How does Joshua 12:9 connect to God's covenant with Israel in Deuteronomy? Setting the Scene • Joshua 12 lists the Canaanite kings Israel conquered under Joshua. • Verse 9 names the first two: “the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai (near Bethel), one”. • This verse is more than a historical footnote; it showcases God keeping the covenant promises declared in Deuteronomy. Key Covenant Promises in Deuteronomy About Conquest • Deuteronomy 7:1-2—God vows to “drive out many nations before you” and commands Israel to “utterly destroy them.” • Deuteronomy 9:1-3—Israel will “dispossess nations greater and stronger,” because “the LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you.” • Deuteronomy 11:24-25—“Every place where the sole of your foot treads will be yours… No man will be able to stand against you.” • Deuteronomy 20:16-18—Cities “belonging to these peoples” must be put “under the ban,” preventing idolatry. • Deuteronomy 29-30—Blessings hinge on obedience; conquest is presented as proof of God’s faithfulness. How Joshua 12:9 Mirrors Those Promises 1. Fulfillment of Land Grant • Jericho and Ai sit in the heart of Canaan, territory promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21) and reaffirmed in Deuteronomy. • Their defeat signals the initial foothold God guaranteed. 2. Confirmation of Supernatural Victory • Jericho’s walls fell without conventional warfare (Joshua 6); Deuteronomy anticipated victories disproportionate to Israel’s strength (Deuteronomy 9:1-3). • Ai’s eventual fall after Achan’s sin was judged (Joshua 7-8) illustrates the Deuteronomic link between obedience and success. 3. Execution of the Ban (ḥērem) • Jericho was placed “under the ban” (Joshua 6:17-19), directly echoing Deuteronomy 20:16-18. • Ai received the same treatment (Joshua 8:26-29), showing Israel applying Deuteronomy’s covenant commands. 4. Public Record of God’s Faithfulness • Listing each king “one by one” makes a covenant ledger. • Deuteronomy 31:19-21 says Israel’s history will stand as a witness to God’s word; Joshua 12:9 is an early entry in that witness. 5. Motivation for Continued Obedience • Seeing Jericho and Ai fall under God’s hand validates the blessings-for-obedience framework of Deuteronomy 28:1-14. • Conversely, Achan’s sin at Ai briefly invoked the covenant curse (Deuteronomy 28:15-20), reinforcing the seriousness of faithfulness. Covenant Faithfulness on Display • Two victories at the gateway of Canaan prove that God “is not a man, that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19). • Israel’s obedience brought blessing; disobedience briefly stalled progress—exactly as Deuteronomy predicted. • The narrative underscores the literal accuracy of God’s word: what He promised, He performed. Implications for Every Generation • God’s covenant promises remain reliable; His past faithfulness guarantees future trustworthiness (Hebrews 10:23). • Obedience brings blessing, while sin disrupts fellowship—an immutable principle grounded in both Deuteronomy and Joshua. • Remembering Jericho and Ai encourages believers today to walk in wholehearted obedience, confident that God still keeps every word He has spoken. |
    |