- there are 70 faces to 
Post by alon on Dec 3, 2016 19:45:56 GMT -8
Joshua 12
In the last chapter (11:23) we see that Yehoshua took the whole land, which is soon to be divided as an inheritance for the Hebrew people. Chapter 12 again gives an account of what was taken, but in list form. Thirty one kings were defeated and their lands taken. Their cities were occupied and the inhabitants killed.
Yehoshua knew beforehand that these lands were given over to Yisro’el. Still, time and again he had to act in faith, trusting his God and attacking when the prudent thing would have been to retreat. However Yehoshua, a type of Yeshua, conquered the land and gave it to his people who, themselves trusting in El Elohe Yisro’el, had followed him into battle after battle. This was a long war, fought by a people with no lands, no base from which to attack or to retreat to for safety. It probably lasted about seven years. Compare this to the US, an affluent and secure nation whose wars seldom exceed four years. After that, our liberal element tends to gain momentum and their cries for a negotiated peace (read that loss and retreat) hold sway. Not many know it, but we almost lost WWII due to more people listening to our pacifists as the war entered its third year. Immagine if Hitler were still in power at wars end, and Imperial Japan controled the Pacific Rim countries and China. Now immagine if the Hebrews had heeded those calling for a return to Egypt instead of dfacing the trials ahead. But as Yehoshua conquered Canaan, so Yeshua conquered death having received the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh and all spiritual blessings. He holds them in trust for those who put their trust in Him. But we must, trusting fully in Yeshua, claim that heritage. And at times it is a war, as we all know.
Colossians 2:8-9 (NASB) See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
We’ll come back to COl 2:8 in a bit, but for now our story is almost 1 ½ millennia prior to this scripture.
Joshua 12:1-6 (NASB) 1 Now these are the kings of the land whom the sons of Israel defeated, and whose land they possessed beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the valley of the Arnon as far as Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah to the east: 2 Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, both the middle of the valley and half of Gilead, even as far as the brook Jabbok, the border of the sons of Ammon; 3 and the Arabah as far as the Sea of Chinneroth [Galilee] toward the east, and as far as the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, eastward toward Beth-jeshimoth, and on the south, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah; 4 and the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, 5 and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half of Gilead, as far as the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.6 Moses the servant of the Lord and the sons of Israel defeated them; and Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh as a possession.
This is actually a summary of the lands conquered by Moshe (ref. Num 2:21-35 & Deu 2:26-3:17)
The Rephaim of verse 4 refers to people of great stature; probably professional warriors and chariot warriors in particular.
Joshua 12:7-8 (NASB) 7 Now these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the sons of Israel [f]defeated beyond the Jordan toward the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon even as far as Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir; and Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions, 8 in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, on the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the Negev; the Hittite, the Amorite and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite:
This brief summary of the lands conquered by Yehoshua is the precursor to a detailed list of the kings and their cities which were included in these territories:
Joshua 12:9-24 (NASB) 9 the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;10 the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; 11 the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; 12 the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; 13 the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; 15 the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; 16 the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; 17 the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; 18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; 19 the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; 20 the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; 21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; 23 the king of Dor in the [h]heights of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one;24 the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one kings.
The reason each verse ends in “one” is easier seen if the list is more like a spread sheet:
9 the king of Jericho, 1
the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, 1
10 the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, 1
11 the king of Jarmuth, 1
the king of Lachish, 1
12 the king of Eglon, 1
the king of Gezer 1
13 the king of Debir, 1
the king of Geder 1
... +___
And so on; the total being tallied in the last verse as being 31 kings and their cities. This is over two times what is mentioned in previous chapters- an indication of how selective those recountings were.
Tis chapter being easy to recount and comment on, this is a good time for me to address something that has bothered me throughout my studies and reading what supposedly “spiritual” men have written. That is the idea that the Hebrews copied the pagan religions when they “created” their own. Clearly throughout scripture, men of El Elyon did as He instructed. This includes Moshe and Yehoshua. Col 2:8 restates an ages old Biblical principle:
Colossians 2:8 (NASB) See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
El does not copy el: Elohim does not copy elohim. Ha’satan and his minions copies what ELohim does! These ideas would have been passed down from Adam to Noach and on to all his descendants. They were nothing new, even to the evil Nephilim before the flood. And yet educated men continue to push the idea that God copies pagan gods. Men such as Dr. I Barnes in his “Historical Atlas of the Bible, who says:
“The Old Testament shows that some of the language and symbolism of the Canaanite religion was also used by the Hebrew settlers, particularly their chief god, El, and some of the aspects of the Canaanite creation myths. El is called “El the Bull” in some of the Canaanite texts, … In the creation myths, Baal fights the death god and the god of the chaotic waters, and at one stage is himself killed.”
Taken at face value, this sounds all scholarly and like he knows what he’s talking about. I gotta cry “Bull!” on all his crud about god the bull and gods fighting. It is true that early Hebrew texts and stone carvings show the first letter, Aleph, as an oxhead. And Aleph does represent Elohim (not elohim). The ancient text shown in a recently discovered shard of pottery in Israel turned out to be the earliest known example of Hebrew writing, as written about in this article in one Archaeological magazine:
University of Haifa Scientists have discovered the earliest known Hebrew writing — an inscription dating from the 10th century B.C., during the period of King David's reign. The breakthrough could mean that portions of the Bible were written centuries earlier than previously thought. (The Bible's Old Testament is thought to have been first written down in an ancient form of Hebrew.)
Until now, many scholars have held that the Hebrew Bible originated in the 6th century B.C., because Hebrew writing was thought to stretch back no further. But the newly deciphered Hebrew text is about four centuries older, scientists announced this month.
"It indicates that the Kingdom of Israel already existed in the 10th century BCE and that at least some of the biblical texts were written hundreds of years before the dates presented in current research," said Gershon Galil, a professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa in Israel, who deciphered the ancient text.”
Surprise! God was right again … duh. Look, I am all for research. But when it consists of everyone parroting what a few atheist researchers said, what good is it? That’s not research; it’s just a group of cowards reassuring each other that they are worth something because they all agree. I am reading other sites where they say Hebrew was first written in the time of Moses and Joshua. Really! Where did it say Moshe created the Hebrew aleph-bet? Writing had existed from before the flood. Adam probably knew how to write! God didn’t have to tell Moshe “Now this is an Aleph, and it sounds like this … and this is a Tov, and it makes the “teh” sound.” No, He just told him “Write!” That the Canaanites and others had similar alphabets is because they all learned from the original source! Three and a half millennia later, our English alphabet bears many similarities, starting with “A” which looks like a Hebrew Aleph turned 90 degrees, or a Canaanite (whatever them pagans called their first letter) turned 180 deg.
The same goes for the Hebrews copying pagan rituals. Dr. Barnes goes on to say “the influence of the Canaanites can most be seen in the Hebrew sacrifices and festivals.” No, pagans copied what was handed down from Adam and Noach, making changes to suit themselves over time. God said “Do it like this- no changes.” And He does not share either His festivals or His glory with any other so called “god.” It is true that both the Canaanite festivals and the Hebrew festivals followed agrarian timetables. Both were essentially agrarian cultures after the conquest. Before that the Hebrews were a nomadic people, and before that they were slaves. All we need do is ask when it was that Elohim gave those festivals to His people. It was long before the conquest and settlement of Canaan, in what was essentially a transition from slavery into an army on the move. They were not settled anywhere long enough to grow anything; and the average Hebrew had probably never even met a Canaanite. So how is it these paradigms of scientific and scholastic evolution come up with the “fact” that God copied some petty “god?” Elohim never looked down and said to anyone “Oh, I like how you did that (make a note for Moshe)." Nope. One God, one way. And several copycat gods and men doing it their way.
“Choose this day whom you will serve” echoes over the centuries from Yehoshua’s last address to today. And if you have a brain and choose to engage it, you won’t serve science or academia. They are false gods peddling false beliefs, peddling themselves as elitists who know just ever so much more than we do. I say they are fools, and anyone who can read and add 2+2 can see right through them, provided we try.
I’m not really all that smart as to become a college prof or scientist, but I’ve successfully taken on college profs, and their own words almost always reveal them to be wrong. I’ve taken on men with Masters degrees in theology, and by just saying “Let’s read that, but in context” almost always proves them wrong. Just let God argue for you- can’t lose! I’ve talked to some well trained Mormon missionaries and others, who usually tie themselves in knots when asked a few pointed questions. It’s fun to watch the meltdown. And I’ve seen scientists just make fools of themselves with some of their “theories.” But the longer I live and the more I hear, the truer the Word of God is.
Isaiah 54:4a (NASB) “Fear not, for you will not be put to
; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced;
Romans 10:11 (ESV) For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to.”
Some things just don’t change.
Dan C
Resources: JPS Study TNK, W Wiersbe, Dr Barnes, my father, Rav S, the infamous internet and others
edit: corrected a mistake, which jumped out at me when I revisited the piece. I (for some reason known to no one) had the story 2 1/2 thousand years prior to the time of the shaliachim. It was 1 1/2 millennia, not 2. (I did say I wasn't that smart, right?) Blame it on senility.
In the last chapter (11:23) we see that Yehoshua took the whole land, which is soon to be divided as an inheritance for the Hebrew people. Chapter 12 again gives an account of what was taken, but in list form. Thirty one kings were defeated and their lands taken. Their cities were occupied and the inhabitants killed.
Yehoshua knew beforehand that these lands were given over to Yisro’el. Still, time and again he had to act in faith, trusting his God and attacking when the prudent thing would have been to retreat. However Yehoshua, a type of Yeshua, conquered the land and gave it to his people who, themselves trusting in El Elohe Yisro’el, had followed him into battle after battle. This was a long war, fought by a people with no lands, no base from which to attack or to retreat to for safety. It probably lasted about seven years. Compare this to the US, an affluent and secure nation whose wars seldom exceed four years. After that, our liberal element tends to gain momentum and their cries for a negotiated peace (read that loss and retreat) hold sway. Not many know it, but we almost lost WWII due to more people listening to our pacifists as the war entered its third year. Immagine if Hitler were still in power at wars end, and Imperial Japan controled the Pacific Rim countries and China. Now immagine if the Hebrews had heeded those calling for a return to Egypt instead of dfacing the trials ahead. But as Yehoshua conquered Canaan, so Yeshua conquered death having received the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh and all spiritual blessings. He holds them in trust for those who put their trust in Him. But we must, trusting fully in Yeshua, claim that heritage. And at times it is a war, as we all know.
Colossians 2:8-9 (NASB) See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
We’ll come back to COl 2:8 in a bit, but for now our story is almost 1 ½ millennia prior to this scripture.
Joshua 12:1-6 (NASB) 1 Now these are the kings of the land whom the sons of Israel defeated, and whose land they possessed beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the valley of the Arnon as far as Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah to the east: 2 Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, both the middle of the valley and half of Gilead, even as far as the brook Jabbok, the border of the sons of Ammon; 3 and the Arabah as far as the Sea of Chinneroth [Galilee] toward the east, and as far as the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, eastward toward Beth-jeshimoth, and on the south, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah; 4 and the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, 5 and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half of Gilead, as far as the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.6 Moses the servant of the Lord and the sons of Israel defeated them; and Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh as a possession.
This is actually a summary of the lands conquered by Moshe (ref. Num 2:21-35 & Deu 2:26-3:17)
The Rephaim of verse 4 refers to people of great stature; probably professional warriors and chariot warriors in particular.
Joshua 12:7-8 (NASB) 7 Now these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the sons of Israel [f]defeated beyond the Jordan toward the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon even as far as Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir; and Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions, 8 in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, on the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the Negev; the Hittite, the Amorite and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite:
This brief summary of the lands conquered by Yehoshua is the precursor to a detailed list of the kings and their cities which were included in these territories:
Joshua 12:9-24 (NASB) 9 the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;10 the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; 11 the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; 12 the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; 13 the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; 15 the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; 16 the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; 17 the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; 18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; 19 the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; 20 the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; 21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; 23 the king of Dor in the [h]heights of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one;24 the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one kings.
The reason each verse ends in “one” is easier seen if the list is more like a spread sheet:
9 the king of Jericho, 1
the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, 1
10 the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, 1
11 the king of Jarmuth, 1
the king of Lachish, 1
12 the king of Eglon, 1
the king of Gezer 1
13 the king of Debir, 1
the king of Geder 1
... +___
And so on; the total being tallied in the last verse as being 31 kings and their cities. This is over two times what is mentioned in previous chapters- an indication of how selective those recountings were.
Tis chapter being easy to recount and comment on, this is a good time for me to address something that has bothered me throughout my studies and reading what supposedly “spiritual” men have written. That is the idea that the Hebrews copied the pagan religions when they “created” their own. Clearly throughout scripture, men of El Elyon did as He instructed. This includes Moshe and Yehoshua. Col 2:8 restates an ages old Biblical principle:
Colossians 2:8 (NASB) See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
El does not copy el: Elohim does not copy elohim. Ha’satan and his minions copies what ELohim does! These ideas would have been passed down from Adam to Noach and on to all his descendants. They were nothing new, even to the evil Nephilim before the flood. And yet educated men continue to push the idea that God copies pagan gods. Men such as Dr. I Barnes in his “Historical Atlas of the Bible, who says:
“The Old Testament shows that some of the language and symbolism of the Canaanite religion was also used by the Hebrew settlers, particularly their chief god, El, and some of the aspects of the Canaanite creation myths. El is called “El the Bull” in some of the Canaanite texts, … In the creation myths, Baal fights the death god and the god of the chaotic waters, and at one stage is himself killed.”
Taken at face value, this sounds all scholarly and like he knows what he’s talking about. I gotta cry “Bull!” on all his crud about god the bull and gods fighting. It is true that early Hebrew texts and stone carvings show the first letter, Aleph, as an oxhead. And Aleph does represent Elohim (not elohim). The ancient text shown in a recently discovered shard of pottery in Israel turned out to be the earliest known example of Hebrew writing, as written about in this article in one Archaeological magazine:
University of Haifa Scientists have discovered the earliest known Hebrew writing — an inscription dating from the 10th century B.C., during the period of King David's reign. The breakthrough could mean that portions of the Bible were written centuries earlier than previously thought. (The Bible's Old Testament is thought to have been first written down in an ancient form of Hebrew.)
Until now, many scholars have held that the Hebrew Bible originated in the 6th century B.C., because Hebrew writing was thought to stretch back no further. But the newly deciphered Hebrew text is about four centuries older, scientists announced this month.
"It indicates that the Kingdom of Israel already existed in the 10th century BCE and that at least some of the biblical texts were written hundreds of years before the dates presented in current research," said Gershon Galil, a professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa in Israel, who deciphered the ancient text.”
Surprise! God was right again … duh. Look, I am all for research. But when it consists of everyone parroting what a few atheist researchers said, what good is it? That’s not research; it’s just a group of cowards reassuring each other that they are worth something because they all agree. I am reading other sites where they say Hebrew was first written in the time of Moses and Joshua. Really! Where did it say Moshe created the Hebrew aleph-bet? Writing had existed from before the flood. Adam probably knew how to write! God didn’t have to tell Moshe “Now this is an Aleph, and it sounds like this … and this is a Tov, and it makes the “teh” sound.” No, He just told him “Write!” That the Canaanites and others had similar alphabets is because they all learned from the original source! Three and a half millennia later, our English alphabet bears many similarities, starting with “A” which looks like a Hebrew Aleph turned 90 degrees, or a Canaanite (whatever them pagans called their first letter) turned 180 deg.
The same goes for the Hebrews copying pagan rituals. Dr. Barnes goes on to say “the influence of the Canaanites can most be seen in the Hebrew sacrifices and festivals.” No, pagans copied what was handed down from Adam and Noach, making changes to suit themselves over time. God said “Do it like this- no changes.” And He does not share either His festivals or His glory with any other so called “god.” It is true that both the Canaanite festivals and the Hebrew festivals followed agrarian timetables. Both were essentially agrarian cultures after the conquest. Before that the Hebrews were a nomadic people, and before that they were slaves. All we need do is ask when it was that Elohim gave those festivals to His people. It was long before the conquest and settlement of Canaan, in what was essentially a transition from slavery into an army on the move. They were not settled anywhere long enough to grow anything; and the average Hebrew had probably never even met a Canaanite. So how is it these paradigms of scientific and scholastic evolution come up with the “fact” that God copied some petty “god?” Elohim never looked down and said to anyone “Oh, I like how you did that (make a note for Moshe)." Nope. One God, one way. And several copycat gods and men doing it their way.
“Choose this day whom you will serve” echoes over the centuries from Yehoshua’s last address to today. And if you have a brain and choose to engage it, you won’t serve science or academia. They are false gods peddling false beliefs, peddling themselves as elitists who know just ever so much more than we do. I say they are fools, and anyone who can read and add 2+2 can see right through them, provided we try.
I’m not really all that smart as to become a college prof or scientist, but I’ve successfully taken on college profs, and their own words almost always reveal them to be wrong. I’ve taken on men with Masters degrees in theology, and by just saying “Let’s read that, but in context” almost always proves them wrong. Just let God argue for you- can’t lose! I’ve talked to some well trained Mormon missionaries and others, who usually tie themselves in knots when asked a few pointed questions. It’s fun to watch the meltdown. And I’ve seen scientists just make fools of themselves with some of their “theories.” But the longer I live and the more I hear, the truer the Word of God is.
Isaiah 54:4a (NASB) “Fear not, for you will not be put to
; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced;Romans 10:11 (ESV) For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to
.”Some things just don’t change.
Dan C
Resources: JPS Study TNK, W Wiersbe, Dr Barnes, my father, Rav S, the infamous internet and others
edit: corrected a mistake, which jumped out at me when I revisited the piece. I (for some reason known to no one) had the story 2 1/2 thousand years prior to the time of the shaliachim. It was 1 1/2 millennia, not 2. (I did say I wasn't that smart, right?) Blame it on senility.
). "BANG!!!" But wait, was it nothing on that pinhead, or was it everything in the universe? Duh.
