What is the meaning of Joshua 11:5? All these kings • The phrase reaches back to Joshua 11:1-4, where Jabin king of Hazor summons a vast northern coalition. Scripture reports them without exaggeration; their historical reality underscores God’s faithfulness to drive out “many nations larger and stronger than you” (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). • Psalm 2:1-3 reminds us that earthly rulers often unite against the Lord and His people, yet their plotting is ultimately futile (Proverbs 21:30). • God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:18-21 is now being fulfilled—no enemy alliance can annul His covenant. joined forces • The coalition “came out with all their armies” (Joshua 11:4). Unity among the wicked is not strength before the Lord; Babel’s builders learned the same lesson (Genesis 11:4-8). • Revelation 16:14-16 shows the pattern continuing to the end times: kings gather for battle, but the Almighty overrules their plans. • Believers today can trust that, even when opposition appears unified, “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). and encamped • Camping implies confidence and preparation for a prolonged campaign. Yet God had already commanded Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will hand all of them over to Israel” (Joshua 11:6). • The enemy’s settled position becomes the stage for God’s decisive intervention—similar to the Philistines encamping in 1 Samuel 17:1 when David arrives. • Psalm 27:3 captures the heart posture Israel—and we—should have: “Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear.” at the waters of Merom • Merom, in Upper Galilee, provided both a strategic rally point and needed resources for chariot forces (Joshua 11:4). The site’s natural advantages highlight the miracle when Israel, without chariots, wins (Joshua 11:7-8). • The Red Sea (Exodus 14) and Gideon’s spring (Judges 7) echo the theme: God often turns water-lined settings into arenas of deliverance, proving that victory “does not depend on the strength of the horse” (Psalm 33:16-18). • Isaiah 41:18 promises that God can make “pools of water” serve His saving purposes; Merom becomes another testimony. to fight against Israel • Israel, though numerically smaller, stands as God’s covenant people (Exodus 19:5-6). Attacking them is ultimately resisting God Himself (Numbers 14:9). • Zechariah 12:3 foretells future nations gathering “against Jerusalem,” yet the pattern remains: the Lord defends His own (Isaiah 54:17). • For the church today, opposition should not surprise us (John 15:18-19), but neither should it shake us: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). summary Joshua 11:5 records a formidable, united enemy poised at Merom, confident in numbers and weaponry. Yet every detail—multiplied kings, strategic encampment, chosen battlefield—serves to magnify the Lord’s sovereignty. The verse assures us that no coalition can thwart God’s covenant promises; He turns the enemy’s gathering into a platform for His glory and His people’s triumph. |
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