Don’t always expect quick changes in life:

‘   Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. – Joshua 11.18

The conquest of much of the land of Canaan seems to have happened quickly (we can read about it in one sitting), but it actually took seven years. We often expect quick changes in our lives and quick victories over sin. But our journey with God [Wall] is a lifelong process, and the changes and victories may take time. It is easy to grow impatient with God [Wall] and feel like giving up hope because things are moving too slowly. When we are close to a situation, it is difficult to see progress. But when we look back we can see that God [Wall] never stopped working.

(‘ As the LORD commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses. – Joshua 11.15   Joshua carefully obeyed all the instructions given by God [Wall]. This theme of obedience is repeated frequently in the book of Joshua, partly because obedience is one aspect of life the individual believer can control. We can’t always control our understanding because we may not have all the facts. We can’t control what other people do or how they treat us. However, we can control our choice to obey God [Wall]. Whatever new challenges we may face, the Bible contains relevant instructions that we can choose to ignore or choose to follow.)

(‘ At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive. – Joshua 11.21, 22   The Anakites were the tribes of giants the Israelite spies described when they gave their negative report on the promised land (Numbers 13, 14). This time the people did not let their fear of the giants prevent them from engaging in battle and claiming the land God [Wall] had promised.)

[THE BATTLE FOR HAZOR   Kings from the north joined together to battle against the Israelites who controlled the southern half of Canaan. They gathered by the Waters of Merom, but Joshua attacked them by surprise – the enemies’ chariots were useless in the dense forests. Hazor, the largest Canaanite centre in Galilee, was destroyed. – Sidon, Battle site, Valley of Mizpah, Medierranean Sea, Merom, Sea of Galilee, Hazor, Waters of Merom, Acshaph, Shimron, Naphoth Dor, Jordan River, Canaan, Gilgal, Jerusalem, Dead Sea.]

EXTRA

(‘ At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and burned their chariots. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed them, not sparing anything that breathed, and he burned up Hazor itself. Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds – except Hazor, which Joshua burned. – Joshua 11.10-13   Victorious invaders usually kept captured cities [Seats] intact, moving into them and making them centres of commerce and defence. For example, Moses predicted in Deuteronomy 6.10-12 that Israel would occupy cities they themselves had not built. Hazor, however, was burned. As a former capital of the land, it symbolised the wicked culture that Israel had come to destroy. In addition, its capture and destruction broke the backbone of the federation and weakened the will of the people to resist.)