Why does God promise to drive out the inhabitants in Joshua 13:6? Text in Focus Joshua 13:6 : “All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim—all the Sidonians—I Myself will drive out before the Israelites. Only allot the land to Israel as an inheritance, just as I have commanded you.” --- Historical-Covenantal Setting God’s promise in Joshua 13:6 is the continuation of an oath first sworn to Abraham (Genesis 12:7; 15:18-21), reiterated to Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 26:3-4; 28:13), formalized in the Mosaic covenant (Exodus 23:23-33; Deuteronomy 7:1-6), and now being enacted under Joshua. The promise to “drive out” the inhabitants was inseparable from granting the land as Israel’s permanent inheritance (Joshua 1:2-6; 21:43-45). --- Moral and Judicial Grounds 1. Accumulated Iniquity Genesis 15:16 foretold a 400-year delay “for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Leviticus 18:24-30 catalogues practices—child sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21; Deuteronomy 12:31), ritual prostitution, and pervasive violence—that defiled the land. God’s driving out of the Canaanites is portrayed as judicial expulsion, not ethnic bias (Deuteronomy 9:4-5). 2. Divine Patience and Due Process Rahab’s family (Joshua 2; 6:22-25) and the Gibeonites (Joshua 9) show that individuals who renounced idolatry and aligned with Yahweh were spared, evidencing conditional mercy rather than indiscriminate destruction. --- Protection of Covenant Purity Deuteronomy 7:3-4 warns that intermarriage would “turn your sons away from following Me.” The removal of entrenched idolatry was therefore preventive, safeguarding Israel’s unique calling to produce Messiah (Galatians 3:16). --- Theological Themes in “I Myself Will Drive Them Out” 1. Sovereign Agency The emphatic “I Myself” (’ănōkî) signals that victory flows from divine action, not Israel’s military prowess (cf. Exodus 14:14; Judges 7:2). 2. Holy War (ḥērem) as Consecration The term ḥērem implies devotion to the Lord, whether expressed in destruction (Jericho, Joshua 6) or in dedication of spoil (Joshua 6:19). The concept underscores God’s holiness rather than human ambition. 3. Typological Foreshadowing Israel’s conquest foreshadows Christ’s ultimate conquest of sin and death (Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14-15). Just as God promises to drive out Canaanite corruption, He promises to purge believers’ lives of sin (Romans 6:14; 8:13). --- Progressive Fulfillment and Ongoing Responsibility Joshua divides, but does not fully occupy, the land; tribes must press on (Joshua 13:1-7; 18:3). The dynamic tension between promised certainty (“I will drive out”) and human obedience anticipates New-Covenant sanctification: God works, and believers cooperate (Philippians 2:12-13). --- Archaeological Corroboration • Jericho’s collapsed walls (John Garstang, 1930s; renewed by Bryant Wood, 1990) align with a Late Bronze IIA destruction (ca. 1400 BC), matching an early-Exodus, early-conquest chronology (1 Kings 6:1 + Usshur dating). • Hazor’s fiery ruin layer (Amnon Ben-Tor, 1990s) fits Joshua 11:10-13. • The Merneptah Stele (ca. 1208 BC) already lists “Israel” in Canaan, affirming a prior entry. These finds, while debated, reinforce the plausibility of a divinely aided conquest within the biblical timeframe. --- Philosophical and Behavioral Implications Behaviorally, the mandate reveals that entrenched cultural systems shape moral conduct. God’s decisive intervention models the necessity of rooting out formative influences that oppose flourishing. Philosophically, the episode illustrates objective moral values grounded in God’s character—evil is judged because God is good, not because of societal consensus. --- Gospel Trajectory The land promise climaxes in the incarnation (John 1:14) and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus, the true Joshua (Hebrews 4:8-10), secures an eternal inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-4). Hence Joshua 13:6 anticipates the greater reality: God Himself ushers His people into everlasting rest by conquering the ultimate enemies—sin, Satan, and death. --- Practical Application 1. Trust God’s promises even when fulfillment seems delayed. 2. Cooperate with God’s sanctifying work; expel “spiritual Canaanites” (Colossians 3:5-10). 3. Recognize divine judgment as just, patient, and redemptive. 4. Celebrate Christ’s finished work as the guarantee of final inheritance. --- Key Cross-References Genesis 12:7; 15:16-21 " Exodus 23:23-33 " Leviticus 18:24-30 " Deuteronomy 7:1-6; 9:4-5 " Joshua 1:2-6; 6:17-19; 13:1-7 " Psalm 44:1-3 " Colossians 2:15 " Hebrews 4:8-10 --- Summary God promises to drive out the inhabitants in Joshua 13:6 to execute righteous judgment, fulfill covenantal land grants, protect Israel from corrosive idolatry, and typologically prefigure Christ’s ultimate triumph. The statement unites divine sovereignty with human responsibility, underscored by archaeological echoes and culminating in the gospel’s assurance of eternal inheritance. |
    |