The Concepts Involved with the Conquest of Canaan
Meaning
After forty years of God working with His people Israel in the wilderness, they were now ready to enter the Promised Land. That generation who rebelled against God and refused to enter into the Promised Land had died off. This was the punishment the Lord had given the people forty years previously, because of their rebellion. And now their children under the leadership of Joshua, entered the Promised Land and began the conquest. Israel, a nation up to two million people strong, came to conquer through the divine intervention and direction of God.
God had given the people of Canaan over four hundred years to repent of their evil and rebellion against God. However, the people of Canaan never did repent of their sins and continued to worship demons, practiced idolatry and prostitution and sacrificed their children to their false gods. Now God would use Israel to not only carry out a unique destiny, but also to judge the people groups living in Canaan. Under the leadership of Moses, before entering the Promised Land, the kingdoms of Og and Sihon were crushed.
Now, under the leadership of Joshua, Israel crosses the Jordan River. Under God’s sovereign guidance and direct intervention the conquest of Canaan begins as the city states of Jericho and Ai crumble. Following this the five kingdoms of the Southern Coalation of Canaan are destroyed. Later a Northern Coalation of Canaanite city states are also defeated and destroyed. At this moment in history, Israel stands as masters of Canaan and Joshua, now old and at the twilight of his life, urges continued loyalty to the Lord and His commandments. However, the conquest is still not complete and at the death of Joshua some western fortifications remained untaken and loom as a threat to Israel’s destiny.
“The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” (Numbers 14:8-9)
“And the Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to possess it, that you may inherit his land.’ Then Sihon and all his people came out against us to fight at Jahaz. And the Lord our God delivered him over to us; so we defeated him, his sons, and all his people.” (Deuteronomy 2:31-33)
“Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan; and Og king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. And the Lord said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.’ So the Lord our God also delivered into our hands Og king of Bashan, with all his people, and we attacked him until he had no survivors remaining.” (Deuteronomy 3:1-3)