Joshua 11:15-23: a reflection

15As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua. Joshua did so. He left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses. 16So Joshua captured all that land, the hill country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel, and the lowland of the same, 17from Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir, even to Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon. He took all their kings, struck them, and put them to death. 18Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. 19There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took all in battle. 20For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses. 21Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. 22There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain. 23So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD spoke to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.

After a long and hard campaign to take the land, the passage reaches a resting point. Joshua had done all that the LORD commanded, leaving nothing undone; he had taken the whole land, and given it as an inheritance to the tribes. And then comes a quiet, weighty phrase: Then the land had rest from war. After the long labor of obedience, after the hard and lengthy campaign, came rest. The rest was the fruit of the long, faithful completion of the work God had given.

Notice the rest that followed the long, faithful work: then the land had rest from war. The campaign had been long and hard; Joshua had made war for many years, leaving nothing undone of what God commanded. And after all that faithful labor, came rest. The rest was not idleness abandoned partway, but the rest that follows the faithful completion of a long, hard task; the work was finished, and rest came. The long obedience gave way, at last, to rest.

That pattern, of rest following the faithful completion of a long, hard task, is worth holding onto when we are in the midst of long labor. There are tasks God gives that are long and hard, requiring years of faithful labor before they are done; and in the midst of them, rest can seem far off. But after the faithful completion of the work comes rest, as it came to Israel after the long campaign. When you are in the midst of a long, hard task God has given you, do not lose heart at how long it takes; the rest comes after the faithful completion of the work. Keep at the long labor faithfully, leaving nothing undone, and trust that rest will follow, as the land had rest after Joshua's long campaign. The long, hard obedience gives way, in time, to rest; persevere through the labor, and look for the rest that follows the faithful completion of what God has given you to do.

Lord, after a long and hard campaign, Joshua had done all you commanded, leaving nothing undone, and taken the whole land; and then came a quiet, weighty phrase: then the land had rest from war. The rest was the fruit of the long, faithful completion of the work you had given. Help me hold onto that pattern when I am in the midst of long labor. There are tasks you give that are long and hard, requiring years of faithful labor before they are done; and in the midst of them, rest can seem far off. But after the faithful completion of the work comes rest, as it came to Israel after the long campaign. When I am in the midst of a long, hard task you have given me, keep me from losing heart at how long it takes; the rest comes after the faithful completion of the work. Help me keep at the long labor faithfully, leaving nothing undone, and trust that rest will follow, as the land had rest after Joshua's long campaign. The long, hard obedience gives way, in time, to rest; help me persevere through the labor, Lord, and look for the rest that follows the faithful completion of what you have given me to do. Give me rest after faithful labor.