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Context No. 2543 of 4322 · Joshua

Context · Reflection

Joshua 11:1-5: in context

1When Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, 2and to the kings who were on the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west, 3to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 4They went out, they and all their armies with them, many people, even as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots. 5All these kings met together; and they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel.

When the northern kings hear that Israel is winning, they band together. Jabin of Hazor summons king after king, and they pour out a combined army described as many as the sand on the seashore, with a great mass of horses and chariots, and encamp to crush Israel at the waters of Merom. It is a fearsome coalition, arrayed against a people with no chariots at all.

The scene is built to overwhelm. Count the kings, the sand-like host, the horses and iron chariots, and the sensible conclusion is despair. But the very next verse has God telling Joshua, do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow I will hand them over. The size of the coalition, so crushing on paper, is not the decisive factor; God is. When the opposition unites and multiplies and the numbers say there is no hope, the temptation is to tally the chariots and forget who fights for us. The count is real. It is also not the last word.

When the opposition unites and the numbers look overwhelming, do I tally the chariots and despair, or remember who fights for me?

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