What can we learn about God's power from Joshua's victories in Joshua 12:4? Setting the Scene • Joshua 12 is a victory roll call. Verse 4 recalls the overthrow of “Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim.” • Og’s territory stretched “over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all Bashan… and over half of Gilead”. On any ancient map, that is a massive footprint. • The Rephaim were literally gigantic warriors (cf. Deuteronomy 3:11), so Og loomed as a physical and psychological barrier to Israel’s advance. Facing the Giant Og • Humanly speaking, Israel was an inexperienced wilderness people; Og ruled fortified cities (Deuteronomy 3:5). • Yet Og fell, just as Sihon had (Joshua 12:2–3). No king—no matter how large, entrenched, or infamous—can stand before the LORD. • God’s power is not incremental; it is absolute. He does not merely reduce opposition—He removes it. What God’s Power Looks Like • Promise-keeping power—The conquest of Og fulfilled God’s word to Abraham centuries earlier (Genesis 15:18–21). Every square mile listed in Joshua 12:4 matched covenant land. • Supernatural power over physical impossibilities—A giant ruler with iron bed nine cubits long (approx. 13 feet, Deuteronomy 3:11) is no match for the LORD who “creates the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 40:28). • Protective power for His people—Psalm 136:17–22 celebrates Og’s defeat as God’s “steadfast love.” Israel’s security hinged on divine might, not military prowess. • Witnessing power—These victories announced to Canaan that “the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:11). Even Rahab heard. Living Out This Truth • Identify the “Og-sized” threats in daily life—addictions, hostile ideologies, financial mountains. They are real, but God’s supremacy is more real. • Stand on Scripture’s specifics—Israel conquered geographic borders God had literally named. Anchor prayers to precise promises such as Romans 8:31 or Ephesians 3:20. • Advance, don’t camp—Israel crossed into Bashan; believers move forward in obedience, expecting walls to fall because the Commander of heaven’s armies is still active (Joshua 5:14). • Celebrate each victory—Psalm 136 turns military history into worship. Mark God’s interventions so future generations know that “His loving devotion endures forever.” Cross-Checking the Lesson • Deuteronomy 3:1–11—background on the battle and Og’s colossal size. • Numbers 21:33–35—preview of God’s promise and strategy. • Psalm 44:3—“It was not by their sword that they took the land… it was Your right hand.” • 1 Samuel 17:47—David echoes Joshua’s theology: “The battle belongs to the LORD.” From an oversized bed in Bashan to today’s greatest obstacles, Joshua 12:4 declares that God’s power dwarfs every enemy, fulfills every promise, and secures every step of faith. |
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