What can we learn about God's sovereignty from the kings listed in Joshua 12:24? Setting the Scene – Joshua 12:24 “the king of Tirzah—one. In all, thirty-one kings.” Thirty-One Defeats, One Reigning Lord • Each name in Joshua 12 is a real king, ruling a real city. • Every throne toppled shows that earthly power is limited and temporary (Psalm 47:2). • Behind the repeated “one” stands the single, unopposed Sovereign who determines the outcome of every battle (Proverbs 21:1). God’s Sovereignty on Display • Authority over geography: God promised Abraham this land centuries earlier (Genesis 12:7) and set its borders (Exodus 23:31). • Authority over history: He removes kings and sets up kings (Daniel 2:21); He also removes thirty-one of them when His plan requires it. • Authority over judgment: The Canaanite kingdoms had filled up their sin (Deuteronomy 9:4-5), and God’s justice arrived through Israel’s armies. • Authority over His people’s success: “So Joshua took the whole land… and the land had rest from war” (Joshua 11:23). Victory was never Israel’s military skill; it was the Lord’s decree (Joshua 10:42). Promises Kept, Covenant Confirmed • Deuteronomy 7:1-2 predicted conquest of “seven nations greater and stronger than you.” Thirty-one kings prove that promise expanded and completed. • Joshua 21:43-45 testifies that “not one of all the Lord’s good promises… failed.” • God’s faithfulness to earlier generations assures His faithfulness today (Hebrews 13:8). Living Under the Same Sovereign • Nations still rise and fall at His command (Isaiah 40:23). • Believers possess an unshakable kingdom because Christ is “the ruler of the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5). • Confidence grows when remembering that no ruler, obstacle, or circumstance exceeds His control (Romans 8:31). |
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