The promise of victory for all God's people
Text Joshua 12 Time 20 09 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)
We come this week to Joshua 12. It is the final chapter in the second part of Joshua. The first part (Chapters 1-4) is about the entrance into the Promised Land under Joshua and then the second part (Chapters 5-12) is about the conquest of the land under Joshua.
In some ways Chapter 12 is very simple. First in verses 1-6 we are reminded how Moses had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaites, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei the two kings on the east of the Promised Land which today is in Syria and Jordan.
Then in verses 7-24 we have a list of the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon in the north in what is now Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir in the South East.
Now there are two problems with these verses. Firstly, it's a bit tedious to read - 15, 16 the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one. And even when you have got hold of it all, so what? How is it going to help me to live for the Lord?
The truth is that a little background will stop it being too tedious and a little attention to it will help us to learn some useful lessons.
Four things then
1. Remember the importance of the unity of God's people
One writer tells us that he read about a church in America that split and the split began over an argument at a potluck supper when a lady brought a jelly salad that she made with Cool Whip instead of real whipping cream.
Apparently, there’s a whole book entitled War in the Pews that talks about real-life instances which are absolutely outrageous. Churches have split over whether the pianist should sit to the right or the left side of the building, over whether the Lord’s Supper should be served from the front to the back or the back to the front, over trying to decide whether a kitchen should be a part of the church building or not.
One church split over who was the real pastor. They had two pastors. Two groups thought they each had their own man, and both of them got up to lead a service one Sunday. Both announced a hymn and the two groups tried to out-sing the other. Then the two pastors started preaching, trying to out-preach each other. Finally, it turned into a fist fight and the police had to be called.
There are apparently in Mississippi, in a small town near Vicksburg, two churches that share a car park or parking lot. They are in the same denomination but because of some split they started different churches but still share the same car park.
The first six verses are a little bit of a surprise because they take us back to the time when Moses was still alive and to the victories won then over Sihon and Og. The story is in Numbers 21 and Deuteronomy 2:26-3:11. The victory is mentioned in Israel's praises later in Psalms 135, 136 and elsewhere.
These are, of course, the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern side of the Arabah: They defeated Sihon in the south. He ruled from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge - from the middle of the gorge - to the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites. This included half of Gilead. He also ruled over the eastern Arabah from the Sea of Galilee to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea), to Beth Jeshimoth, and then southward below the slopes of Pisgah.
We also read of the big man with a short name, Og, and how his territory was taken in the north. He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salekah, all of Bashan to the border of the people of Geshur and Maakah, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. The Rephaites were giant people. We read elsewhere of Og's iron bed that it was 13 feet long and six feet wide!
Verse 6 sums up Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites conquered them. And Moses the servant of the LORD gave their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh to be their possession.
The reason the writer goes back to this is probably to emphasise the unity of the people - those east and west of the Jordan river.
It is an important point to remember. In the New Testament (Ephesians 4:3) we are told to Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. And so on the local and wider level we must be careful. We dare not suggest that the only Christians are Baptists or Calvinists or non-Charismatics. And on the local level we must not forget that some people do feel left out in churches and we must do what we can to help them overcome it. I heard recently of a church where they had a question time for members of the congregation. It was an opportunity to ask questions about theology and Christian practice. However, one person put in a slip saying that he felt out of things and under appreciated. That happens even in the best churches and we need to do all we can to stop it happening with us. Unity is important.
2. Note how God keeps his promises
In verses 7-24 we read
Here is a list of the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir. Joshua gave their lands as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their tribal divisions.
The land is described in summary form in two ways positively and negatively (8)
Positively The lands included the hill country, the western foothills, the Arabah, the mountain slopes, the wilderness and the Negev.
Negatively These were the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. It is interesting that six tribes are listed. Six is man's number and it reminds us of the weakness of those who had previously occupied the land and were under God's judgement.
In a similar way, the Christian life can be described both positively and negatively. So for example in Galatians 5 where Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit he also lists the deeds of wickedness. And so when we speak of the Christian life we can, on one hand, say it is to turn from (Galatians 5:19-21) The acts of the flesh ... sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. At the same time. it is the fruit of the Spirit that is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
In 1994 a 67-year-old carpenter called Russell Herman died in Illinois. When his will was revealed it contained a staggering set of promises. He promised $2B to the City of East St Louis, another billion and a half for the State of Illinois, $2.5B for the national forest system, and to top off the list, Herman left $6T to the government to help pay off the national debt. It sounds amazingly generous, but there was one small problem - Herman’s only asset when he died was a 1983 Oldsmobile. Promises are only worth having if they can be and are kept.
Perhaps the writer's main point here is that God is a God who keeps his promises. What he promised to Abraham and then to Isaac and to Jacob he now fulfils in the generation of Joshua. Suddenly a potentially boring list becomes very exciting. Dale Ralph Davis compares it with singing Great is Thy faithfulness - the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one (10, 11).
3. Consider the detail with regard to God's goodness
Of course, the writer goes further than merely saying God has been faithful. He itemises how God has been faithful by listing 31 different kings who were defeated by Joshua. Some of them we have had mentioned before but one or two are added and in each case we are being reminded that God has brought about victory as promised. Generally the movement is south to north.
These were the kings: the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai (near Bethel), one. You remember how it all began there in the centre. We go south first the king of Jerusalem, one; not mentioned before the king of Hebron, one; the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; the king of Debir, one; Then come the king of Geder, one; the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; the king of Libnah, one who was mentioned before the king of Adullam, one; the king of Makkedah, one mentioned the king of Bethel, one; then north again the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; the king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Akshaph, one; the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; the king of Kedesh, one the most northerly then back down south again first towards the coast the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; the king of Dor (in Naphoth Dor), one; the king of Goyim nations in Gilgal, one; the king of Tirzah, one; thirty-one kings in all.
There is a danger that our praying can get a bit vague. Yes, it is good to pray sometimes in public thanking him for his many blessings but we need to get specific at some point. What are these many blessings? Get specific.
There is a hymn called Count Your Blessings that was written in 1897 by Johnson Oatman, Jr (1856-1922). Early on it was especially popular here. They said, “The men sing it, the boys whistle it, and the women rock their babies to sleep on this hymn.” During the revival in Wales in 1904 it is said that it was one of the hymns sung at every service.
Oatman's father was in business but was a wonderful singer. Oatman himself went into the ministry but was never a pastor in one charge. In his mid-thirtirs he discovered he had a talent for hymn writing and threw himself into that. He wrote over 5,000 hymns but this was his best known.
The hymn is popular in America around Thanksgiving but it was written simply to encourage people to pray. One of the most striking lines in it is the call to Count your blessing, name them one by one and it will surpise you what the Lord has done. Oatman is right.
4. Look forward to the victory that is to come in the future
The new football season has begun and fans are hoping their team will be promoted or will win the Premier League. One way football fans encourage themselves is by reading about past triumphs. If you were an Everton fan you might be encouraged to read of what happened in 1890-91
Runners up the previous season they made just one signing of note in the summer when William Campbell was brought from Bootle to be centre half. Robert Smalley's position in goal was under threat from an emerging 20-year-old Scot, Jack Angus. Their forwards were called Latta, Brady, Geary, Chadwick and Milward.
This settled look ensured there were just two new faces in the opening 4–1 victory over West Brom. Campbell scored and Angus kept goal. The team remained unchanged for the first 4 games, which were all won, before Latta missed the fifth game. Everton still won to take their winning start to 5 games, before being held to a draw at Aston Villa. They remained unbeaten for the first seven games but their first choice 11 did not play again as a run of three straight defeats saw the return of Smalley in place of Angus for one game before they signed David Jardine from Bootle.
Everton completed all bar one fixture before the end of January and had to wait while their nearest challengers, Preston, played a series of games to close the gap at the top to 2 points. Everton's final game of the season was at Burnley on March 14, 1891 when almost half the 10,000 attending were visiting Everton fans. They needed at least a draw but lost 3-2. Preston would have claimed a third consecutive title if they had beaten Sunderland but they lost 3-0 and Everton had won the title for the first time.
Encouraging if you're an Everton fan. It works the same for us when we read of victories here. These victories point to the future. They point firstly to the victory of the cross when, as Paul puts it in Colossians 2:15, having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Just as Joshua disarmed these kings and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them so Christ would do the same on the cross. And beyond that, of course, there is the final victory to come when Christ returns. It is anticipated in Revelation 11:15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever." What blessings lie ahead for those who put their trust in Jesus Christ.
