East Side to the West Side

A Unified People

The first six verses recall the territory east of the Jordan, the land captured under Moses’ leadership and given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

The question is, “Why?” We’re in Joshua, the wandering generation has passed, we’re seven years into taking the Promised Land, and now we bring up dead kings from before we entered the Land. It reminds us of:

The fact that two and a half tribes have spent the past seven years away from family in order to faithfully obey YHWH, and

The tribes to the east of the Jordan are just as much a part of Israel as the tribes dwelling in the Land. The inclusion of the Transjordan land and tribes is a measure of prevention, reminding Israel to not discriminate against them.

The church faces similar temptations of division and hierarchy.

There are brothers and sisters in Christ in different denominations that have surrendered their lives to lordship of Jesus Christ, and guess what — they will be in heaven! Do we treat them as second-class citizens in the kingdom?

There are brothers and sisters in Christ from different theological persuasions that have surrendered their lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ, and guess what — they will be in heaven! Can you imagine?! Calvinists and Arminians will worship together. Pre-trib, post-trib, pre-mil, amil, preterists (those dudes will be in for a surprise…or maybe the rest of us will!), and even the pan-mils, they’ll all worship together. Do we treat them as second-class citizens in the kingdom?

There are brothers and sisters in Christ from vastly different socio-economic backgrounds that have surrendered their lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ, and guess what — they will be in heaven! James 2:1-7 “My brothers and sisters, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? Yet you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court? Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?” is a pretty stern warning against discriminating against brothers and sisters in Christ, particularly when it comes to their bank accounts. Notice what James says about that — haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

There’s discrimination in the pastoral ranks — there are churches that will not consider a candidate if he isn’t married with children. I’m sorry, but any time we draw lines in the sand that would prevent Jesus or Paul from pastoring our churches, seriously, what have we become if not modern day pharisees?!

The initial calling of deacons in Acts 6:1-7 “In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch. They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.” Widows, particularly the Hellenistic ones, were being neglect in the daily distribution. Widows were being forgotten and discriminated against at least in part because of their Gentile background. Consider Col.3:11 “In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.”

Here’s what I’m getting at: the lesson still applies today. There are no second-class citizens in Christ’s kingdom. We’re all sons and daughters of the King, co-heirs with Christ. He doesn’t favor a single one of us more than the other, because His blood paid the penalty for our sins and His righteousness makes us all prefect in the eyes of God. So strive to maintain the peace and protect the unity.

A Faithful God

In the first six verses of chapter 12, we had to deal with pronouncing names that none of us would ever name our kids. Verses 7-24 add to the awkward names a monotonous droning and repetition as well. Ugh, what does this have to do with us?!

What seems monotony to us actually ends up being an emphasis of the goodness of God and fulfillment of His promise. Each line, every king, is a testimony that God is a faithful and promise-keeping God. It is a roll call of God’s faithfulness...

King of Jericho — yes, defeated.

King of Ai — yes, defeated.

King of Jerusalem — yes, defeated.

King of Hebron — yes, defeated.

King of Jarmuth — yes, defeated.

Get the picture? Each king against God has been defeated BY God. And there is a subtle reminder in the defeat of all of these kings: God is our only faithful ruler, and allegiance with any other king has no place in Christ’s kingdom. But, when we are committed to following the One True King, Christ the King, the King of Kings…the victory is ours!

Everything that would attempt to set itself up in opposition to God’s direction in our life, so long as we follow the marching orders of Christ the king, we win. Sometimes that victory doesn’t look like we thought it would, but we win. That’s the promise of a faithful God.

Playing pick-up basketball, do you ever pick a team just to lose? Me neither. I survey the field and think either a.) I’m good enough to win regardless, or b.) I don’t want to guard that person, so I’m going to pick them, or c.) I NEED so-and-so to win this game. I never pick my team with the intention of losing.

With God, with God’s ways, the victory is ours because He’s a faithful God.

A Song of Praise

There’s something else about this list of kings, however. What seems monotonous drudgery to us is actually 17 or 18 stanzas of a song of praise.

As you read vv.9-24, don’t think, “Ugh, this is so boring!” Rather, consider it another stanza, one of the long, lost stanzas of “Amazing Grace” or another refrain to “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” This is indeed a song of Praise for what the Lord has done. And, it serves as a great reminder for us. A couple of take aways from this passage:

We should be a thankful people. After all, does the Scripture not command us, Ps.95:1-2 “Come, let’s shout joyfully to the Lord, shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation! Let’s enter his presence with thanksgiving; let’s shout triumphantly to him in song.” One of the key aspects of worshipping God in truth, that is, rightly responding to Him, is to come before Him with grateful hearts. When’s the last time you just took a moment to thank God. Which brings me to point number next:

Can we do away with the half-hearted, barely attempted “thank you for your many blessings?” Man get in there and get your hands dirty and be real and genuine and specific. Think about this for a minute — God throws you the rescue line…you’re drowning at work and at just the right time a co-worker comes along and says, “Hey, I took care of so-and-so, no worries.” Or, you open the bank account because you just got hit with an unexpected set of tires or an emergency room visit and God pulled a fish and loaves miracle because there’s more there than there should have been. And then what do we say? “Thank you for your many blessings” with about as much joy as the Eyore, the donkey from Whinny the Pooh. C’mon church, we can do better. Israel was specific.

The king of Lachish — thank You for that victory.

The king of Eglon — thank You for that victory.

The king of Gezer — thank You for that victory.

The king of Debir — thank You for that victory.

The king of Geder — thank You for that victory.

Johnson Oatman wrote the chorus that even today still finds itself into our time of worship from time to time: “Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God hath done.” Indeed, Joshua 12 reminds us to count them…name them…and remember specifically the things God has done among us. (Perhaps a moment of popcorn praise here?)

A Glimpse of the Future

We should remember finally that this rest (Josh.11:23) and victory was only temporary. Israel found itself in continual cycles of rebellion against God’s good rule, and eventually they were sent into exile. Why? Sin.

Sin resides at the heart of every man, and no amount of physical battle could ever deal with man’s truest and meanest enemy. True enough, we are called to fight and to do battle daily, but in the end, we needed God to take matters into His own hands.

As we read of 31 kings and their respective towns that fell to the sword of Israel, we are reminded of the dreadful penalty sin requires. It was this harsh punishment that Christ Himself bore in His body. II Cor.5:21 “He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” I Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” Isa.53:5 “But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.”

So we see a foreshadow of the punishment that was necessary to free man from the bonds of sin. But even more, we see a foreshadow of His final and forever victory as well. The utter defeat of the Canaanite kings is a reminder that one day sin too will receive its just reward as heaven and earth are made new. Sin is banished forever, and every enemy of our King Christ forever becomes His footstool. King Jesus indeed will reign forever, and His glory will fill the entire earth.