How does Joshua 10:28 align with the concept of a loving and just God? Key Verse “Joshua captured Makkedah that day and put it and its king to the sword. He devoted to destruction everyone in it, leaving no survivors, and he treated the king of Makkedah as he had treated the king of Jericho.” – Joshua 10:28 Immediate Historical Setting Joshua 10 narrates Israel’s southern campaign, launched after Yahweh miraculously halted the sun (Joshua 10:12–14). The conquest is dated c. 1406 BC, matching the Late Bronze II destruction levels at sites such as Lachish and Debir. Makkedah lay in the Shephelah; its candidate site (Khirbet el-Kom) shows Late Bronze collapse debris consistent with a violent overthrow. Covenant Framework 1. Abrahamic prophecy: “In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Genesis 15:16). 2. Mosaic warning: “Do not say in your heart, ‘It is because of my righteousness that Yahweh has brought me in to possess this land’… it is because of the wickedness of these nations” (Deuteronomy 9:4–6). Divine judgment on Canaan was covenantal, not ethnic; Israel itself would later be expelled for identical sins (2 Kings 17:15–20). The Meaning of ḥerem (“Devoted to Destruction”) ḥerem signified placing something under exclusive divine jurisdiction, removing it from human use (Leviticus 27:28). Military ḥerem occurred rarely and only by direct revelation (Deuteronomy 20:16–18). Its aim was moral quarantine, protecting Israel from idolatry and ritualized child sacrifice (Leviticus 18:24–30; Deuteronomy 12:31). Divine Love Shown Through Justice Love safeguards the innocent; justice restrains evil. Yahweh’s action protected Israel’s fledgling nation so the promised Messiah could come for “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3). The cross reveals the same character: wrath against sin absorbed by God Himself (Romans 3:25–26). Four Centuries of Patience From Abraham to Joshua, Canaan enjoyed ~400 years of respite (Genesis 15:16). Similar longsuffering precedes the final judgment (2 Peter 3:9). Divine patience magnifies love; eventual judgment vindicates oppressed victims. Moral Degeneracy of Canaan Ugaritic texts detail ritual bestiality and incest. Excavations at Gezer and Carthage expose infant jar burials tied to sacrificial rites. Literary parallels confirm widespread Molech worship (Jeremiah 7:31). Archaeology corroborates the biblical indictment rather than depicting a peaceful, advanced civilization. Ancient Near-Eastern War Rhetoric “Left no survivors” echoes hyperbolic stock phrases (“totally destroyed,” “all the land bowed”) found in Hittite and Egyptian annals. Judges 1 records remaining Canaanites after Joshua’s campaigns, showing the phrase signaled decisive victory, not statistical annihilation. God’s command limited, not indiscriminate, violence. Mercy Offered to the Repentant Rahab (Joshua 2; 6:22–25) and the Gibeonites (Joshua 9) received clemency, proving judgment was avoidable through faith. Ezekiel 18:23 states: “Do I delight in the death of the wicked? … Rather, that he should turn from his ways and live.” Preserving the Messianic Line Eradicating Canaanite religion kept Israel distinct until the incarnation. Through that lineage came salvation for Jew and Gentile alike (Galatians 3:14). Thus the temporal severity at Makkedah enabled eternal mercy at Golgotha. Philosophical and Behavioral Considerations Objective moral values require a transcendent Law-giver. If God is Creator (Genesis 1:1), He alone holds ultimate ownership of human life (Job 1:21). Behavioral science observes that entrenched cultures of violence rarely self-reform; external intervention often halts generational harm. Divine intervention at Makkedah functioned as such a termination event. Archaeological Corroboration • Lachish Level VII charred debris (Late Bronze II) includes arrowheads matching the 15th-century context. • Tel es-Sultan’s collapsed walls (Jericho) carbon-dated to the same horizon attest to a short, decisive campaign. • Amarna Letter EA 288 laments the “Habiru” slaying local rulers, paralleling Joshua’s coalition warfare. Typological Foreshadowing of Final Judgment 1 Corinthians 10:11 calls these events “examples for us.” ḥerem prefigures the eschatological purge when Christ returns (Revelation 19:11-16). The gospel offers the sole refuge, just as the scarlet cord sheltered Rahab. Pastoral Application Believers: hate sin as God hates it; cherish His mercy bought at the cross. Skeptics: the same God who judged Makkedah now extends amnesty—“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Key Cross-References Genesis 15:16; Exodus 34:6–7; Leviticus 18:24–25; Deuteronomy 20:16–18; 2 Peter 3:9; Romans 3:25–26; Revelation 20:11–15. Conclusion Joshua 10:28 depicts a one-time judicial act rooted in centuries of patience, aimed at purging entrenched evil and preserving a redemptive line culminating in Christ. Divine love and justice converge: love defends and redeems; justice rectifies and restores. The same God now invites every nation to reconciliation through the risen Savior. |
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