Joshua 11:20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Complaints against God
One of the most bitter complaints against God by critics opposed to the Bible is its portrayal of the severity of God, especially in His command to Moses to destroy all the Canaanites (Deut 7:2; 20:16-17). This seems even more severe upon reading of our text from Joshua 11:20 that God Himself hardened the hearts of the Canaanites against Israel so that they would come boldly to destroy Israel and Joshua would then destroy them.
False concepts of God
The notion that God is merely a kindly grandfather figure is a self-serving figment of man’s sinful imagination. The attributes of God are innumerable but man tries to focus upon the kindness and mercy of God above all others so that man too often is emboldened in their sinful ways. If we take one attribute and place it above all others we get out of balance with proper doctrine and idea of who and what God is like. Men often refer to the NT to prove their point of the love and mercy of God, but it is in the NT that we are warned of God’s hatred of sin (Ro 6:23), a consuming fire to those who turn away from Him (He 12:29), His vengeance at Christ’s return (2 Thes 1:7-8), His holiness and unchangeable nature (He 13:8). Even in passages that express His love we see His hatred of sin -- for God so loved the world . . .” Christ is the propitiation for our sin – that which satisfied the justice of God.
The OT tells us that God is angry with the wicked every day (Psa 7:11), He judges with fire (Psa 97:2-3), He shall come against the sin of men (Isa 66:15-16; Dan 7:9-10). Jesus said that wrath of God abides on all who do not believe (Jn 3:36).
Hardened hearts
Our text says that God hardened the hearts of the Canaanites against Israel, but we fail to see that God had “put up” with their sin and abominations for 400 years (Ge 15:13-16; Deut 9:4-5) and thru the years they were given the opportunity to repent but each succeeding generation became more wicked than the one before them. They grew worse and worse in their sin such as sodomy, fornication and shedding of innocent blood – babies and children.
Some point to God hardening Pharaoh’s heart as a criticism of God and His word, but Pharaoh hardened his heart prior to God hardening it (Ex 5:2; 7:13-14). When anyone rejects God or refuses to believe Him or His works, their heart become hard – a little at a time until it becomes very hard (He 3:7-13). The hard heart will not allow God’s word to sink in or permit it to instruct them. They do not believe that their way is wrong, therefore any time God’s word or prophet disagrees with them, they harden their heart toward God and His word.