What does Joshua 10:28 teach about the consequences of opposing God's people? Setting the Scene Joshua and Israel have crossed the Jordan, Jericho has fallen, and the southern coalition of Canaanite kings has launched an attack. After God miraculously rains down hailstones and lengthens the day, the routed kings retreat to Makkedah. Verse 28 records what happened next: “Joshua captured Makkedah that day and put its king to the sword. He devoted to destruction everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.” (Joshua 10:28) Unmistakable Consequences Opposing God’s covenant people carried immediate, devastating results: • Complete military defeat—Makkedah’s defenses, army, and ruler all fell in a single day. • Total destruction—“leaving no survivors” underscores the thoroughness of the judgment. • Public example—what happened to Jericho’s king now happens to Makkedah’s, signaling that resistance to God’s advance ends the same way every time. Principles Revealed • God personally identifies with His people; to attack them is to challenge Him (cf. Zechariah 2:8). • Divine patience has limits. When nations’ iniquity is “complete” (Genesis 15:16), judgment arrives swiftly. • God’s justice is not random; it is measured, righteous, and consistent with earlier warnings (Deuteronomy 7:1-4). • Victory for God’s people depends on His promise, not their strength. The same power that stopped the sun sealed Makkedah’s fate. Other Scriptural Witnesses • “But if you carefully obey His voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you.” (Exodus 23:22) • “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip.” (Deuteronomy 32:35) • “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in your rebellion.” (Psalm 2:12) • “If it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38-39) • “God is just: He will repay with affliction those who afflict you.” (2 Thessalonians 1:6) Takeaways for Today • Align with God’s purposes, not against them; history proves the futility of resistance. • Trust that opposition to God’s people is ultimately opposition to God—and He will settle accounts. • Remember that God’s mercy is present now; His judgment, when it comes, is decisive. • Stand confidently; the same God who defended Israel at Makkedah guards His people still. |
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