Jos 10:22-27 | KingComments | STEP | In battle we don’t always have time to consider. Therefore, we must always listen to the Lord Jesus. The kings who have fled are first locked up, then the battle continues and later they deal with the kings. For every action the people receive instructions from Joshua. Because the sun continues to shine, the kings flee from the light and seek the darkness of a cave to hide ( ; cf. ). Their self-sought safety becomes first their prison and then their grave. First they are locked up there, kept for the moment of judgment (cf. ; ). When the time for this has come, they are called out of darkness by name ( ), brought into light, and killed ( ). The kings have escaped the hailstones, like Pharaoh and his horsemen escaped the plagues of Egypt. But escaping judgment is only temporary and for a purpose. God has let Pharaoh and his horsemen escape, “to show”, as He says to Pharaoh “you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth” ( ). This is also the case with these kings. It makes the final judgment all the clearer and includes a message, an encouragement, for the people. Furthermore, some of them manage to escape ( ). That also fits in with God’s plan. There are always enemies left. That determines for us that we must always remain vigilant. The people return to the camp unharmed. The fact that no one dared to utter a word against them ( ) indicates that no Israelite has been in trouble for a single moment during the battle or pursuit (cf. ). Also, their actions were entirely in accordance with God’s will, so that no one could come up with and express a complaint about a wrong treatment. The kings must be humiliated. This can seem overconfident and the danger of becoming overconfident is always present. We are never so weak as when we have achieved a great victory. But here it is an encouragement to the people. Every enemy will fall down for the people. Haman, the hater of the Jews, is an example of this: “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him” ( ). The people see the big, impressive enemies. Joshua orders the captains to put their feet on the kings’ necks. The putting of the foot on the neck is a proof of the complete victory and for the conquered a proof of complete humiliation ( ; ). Thus, according to the word of Moses, they step, spiritually spoken, on the heights – the heights we see here in these great men – of their enemies ( ). In the same way we are encouraged by the following promise: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” ( ). This is not Paul boasting, but speaking the language of faith. Thus will all enemies be to the Lord Jesus as a footstool for Him ( ; ). Joshua makes it clear through his command ( ) that there is no power left in the feared kings. They must accept this in faith. There is no more reason for fear ( ). Joshua kills the kings. This is also the final victory for the Lord Jesus. He kills His enemies. God gave “Him authority to execute judgment, because He is [the] Son of Man” ( ). We, the church, are involved. We will judge the world and even angels, that is to say, rule it, govern it ( ).

‏ Joshua 10:22-27

Joshua Kills the Five Kings

In battle we don’t always have time to consider. Therefore, we must always listen to the Lord Jesus. The kings who have fled are first locked up, then the battle continues and later they deal with the kings. For every action the people receive instructions from Joshua.

Because the sun continues to shine, the kings flee from the light and seek the darkness of a cave to hide (Jn 3:20; cf. Rev 6:15-17). Their self-sought safety becomes first their prison and then their grave. First they are locked up there, kept for the moment of judgment (cf. 2Pet 2:4; Jude 1:6). When the time for this has come, they are called out of darkness by name (Jos 10:23), brought into light, and killed (Jos 10:26).

The kings have escaped the hailstones, like Pharaoh and his horsemen escaped the plagues of Egypt. But escaping judgment is only temporary and for a purpose. God has let Pharaoh and his horsemen escape, “to show”, as He says to Pharaoh “you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth” (Exo 9:16). This is also the case with these kings. It makes the final judgment all the clearer and includes a message, an encouragement, for the people.

Furthermore, some of them manage to escape (Jos 10:20). That also fits in with God’s plan. There are always enemies left. That determines for us that we must always remain vigilant.

The people return to the camp unharmed. The fact that no one dared to utter a word against them (Jos 10:21) indicates that no Israelite has been in trouble for a single moment during the battle or pursuit (cf. Exo 11:7). Also, their actions were entirely in accordance with God’s will, so that no one could come up with and express a complaint about a wrong treatment.

The kings must be humiliated. This can seem overconfident and the danger of becoming overconfident is always present. We are never so weak as when we have achieved a great victory. But here it is an encouragement to the people. Every enemy will fall down for the people. Haman, the hater of the Jews, is an example of this: “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him” (Est 6:13b).

The people see the big, impressive enemies. Joshua orders the captains to put their feet on the kings’ necks. The putting of the foot on the neck is a proof of the complete victory and for the conquered a proof of complete humiliation (1Kgs 5:3; Psa 110:1). Thus, according to the word of Moses, they step, spiritually spoken, on the heights – the heights we see here in these great men – of their enemies (Deu 33:29).

In the same way we are encouraged by the following promise: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom 16:20a). This is not Paul boasting, but speaking the language of faith. Thus will all enemies be to the Lord Jesus as a footstool for Him (1Cor 15:25; Heb 1:13).

Joshua makes it clear through his command (Jos 10:24) that there is no power left in the feared kings. They must accept this in faith. There is no more reason for fear (Jos 10:25). Joshua kills the kings. This is also the final victory for the Lord Jesus. He kills His enemies. God gave “Him authority to execute judgment, because He is [the] Son of Man” (Jn 5:27). We, the church, are involved. We will judge the world and even angels, that is to say, rule it, govern it (1Cor 6:2-3).