Joshua 12:1: “These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated, and whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the eastern Jordan plain . . .”

April 2nd, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Chapter 12 of Joshua is basically a list of the kings conquered both in the wilderness battles under Moses and in the Promised Land battles under Joshua. Why would the Holy Spirit leave for us such an exhaustive, and seemingly tedious list? It’s possible it only seems tedious to us because we did not live in that land. For those who would receive their inheritance there, these were essential matters that greatly affected their lives, and it answered the basic question of what land belonged to Israel.

The author of Joshua named 31 kings in the order Joshua defeated them. Aside from the practical elements of the list, it seems the writer also wanted to compile a list that would impress future generations and readers with the greatness of what God had done through the leadership of Moses and Joshua. In Jeremiah 31:21, God told His children to “Set up signposts, Make landmarks; Set your heart toward the highway, The way in which you went.” This list was a landmark of all God had conquered for them so far; it was also a reminder that much still remained to be done, and that they needed to continue to press on.

God does the same for each of us in our lives. We need to remember to look back at past victories so that we will be encouraged to press on toward the battles still in front of us. Often when we try to see ahead, looking for the direction we are to go in next, the way is obscure. But if we will look back at the way we’ve already come, we can see that the hand of God was leading us straight and clean, even if it didn’t seem like it at the time. God tells us to pause and look back every now and then to get a heading, a fix, on where we’ve been so that we will be encouraged to trust Him with where He is taking us next.

“LORD, show us Your guideposts in our lives so that we can better trust you as we look forward to where we are going next.”

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Joshua 12 KJV

¹ Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east: ² Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; ³ And from the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea on the east, the way to Beth-jeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdoth-pisgah: ⁴ And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, ⁵ And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. ⁶ Them did Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh. ⁷ And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions; ⁸ In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, 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 Beth-el, 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 Beth-el, 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 of Carmel, one; ²³ The king of Dor in the coast of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one; ²⁴ The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.