The Conquest of Canaan: Unlikely Heroes

The story of the Israelites in the Old Testament is basically a continuous retelling of the covenant relationship they have with the Lord God. This contract began with Abraham, and continued to Isaac, Jacob, and future generations. As the book of Joshua is beginning, we see the transfer of spiritual leadership from Moses to Joshua. The plan of God is to provide for their worldly and spiritual prosperity, but they must remain faithful, obedient, and trusting. It is a reflection of the ideal relationship between children and their father, and it was God's desire to be their Heavenly Father.

This is a constant battle between their human will and their desire to obey the Lord and follow the Book of the Law (Deuteronomy). In the book of Numbers, more specifications were given as to how they are to conquer the land of Canaan and defeat the pagan tribes who practice Canaanite religious practices, such as child sacrifice, fortune-telling, magic, and consulting the dead. Any Israelite who practices these forbidden things, it is said, shall be put to death (Exodus 22:18). These activities were attempts to control nature and peoples' destinies; Israel was to worship, obey and trust God alone--He was to be their only connection to the spiritual realm (Westbrook 348).

Rules of War

Old Testament battle scenes depict ancient warfare in all its glory. Is this God's doing? We read it was God's desire that the Israelites not be defiled by outside civilizations and tempted to practice idolatry (leave monothesism and the worship of God alone (I AM); sexual immorality, adultery (break the marriage covenant); or to allow people who practices such things to live among them. If an Israelite army defeated a Canaanite land, and a man took a female captive, he was required to marry her and provide for her economically for the rest of her life. She would be fully incorporated into the Israelite community--not just used and abandoned (Westbrook 349) (Deut. 21:10-14).

Ironically, it is a prostitute named Rahab, who ends up becoming a heroine of the faith in the lineage of Jesus because of her faith. Her story is found in the second chapter of Joshua. She is also praised in the New Testament in Hebrews 11:31, James 2:25, and Matthew 1:5.