In the Land of Promise

GOLDEN TEXT: “Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.” —Joshua 24:23

JOSHUA 11:16-20, 30

FROM a strictly humane standpoint, the extent to which Joshua destroyed the inhabitants of Canaan was quite out of keeping with present day ethics of war, although he was not as thorough in this as God instructed. There were various factors involved in connection with Joshua’s campaign of extinction which make it understandable to those who have faith in the rightness of God’s ways, and in the long range provisions of his divine plan of the ages.

In the first place, the entire human race is under condemnation to death. This includes the Canaanites of Joshua’s day. In keeping with justice, divine wisdom elected to sentence the human race to death because of the transgression of our first parents. “For since by man came death,” Paul wrote, “by man also [will come] the resurrection of the dead.” (I Cor. 15:21) By this we see that God’s love balances his justice by providing, through Christ, a way of escape from death.—John 3:16

The whole world is either dying or asleep in death, and in due time the sleeping ones will be awakened, enlightened, and given an opportunity to live forever. Since God is able thus to give life, and since such is his plan, the putting to sleep in death of those already dying is not an injustice on his part. Indeed, so far as the Canaanites were concerned it was probably a kindness in disguise; and they will so consider it when they are awakened from the sleep of death under the favorable conditions of the millennial age.

There were good reasons why it was best for the Canaanites to be destroyed, rather than merely conquered. They were all idol worshipers, and would have continued as such. This was a weakness of the Israelites in any case, and under the influence and example of such worshipers right in their midst, the situation would have been aggravated for them.

Besides, the, Lord wanted the natural descendants of Abraham to remain a pure stock. Had the Canaanites been permitted to live, and to remain in their midst, there would have been intermarriage, and thus a corruption of the “seed” stock. God was working out a purpose through the Israelites which demanded that they be kept a separate people. This purpose will yet bring glory to God’s name. Even today this people remains unassimilated.

JOSHUA 24:14-18

JOSHUA had remained faithful to the trust the Lord placed in him. He was now “old and stricken in age,” and although the task of conquering the land of Canaan, and dividing it among the tribes of Israel, was not completed, he realized that there was little more that he could do about it. So, Joshua’s chief concern now was that the Israelites follow his example of faithfully following the Lord and obeying his law.—Joshua 13:1; 23:1,2

“Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel” before him “to Shechem,” and said to them, “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.” (ch. 24:1,2,14) It would seem from this that the Israelites were even then to some extent worshiping gods other than Jehovah.

In addition to being faithful to the Lord, Joshua had a good understanding of human nature. He felt that if he could get the people to commit themselves, and go on record that they would put away all other gods, and serve only Jehovah, it would strengthen their determination for the right. So he said to them, “Choose you this day whom ye shall serve; whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”—vs. 15

The people’s reply was both in the affirmative and enthusiastic. They said, “God forbid that we should forsake the Lord [Jehovah], to serve other gods.” (vs. 16) They remembered many of the wonderful things the Lord had done for them, beginning in Egypt, many of whom were born while the nation was in Egyptian bondage. These past blessings from Jehovah strengthened them to take this firm stand.

We read in verse 31, “And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that over lived Joshua and which had known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel.” What a wonderful example Joshua must have been to them! May we too, be faithful to the Lord, and an example for good.

QUESTIONS

Explain why it was not unjust for the Lord to command Joshua to utterly destroy their enemies in Canaan.

What was Joshua’s chief concern as he neared the end of his life?

Were the Israelites of Joshua’s day faithful to their promise to serve only Jehovah?

| Home Page | Table of Contents |