Joshua Chapter 11-12

December 10, 2025

FBC Baxley

Week 9

Joshua 11–12: Northern Campaign & Summary of Conquests

Title: “The God Who Finishes What He Starts”

Joshua 11:1-9

When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, 2 and to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor on the west, 3 to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 4 And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. 5 And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

6 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” 7 So Joshua and all his warriors came suddenly against them by the waters of Merom and fell upon them. 8 And the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. And they struck them until he left none remaining. 9 And Joshua did to them just as the Lord said to him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

-Pray

INTRODUCTION

One of the great sights in American history is the completion photo of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937.

The engineers who built it said the hardest part was not beginning the bridge — it was finishing it.

Most construction projects die in the middle: funds run out, interest fades, obstacles pile up.

But when a project is completed, it stands as a testimony of perseverance and power.

Joshua 11–12 presents a similar picture — not of human engineering but of divine victory.

What God began in Joshua 1 (“Be strong and courageous…you will lead these people into the land”) God completes.

These chapters are not “filler chapters” — they are faithfulness chapters.

They remind us that God not only wins the battles — He finishes the campaign.

OVERVIEW OF THE TEXT

Joshua 11 — The northern campaign ending major organized resistance.

Joshua 12 — A trophy room of victories — a written testimony of God’s faithfulness.

Theme: God gives victory when His people depend on His power, obey His Word, and persist in His mission.

1. GOD GIVES VICTORY WHEN HIS PEOPLE TRUST HIS POWER (11:1–9)

Illustration:

During WWII, the British discovered that German tanks outmatched theirs in technology.

Winston Churchill famously responded, “Wars are not won by machinery alone but by the spirit of a people.”

Victory comes from something greater than steel.

So in Joshua 11, Israel faces a massive northern coalition under King Jabin of Hazor — the largest army Israel has yet encountered.

Verse 4 says they were “as numerous as the sand on the seashore” with “very many horses and chariots.”

• The word for chariots is רֶכֶב (rekhev) — representing the highest military technology of the day. • Israel—freshly landed former nomads—had none.

Divine Instruction

In verse 6 God commands Joshua: “Hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.” The Hebrew for “burn” is שָׂרַף (saraph) — total destruction.

Why burn the chariots? It was not tactical but theological.

Psalm 20:7 echoes this principle: “Some trust in chariots… but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

Burning the chariots wasn’t merely removing enemy advantages — it was removing Israel’s future temptation to rely on military technology instead of God.

God was shaping not just victory but dependence.

The NICOT commentary notes that Israel’s obedience here “prevented the subtle drift toward self-sufficiency that often follows success.”

God protects us from pride by removing props we would later worship.

Application:

Before Israel ever uses the promised land, God ensures they enter it leaning on Him alone.

****Better to walk with God on bare feet than to ride into battle on a thousand chariots without Him.

2. GOD GIVES VICTORY WHEN HIS PEOPLE OBEY HIS WORD (11:10–15)

Joshua then turns southward and destroys Hazor, the lead city of the northern alliance.

Verse 15 is the key: “As the LORD commanded Moses… Joshua left nothing undone.”

Illustration

A master builder once said, “A house fails not because of the big beams but the small nails neglected.” Victory in the Christian life is often found in the “small nails” of consistent obedience.

The phrase “left nothing undone” literally means “he did not remove a single thing” (לֹא־הֵסִיר דָּבָר).

It emphasizes complete obedience — not partial, selective, or convenient.

Joshua is often portrayed as a military general, but in this verse he is portrayed as a Moses-follower.

His greatness was not his strategy — it was his submission.

Israel’s conquest succeeded not because of Joshua’s brilliance but because Joshua refused to rewrite God’s instructions.

Warren Wiersbe says, “Obedience is the real secret of victory. God’s commands are not suggestions but divine strategies.”

Adrian Rogers put it this way: “God doesn’t bless our plans; He blesses our obedience.”

Application:

God’s will is not discovered by creativity but by obedience to what He has already spoken.

****Obedience is God’s love language.

3. GOD GIVES VICTORY WHEN HIS PEOPLE PERSEVERE IN HIS MISSION (11:16–23)

Verse 18 reminds us: “Joshua waged war a long time.”

Illustration

A marathoner once said, “Anyone can start a race; the miracle is in the last mile.”

Chapters 11–12 are Israel’s “last mile” moments.

We often picture the conquest as a whirlwind of quick victories. But the Hebrew text and archaeological timeline point to a campaign that lasted five to seven years.

Victory took persistence, not bursts of enthusiasm.

Verse 23 declares: “So Joshua took the whole land… and the land had rest from war.”

Rest is always a product of perseverance.

Dale Ralph Davis notes, “The brilliance of this section is not the speed of the conquest but its thoroughness. God’s faithfulness is measured in finish lines.”

“Rest” (נוּחַ — nuach) means settled security, not inactivity — safety within God’s promises.

Application:

Many Christians expect quick wins; God often chooses slow, solid, sanctifying victories.

**** God’s victory is not microwave; it’s crockpot.

4. GOD’S VICTORIES DESERVE TO BE REMEMBERED (12:1–24)

This chapter lists 31 defeated kings — a litany of victory.

Illustration

Sports teams hang championship banners. Veterans display medals. Families keep photo albums.

Why? Because memory fuels gratitude.

Joshua 12 is Israel’s praise list. It’s not random — it’s worship.

God wanted His people to record His faithfulness so future generations could rejoice in it.

The ESV Expository Commentary says, “Joshua 12 stands as a written testimony that God keeps every promise — not some, but all.”

Adrian Rogers once said: “The past is a good place to visit if it reminds you of the victories God has won.”

Israel would look back at this chapter and say: “Look what God has done — and look how He kept His Word.”

The victories are God’s, not ours.

THREE LIFE APPLICATIONS

1. Burn the Chariots of Self-Reliance

What technologies, strengths, or habits tempt you to trust yourself more than God? Burn them.

Dependence is the doorway to victory.

2. Obey Completely, Not Conveniently

Partial obedience leads to partial victory. Ask: Where am I negotiating with God?

Victory follows surrender.

3. Keep a Record of God’s Faithfulness

Start your own “Joshua 12 List.” Write down the battles God has won for you — answered prayers, open doors, restored relationships.

Gratitude strengthens faith for future battles.

CLOSING WORD

Joshua 11–12 is not just a military report. It is a victory song. A testimony that God finishes what He starts, fights for His people, and honors obedience with blessing.

And like Paul, we say with confidence:

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”