How does Joshua 11:10 connect with God's command in Deuteronomy 7:1-2? The Setting Joshua 11 recounts Israel’s northern campaign. Verse 10 zooms in on Hazor, the leading Canaanite stronghold. Deuteronomy 7:1-2, spoken decades earlier, laid out the divine policy for dealing with such kingdoms. God’s Command Revisited (Deuteronomy 7:1-2) • “When the LORD your God brings you into the land… and delivers them over to you… you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.” Joshua 11:10 in Real Time • “At that time Joshua turned back, captured Hazor, and put its king to the sword, because Hazor had formerly been the head of all these kingdoms.” Point-by-Point Connection • Same Target Audience – Deuteronomy 7 addresses the conquest of “Hittites… Amorites… Canaanites” (v.1). Hazor’s king, Jabin, ruled a coalition of exactly those peoples (Joshua 11:1-3). • Same Divine Strategy – “Devote them to complete destruction” (herem) in Deuteronomy 7:2 parallels “put its king to the sword” and the burning of Hazor (Joshua 11:11). – No treaties allowed (Deuteronomy 7:2). Joshua refused negotiation; he struck first (Joshua 11:8-9). • Same Purpose – Remove corrupting influence (Deuteronomy 7:4). Hazor, “head of all these kingdoms,” was the cultural and military hub; eliminating it protected Israel from idolatry. • Confirmed Obedience – Joshua 11:15 sums up: “As the LORD had commanded Moses… so Joshua left nothing undone.” Verse 10 is a snapshot of that larger faithfulness. • Fulfillment of God’s Promise – God pledged victory (Deuteronomy 7:2). Joshua 11:10-12 describes that promise realized: the mightiest city fell, proving the Lord’s word true (cf. Joshua 21:45). Reinforcing Passages • Numbers 33:52-53 – drive out the inhabitants and destroy their images. • Deuteronomy 20:16-18 – no survivors among specific Canaanite nations. • Joshua 12 – catalog of kings subdued, beginning with Hazor’s Jabin, showcasing complete obedience. Takeaways for Today • God’s commands are specific and time-bound, yet always trustworthy. • Obedience brings the exact outcomes God declares, even against formidable odds. • Removing sin’s strongholds—symbolized by Hazor—safeguards covenant faithfulness (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). |
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