How does Joshua 11:13 connect with God's instructions in Deuteronomy 20:16-18? Setting the Command: Deuteronomy 20:16-18 “However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they cannot teach you to practice all the detestable things they do in worship of their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.” • Total destruction applied to people, not necessarily to buildings • Purpose: guard Israel from idolatry and moral corruption • Part of a broader call to holiness (cf. Deuteronomy 7:1-6) Execution in Joshua 11:13 “Yet none of the cities on their mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor alone, which Joshua burned.” • Israel put every inhabitant to the sword (11:11) • Cities themselves—except Hazor—were left standing • Choice reflects precise, not careless, obedience Why Only Hazor Was Burned • Hazor was “formerly the head of all these kingdoms” (Joshua 11:10); destroying it signaled final defeat of the northern coalition • By burning Hazor, Joshua removed a strategic and symbolic center of Canaanite power, preventing any resurgence • Other cities could be inherited for Israelite use (cf. Deuteronomy 6:10-11—houses they did not build), fulfilling God’s promise of ready-made dwellings for the people Faithfulness to God’s Word • Deuteronomy 20 demanded the elimination of corrupting influences; Joshua 11 shows that every breath in Canaanite cities was extinguished (11:14, “they left no one breathing”), matching the command exactly • The command did not require the destruction of property, only the people; therefore leaving most cities intact was not disobedience but alignment with God’s intention to bless Israel with established towns • Earlier precedents: Jericho was burned (Joshua 6:24) because God declared it “devoted” (ḥērem) entirely; Ai was burned after its king’s execution (Joshua 8:28) for similar reasons. Hazor fits that pattern because of its central role in rebellion against Israel Lessons for Today • God’s commands are specific; obedience means following both the letter and the spirit of His word • Destruction of Hazor illustrates decisive action against sin’s strongholds, while preservation of other cities highlights God’s provision • Scripture’s consistency—from the instruction in Deuteronomy to the fulfillment in Joshua—assures believers that God keeps His word perfectly (Numbers 23:19; Matthew 5:17-18) |
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