What does Joshua 12:22 teach about God's power in overcoming earthly kingdoms? Setting the scene: Joshua 12 in a nutshell - Joshua 12 recounts the conquests of Israel, first east of the Jordan under Moses (vv. 1-6) and then west of the Jordan under Joshua (vv. 7-24). - Thirty-one kings fell in total (v. 24), each named and counted. - The pattern underscores that every earthly throne—great or small—stands or falls by God’s decree (cf. Daniel 2:21). Reading the verse “the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;” (Joshua 12:22) What this simple listing reveals about God’s power • Individual kings are singled out and numbered “one” by “one.” – No ruler is anonymous to God; each is accountable. • Kedesh and Jokneam were fortified Canaanite centers, yet they collapse like all the others. • The repeated cadence (“one … one … one”) accents ease and completeness—God topples kingdoms as effortlessly as counting. • The verse sits in a catalogue that ends with, “thirty-one kings in all” (v. 24). The cumulative total displays total, not partial, victory. • Israel’s army was outmatched in human terms, but divine power—not military might—delivered the wins (cf. Deuteronomy 20:4). Wider biblical confirmations of the same truth - Exodus 15:18: “The LORD will reign forever and ever.” - Psalm 47:2-3: “For the LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth. He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet.” - 2 Chronicles 20:6: “Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You.” - Daniel 2:44: God’s kingdom “will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” Takeaway for today’s believer - Earthly power structures still rise and fall; God remains sovereign. - No authority—political, cultural, or spiritual—is too entrenched for Him to overrule. - The meticulous record of defeated kings builds faith that the same God can handle the “kingdoms” that oppose His purposes in our lives (cf. Romans 8:37). - Because victory is certain, obedience is not reckless; it is sane. Trust and step forward, knowing the One who numbered those ancient kings still governs every throne. |
    |