Jos 11:23 | KingComments | STEP | After a long time of war there is peace. The rest here is the result of faithfulness in battle. This mention of rest in the land appears three times in the book: 1. here in connection with Joshua, 2. in Joshua 14 in connection with Caleb ( ) and 3. in Joshua 21 in connection with the inheritance of the Levites among the people of Israel ( ). You can only enjoy rest if you act faithfully according to what the LORD has said. If through the unfaithfulness of the people not all enemies are eradicated, the rest appears to be of limited duration. The conquest of the land is complete. This means that there is no external strength left in a hostile power that can exist before them or form another kingdom. Yet there are still many enemies left. If they remain faithful, those enemies will not have to worry them. That is why rest is dangerous, it can so easily lead to laziness. Then it is forgotten that there are still enemies who keep land in their possession. There is always land to conquer. Rest is good, but it should not lead to carelessness. It is important “having done everything, to stand firm” ( ). The biggest defeat is often suffered after the biggest victory. Rest is also dangerous for older brothers and sisters. The battle never ends as long as we are still in the body. concludes the first part of the book, which describes the histories of Joshua’s victories. The next chapter, Joshua 12, is a postscript in which the balance of the previous chapters is, as it were, drawn up. The conquered kings and their territories are listed.

‏ Joshua 11:23

The Land Rests From War

After a long time of war there is peace. The rest here is the result of faithfulness in battle. This mention of rest in the land appears three times in the book:

1. here in connection with Joshua,

2. in Joshua 14 in connection with Caleb (Jos 14:15) and

3. in Joshua 21 in connection with the inheritance of the Levites among the people of Israel (Jos 21:44).

You can only enjoy rest if you act faithfully according to what the LORD has said. If through the unfaithfulness of the people not all enemies are eradicated, the rest appears to be of limited duration.

The conquest of the land is complete. This means that there is no external strength left in a hostile power that can exist before them or form another kingdom. Yet there are still many enemies left. If they remain faithful, those enemies will not have to worry them. That is why rest is dangerous, it can so easily lead to laziness. Then it is forgotten that there are still enemies who keep land in their possession. There is always land to conquer.

Rest is good, but it should not lead to carelessness. It is important “having done everything, to stand firm” (Eph 6:13b). The biggest defeat is often suffered after the biggest victory. Rest is also dangerous for older brothers and sisters. The battle never ends as long as we are still in the body.

Jos 11:23 concludes the first part of the book, which describes the histories of Joshua’s victories. The next chapter, Joshua 12, is a postscript in which the balance of the previous chapters is, as it were, drawn up. The conquered kings and their territories are listed.