At first glance the Book of Joshua, chapters 10 and 11 seem to be more about blood and destruction than about mercy and grace. When Joshua 11:20 tells us that it was the LORD "who hardened their hearts... so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy" you have to stop and ask yourself, "Just who is this God?"
Biblical theology is a book by book approach to understanding the theology of the Bible. Instead of Systematic Theology which examines a theological topic throughout the Bible, biblical theology focuses upon a single book and what that book alone is saying about God, salvation, holiness, the end times, etc.
So what does the Book of Joshua say about the character and person of God? First and foremost, he is a lot more than a wimpy, powerless God of love. Yes, I know what the Bible teaches about love but in Joshua you see an almost frightening picture of God's character. He is holy and he will judge. To those who come to him in reverent fear (like Rahab and the Gibeonites) he offers unabounding grace. To those who oppose him he exercises punishment. Don't mess with God.
This brings up the question of the existence of hell. If God is love, the argument goes, how could he send anyone to hell? Joshua reminds us that God does not straddle the fence. Those who come to him in uncompromised humility receive life and those who oppose him receive death. As Joshua 11:20 points out, there is no mercy - none, zip, nadda - for those refuse to accept the simple truth that the wages of sin is death. Even when you think you are "in the club" God will still judge singul disobedience. Just look at Achan in chapter 7.
But what about God meeting our deepest needs? Where is this found in the Book of Joshua? At the beginning of chapter 10 the Gibeonites cry out for God's protection and deliverance. Two things need to be noticed here. First of all, God immediately responds. God's counsel to Joshua in verse 8 shows us that he is the deliverer, not Joshua. That Joshua marches all night shows God's willingness to meet our needs immediately. When he does not answer immediaitely there is always a divine reason, such as the need to deal with sin (as with the defeat at Ai or to teach us to trust him (such as when he had Israel march around Jericho for seven days).
The second thing to be noticed is God's ability to meet our deepest needs. When Joshua asks God to have the sun stand still we see the God of miracles. God can do anything. And take special note of verse 14: God listened. Not only did God speak to Joshua, he listened to him. Not only does God speak to us through his word, he also hears our prayers and petitions for help. God knows your needs and he is not powerless, nor is he unwilling, to help you.
What should you do? In humility, ask him, don't order him or demand of him, but ask him to help you during your struggles. If the answers don't seem to come immediately, ask him for wisdom to understand and to see his purpose during this time of testing and struggle. As the Book of Joshua teaches, God will always be true to his word and he will always keep his promises.
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