A few things you may have missed about Abraham

Genesis 25:1-18 ESV

1Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.2She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. 6But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. 

7These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 175 years. 8Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. 11After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.

12These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son,whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham.13These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa,15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. 17(These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) 18They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen.

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Did you know that Abraham had at least two wives and concubines and the liaison with Hagar?

Did you know Abraham sent all his concubines and sons away to the East with gifts?

Did you know Ishmael and Isaac together buried thier Father Abraham?
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God is not endorsing Abraham's choices.
Have we forgot already that this is a story about God?

A Sheffield Working Man's Hero

But let's learn some things through a little review. God spent a lot of time on the Abraham project.
(How long has God been on your radar?)
Abraham lived 175 years. God didn't even ask Abram to start the journey of the covenant till he was 75 years old! So all the story we know spans the last 100 years of God's life. Of that bit, Isaac is the centre piece of the promise and he doesn't show up for 25 years! Lots of stuff happens but until Isaac is born were all wondering if God might have forgot. Well not really forgot but not sure what's going on. Then there is the sacrifice incident about 37 years after the call and initial promise. And although Genesis 25 puts a pretty good light on Abraham's life, the facts and a bit of reality sure look like a different story.

Abram is a foreigner with designs on other people's land. This would not make you immediately popular. Delayed by his dad's plans in Haran. Then he's moved out by famine to Egypt (this becomes a theme right through to Jesus). He had a run in with Egyptian authority's over a woman and convenient truth. Then he has a full scale war and had to rescue Lot. They have more encounters with God along the way, a city destroyed by fire from heaven , a pillar of salt for a niece-in-law, and the Hagar situation which becomes a major domestic scene. Things look like they might be turning around, over the years business had been good, Sarah had Isaac, God provided a lamb in the faith test. And then Sarah dies. So although once a foreigner always a foreigner, when faced with funeral negotiations for his wife Sarah's resting place the locals appear to be cordial enough.
Then we read about more wives, concubines and family schisms. And after all this time, waiting, trusting, and often doing the wrong thing Abraham's two sons Isaac and Ishmael who represent the biggest family feud many times worse and longer than the Hatfields and the McCoys, come together and bury their Father.

Abraham is not the star,  nor the villain.

We are not to read the bible story making our own saints of men who have exemplary faith or moral character.

We are to marvel at what God is doing through and in spite of mankind. What God is doing is on their behalf to glorify himself through his promise. A promise always pointing to Jesus. Whether we look back or forward with an expectation of his return or we were Abraham wondering why I'm sending away Ishmael or binding Isaac we are trusting God to write the story for his glory. and that is the way it should be.

This should help you get past yourself, your timetables, your judgemental attitudes and ask yourself, "What does God want me to believe about himself?"
What promise fulfilled in Jesus am I trusting in?

How can I quit trying to get my name on the marquee of my life's story.

Most Christians these days would be too embarrassed to have the things written about Abraham written in their biography. Abraham could never have been a church leader in the contemporary Christian church.

We think we are better than Abraham. And come to think of it we'd not have done ministry like Jesus did either.

We know better.

Don't we?

Bound Isaac

GEN 22:5-18 ESV

Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."  And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord , because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
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You've been blessed by God because of this very difficult episode.

" for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."

Jesus is the lamb provided as a sacrifice by God instead.

Jesus is God's only son.

Look at what the author of Hebrews says Abraham was thinking as he prepared to sacrifice Isaac.

Hebrews 11:17-19 ESV

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

Now consider God the Father. Think about his offering of Jesus. Think how God planned to raise Jesus from the dead. See how Jesus is the lamb that God provided.

John 1:28-29 ESV

These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Do you fear God?

What are you withholding?

What is God asking you to give?

Who will be blessed by God when you obey God by giving?

Mistaken identity

Genesis 21:1-7 ESV

The Lord
visited Sarah
as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised.
And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age
at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.  And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old,
as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said,
"God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me." And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
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How many times have you heard this story? I know I've heard it many times. And it seems to me every time I've ever heard it before I've left thinking of Abraham and even more so of Sarah. And to be sure both of them are key characters. We should empathise with them. It is an exciting miracle. A very old couple have become first time parents. Sarah is ninety! Ninety year old women don't have babies!
But this is not first and foremost a story about Abraham, Sarah, or Isaac.

This is a story about God!

If you take a moment to thumb through your Bible around these chapters in Genesis. Look for the number of times the narration punctuates the action with God or the Lord. God said. The Lord said. The Lord went. God came. God caused.
And crucially in these seven verses above, God has made.

Listen to how Paul puts God the focus of Abraham's sorry in Romans,
Romans 4:19-22 ESV

He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead ( since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness."

Romans 9:8-11 ESV

This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: "About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son." And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—

Later the author of the book of Hebrews sheds this light on these events,

Hebrews 11:11-19 ESV

By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

In every case the story is about God. Is your life story about God? Are you putting your faith in the promise of God to you?

When you review your past or contemplate your future is it seen though the lens of God's plan and God's promise?

Don't try to be the star of this epic saga. Trust God who, keeps giving. Expect God to enable you to fulfil his promise to you.

Do you even know God's promise to you? Here's a clue it is a promise about Jesus. Jesus is the son of promise, born out of time. Born into impossible circumstances. Born to declare God's intention to save. Born to show God to you. Jesus is ultimately the one who in every way fulfils the many promises of God.

Do you know him?
Do you trust him?
Are you expecting him to work out the promise of God to you?
Are you making sure the story of your life is a story about God fulfilling his promise through Jesus?

Is God not more just and merciful than you?

Genesis 18:32 ESV

Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it."
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Here in Genesis 18 God debates within himself the appropriateness of telling Abraham his plan to judge Sodom. (v.17) Abraham, most likely thinking of Lot, his nephew, begins to consider the consequences of judgement on Sodom.

Abraham like us knew Lot was wealthy and he had many employees, and some married daughters as well as sons in laws,  so from this considerable family and business surely there'd be 50 people who did not deserve to be judged. 

But Abraham reconsidered his original negotiation with God. He thought about things in Lot's town being pretty bad. So with determination and a bit of fear Abraham haggles with God down to a mere ten. Could this number represent just Lot and his immediate family?
Whatever it was Abraham had hoped there were ten! There were not ten.

But God let's Lot warn family that doesn't take heed and then let's Lot escape to a very small near by village.

I hope you read the Bible everyday and that you read it honestly.

Maybe you've followed along reading some of the passages I've been reading. If you have, you should be seeing a trend in Genesis so far.

People are given everything they need to do right and they choose to do wrong.

It starts with the curse and being driven out of Eden. Then there is Cain the murderer being driven to wander. And people go so far from God's way that during the time of Noah the whole of creation is judged for the wickedness of all the people. And Noah and his family are saved alone. Now Lot and his daughters are saved alone as fire and brimstone rain from heaven.

You should ask yourself, 'Will any one take God seriously?'

It is not like God had not displayed his power and intention. But what do we do with our free will? What do we do to our Eden? What do we do to our brother? What do we do to our neighbour or the weary travellers?

Who is faithful and who is corrupt?

And even now today you have a choice as do I. Who will I believe? Who will I serve?  Who will I fear and worship?

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Genesis 18:25 ESV

Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?"

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God's promise to you today is a resounding yes. He will indeed do what is just. And yet he will also be merciful. And for your sake his mercy is your salvation.

Romans 5:17 ESV

For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

God isn't playing God, He is God

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God isn't playing God, He is God

Originally posted on Google Groups 1/10/12
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For the LORD hardened their hearts and caused them to fight the Israelites. So they were completely destroyed without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses. Joshua 11:20

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Joshua 11 is an uncomfortable chapter to read, especially if you do not want to accept God as good and right.

We want to make God in our own image--not even a true image of ourselves but a made-up, false God.

God fights for his people. God utterly destroys the enemies of his people. God does not want his people to trust in the might of military technology. God  required his people to disable it all, the horses and the chariots.

God controls the hearts of the enemies.

God demands obedience from his people. A couple little footnotes: Joshua and Caleb were the two spies who forty years previous had said God would give them the land, but the other ten spies said the land was too hard to conquer because of the walled cities and the giants.

Chapter eleven here is telling us that the giants are no more in the conquered areas of the land. The descendants of Anak were the giants and now they are gone except in the surrounding areas. We hear more of the giants later, when a boy slays the last of them.

But this chapter here (Joshua 11) is full of war, slaughter, genocide, animal crippling, looting, destruction of cultures, men, woman, and children, killed, and kings killed. This was all done as God had instructed. This was God's plan. This plan was God's plan for over 40 years, in fact for nearly 500 years, since Abraham. Can you trust this God? Can you accept that this is the way God works? Can you praise God for doing this? God's wrath is not a thing of the past. There is coming wrath; it is being stored up, and these are the ways God unleashes his wrath.

We must see God for who he is and fear him, love him and trust Him. 

God has not changed. He is the same now as he was then.

EN
Joshua Chapter 11

Israel Defeats the Northern Armies

1 When King Jabin of Hazor heard what had happened, he sent messages to the following kings: King Jobab of Madon; the king of Shimron; the king of Acshaph;2 all the kings of the northern hill country; the kings in the Jordan Valley south of Galileet; the kings in the Galilean foothillst; the kings of Naphoth-dor on the west;

3 the kings of Canaan, both east and west; the kings of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites in the towns on the slopes of Mount Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
4 All these kings came out to fight. Their combined armies formed a vast horde. And with all their horses and chariots, they covered the landscape like the sand on the seashore.

5 The kings joined forces and established their camp around the water near Merom to fight against Israel.

6 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men. Then you must cripple their horses and burn their chariots.”
7 So Joshua and all his fighting men traveled to the water near Merom and attacked suddenly.8 And the LORD gave them victory over their enemies. The Israelites chased them as far as Greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward into the valley of Mizpah, until not one enemy warrior was left alive.

9 Then Joshua crippled the horses and burned all the chariots, as the LORD had instructed.
10 Joshua then turned back and captured Hazor and killed its king. (Hazor had at one time been the capital of all these kingdoms.)

11 The Israelites completely destroyed every living thing in the city, leaving no survivors. Not a single person was spared. And then Joshua burned the city.
12 Joshua slaughtered all the other kings and their people, completely destroying them, just as Moses, the servant of the LORD, had commanded.13 But the Israelites did not burn any of the towns built on mounds except Hazor, which Joshua burned.14 And the Israelites took all the plunder and livestock of the ravaged towns for themselves. But they killed all the people, leaving no survivors.

15 As the LORD had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. And Joshua did as he was told, carefully obeying all the commands that the LORD had given to Moses.
16 So Joshua conquered the entire region—the hill country, the entire Negev, the whole area around the town of Goshen, the western foothills, the Jordan Valley,t the mountains of Israel, and the Galilean foothills.17 The Israelite territory now extended all the way from Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir in the south, as far north as Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon in the valley of Lebanon. Joshua killed all the kings of those territories,18 waging war for a long time to accomplish this.19 No one in this region made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites of Gibeon. All the others were defeated.

20 For the LORD hardened their hearts and caused them to fight the Israelites. So they were completely destroyed without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
21 During this period Joshua destroyed all the descendants of Anak, who lived in the hill country of Hebron, Debir, Anab, and the entire hill country of Judah and Israel. He killed them all and completely destroyed their towns.

22 None of the descendants of Anak were left in all the land of Israel, though some still remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.

23 So Joshua took control of the entire land, just as the LORD had instructed Moses. He gave it to the people of Israel as their special possession, dividing the land among the tribes. So the land finally had rest from war.

NL

Jozua 11
Israël overwint vele volken
1 Toen koning Jabin van Hazor hoorde wat er allemaal was gebeurd, stuurde hij een dringende boodschap naar koning Jobab van Madon, de koning van Simron, de koning van Achsaf,2 alle koningen van het noordelijke bergland, de koningen van de Vlakte, ten zuiden van Kinneroth, de koningen van de laaggelegen gebieden, de koningen van het bergachtige gebied van Dor in het westen,3 de koningen van Kanaän, zowel uit het oosten als uit het westen, de koningen van de Amorieten, Hethieten en Perizzieten, de koningen van het Jebusitische bergland en de koningen van de Chiwwitische steden op de hellingen van de berg Hermon in het land Mispa.

4-5 Al deze koningen reageerden op de boodschap door hun legers te mobiliseren en zich te verenigen om Israël te vernietigen. Hun gezamenlijke legers, met heel veel paarden en strijdwagens, kwamen bijeen en sloegen hun kamp op bij de bronnen van Merom.
6 Maar de HERE zei tegen Jozua: ‘Wees niet bang voor hen, want morgen om deze tijd zal Ik hen allen in de macht van Israël overgeven. Dan moet u de pezen van hun paarden doorsnijden en hun strijdwagens verbranden.’7 Jozua en zijn troepen verrasten het vijandelijke leger bij de bronnen van Merom en vielen aan.8 De HERE gaf dat enorme leger in de macht van de Israëlieten, die het achtervolgden tot aan Groot-Sidon en een plaats die Brandend Water werd genoemd en in oostelijke richting tot aan het dal van Mispa. Geen enkele vijand overleefde deze veldslag.

9 Jozua en zijn mannen volgden de aanwijzingen van de HERE op. Zij sneden de pezen van de paarden door en verbrandden alle strijdwagens.
10 Op de terugweg veroverde Jozua de stad Hazor en doodde haar koning. Hazor was eens de hoofdstad geweest van een verbond van al die koninkrijken.11 Alle inwoners werden gedood, waarna de stad werd verbrand.12 Daarna bond hij de strijd aan met de andere steden van de verslagen koningen en maakte ze met de grond gelijk. Alle inwoners werden gedood, zoals Mozes had bevolen.13 Behalve Hazor stak Jozua echter verder geen enkele hooggelegen stad in brand.14 Alle buit en het vee van de verwoeste steden hielden de Israëlieten voor zichzelf, maar de inwoners doodden zij.

15 Want dat had de HERE zijn dienaar Mozes opgedragen. Mozes had die opdracht op zijn beurt aan Jozua doorgegeven, die deze dan ook uitvoerde. Alle aanwijzingen die de HERE Mozes had gegeven, voerde Jozua nauwgezet uit.
16 Zo veroverde Jozua het hele land: het bergland, de Negev, het land Gosen, de laaggelegen gebieden, de vlakte van de Jordaan en de heuvels en laagvlakten van Israël.17 Het gebied van de Israëlieten strekte zich nu uit van de Kale Berg dicht bij Seïr, tot Baäl-Gad in het dal van de Libanon, aan de voet van de Hermon. Jozua doodde alle koningen die in dat gebied heersten.18 Er was een lange oorlog voor nodig om dit resultaat te bereiken.19 Geen enkele stad kreeg de kans met Israël vrede te sluiten, uitgezonderd de Chiwwieten uit Gibeon, alle anderen werden met geweld veroverd.20 Want de HERE zorgde ervoor dat de vijandelijke koningen de strijd aanbonden met de Israëlieten in plaats van om vrede te vragen, zo werden zij genadeloos gedood, zoals de HERE Mozes had opgedragen.21 Gedurende deze periode roeide Jozua ook alle reuzen uit. Dit waren afstammelingen van Enak en zij woonden in het bergland in Hebron, Debir, Anab, Juda en Israël. Hij doodde hen tot de laatste man en maakte hun steden met de grond gelijk.22 In het land Israël werd er niet één in leven gelaten, maar in Gaza, Gath en Asdod zijn enkelen overgebleven.

23 Jozua nam het hele land in bezit, precies zoals de HERE Mozes had opgedragen. Hij gaf het aan de Israëlieten als hun erfdeel en verdeelde het onder de stammen. Toen kon het land zich eindelijk van het oorlogsgeweld herstellen.

AR

يشوع 11
هَزِيمَةُ المُدُنُ الشَّمالِيَّة
1 وَحِينَ سَمِعَ يابِينُ مَلِكُ حاصُورَ بِهَذا، أرسَلَ رَسائِلَ إلَى يُوبابَ مَلِكِ مادُونَ، وَإلَى مَلِكِ شِمْرُونَ وَمَلِكِ أكشافَ،

2 وَإلَى مُلُوكِ المِنطَقَةِ الجَبَلِيَّةِ الشَّمالِيَّةِ وَالصَحْراءِ، وَإلَى مُلُوكِ كِنَّرُوتَt وَالنَّقَبِt وَالمُرْتَفَعاتِ الغَرْبيَّةِ، وَإلَى مَلِكِ دُورَ غَرْباً.

3 وَإلَى الكَنعانِيِّينَ فِي الشَّرْقِ وَالغَربِ، وَالأمُورِيِّينَ وَالحِثِّيِّينَ وَالفِرِزِّيِّينَ وَاليَبُوسِيِّينَ الَّذِينَ فِي المِنطَقَةِ الجَبَلِيَّةِ، وَإلَى الحِوِّيِّينَ السّاكِنِينَ جَنُوبَ جَبَلِ حَرْمُونَ فِي مِنْطَقَةِ المِصْفاةِ.

4 وَخَرَجُوا بِكُلِّ جُيُوشِهِمْ، جَيشاً عَظِيماً جِدّاً، كَعَدَدِ حُبَيباتِ الرَّملِ عَلَى شاطِئِ البَحْرِ، وَمَعَهُمْ خُيُولٌ وَعَرَباتٌ كَثِيرَةٌ.

5 وَاجتَمَعَ هَؤُلاءِ المُلُوكُ فِي مَكانٍ اتَّفَقُوا عَلَيهِ، وَجاءُوا وَخَيَّمُوا مَعاً عِنْدَ جَدْوَلِ مَيرُومَ لِيُحارِبُوا إسْرائِيلَ.

6 وَقالَ اللهُ لِيَشُوعَ: «لا تَخَفْ مِنْهُمْ. فَغَداً فِي مِثلِ هَذا الوَقْتِ، سَأُسَلِّمُهُمْ جَمِيعاً لإسْرائِيلَ لِتَذْبَحُوهُمْ. فَشُلُّوا خُيُولَهُمْ، وَأحْرِقُوا مَرْكَباتِهِمْ بِالنّارِ.»

7 فَأتَى يَشُوعُ عَلَيهِمْ مَعَ كُلِّ جَيشِهِ فَجأةً عِنْدَ جَدْوَلِ مَيرُومَ وَهاجَمُوهُمْ.

8 وَنَصَرَ اللهُ إسْرائِيلَ عَلَيهِمْ، فَهاجَمُوهُمْ وَطارَدُوهُمْ إلَى صَيدُونَ العَظِيمَةَ وَمِسْرَفُوتَ مايِمَ، وَإلَى وادِي المِصْفاةِ فِي الشَّرقِ. وَاستَمَرُّوا فِي مُهاجَمَتِهِمْ حَتَّى لَمْ يَبْقَ أحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ حَيّاً.

9 وَعَمِلَ يَشُوعُ بِهِمْ كَما قالَ اللهُ لَهُ، فَشَلَّ خُيُولَهُمْ وَأحْرَقَ مَركَباتِهِمْ بِالنّارِ.

10 فِي ذَلِكَ اليَومِ، التَفَّ يَشُوعُ وَهاجَمَ حاصُورَ وَسَيطَرَ عَلَيها، وَقَتَلَ مَلِكَها بِالسَّيفِ. وَكانَتْ حاصُورُ رأسَ هَذِهِ المَمالِكِ.

11 وَقَتَلُوا بِالسَّيفِ كُلَّ حَيٍّ فِيها، وَقَضَوْا عَلَيهِمْ تَماماً. حَتَّى لَمْ يَبْقَ كَائِنٌ يَتَنَفَّسُ. وَأحرَقَ يَشُوعُ حاصُورَ بِالنّارِ.

12 وَسَيطَرَ يَشُوعُ عَلَى كُلِّ هَذِهِ المُدُنِ المَلَكِيَّةِ، وَأمسَكَ بِمُلُوكِها وَقَتَلَهُمْ قَتلاً بِالسَّيفِ، كَما أمَرَ مُوسَى خادِمُ اللهِ.

13 لَكِنَّ جَيشَ إسْرائِيلَ لَمْ يُحرِقْ أيَّةَ مَدِينَةٍ مِنَ المُدُنِ المَبنِيَّةِ عَلَى تِلالٍ، إلّا حاصُورَ الَّتِي أحرَقَها يَشُوعُ.

14 وَأخَذَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ غَنائِمَ هَذِهِ المُدُنِ وَحَيواناتِها، وَأمّا النّاسُ فَقَتَلُوهُمْ بِالسَّيفِ حَتَّى أفنَوْهُمْ، وَلَمْ يَترُكُوا كَائِناً يَتَنَفَّسُ.

15 كَما أمَرَ اللهُ خادِمَهُ مُوسَى هَكَذا أمَرَ مُوسَى يَشُوعَ، وَهَكَذا عَمِلَ يَشُوعُ، فَلَمْ يَترُكْ شَيئاً أمَرَ اللهُ مُوسَى بِهِ إلّا وَعَمِلَهُ.

16 فَسَيطَرَ يَشُوعُ عَلَى كُلِّ المِنطَقَةِ الجَبَلِيَّةِ وَالنَّقَبِ وَأرْضِ جُوشِنَ وَالتِّلالِ الغَربِيَّةِ وَوادِي الأُردُنِّ وَمِنطَقَةِ التِّلالِ فِي إسْرائِيلَ وَمُنخَفَضاتِها،

17 مِنْ جَبَلِ حالَقَ المُمتَدِّ نَحْوَ سَعِيرَ إلَى بَعلَ جادَ فِي وادِي لُبنانَ إلَى الجَنُوبِ مِنْ جَبَلِ حَرْمُونَ. وَأسَرَ جَمِيعَ مُلُوكِهِمْ وَقَتَلَهُمْ.

18 وَكانَ يَشُوعُ فِي حَربٍ مَعَ هَؤُلاءِ المُلُوكِ لِفَترَةٍ طَوِيلَةٍ.

19 وَلَمْ تَعمَلْ مَدِينَةٌ مُعاهَدَةَ سَلامٍ مَعَ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ إلّا الحِوِّيُّونَ السّاكِنُونَ فِي جِبعُونَ. فَقَدْ هَزَمَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ كُلَّ تِلْكَ المُدُنِ فِي الحَرْبِ.

20 لِأنَّ اللهَ ذاتَهُ قَسَّى قُلُوبَهُمْ لِمُحارَبَةِ إسْرائِيلَ، لِيُهلِكُوهُمْ تَماماً بِلا رَحمَةٍ، فَيَقْضُوا عَلَيهِمْ كَما أمَرَ اللهُ مُوسَى.

21 فِي ذَلِكَ اليَومِ، ذَهَبَ يَشُوعُ وَأهلَكَ العَناقِيِّينَt مِنَ المِنطَقَةِ الجَبَلِيَّةِ، مِنْ حَبْرُونَt وَدَبِيرَ وَعَنابَ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ المِنطَقَةِ الجَبَلِيَّةِ فِي يَهُوذا، وَمِنَ المِنطَقَةِ الجَبَلِيَّةِ فِي إسْرائِيلَ. فَقَدْ أهلَكَهُمْ يَشُوعُ مَعَ مُدُنِهِمْ تَماماً.

22 وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنَ العَناقِيِّينَ أحَدٌ فِي أرْضِ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ، سِوَى بَعْضِهِمْ فِي غَزَّةَ وَجَتَّ وَأشدُودَ.

23 فَسَيطَرَ يَشُوعُ عَلَى كُلِّ الأرْضِ بِحَسَبِ كُلِّ ما أمَرَ اللهُ بِهِ مُوسَى، وَأعطاها يَشُوعُ لإسْرائِيلَ مُلكاً لَهُمْ حَسَبَ حِصَصِ قَبائِلِهِمْ. حِينَئِذٍ، اسْتَراحَتِ الأرْضُ مِنَ الحَرْبِ.

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