I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Joshua 10-11.

This passage describes how the Israelites under Joshua were successful against the overwhelming forces of both the southern kings and the northern kings of the land of Canaan.  The fact that the peoples who lived in the land before the Israelites divided into southern and northern alliances provides us with a sort of foreshadowing of the later division of the Kingdom of Israel into a northern and southern kingdom.  However, I want to spend a moment noting the reasons for Joshua’s success in the major battles of both of these wars.  His success resulted from following God’s guidance and from acting before his opponents expected him to.  In the southern war, Joshua marched the army of Israel overnight to the battle and attacked upon arrival, taking the army of the southern kings completely by surprise.  In the northern war, he appears to have employed a similar tactic.  While they did not appear to march overnight, nevertheless they caught the northern army off guard.  My guess from the wording is that the Israelites attacked as soon as they arrived at the battlefield, rather than setting up camp and taking time to rest before entering battle as the other side expected.