How does Joshua 10:38 connect to God's command in Deuteronomy 7:2? Setting the Stage – God’s Clear Command - Deuteronomy 7:2: “and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.” - The command is unmistakable: • Devote the Canaanites to destruction (Hebrew ḥerem) • Refuse any covenant or compromise • Extend no mercy—total judgment, not partial Joshua 10:38 in Context – The Southern Campaign - Joshua 10:38: “Then Joshua returned with all Israel to Debir and fought against it.” - Joshua 10:39 immediately follows with the result: “He captured it—its king and all its towns—struck them with the sword, and devoted to destruction everyone in it. He left no survivors. He did to Debir and its king as he had done to Hebron and its king.” - Debir is the sixth and final stronghold in the rapid southern sweep (Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, Debir). Direct Connections – Obedience Line by Line - “The LORD… delivered them over to you” (Deuteronomy 7:2) ⇨ “Joshua returned… and fought” (Joshua 10:38); each victory is credited to God’s prior deliverance (compare Joshua 10:19, 42). - “You must devote them to complete destruction” ⇨ “struck them with the sword, and devoted to destruction everyone in it” (10:39). - “Make no treaty” ⇨ No capitulation at Debir; the only treaty in Joshua so far (Gibeon, ch. 9) stands out as an exception, highlighting that Debir conforms exactly to Deuteronomy 7:2. - “Show them no mercy” ⇨ “He left no survivors” (10:39). - Same Hebrew root (ḥerem) links the texts, underscoring deliberate, covenant-based obedience. Purpose Behind the Command – Holiness and Protection - Guarding Israel’s worship: Deuteronomy 7:4 warns that the nations “will turn your sons away from following Me.” - Executing divine judgment: Genesis 15:16 foretold that Canaan’s iniquity would reach full measure; Joshua’s conquest is that judgment come due. - Preserving covenant blessing: Numbers 33:55-56 speaks of the nations becoming “barbs in your eyes” if left undisturbed. Wider Biblical Echoes - Deuteronomy 20:16-18 repeats the charge to “leave alive nothing that breathes… so that they will not teach you to do all the detestable things they do.” - Joshua 11:12, 15, 20 shows the northern campaign concluding in the same fashion: “He left no survivors… just as the LORD commanded Moses.” - Judges 1 exposes the consequences when later tribes fail to finish the job, proving the wisdom of Deuteronomy 7:2. Living Out the Principle Today - God expects whole-hearted, not partial, obedience (John 14:15). - Spiritual warfare now targets sin and falsehood rather than flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), yet the model endures: eradicate, do not negotiate. - Joshua’s fidelity at Debir assures believers that God’s commands, however severe, are righteous and ultimately protective (Psalm 19:9). |
    |