How does Joshua 11:21 connect to God's command in Deuteronomy 7:1-2? Setting the Stage • Joshua 11:21: “At that time Joshua went and cut off the Anakim from the hill country—from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua devoted them and their cities to destruction.” • Deuteronomy 7:1-2: “When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you and you defeat them, you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.” Original Command in Deuteronomy • God spelled out a clear, non-negotiable directive: completely destroy the nations occupying Canaan. • The command included two prohibitions: no treaties, no mercy (cf. Deuteronomy 20:16-18). • Purpose: protect Israel from idolatry, intermarriage, and spiritual compromise (Deuteronomy 7:3-5). Joshua’s Obedience in Chapter 11 • Joshua 11 describes a sweeping northern campaign. Verse 21 zooms in on the Anakim—giant, fortified, fear-inducing people who had once terrified Israel (Numbers 13:33). • “Cut off” and “devoted to destruction” mirror the exact language God used in Deuteronomy. • By targeting the Anakim, Joshua eliminates the last symbol of paralyzing fear from Israel’s past wanderings. Key Connections 1. Same verb, same action – Deuteronomy 7:2: “you must devote them to complete destruction.” – Joshua 11:21: “Joshua devoted them and their cities to destruction.” The narrative explicitly shows the command fulfilled. 2. Same scope – Deuteronomy 7 lists seven nations; Joshua 11 catalogs their defeat (vv. 8-17), then singles out the Anakim for emphasis. – The conquest reaches “all the hill country of Judah and of Israel,” matching the land boundaries promised earlier (Genesis 15:18-21). 3. Same motivation – Deuteronomy 7 aims at covenant purity. – Joshua 11’s annihilation of the Anakim clears away the spiritual and psychological obstacles that would have hindered Israel’s worship and trust (compare Joshua 14:12-15). Why the Anakim Matter • Fear factor: The spies’ report about the Anakim had sparked Israel’s rebellion at Kadesh-barnea (Numbers 13:28, 33; Deuteronomy 1:28). • Fulfillment of promise: Forty years later, God neutralizes the very giants that once made Israel shrink back. • Testament to God’s faithfulness: What seemed impossible in Numbers now becomes historical fact in Joshua. Lessons for Today • God keeps His word, both in promise and in judgment (Joshua 21:45). • Past fears lose power when confronted in obedience to God’s commands (Psalm 118:6). • Complete obedience—without compromise—safeguards future faithfulness (1 Samuel 15:22-23). |
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