Josue 11 continues the action begun five chapters earlier with the fall of Jericho. The destruction of Canaan is, by this point, virtually complete. Joshua defeats powerful pagan kings of the north, and the land, aside from isolated spots here and there, is subdued. The way is cleared, the takeover fulfilled. God's land is about to be occupied by His chosen ones. But of course, the takeover was not a peaceful one. Such is the way when battling sin. A purgation was necessary. The pagan lands of Canaan and its surrounding kingdoms were infused with a sinfulness that went back countless generations. The Law carried by the Israelites into the Promised Land was a threat to the Canaanites, an affront to their way of life. A battle was inevitable. When sin is confronted with holiness, the former does not surrender peacefully.
God's Justice was due. Yet, when modern man considers the destruction of Canaan, all he sees is a people innocently minding their own business, ruthlessly destroyed by the Israelites. Steven Schultz, a professor of history and theology, says, "the 'new' teaching seems to not understand punishment as a natural consequence of justice, instead somehow seeing all punishment as 'cruel.'" It might be easy to think the Canaanites were innocent, but this fails to consider the true qualities of Natural Law. Saint Leonard of Port Maurice said, "the most ancient belief is the Law of God, and that we all bear it written in our hearts; that it can be learned without any teacher, and that it suffices to have the light of reason in order to know all the precepts of that Law. That is why even the barbarians hid when they committed sin, because they knew they were doing wrong; and they are damned for not having observed the natural law written in their heart: for had they observed it, God would have made a miracle rather than let them be damned." The indecent practices of the pagans were in violation of God's natural law, and it was God's Divine Justice that was needed to set things right. Saint Leonard also says, "out of all the attributes of God, none is less known than His justice, because men refuse to believe what they are afraid to undergo." It is quite fearful indeed to consider God's mighty Justice. It is a Justice ready for all of us, not just the ancient pagans. We praise God's Mercy, because we are all in need of it, but we shrink from the acknowledgement of an equally praiseworthy Justice, because we are all aware we probably deserve it. And so the Canaanites experienced God's Justice. And Joshua was God's instrument to administer It. The destruction was great. For a small nomadic band of people to enter an established kingdom and lay waste to it is something that defies logical explanation. It is clear a Divine punishment was behind such an incredible feat.
One other thing deserving of a brief mention in Josue 11 is found in verse 15: "As the Lord commanded Moses, his servant, so did Moses command Josue, and he accomplished all." It's a passing verse, and the message it conveys is found in plenty of other places in Scripture, but it's important nonetheless. It is clear that when God establishes a covenant, He expects that covenant to live on through a succession of people. He told Moses much and instructed him on many things, but He certainly didn't expect all that He said to be forgotten with Moses's death! It was clear that an important covenant was established and meant to endure for generations to come. And so Moses passed on all he was told to Joshua, who "held the torch" for a while before likewise passing it on. And so it is with the New Covenant established by Jesus Christ. Much was told to Peter and the Apostles, and it was expected they would pass on this knowledge to their successors who would continue the traditions established by Christ Himself. Apostolic Succession, which includes the Papal Succession started by St. Peter, is nothing new. We see it in the Old Testament. It is how God makes sure His Word comes to all people, on into perpetuity.
