11:20
“For it was the Lord Himself who hardened their hearts ....” This does not mean that the various kings were not responsible for their actions. Rather it means that the Bible sees all this as part of God’s plan, happening according to His will, so that all these kings and their peoples would be destroyed. The simplistic view that it is either human freewill or the sovereignty of God is naive and not in line with the Bible. The Bible clearly portrays human responsibility and the divine decree as both working.
11:21-23
We get a brief mention of somemother towns being destroyed, but then a statement that “Gaza, Gath and Ashdod” remained. The chapter finishes with the announcement that Joshua took the entire land. Joshua fulfilled the directions given by Moses, and the land was then allotted to Israel according to the tribal divisions. “Then the land had rest from war”. There are times of battle in our lives, but also times of peace. We need to fight when it is the time to fight, and to enjoy the peace when it is time to rest.
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