The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 241

linked together in o.rming e. soul with the whole armour of God (Eph. vi. llJ.- W. F. A. Ver. 40.-The extermination of the Oanaanites. The apparent cruelty of the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan arouses moral and religious questions of great i?,terest, especially those which are suggested by the conduct of Joohua, the rela- t10n of God to the slaughter of the Canaanites, e.nd the contrast between the earlier and the later religious dispensations. I. THE CONDUCT OF JOSHUA. This e.ppee.rs cruel and murderous. But note : (1) It we.s in accordance with the cu•toms of the times. Christian lenity was un• known. A me.n must be judged in the light of his e.ge. It is wrong to '' follow a multitude to do evil" (Exod. xxiii. 2), when we know it is doing evil, because the number of guilty persons does not mitigate the guilt of ea.eh individual. But our own judgment of whe.t is right and wrong is largely detem1ined by the prevalent ideas and unble.med conduct of our contemporaries ; and if, when we have used the best light e.t our co=e.nd, "our hearts condemn us not" (1 John iii. 21), we cannot be accounted guilty. (2) It was in obedience to the understood command of God. A supposed command from heaven is no justification for an a.et which a man sin- cerely believes to be wrong, because in no case is he justified in violating conscience, and because he he.a more reason for doubting the Divine origin of the voice without than that of the voice within. But when the certainty of the Divine command is so strong that it carries. conviction to the conscience, it becomes right for a man to obey. (2) It was in execution of what was believed to be a Divine decree of judgment. Joshua did not consider that he was destroying the Canaanites simply to make way for the Israelites. He believed that he was a "scourge of God," sent to bring doom to the guilty, to rid the le.nd of men who lived only to dishonour it, and to introduce a better race in their stead. II. THE RELATION OF Gon TO THE SLAUGHTER OF THE C.AN4NITES. Did God really co=and it? and if so, how can we reconcile this with His character of goodness? (1) If God commanded this slaughter, He was ordering no more than He does directly in natural events-in tempests, earthquakes, famines, plagues, and visitations of death generally. (2) If men deserve destruction for their sins, it is really 110 more harsh for this to be sent by human agency than for it to come from physical causes, as with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. (3) If the punishment of sin generally is reconcilable with the goodness of God, this particular inst:10ce may be so. (4) The extermination of the Canaanites was o. blessing to the world. (5) It wa.s 110 real evil to the Oanaanites. If men are living in sin and will not repent, the judgment which shortens their lives and prevents further evil is rather a blessing than a curse ; for any loss or suffering is better for us than that we should be permitted to live on in sin (Luke xvii. 1, 2). It is better for ~ts that we should be punished for sin than that we should continue in sin unpunished. III. THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE EARLIER AND THE LATER DISPENSATIONS. (1) Joshua brought punishment and destruction to sinne1·s. Christ brings forgiveness and life. (2) J oshue. could only find room for his people after exterminating their predecessor&, Christ has room for all who will come to His kingdom (Luke xiv. 22). (3) Joshua proved himself fit for the inheritance of his nation by the exercise of destructive warfare. Christians are made meet for their inheritance by the prac• tice of Christ-like deeds of charity (Matt. xxv. 34-36).-W. F. A. Ver. 40.-The extermination of the Oanaanites. "So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, anu of the springs, aud nll their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that br1,athed, as the Lord Gou of Israel commanded." The attributes of God are the fouuclation of religion. From the 1"0lation in which we stanu to Him as His creatures some reo-ards 0 are due to Him ; but this relationship of iuferiority could not of itself suffice to demand that entire devotedness to His services, that complete smrender of our affection which we denominate religion. God's requirement (as stated in Deut. J:, 12) can only be justified by reference to the perfections of His character. If 184 THE BOOR OF JOSHUA. [cu. x. 1-4::l.