Enumeration of the Vanquished Kings
Joshua 12
Joshua 12
Joshua 12. This chapter gives a summary of Israel’s conquests up to this point, and enumerates the kings that were vanquished first on the east of Jordan by Moses and then to the west of Jordan by Joshua. In ch.12 we have an emphasis on the kings that headed up the numerous Canaanite states. The rest of the book gives the division of the land by tribe. It was one thing to smite the enemy and slay the king, but it was another thing to possess the land. This chapter needs little explanation, and yet there is a spiritual application of it. This corresponds to the two prayers of Paul in Ephesians. It is God’s desire that we get a survey of the land, so to speak, of our spiritual inheritance. Paul could pray in Eph. 1:17-18, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, etc.” This first prayer is that we might know our blessings, in association with a glorified Christ. But then, after expounding the truth of the mystery, Paul could pray in Eph. 3:17-19, “That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” — of the mystery, the revelation that Paul had just explained — “and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” This prayer is that we might enjoy our blessings, as objects of Divine love. This second prayer answers to the rest of the book of Joshua, of dwelling in the land portion by portion.
The Kings to the East of Jordan (12:1-6)
CHAPTER 12
1 And these are the kings of the land, whom the children of Israel smote, and of whose land they took possession across the Jordan, toward the sun-rising, from the river Arnon to mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east: 2 Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the ravine, and over half Gilead, as far as the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; 3 and the plain as far as the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and as far as the sea of the plain, the salt sea, on the east, toward Beth-jeshimoth; and on the south, under the slopes of Pisgah; 4 and the territory of Og the king of Bashan, of the residue of the giants, who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, 5 and ruled over mount Hermon, and over Salcah, and over all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and over half Gilead as far as the border of Sihon the king of Heshbon. 6 Moses the servant of Jehovah and the children of Israel smote them, and Moses the servant of Jehovah gave it for a possession to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh.
vv.1-6 The Kings Slain by Israel East of Jordan. The divine record of the vanquished kings does not exclude those to the east of Jordan while Moses was leading the people. The land to the east was part of the total possession promised to Abraham, but it was not the land where God desired the people to dwell. It answers to that which God has provided for us in this earth. It is separated from Canaan proper by the Jordan, which speaks of our death and resurrection with Christ. The enemy is active there too, and we need the Lord’s direction to gain the victory in these earthly things. Moses is a type of Christ as our intercessor at God’s right hand, while Joshua is a type of Christ as the Captain of our salvation, leading us into our spiritual inheritance. It was a sorry thing that the two and half tribes settled to the east of Jordan. Our spiritual dwelling place is to be in the heavenly things, represented by the land to the west of Jordan.
The Kings to the West of Jordan (12:7-24)
7 And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side the Jordan on the west, from Baal-Gad in the valley of Lebanon as far as the smooth mountain, which rises toward Seir. And Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions, 8 in the mountain, and in the lowland, and in the plain, and on the hill-slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the south: the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites: 9 The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside 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; 15 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 Achshaph, one; 21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; 22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam on Carmel, one; 23 the king of Dor in the upland of Dor, one; the king of Goim, at Gilgal, one; 24 the king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.
vv.7-24 The Kings Slain by Israel the West of Jordan. Under the leadership of Joshua Israel slew thirty-one kings in the land of Canaan!