Joshua Fights for God

International Sunday School Lesson September 20, 2026

Joshua 11:6–9 (ESV)
6 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” 7 So Joshua and all his warriors came suddenly against them by the waters of Merom and fell upon them. 8 And the LORD gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. And they struck them until he left none remaining. 9 And Joshua did to them just as the LORD said to him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

Joshua 11:16–23 (ESV)
16 So Joshua took all that land, the hill country and all the Negeb and all the land of Goshen and the lowland and the Arabah and the hill country of Israel and its lowland 17 from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. And he captured all their kings and struck them and put them to death. 18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. 19 There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took them all in battle. 20 For it was the LORD’s doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the LORD commanded Moses. 21 And Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction with their cities. 22 There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain. 23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.

Comments

20 responses to “Joshua Fights for God”

  1. Nina Caldwell Avatar
    Nina Caldwell

    Joshua’s obedience stands out here—he moved forward after God said, “Do not be afraid,” and trusted the Lord for victory at the waters of Merom. The command to burn the chariots is a powerful reminder not to rely on human strength instead of God.

    Reply
  2. Simon Johansen Avatar
    Simon Johansen

    Joshua’s obedience at the waters of Merom is a powerful reminder that courage begins with trusting God’s command: “Do not be afraid.” The instruction to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots also shows Israel’s dependence on the Lord rather than captured military strength.

    Reply
  3. Ximena Duarte Avatar
    Ximena Duarte

    Joshua’s obedience stands out here—he moved forward after God said, “Do not be afraid,” and trusted Him for victory at the waters of Merom. The command to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots also shows that Israel’s security depended on the Lord, not captured military power.

    Reply
  4. Carla Zhao Avatar
    Carla Zhao

    Joshua’s obedience stands out here—he moved forward after God said, “Do not be afraid,” and trusted the Lord for victory at the waters of Merom. The command to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots is a powerful reminder that Israel’s strength was in God, not captured weapons.

    Reply
  5. Laura Tanaka Avatar
    Laura Tanaka

    Joshua’s obedience stands out, especially when he acted on God’s command not to fear and destroyed the enemy’s horses and chariots. This passage is a powerful reminder that victory depended on trusting God’s direction rather than military strength alone.

    Reply
  6. Elena Brennan Avatar
    Elena Brennan

    Joshua’s obedience stands out here—he moved against the enemy at the waters of Merom because he trusted God’s promise, “Do not be afraid.” The command to burn the chariots also reminds us to rely on the Lord rather than the strength of worldly resources.

    Reply
  7. Mei Delgado Avatar
    Mei Delgado

    Joshua’s victory at the waters of Merom shows that courage begins with trusting God’s promise: “Do not be afraid.” His immediate obedience, including burning the chariots and hamstringing the horses, reminds us to rely on the Lord rather than the strength of earthly resources.

    Reply
  8. Tara Brennan Avatar
    Tara Brennan

    Joshua 11:6–9 highlights how Joshua acted on God’s command despite the strength of the enemy, trusting God’s promise, “Do not be afraid.” The instruction to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots also shows that Israel’s victory depended on the Lord rather than captured military power.

    Reply
  9. Elena Zhao Avatar
    Elena Zhao

    The Lord’s command, “Do not be afraid,” shows that Joshua’s victory began with trusting God’s promise rather than relying on Israel’s strength. The defeat of the horses and chariots also reminds us that obedience matters even when God’s instructions challenge ordinary military strategy.

    Reply
  10. Grace Pennington Avatar
    Grace Pennington

    Joshua’s victory at the waters of Merom highlights how faithfully he acted on God’s command: he did not fear the enemy, and he followed through by hamstringing the horses and burning the chariots. This lesson is a strong reminder that true courage rests in trusting God’s promise rather than relying on human strength.

    Reply
  11. Mei Flores Avatar
    Mei Flores

    Joshua’s obedience is especially striking here: he acted after God said, “Do not be afraid,” and trusted Him to deliver the enemy. The command to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots also shows that Israel’s victory depended on God’s power, not captured military strength.

    Reply
  12. Tara Hudson Avatar
    Tara Hudson

    Joshua’s obedience stands out in this passage—he trusted God’s command not to fear and acted decisively at the waters of Merom. The reminder to burn the chariots and hamstring the horses also shows Israel’s reliance on the Lord rather than military strength.

    Reply
  13. Julia Keating Avatar
    Julia Keating

    Joshua’s obedience at the waters of Merom shows how faith replaces fear when God gives clear direction. The command to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots also reminds us that Israel’s victory depended on the Lord, not captured military strength.

    Reply
  14. Vetshtein Robel Avatar
    Vetshtein Robel

    Joshua’s obedience at the waters of Merom shows how faith acts even when the opposition is overwhelming. The Lord’s command not to fear reminds us that victory depends on trusting God’s direction rather than relying on human strength.

    Reply
  15. Khaire Ardy Avatar
    Khaire Ardy

    Joshua’s obedience stands out here—he moved forward after God said, “Do not be afraid,” and trusted the Lord for victory at the waters of Merom. The command to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots also shows that Israel’s confidence was to rest in God, not captured military strength.

    Reply
  16. Ximena Bennett Avatar
    Ximena Bennett

    The reminder “Do not be afraid” stands out in Joshua 11:6, showing that victory began with trusting God’s promise before the battle was fought. Joshua’s obedience to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots also highlights his complete dependence on the Lord rather than captured military power.

    Reply
  17. Simon Ingram Avatar
    Simon Ingram

    Joshua’s obedience stands out here—he moved forward after God told him not to be afraid, trusting the Lord for victory at the waters of Merom. The command to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots also reminds us that Israel’s strength came from God, not captured military power.

    Reply
  18. Tara Hudson Avatar
    Tara Hudson

    Joshua’s obedience stands out here—he moved forward after God said, “Do not be afraid,” and trusted the Lord for victory at the waters of Merom. The command to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots also shows Israel’s reliance on God rather than captured military strength.

    Reply
  19. Elena Brennan Avatar
    Elena Brennan

    Joshua’s obedience stands out in the command not to fear and to destroy the horses and chariots. The victory at Merom shows that Israel’s success came through trusting God’s direction rather than relying on military strength alone.

    Reply
  20. Vetshtein Robel Avatar
    Vetshtein Robel

    Joshua’s obedience at the waters of Merom shows how faith turns God’s promise into courageous action. The command to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots also reminds us not to rely on captured weapons or human strength instead of the Lord.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *