J11-22: It Was Necessary For Israel To Wage War In Order To Take Hold Of God’s Promises

“Y’hoshua took the whole land, in keeping with all that Adonai had said to Moshe and to Isra’el according to their divisions into tribes. Then the land rested from war.”-Joshua 11:23

In the very last verse of Joshua Chapter 11, we’re given the following piece of information:

“Then the land rested from war.”

Okay, so the first thing you need to know is that this in no way implies an eternal rest.

It was only a temporary rest to allow some time for the land to be divvied up into individual territories and then turned over to the 12 tribes. 

After that work was done, the war to completely dominate every inch of the Promised Land would begin anew.

Also, it’s interesting to know that the Hebrew word being used for “rest” here is SHAQAT.

SHAQAT carries the idea of an “interval” or a “temporary rest” from a period of chaos or turbulence.

So clearly the idea being communicated here is that this was just a short break from the fighting before it started up once again.

During the Biblical era, the timing of when wars were fought was usually based on the seasons.

The fighting normally took place outside of the rainy seasons.

This allowed for easy mobility of both men and weaponry not to mention the fact that crops had to be prepared so the people would have food in the coming months. 

We have to keep in mind that Israel did NOT have a standing army like some well-fortified kingdoms did.

Joshua’s army was like the patriot army during the American Revolution in the late 1700’s.

It was made up of farmers, shepherds, and tradesmen.  

Every day an Israelite spent slugging it out on the battlefield was a day when he could have been planting crops or tending to his animals.

Yet, and this is an important lesson we learn from the Bible, it was necessary for the Israelites to wage war in order to take hold of God’s promises to them.

At this stage in the Scriptures, the major battles had been won and the land had been prepared for occupation.

The wicked pagan inhabitants who had lived in the land for thousands of years had been removed per divine instruction.

Now I’m well aware that what we’ve just studied is something a good majority of Christians have a big problem with.

They just can’t reconcile their idea of a loving God with His instructions to His people to exterminate an entire people group down to every last man, woman and child.

Notice I said “their” idea.

The churchy notion of “turn-the-other-cheek” and “peace-no-matter-what” just doesn’t match up with what the Scriptures really say on the topic.

The problem lies with the doctrines of men and NOT with God.

The Scriptures are crystal clear on what God wanted to do to the native inhabitants of Canaan.