The King

 DEVOTION

JOSHUA

THE KING

Josh 12

12:1 These are 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: 2 Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon. 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. 3 He also ruled over the eastern Arabah from the Sea of Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), to Beth Jeshimoth, and then southward below the slopes of Pisgah. 4 And the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaites, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. 5 He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all of Bashan to the border of the people of Geshur and Maacah, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. 6 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. 7 These are 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 (their lands Joshua gave as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their tribal divisions— 8 the hill country, the western foothills, the Arabah, the mountain slopes, the desert and the Negev — the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites): 9 the king of Jericho one the king of Ai (near Bethel)one 10 the king of Jerusalem one, the king of Hebron one, 11 the king of Jarmuth one, the king of Lachish   one 12 the king of Eglon one, the king of Gezer one 13 the king of Debir one, the king of Geder one 14 the king of Hormah one, the king of Arad one 5 the king of Libnah one, the king of Adullam one 16 the king of Makkedah one, the king of Bethel one 17 the king of Tappuah one, the king of Hepher one 18 the king of Aphek one, the king of Lasharon one 19 the king of Madon one, the king of Hazor        one 20 the king of Shimron Meron one, the king of Acshaph        one 21 the king of Taanach one, the king of Megiddo one 22 the king of Kedesh one, the king of Jokneam in Carmel one 23 the king of Dor (in Naphoth Dor) one, the king of Goyim in Gilgal one 24 the king of Tirzah one, thirty-one kings in all.

NIV

What can we learn from this long list of kings defeated by the Israelites? The fact there were thirty-one has no significance as far as numbers are concerned, except that the world the Israelites were promised had too many worldly kings. Of course, Israel had only one King, the King of kings, and it was the LORD God Almighty who handed all those kings over to the hand of Joshua and the army of Israel. Today, we have a world that is filled with kings, little kings, although they think they are larger than life, making their proclamations for the people. Currently, we now have one hundred and ninety-five countries in the world, each with their own brand of king. They may not be called kings, although forty-three of the countries have monarchs, which have some title like king, queen, bishop, prince, etc. Some countries elect their head of state, but all could be seen as little kings when it comes to the King of kings. We may serve our country as some do in other countries in various ways, but it is not a servitude as we are free to make our own choices in life; at least, that is the way it has been set up. However, we serve with our whole heart the King of kings. Joshua put all those kings to the sword, and someday all the kings of the world will bend their knees before the great King of all kings, the Lord God Almighty. Every knee will bow, no matter how powerful of a king they think they are, or for that matter, any person who thinks they are special or above others, will all bow before God. When the Book of Life is opened and He who is worthy, Jesus, to read it, those names that have been blotted out of the Book of Life will be put to death in the Lake of burning sulfur, and it will be by the sword in a sense, for his very words are a double-edged sword that pierces the heart, that divides soul from spirit, bone from marrow. However, we who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and our Savior and have offered ourselves as living sacrifices will hear our names called out in the Book of Life, for our names have not been blotted out, and we will enter His rest. We will be given a new name and a place in the house of God, where Jesus prepared for us. What a day that will be when our Jesus we will see, when He takes us by the hand and leads us to that promised land, what a day, what a glorious day that will be, when we are with the King.