeless confusion.’
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Deuteronomy 17:16 plainly warned Israel and their rulers NOT to go into the horse business, despite the fact of horses being in that period a prime element of military strength. When Solomon multiplied horses (having forty thousand of them), it was displeasing to God.’
Joshua turns back and captured Hazor and kills its king, and we are told that Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms, Joshua 11:12 / Joshua 11:1. Everyone in the city was killed and left no one alive, and Hazor was burned, Joshua 11:11.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Hazor.
‘It was given to the tribe of Naphtali, Joshua 19:36, who it appears did not possess it long, for though it was burnt by Joshua, Joshua 11:11, it is likely that the Canaanites rebuilt it, and restored the ancient government, as we find a powerful king there about one hundred and thirty years after the death of Joshua, Judges 4:1. It is the same that was taken by Tiglath-Pileser, together with Kadesh, to which it is contiguous, 2 Kings 15:29.’
Other royal cities and their kings were attacked and destroyed, as Moses the servant of God had commanded, Joshua 11:12. However, Israel didn’t burn any of the cities built on their mounds except Hazor, which Joshua burned, Joshua 11:13 / Joshua 11:19. The spoil was taken for the people and everything was completely destroyed, Joshua 11:14.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following about the spoils.
‘With the exception of those things which had been employed for idolatrous purposes, Deuteronomy 7:25.’
Joshua’s obedience to God and Moses is seen in that the fact that as God had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it, he left nothing undone of all that God commanded Moses, Joshua 11:15.
Joshua took this entire land, including the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah, and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon, Joshua 12:7. He captured all their kings and put them to death, Joshua 11:16-17. Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time, Joshua 11:18.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The whole of these conquests were not effected in one campaign: they probably required six or seven years. There are some chronological notices in this book, and in Deuteronomy, by which the exact time may be nearly ascertained. Caleb was forty years old when he was sent from Kadesh-Barnea by Moses to search out the land, about A.M. 2514; and at the end of this war he was eighty-five years old; (compare Joshua 14:10 with Numbers 13:16, and Deuteronomy 1:36, consequently the war ended in 2559, which had begun, by the passage of Jordan, on the tenth day of the first month of the year 2554. From this date to the end of 2559 we find exactly six years, the first of which Joshua seems to have employed in the conquest of the south part of the land of Canaan, and the other five in the conquest of all the territories situated on the north of that country.’
Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, no one made peace with them, Joshua 11:19, and the Lord had hardened their hearts, in order that He might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, Joshua 11:20.
God utterly destroyed them, Joshua 11:20, even the Anakim were defeated, Joshua 11:21. These giants had frightened the people the first time, Numbers 13:28 / Numbers 13:33. This time they were attacked and defeated except for some in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod, Joshua 11:22. This would come back to haunt them though because Goliath from Gath would mock and frighten them years later, 1 Samuel 17:23.
Joshua took the entire land, just as God had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions and then the land had rest from war, Joshua 21:23 / Hebrews 4:8 / Revelation 3:21.
Why did God harden the hearts of God’s enemies? Behind this question for many is the idea that they didn’t have any free will, and therefore, he had no choice but to do what God wanted them to do.
This question is often applied to God hardening Pharoah’s heart, Exodus 4:21 / Exodus 7:3 / Exodus 9:12 / Exodus 10:1 / Exodus 10:20 / Exodus 10:27 / Exodus 11:10 / Exodus 14:4 / Exodus 14:8 / Exodus 14:17.
However, what is often overlooked is that Pharaoh actually hardened his own heart too, Exodus 7:13 / Exodus 7:14 / Exodus 7:22 / Exodus 8:15 / Exodus 8:19 / Exodus 8:32 / Exodus 9:7 / Exodus 9:34 / Exodus 9:35 / Exodus 13:15.
As Pharaoh’s part in hardening his own heart was an active part, he chose not to obey the will of God. God’s part was simply to empower Pharaoh to exercise that choice. The same principle may be applied when we think of God hardening Israel’s enemies hearts. We know that God hardened Israel’s enemies heart but maybe we should also ask the question, how did God do it?
Adam Clarke in his commentary has the following useful thought.
‘God does not work this hardness of heart in man; but it may be said to harden him whom refuses to soften, to blind him whom refuses to enlighten, and to repel him whom refuses to call.’ It is but just and right that He should withhold those graces which were repeatedly offered, and which the sinner had despised and rejected.’
That old saying, ‘the same sun that melts wax also hardens clay’ is very applicable to this study. Through the Gospel, God hardens the hearts of some and melts the hearts of others.
Those who accept the offer and obey its requirements are saved, selected, and favoured. Those who reject it are lost, hardened, and rejected. The same idea is shown in God sending powerful delusions to those who refuse to love the truth, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12.
The writer of Hebrews warns believers today not to harden their hearts when they hear the voice of God in His Word, Hebrews 3:8 / Hebrews 3:13 / Hebrews 3:15 / Hebrews 4:7.