What does Joshua 12:11 teach about God's power over earthly authorities?

◄ Joshua 12:11: God's power over rulers? ►

A brief but loaded line

“the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one” (Joshua 12:11)

Setting the stage

• Joshua 12 tallies every Canaanite ruler God brought down as Israel took the land.

• Verse 11 adds two more names to the list—seemingly mundane, yet another reminder that no throne stands against the Lord.

What the verse reveals about God’s power over earthly authorities

• Every king falls, one by one. God’s victories are not abstract; they are historical, geographical, and verifiable.

• God’s promises to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21) materialize king after king, city after city.

• Human rule is finite—“one” king each. God’s rule is unending.

• The verse underscores divine initiative: Israel’s armies win only because God precedes them (Deuteronomy 9:3).

• Even regional powers like Jarmuth and Lachish, fortified and confident, crumble the moment God acts (Joshua 10:3-32).

Living implications

• No authority today—political, cultural, spiritual—is beyond the reach of God’s sovereignty (Psalm 2:1-4).

• Believers engage society with courage, knowing the ultimate outcome is settled (Revelation 17:14).

• Faithfulness matters more than numbers; a single believer in God’s will outmatches “one king” in rebellion (Romans 8:31).

Echoes throughout Scripture

• “He removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21).

• “The LORD brings death and gives life… He seats them among princes” (1 Samuel 2:6-8).

• “There is no authority except from God” (Romans 13:1).

Earthly thrones rise and fall; Joshua 12:11 records two more toppled in the long, unbroken testimony that God alone reigns.