(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Joshua 11:10–14, “And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms. And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire. And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn. And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.”
The Lord had promised the Land to Israel so they saved the cities and their agricultural hinterlands as far as they could, apart from the specific cities that the Lord told them to completely destroy. When Israel came to take possession of the Land, after the invasion was complete they would have a lot less work to do before they could settle down and start to enjoy the benefits of the Land flowing with Milk and Honey. Joshua destroyed the greatest of all the cities as a warning to the other cities of Canaan.
No comments:
Post a Comment