Tuesday: Dispossession or Annihilation?
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 28th of October 2025
Compare Exodus 23:28-30; Exodus 33:2; Exodus 34:11; Numbers 33:52; and Deuteronomy 7:20 with Exodus 34:13; Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 9:3; Deuteronomy 12:2-3; and Deuteronomy 31:3-4. What do these texts reveal about the purpose of the conquest and the extent of the destruction?
God’s original purpose for the Canaanites was not annihilation but, instead, dispossession. An examination of the passages that describe the way Israel had to be involved in the battles of the conquest used terms that speak about the dispossession, ejection, and dissipation carried out against the inhabitants of the Promised Land. The second group of terms that express destruction and have Israel as the subject of the action refer mostly to inanimate objects, such as articles of pagan worship and objects devoted to destruction. Evidently, the places of pagan worship and the altars constituted the main centers of the Canaanite religion.
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Holy war is mainly oriented toward Canaan’s corrupt culture and society. In order to avoid contamination, Israel had to destroy all the elements that were propagating corruption. However, all the inhabitants of Canaan, and those who, on an individual basis, recognized God’s sovereignty prior to the conquest, or even during the conquest, were able to escape through immigration (Joshua 2:9-14; compare with Judges 1:24-26). The only part of the Canaanite population doomed to destruction were those who withdrew into the fortified cities, obstinately continued to rebel against God’s plan for the Israelites, and hardened their hearts (Joshua 11:19-20).
However, this does raise a question: If the initial purpose of conquering Canaan was to drive out the inhabitants of the land and not to annihilate them, why did the Israelites have to kill so many people?
Analysis of the biblical texts related to the conquest of Canaan revealed that the original intent of the conquest implied the dissipation of the Canaanite population. However, the majority of the Canaanites, like the pharaoh of Egypt, hardened their hearts and, as such, became one with the culture to such an extent that the destruction of their culture meant they had to be destroyed, as well.
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What elements in your own character and habits must be uprooted and annihilated? |
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As we explore today's study, "Dispossession or Annihilation?", let's remember that the topic is a question. This is closely tied to the theme of the week "God Fights for You". How could the answer to this question impact our lives today? God repeatedly assured Moses and Joshua that He would fight for Israel, and all Israel needed to do was trust and stand back (Exodus 14:14, Deuteronomy 1:30, Joshua 10:14). Indeed, we see God fighting for Israel (without Israel lifting a finger) against the army of Sennacherib, king of Assyria (2 Kings 19:35-37).
A puzzling aspect is why God involved Israel in the conquest of Canaan when He could have done it alone. The answer lies in God's desire for Israel to learn and understand the significance of His commandments and the consequences of disobedience (Deuteronomy 8:1-20). Israel's involvement would teach them about God's justice, mercy, and the dangers of self-exaltation and idolatry (Deuteronomy 18:9-14). The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah serves as a stark reminder of God's judgment against wickedness and corruption (Genesis 18-19). Similarly, Canaan's corruption and wickedness led to their downfall. Israel's role was to witness God's judgment and learn to walk in His ways (Deuteronomy 12:1-4), revering, serving, and obeying God (Deuteronomy 13:4).
As we reflect on this, let's examine our own lives. Do we unwittingly worship other things – our education, jobs, wealth, relationships, or material possessions? (Matthew 6:24, 1 Timothy 6:10). The lesson from Canaan's desolation and Israel's occupation is clear: for God to reign in our hearts, we must destroy our selfishness and focus all praise as well as worship on Him (Matthew 16:24-25, Luke 9:23-24).
I am a big fan of maps. I love to learn about the location of historical places because it gives an insight into the events that took place there. So, as a little aside this morning and a bit of a break from the morality of conquering the land and its people, here is a little bit about Jericho to provide a perspective for us. (We have the rest of the week for the heavy stuff!)
Ancient Jericho was not very big. Archeological evidence shows that it was about 6 to 9 acres in size. We had paddocks (fields) that big for the fifty-odd cows on our dairy farm. That means the perimeter was most likely less than a kilometre. The population cannot be determined with any accuracy, but estimates vary from several hundred to a maximum of between two and three thousand.
The archaeological remains are in a mound called Tell es-Sultan. It is quite close to the Dead Sea (less than 15km) and the Jordan River, We should not overlook the fact that it is 275m below sea-level. Like most ancient cities, it has been built and destroyed several times with each rebuilding above but using previous layers of civilisations. Readers should be aware that the site has been the subject of several archaeological investigations, many of them setting out to prove the Biblical account. Some of these reports are unreliable. There is a fair degree of agreement that there was a major attack at some stage in the likely period of the Exodus, and the city was burned in the process. Among that evidence is some charred grain in storage, which suggests that the attack was quick and not the result of a drawn-out siege. If the city had been under siege for any length of time, there would have been no stored grain.
I am not sure why the lesson writer conveniently avoided to mention the Bible passages where God gave clear instructions for total annihilation of some Canaanite communities! As much as some of these passages raises some moral questions, the fact remains some sections were totally exterminated under God’s directions. This does not mean God was wrong. The Bible is explicitly clear that God’s modus operandi is far beyond human understanding (Isaiah 55:8-9). God was simply demonstrating that sinners who fail to take the advantage of His grace will cause upon themselves His wrath. In Deuteronomy 7:1-5, did God not command the Israelites to destroy the Canaanite nations completely, without mercy, because of their sinfulness? In Joshua 6:17-21, did God not say that "The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD”, a form of total destruction? In Joshua 10:28-40, did Joshua not defeat the five kings of the Amorites and their cities, utterly destroying everything in them, including the people, cattle, and property? Likewise, in Joshua 11:11-15, Joshua destroyed the cities of the north (Hazor), killing all the inhabitants and burning the cities to the ground.
God did not suddenly and instantly want to destroy these communities; He had given them humble time to turn away from their wicked ways. God had spoken to Abraham many years earlier saying; “In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."(Genesis 15:16). It is apparent that God had delayed judgment, but their sin was so great that God’s judgment was inevitable. Is this not going to be the same scenario at the end of this earth’s history? Is God not going to totally annihilate sin and sinners? The Bible is clear on this matter.
”Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7, ESV).