Joshua 12 Biblestudy

Do you allow wasp nest and bee hives to exist around your property and loved ones

Story of cutting into a wasp nest

Murder bees

The lessons believers can learn from the Exodus account can be powerful and life-changing. When Christians trust God to fight their battles, it enables them to circumvent what often accompanies conflict, i.e., panic, fear, and hopelessness (Exodus 14:11–12). There are times when we can see absolutely no way around a problem, just like Israel when they were cornered. It’s quite probable not one of the Israelites ever imagined that the massive sea was going to split down the middle, providing their way of escape. When Christians believe God’s Word (2 Chronicles 20:17), they learn that no battle is too formidable or monumental for God to handle (Joshua 1:5).

OG (עוֹג, og). The Amorite king of Bashan. He ruled from Ashtaroth and Edrei (Josh 13:12), and his territory was conquered by Moses and the Israelites immediately after the conquest of Sihon, another Amorite king (Num 21:33–35; Deut 3:1–12; Josh 12:4).

Og was the last of the Rephaim, who are associated in the Old Testament with unusual height. His great stature is shown by the dimensions of his “bed of iron”—13.5 feet by 6 feet. Deuteronomy 3:11 describes Og’s bed as still being at Rabbah of Ammon.

The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh took over Og’s conquered territory (Num 32:33; Deut 3:12–13). Og is mentioned several times after his death (Deut 1:4; 4:47; 31:4; Josh 2:10; 9:10; 13:12, 30). The defeats of Sihon and Og were referred to frequently throughout Israel’s national history (Psa 135:11; 136:20).

Hivites -

the Hivites in Gibeon feared for their annihilation and disguised themselves to make a treaty with Israel (Josh 9:3–15).

• Judges offers a theological explanation for the Hivites and other Canaanites remaining in the land, suggesting that God left them there to prepare Israel for warfare. Rather than fighting, Israel intermarried with the Hivites and other Canaanites and began worshiping their gods (Judg 3:1–6). The writers of Joshua—Kings seemed to view this intermarriage and apostate worship as the cyclical cause of Israel’s failure to thrive as a people from the time they entered the promised land to the time they went into exile.

Garrett, J. K. (2016). Hivites. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Question: "What happened in the Six-Day War?"

Answer: The Six-Day War, also called the June War or the Third Arab-Israeli War, was an international conflict occurring in June of 1967. This series of battles pitted Israel against several Arabic nations, including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. The Islamic nations received varied support from more than a half-dozen other nations in their fight against Israel. While Israel initiated full-scale military action, most analysts agree the Israelis were acting in legitimate self-defense. Israel technically began the war with a surprise air strike against Egypt on June 5, 1967, and was counter-attacked by nations such as Syria and Jordan. By June 10, Israel had taken extensive territory from their enemies, and a cease-fire was signed.

Leading up to the Six-Day War, neighboring Arabic nations openly called for the destruction of Israel. These were not misunderstood remarks; two years before the Six-Day War, Egypt’s then-President Nassar vowed to pursue the complete obliteration of Israel, saying, “We shall not enter Palestine with its soil covered in sand, we shall enter it with its soil saturated in blood.” Many of the Islamic states also enabled guerilla-style raids on Jewish territories. Tension over these issues, as well as border disputes, led to several skirmishes between Israeli forces and those of neighboring countries.

Eventually, Egypt declared its intent to block all Israeli ships from using the Straits of Tiran, one of Israel’s primary sea lanes. Israel had previously warned Egypt that such a measure would be considered an act of war. Egypt declared the Straits closed to Israeli ships, anyway. Other Arabic nations quickly allied with Egypt, stating their intent to fight against Israel. Egypt then expelled UN peacekeepers from the nearby Sinai Peninsula, allowing Egypt to enact their blockade.

Israel responded several days later with an air strike that caught Egypt completely off guard. Using rapid-rearming techniques and extraordinary discipline, Israeli aircraft wiped out virtually the entire Egyptian air force. This gave Israel a decided advantage in the rest of the conflict. Israel then moved ground troops into the Sinai Peninsula but found themselves counter-attacked on other fronts. Syria and Jordan directed artillery fire at cities such as Tel Aviv and military action in Jerusalem.

Israel pursued combat on these three separate fronts until an eventual cease-fire was signed on the war’s sixth day. The entire conflict was a rout, from start to finish, in favor of the Israelis. Israel’s territory nearly tripled as a result of the war. Casualties on the Israeli side were less than 10 percent of those suffered by their combined opponents. The victory was so overwhelming that many Arabic nations initially claimed Israel had been aided by forces from the United States or some other ally; they were not. Israel’s success in the Six-Day War is commonly credited to exceptional military preparation and tactics.

At the same time, many commentators note the comparative ease with which a single, extremely young nation, fighting on three fronts, decimated the combined forces of several established states. For these and many other reasons, some see the Six-Day War as an example of God’s protection of His chosen people (see Genesis 12:3). The exact reasons why the war occurred, and whether or not it was justified, are matters of intense debate. Most historians agree that Israel acted in response to aggressive acts by Arabic nations, especially Egypt, and that the war itself was a lopsided victory for Israel.

Battle of Armageddon

In short, the return of Christ brings about what is referred to as the kingdom of God in Scripture—God’s absolute rule over His creation, including humankind. To accomplish that, Jesus ushers in two different judgments, two different resurrections, and two different eternities.

When Jesus returns, He will be ready for war (Revelation 19:11–16). The nations will be gathered to fight against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2) in what we call the battle of Armageddon. But that will be the day Jesus returns: “His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south” (verse 4). It will be a unique day in the history of the world: “On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness . . . a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light” (verses 6–7). God’s enemies will be defeated, and the Antichrist and the false prophet will be “thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur” (Revelation 19:20). Jesus will set up His kingdom, and “The Lord will be king over the whole earth” (Zechariah 14:9).

In establishing His kingdom on earth, Jesus will first set up a judgment for those who are still alive after the tribulation and who are on the earth at the time of the second coming. This is referred to as the “judgment of the sheep and the goats” or “judgment of the nations” (Matthew 25:31–46). Those who survive this judgment will remain on earth and enjoy a time of peace and prosperity with Christ for 1,000 years (referred to as the millennium; see Revelation 20:4–6). Those who are found guilty in this judgment are cursed and consigned to “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Satan is bound and forbidden to act during the millennium (Revelation 20:1–3).

During this time there will also be a resurrection of all believers in God (Revelation 20:4–6). These resurrected believers will join believers who are alive at the time of Christ’s coming and those Christ brings with Him from heaven, and all will live with Jesus during His 1,000-year earthly reign.

At the end of the millennium, Satan will be released, and one final battle will occur, which will rapidly be won by Christ (Revelation 20:7–9). Satan is then permanently consigned to the lake of fire. At this point the second resurrection will occur, and another judgment. Unbelievers will be resurrected and judged at what is referred to as the great white throne judgment; based on their works, they will be assigned to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11–15).

So, the return of Jesus will usher in two different eternities—one with God and one without Him. This truth is captured in two verses in the book of Malachi: “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire. . . . Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves” (Malachi 4:1–2).

What happens when Jesus returns? Evil is defeated, the earth is restored, and God wins. Your response to Jesus’ return depends on your relationship with Him. It will either be, as John MacArthur calls it, “the greatest calamity in all of human history” or the fulfillment of the Blessed Hope (Titus 2:13). Faith in Christ makes the difference. “But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” (Luke 18:8, NLT).