Taking Hazor - Joshua 11:10

In the book of Joshua, we learned how “Jabin” the “king of Hazor” assembled “kings” and their armies who were located near him, and “when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: you shall hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them. And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining. And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire”, and in chapter eleven and verse ten of the book of Joshua, we learn how, “Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor” where we read, 

And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.

The verse reads, “And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword:” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and Joshua” whose name means “Jehovah is salvation” “at that time turned back” or “at that occurrence and occasion returned”, “and took Hazor” which means “and seized, captured and occupied Hazor whose name means ‘castle’ and was a royal city of northern Palestine allotted to Naphtali”, “and smote the king thereof” or “and hit, beat, struck and killed the royal ruler of Hazor” “with the sword” which means “by the use of the sharpened instrument of war”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Joshua” returned and captured and occupied “Hazor” and killed their royal ruler with a sharpened war instrument. 

 

The verse continues, “for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “for Hazor”  which means “because Hazor whose name means ‘castle’ and was a royal city of northern Palestine allotted to Naphtali”, “beforetime was the head” or “in front, before in advance existed as the top, summit and chief” “of all those kingdoms” which means “pertaining to each, every and the whole royal realms, sovereignties and dominions”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Hazor” was the chief of every one of the other royal dominions.  

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn through Joshua or the writer how “Joshua” returned to “Hazor”, captured the territory and killed their royal ruler who was “Jabin”. “Hazor” was the chief of all the other dominions who were destroyed by Joshua through Jehovah God. “Jabin”, the royal ruler of “Hazor” met his fate with death because he defied the armies of Israel and the living God. God loves the people of Israel, and through them the entire world was to be blessed. (See Genesis 12:3) For this reason God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days, and when we yield our lives to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and to empower us to know and believe He is able to conquer any enemy and foe that rises up against us. 

Next time we learn how, “they smote all the souls that were therein”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".