Joshua’s Conquest -- Joshua 10 - 11

Commentator James Montgomery Boice has a great summary of this section of Joshua. During this lesson from Art Morris, this passage from Boice is highlighted.  Also, the concept of typology is discussed.

Qualities of Leadership

The presence of Joshua is felt throughout the rest of the book that bears his name. In fact, the book ends with his great sermons to the leaders and people, in which he challenges them to choose God and serve him faithfully. Still, this is a good place to look back over this great general’s victories and ask about the qualities that made him such an exceptional leader. I see six of them.

1. Joshua did not let short-term gains deter him from long-range objectives. Joshua could have done this. The chief illustration is the discovery of the hiding place of the kings of the southern coalition during the running battle below Gibeon. The discovery of these kings was a great turn of fortune, most certainly given to Joshua by God. To have killed them would have been a great advantage. Nevertheless, Joshua realized that his chief task was the defeat of their armies and the occupation of the southern lands, so he had the cave in which the kings were hiding sealed up and dealt with them later.

Most Christians can learn from Joshua at this point, since we all are often confronted with good but short-range opportunities, and these frequently turn us aside from our chief tasks.

2. Joshua understood the need others have for visible encouragement. When Joshua returned to deal with the captured kings, he did not put them to death at once. Instead, he called his commanders forward and had them pass by him, putting their feet on the necks of the kings who had been made to prostrate themselves before him in the dust. Joshua encouraged his leaders, saying essentially what God had said to encourage him, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight” (Josh. 10:25). Joshua knew there would be many long and difficult battles ahead, and he saw that his commanders needed regular and dramatic encouragement to persevere.

So too today.

3. Joshua took no shortcuts but pursued the campaign in a logical, step-by-step progression. Even today students of Scripture are impressed with this man’s consistent and logical pursuit of the conquest. He defeated the kings and their armies. Then he proceeded step-by-step against the fortified towns. There was no other way to conquer the land completely. The progressive overthrowing of these cities, which is described so briefly in Joshua 10–12, took seven years.

It would help many of us to be as consistent as Joshua in our living of the Christian life.  . . .The Bible tells us that we are to read and study the Bible, pray, worship together with others of God’s people, witness to non-Christians, and serve others in specific ways. This is what works and has always worked, but it is no shortcut to maturity. It is just something we must do and continue to do throughout our lives as Christian people. Joshua is a model for us in this area.

4. Joshua did not allow his early errors to unsettle or defeat him. Joshua was a great leader, and God used him greatly. But this does not mean that Joshua was perfect. We are told of two mistakes made early in his campaigns. First, he attacked Ai on the advice of his spies without consulting the Lord and so suffered an ignominious defeat. There was sin in the camp. But he would have been told of this and could have dealt with it if he had consulted God first. Second, he was taken in by the ruse of the Gibeonites for the same reason. He made a decision on the basis of his observations and did not pray.

5. Joshua believed God implicitly. Theologian R. C. Sproul points out that there is a great difference between believing in God and believing God. Many people will say that they believe in God; that is, they admit that he exists. But they do not believe him; they do not believe what he says. Joshua believed God and, like all heroes of the faith, acted on that belief. God told him, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9). Joshua firmly expected God to defeat his enemies. So he attacked them anticipating victory.

6. Joshua obeyed completely. In my opinion the most important thing that is said about Joshua in this book is found in Joshua 11:15: “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.” 

 Boice, J. M. (2005). Joshua (pp. 89–92). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.