旧约 - 约书亚记(Joshua)第11章

When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Acshaph,
and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west;
to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah.
They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots--a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.
The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots."
So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them,
and the LORD gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left.
Joshua did to them as the LORD had directed: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.
At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.)
Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed them, not sparing anything that breathed, and he burned up Hazor itself.
Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded.
Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds--except Hazor, which Joshua burned.
The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed.
As the LORD commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.
So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills,
from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death.
Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time.
Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle.
For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns.
No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.
So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.
约书亚记第十一章   第 11 章 

  书 11:1-5> 叫耶宾的夏琐王好像不只一个…… 

  11:1-5 有两个夏琐王名字皆叫作耶宾。士师记所记的那一个,显然不如这一个(参士 4:2-3 )。这里的耶宾很有势力,因为他能与多国结盟。表面来看,耶宾显然比约书亚占优势,他的军队也较多。不管敌方人数多么庞大,凡敬畏神的人都必能得胜。 

  书 11:10-13> 在进军迦南的战役中,以色列人烧过几座城?为什么? 

  11:10-13 胜利的入侵者通常会将攻占的城市完整保存下来,变为商业中心,或防卫基地。例如,摩西在申命记(参申 6:10-12 )中预言,以色列人要占领非他们所建造的城市;但是夏琐却被焚毁了。它在过去既然是那地的京城,就是邪恶风俗的象征,以色列人必须毁灭它。它被占领、被毁灭,就折断了联军的支柱,也削弱当地百姓想顽抗的意志。 

  夏琐之战 

  书 11:15> 约书亚是顺服神的典范,从他身上我学到些什么顺服的功课? 

  11:15 约书亚小心翼翼,顺从神的一切吩咐。这卷书常常提到顺服这个主题,部分原因是,顺服乃是每个信徒在生活中都能具体实践的事。我们不可能明白一切,因为不会知道所有事情的真相。我们不能控制别人所做的,也管不了别人怎样对待我们,但是我们能管住自己,作顺服神的抉择。不管遇见什么新的挑战,圣经都有适当的教诲,让我们明白若要顺从神,就应全心顺服。 

  书 11:18> “许多时日”是多久? 

  11:18 攻占迦南多处土地的过程,从书上看起来似乎很快,但实际上征战用了七年的时间!我们常指望生活中有很快的改变,或很快地胜过罪恶,但是与神同行,乃是一生之久的事,而改变与胜利可能需要很长的时间。人很容易对神失去耐性,想放弃盼望,因为事情进展得太慢。我们身处其境,不容易看到进展,但是回顾以往,就会看到神从来没有停止工作。 

  书 11:21-22> 巨人还是巨人,怎么?是以色列人改变了── 

  11:21-22 昔日探子窥探迦南地,报恶信息说亚纳人是巨人族,百姓因此退缩了(参民 13-14 )。这一次以色列人不再因惧怕巨人而不敢争战,反而踊跃地要占领神所赐的应许之地。──《灵修版圣经注释》