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OK, you can turn in your Bibles 
to Joshua chapter 12. Joshua chapter 12, a bit of a 
tricky chapter to try and teach on. It may not be all the way 
till 9 this evening. I'm going to lean heavily on 
Dr. Davis's commentary. Basically, 
what we have is a list of kings. So we're going to just do a quick 
exposition of the section just to get the feel for it, and then 
draw out four lessons from Joshua chapter 12. So I'll just pick 
up reading in verse 1. These are the kings of the land 
whom the children of Israel defeated, and whose land they possessed 
on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, 
from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the eastern Jordan 
plain. One king was Sion, king of the 
Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon and ruled over Gilead. I'm sorry, 
ruled half of Gilead from Aror, which is on the bank of the River 
Arnon, from the middle of that river, even as far as the River 
Jabbok, which is the border of the Ammonites, and the eastern 
Jordan plain from the Sea of Kinneroth, as far as the Sea 
of the Ereba, the Salt Sea, the road to Beth Jeshimoth, and southward 
below the slopes of Pisgah. The other king was Og, king of 
Bashan, and his territory, who was of the remnant of the giants, 
who dwelt at Ashteroth and at Edre, and reigned over Mount 
Hermon, over Selka, over all Bashan, as far as the border 
of the Geshurites and the Macethites, and over half of Gilead to the 
border of Sihon, king of Heshbon. These Moses, the servant of the 
Lord, and the children of Israel had conquered. And Moses, the 
servant of the Lord, had given it as a possession to the Reubenites, 
the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh. And these are the 
kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel conquered 
on this side of the Jordan, on the west, from Baal Gad in the 
valley of Lebanon, as far as Mount Elak, and the ascent to 
Seir, which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as a possession 
according to their divisions. In the mountain country, in the 
lowlands, in the Jordan plain, in the slopes, in the wilderness, 
and in the south. The Hittites, the Amorites, the 
Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The 
king of Jericho, one. The king of Ai, which is beside 
Bethel, one. The king of Jerusalem, one. the 
king of Hebron won, the king of Jarmath won, the king of Lachish 
won, the king of Eglon won, the king of Getzer won, the king 
of Debir won, the king of Gedir won, the king of Horma won, the 
king of Ered won, the king of Libna won, the king of Adullam 
won, the king of Makeda, one, the king of Bethel, one, the 
king of Tepua, one, the king of Hefer, one, the king of Aphek, 
one, the king of Lasharan, one, the king of Maidan, one, the 
king of Hazor, one, the king of Shimron, Meron, one, the king 
of Aksath, one, the king of Tanak, one, the king of Megiddo, one, 
the king of Keresh, one, the king of Jochnam and Carmel won, 
the king of Dor and the heights of Dor won, the king of the people 
of Gilgal won, the king of Terza won, all the kings 31. Amen. It's a tough chapter to try and 
figure out how to package and teach. As I said, we're going 
to reflect heavily on Dale Ralph Davis's commentary, some thoughts 
as well from Martin Woodstruth. But throughout the book of Joshua, 
up until this particular point, we've been dealing chapters 1 
to 4, entering the land. Chapters 5 to 12 is the conquest 
of the land. This serves as a bit of a transitional 
beginning in chapter 13 and all the way to chapter 21, they will 
divide the land. The tribal allotments will be 
apportioned out by Joshua to the various tribes in Israel. 
And then the last few chapters, 22 to 24, deal with retaining 
the land. Joshua exhorting the people on 
faithfulness with reference to the God of Israel, so that when 
they occupy the land, or as they've occupied the land, Faithfulness 
will help them to secure the land. As I've said before, Joshua 
presents a fairly optimistic and positive presentation of 
the conquest. We see this does not last very 
long, however, once we get to the book of Judges. In the book 
of Judges, it declines swiftly and rapidly, and you see all 
manner of internal strife going on there in the book of Judges. 
God willing, we'll continue after Joshua and move right into the 
book of Judges. Tonight, as I said, chapter 12, 
verses 1 to 24. The two broad categories are 
verses 1 to 6 and verses 7 to 24. Verses 1 to 6 take up the 
conquest under Moses' leadership. The conquest under Moses' leadership. And then the second broad category 
in verses 7 to 24 is the conquest under Joshua's leadership. So 
in verses 1 to 6, it highlights the east of the Jordan tribes. Remember, this already occurred. 
This has already taken place. These are the kings of the land 
whom the children of Israel, verse 1, defeated, and whose 
land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan. Currently, 
Israel is on the western side of the Jordan. And so when they 
refer to the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the 
sun, from the river Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the eastern 
Jordan plain." He's talking about land that has previously been 
conquered and already allotted to the three tribes indicated 
in verse 6. To the Reubenites, to the Gadites, 
and to half the tribe of Manasseh. So East Manasseh, along with 
the Reubenites and the Gadites, are on that east side. of the 
River Jordan. Numbers chapter 21 verses 21 
to 35 are the original statement concerning the defeat of Og and 
Sihon with reference to these kings. It's repeated in Deuteronomy 
chapter 1. Deuteronomy chapter 2, again 
in Deuteronomy chapter 29, that they had, in fact, been defeated 
while the children of Israel were moving up into position 
to cross the River Jordan and to take the land on the western 
side of the river. Very often in redemptive history, 
these two names come up. Sihon and Og. They are men whom 
God had given into the hand of Israel. So we see in Rahab's 
confession in Joshua chapter 2, remember she says we have 
heard about Og and Sihon. The same thing in chapter 9 with 
the Gibeonites. So Og and Sihon were a testimony 
to the failure of the pagan kings and to the victory of the God 
of Israel. It comes up in Judges chapter 
11, Nehemiah chapter 9, and then in the Psalter in Psalms 135 
and 136. This was a significant event 
in redemptive history. The children of Israel are moving 
along and God gives them victory over these two particular kings. So we see the extent of the geography 
that is secured in these skirmishes and we see the allotment given 
as I mentioned in verse 6. Notice that Moses is referred 
to twice as the servant of the Lord. These Moses, the servant 
of the Lord and the children of Israel had conquered and Moses, 
the servant of the Lord, had given it as a possession to the 
Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh. There's 
other reasons why this is here in Joshua 12, but certainly one 
of them is to show again the consistency between Moses and 
Joshua. Remember many times in the in 
the Pentateuch, specifically in the book of Deuteronomy, it 
was very conspicuous that the torch was being passed from Moses 
to Joshua. These are two servants of the 
Lord that carried out the specific task that God had given them. 
They worked in union. They worked in unison. And God 
looks favorably upon these particular men. So that's the conquest under 
Moses' leadership. Notice, secondly, the conquest 
under Joshua's. Now it's taking up the west side. of the River Jordan. And generally 
speaking, there's a couple others mentioned in here, but generally 
speaking, what we find in verses 7 to 24 is that it follows the 
description in chapters 10 and 11. Chapter 10 recorded the southern 
campaign, and chapter 11 recorded the northern campaign. So we've 
just looked at these chapters in the last several weeks. We 
don't need to go through each and every name and each and every 
king that is indicated here. The sum total is given at the 
end of verse 24. All the kings, 31. So Joshua 
was effective for what God had sent him to do. So between Moses 
and Joshua, Israel was under very good leadership. They weren't 
perfect men. There is no perfect man save 
the Lord Jesus Christ. But all in all, they executed 
the task that the Lord had given to them. They were faithful in 
their generations. They were faithful to God. They 
were faithful to the people. Joshua, as we've seen, was the 
kind of leader who swore to his own hurt. When they made that 
treaty with the Gibeonites, he acted upon it. He upheld it. He did not destroy the Gibeonites 
back in chapter 7. called upon to do a very difficult 
task in killing Achan because of the sin of Achan and his family, 
Joshua faithfully executes that. So as we see in Deuteronomy, 
as we've looked at Deuteronomy in the past and at Joshua, the 
Lord is good to give good leaders. When God gives bad leaders as 
a means of judgment, certainly the people perish. It's a horrible 
and a wretched situation. In fact, I remember in the last 
several weeks looking at 1 Timothy chapter 2 and that admonition 
to pray for kings and all who are in authority. And I quoted 
Calvin. I like this quote, so I wrote 
it down. He said, it is the wrath of God that renders magistrates 
useless to us. So when we have a bad magistrate 
or a bad governing official, that is indicative of the wrath 
of God. When you see political leaders 
that carry on like madmen and fools, it's not as if they're 
operating apart from God. Our God is in the heavens. He 
does whatever he pleases. And there are times when he scourges 
or judges or chastens a people by giving them ineffective leaders." 
Now that's true in the civil realm. It's certainly true in 
the ecclesiastical realm, which Moses and Joshua, at least more 
so Moses, was both a civil and an ecclesiastical ruler. But 
with reference to ecclesiology or the doctrine of the church, 
good leaders are a blessing from the Lord. It's a promise in the 
New Covenant or a promise of the New Covenant of the prophets 
Jeremiah and Ezekiel that God would give shepherds after his 
own heart. And we ought to value that. We 
ought to prize that. And I think the people of God, 
the faithful at the time of Joshua and Moses, certainly should have 
been very content and very happy that they had such leadership 
as these two particular brothers. So that's an overview. of the 
chapter. What are some lessons that we 
learn? The first is that chapter 12, verses 1 to 6 specifically, 
is given to guard the unity of God's people. It's given to guard 
the unity of God's people. Later on in chapter 22 of the 
book of Joshua, we'll see that these eastern tribes, we'll see 
that the Gadites, the Reubenites, and East Manasseh built an altar. Now, when the Western tribes 
got wind of that, they went to investigate. They thought they 
were engaged in idolatry. They thought that they had abandoned 
the living and true God. Well, the Eastern tribes said, 
our fear was that you were going to forget all about us. It wasn't 
right for them to build the altar, but their motivation wasn't necessarily 
diabolical. The centrality of the altar is 
to protect and provide a hedge so that the tribes do not fall 
prey to idolatry. But those eastern tribes were 
afraid of being marginalized. There's only two and a half on 
the east side of the Jordan. The west side is where all the 
action is. That's where all the big tribes 
are. That's where everybody's at. 
And so probably verses 1 to 6 are inserted here. so that to remind 
or the summary of the conquest under Moses reminds all Israel 
that all Israel is all Israel. In other words, those two and 
a half tribes are as valuable and as important with reference 
to the covenant community as are the Western tribes. If you 
go back to Joshua chapter 1. You see the book starts off with 
this in view. To maintain the unity of the 
12 tribes of Israel. I think that's the lesson we 
need to understand here in verses 1 to 6. It's to guard the unity 
of God's people. Unity is a good thing. Obviously 
unity founded on truth. Unity founded on non-truth isn't 
a good thing. oftentimes today in the church, 
with the ecumenical movement, we want truth at the expense 
of unity. Well, that's bad, and that's 
wrong, and that's wretched, and that's horrible. But we, as the 
Church of Christ, really ought to pursue unity with all our 
strength when it comes to truth. In fact, the Apostle Paul says 
we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond 
of peace. There ought not to be factions, 
there ought not to be cliques, there ought not to be parties 
within the same camp of God's people. In Joshua chapter 1 at 
verse 12, notice the purpose here with reference to providing 
unity and solidarity among Israel. And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, 
and half the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua spoke saying, Remember 
the word which Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, saying, 
The Lord your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land. 
Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain 
in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan, 
but you shall pass before your brethren armed all your mighty 
men of valor and help them until the Lord has given your brethren 
rest as he gave you." Remember, they've received their tribal 
allotments on the east side, but the stipulation was when 
we cross and the western tribes go in to make war on the peoples 
of the land, you've got to help them. You leave your wives and 
children over there you cross the river with us, armed up and 
ready to fight. Once the land is conquered, then 
you can return back to these tribes. Now, as we recount and 
we summarize, we want to make sure we don't forget these tribes. 
They're part of us. That's the emphasis here. in 
the passage in Joshua chapter 1. They have also taken possession 
of the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you 
shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which 
Moses the Lord's servant gave you on this side of the Jordan 
toward the sunrise. So they answered Joshua saying, 
All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us 
we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all 
things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with 
you as he was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your command 
and does not heed your words and all that you command him 
shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage." 
So at the very outset of this book of conquest, We see solidarity. When he comes to summarize or 
when he comes to encapsulate the conquest prior, he doesn't 
forget those eastern tribes. Unity is preserved in this particular 
summary. It is to guard the unity of God's 
people. A second lesson that we call 
from chapter 12 is to demonstrate the fulfillment of God's promise. You'll see these repetitions. 
You'll see, we've already seen in chapter 11, not only that, 
or in chapter 10, the southern campaign, chapter 11, the northern 
campaign, but in chapter 11, beginning in verse 16, it sort 
of summarizes all that's gone before it. I think the idea is 
that we can't be reminded enough about God's faithfulness. The 
people of the Lord need to have their minds saturated. They need 
to have their mind absorbing the very glorious truths of God. So in this summary of the conquest, 
specifically in verses 7, to 24, it is to demonstrate the 
fulfillment of God's promise. Calvin said it this way, he said, 
but though each of those now summarily mentioned was previously 
given more in detail, there is very good reason for here placing 
before our eyes as it were a living picture of the goodness of God, 
proving that there had been a complete ratification and performance 
of the covenant made with Abraham as given in the words, unto thy 
seed will I give this land. So chapter 12 serves to underscore 
and to highlight the faithfulness of God, the fulfillment of His 
promise. In Genesis chapter 15, at the 
ratification of the Abrahamic covenant, the Lord God in verse 
18 highlights what it would be or what they would in fact receive. Beginning in chapter 15 at verse 
17, it came to pass when the sun went down and it was dark, 
that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that 
passed between those pieces. On the same day, the Lord made 
a covenant with Abraham, saying, to your descendants, I have given 
this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river 
Euphrates, the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, 
the Perizzites, the Refem, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the 
Girgashites, and the Jebusites. So when the original readers 
would come to Joshua 12, they wouldn't just sort of roll their 
eyes and go, well, we've got to read this summary again. They 
weren't like us. They didn't get bogged down with 
these details. It wasn't tedious to them. It 
was an indication of the reality that God is faithful to His promise. Davis says it this way. These 
verses do not drip with tedium. They tingle with excitement. 
The king of Tepua won. The king of Heifer won. Verse 
17. These words are not an excerpt from a dull archive. They are 
the lyrics of a song. Verses 7 to 24 constitute the 
stanzas for Israel's version of great is thy faithfulness. 
Yahweh's ancient word has proven faithful. So what's going on 
here? This summary statement, this 
statement concerning the king, one. And then this numbering 
of the 31. This indicates that God has, 
in fact, given to them the land that he swore to their father 
Abraham. This is an encouragement. This 
is a good thing. This is a time to demonstrate 
the fulfillment of God's promise. A third lesson that we learn 
is to provide an itemized list of God's kindness. You see, they 
didn't just say, thank you for giving us this land. Don't we 
do that? Thank you for blessing us. Well, 
that's good and it's true and it's accurate. But when we start 
to detail and itemize that particular list, certainly God should, at 
least, appear that much more benevolent and that much more 
gracious. The psalmist rehearses God's 
blessings in detail when he comes to praise. Psalm 103, bless the 
Lord, O my soul. and all that is within me, bless 
his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and 
forget not," what? Some of his benefits? Forget 
not all of his benefits. And then he starts to indicate. 
He starts to list. He starts to write down. This 
is his, to use a cheesy saying, his prayer journal. And he is 
indicating what God has done in terms of his blessing. The 
same is true in Psalm 105. The same is true in Psalm 135. 
And exactly true in Psalm 136. What is the refrain in Psalm 
136? For the mercy of the Lord endures 
forever. That is always following a statement 
of what God did. It is detailed. It is itemized. Now there's probably not one 
of us who could itemize successfully in a given day all that the Lord 
does for us. That would probably take us forever. We're still sinful, so we'd obviously 
miss some things. But the point is, when we read 
through verses 7 to 24, and we see these detailed itemizations, 
it indicates that we ought to respond to God, not just because 
of His many blessings, but we ought to name some of those blessings. Ephesians chapter 1, it seems 
that Paul does the very same thing. Blessed be the God and 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every 
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. That's his 
overarching theme. Thank you God for blessing us. 
And then he starts to specify in detail those blessings. The Father chose us. The Father 
predestines us. The Son redeems us by His blood. 
The Spirit comes and He's the seal and the guarantee of our 
final inheritance. So you see these details are 
the stuff of encouragement to the heart of God's people. One 
commentator, Ellison, says it would be unfair to suggest that 
the church is unwilling to thank God for all his many mercies. But on the whole, it is unwilling 
to indulge in detailed and specific thanks. If we were to train ourselves 
to recognize God's goodness act by act and detail by detail, 
many of us would come to think more highly both of God and of 
the Church. Much of our despondency comes 
from failing to see how much God has really achieved. An interesting example of this 
today. Somebody called me. He doesn't 
go to our church. You probably don't know him. 
Maybe you do. But he was very discouraged. 
He was very down. He was very sad and despondent. And I happened to be going through 
this. I read that quote. Yeah, there's power there. So 
I said, look, you got this. You got this. You got this. You 
got this. You got, oh, wow. Yeah. Has that ever happened 
to you? You get some bad news or some 
bad trial? Does that erase every good thing 
that God has done in your life? Certainly not. But our tendency 
and our inclination and our bent is, when we are down, we fail 
to reckon with the reality that God is sustaining us even when 
we're down. that if we get a glass of water 
or we have a piece of toast or we have whatever it is that we 
try to do to get ourselves out of the doldrums, God is there 
in the midst of us. So if we practice this idea of 
act by act or detail by detail, maybe this would be the thing 
that would help us to get up out of these particular places. 
Davis says it this way, it is as faith gives thanks in detail 
that faith is nurtured, encouraged, and takes on fresh heart to expect 
more mercies. I really like that. He says it 
is as faith gives thanks in detail that faith is nurtured, encouraged, 
and takes on fresh heart to expect more mercy." So you see, it's 
easy to get this idea that God doesn't ever do the things I 
want him to do. And all the while miss the reality 
that he has done more than you could ever even imagine. Our 
God is the God of Ephesians 3. He is able to do exceedingly 
abundantly more than we ask or think. He may not always deliver 
in the manner in which we ask and the way we would be pleased, 
but God, not only in what he gives us, but God in what he 
keeps from us and keeps us, or how he restrains us in a given 
day, ought to be, you know, marveled upon. The fact that we're not 
in hell. the fact that we're not in prison, 
the fact that we're not, you know, wherever. I mean, those 
are things that we ought to praise God for. There are, to quote 
Edwards, innumerable ways of men going out of this world. 
I mean, every single day, all of us, I don't know, Trey, are 
you driving yet? Well, most of us are in cars, 
driving. And every time we do that, we 
ought to praise God that we aren't smashed into oblivion. So the 
point is, detail, detail, act, act. Generic prayers are Not 
bad. If you've got to pray, God, thank 
us. Thank you for your blessings. But detail those blessings from 
time to time and consider the faithfulness of the Lord God 
Almighty. This is an itemized list. This is as detailed as you could 
get. I mean, my reading of it, it 
sounded sort of rote, didn't it? I mean, it's the same formula. 
This king, this place, one. This king, this place, one. I 
mean, this is details. to provide a list of God's kindnesses. And then a fourth lesson I think 
that we can derive from chapter 12 of the book of Joshua. It's a foreshadowing of God's 
ultimate victory. A foreshadowing of God's ultimate 
victory. The God who promised Abraham 
the land delivered the land, didn't he? I mean, we just saw 
that statement in Genesis 15 after that ratification ceremony. The animals are split into two. 
They're set on different sides. God the Lord puts Abraham into 
a deep sleep, and it's God the Lord who walks between those 
pieces, taking upon himself the obligations to fulfill. that 
covenant. He most certainly brings it to 
pass in Joshua chapter 12. Woodstrath says, by enumerating 
the kings conquered by Joshua and Israel, the writer gives 
eloquent testimony to the fact that Israel's enemies, who had 
banded together with hostile intent, had been unable to stand 
against Israel and its God. Thus seen, this list is a song 
of praise to the Lord's honor. Remember when we looked at those 
campaigns in the South and in the North, these kings banded 
together. They formed coalitions. They 
formed a conspiracy to try and stop the Lord and to stop His 
anointed, the nation of Israel. Well, God's promise stood firm. God indeed carried out his word, 
and this foreshadows that every competition or every battle in 
the future, God the Lord is going to secure. So the God who promised 
Abraham the land delivered the land. The God who promised Abraham 
a seed delivered a seed. This is very relevant for us. 
Who is the seed that is promised to Abraham by God in the book 
of Genesis? According to the apostle, It 
is the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, Galatians 3, 16. So 
we might extend the metaphor, we might extend this victory 
to the victory over sin. So the fact that God won the 
land for Israel in the old covenant indicates his ability, his power, 
and we see it in the new covenant, his prerogative to secure victory 
over sin and to redeem his people. Notice in Galatians chapter 3 
at verse 15. Brethren, I speak in the manner 
of men, though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, 
no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his seed were 
the promises made. He does not say, and to seeds, 
as of many, but as of one, and to your seed, who is Christ. So you see, when God is talking 
to Abraham about a seed, it does operate on two particular levels. One, the children of Israel are 
going to be numerous, and they're going to occupy the land. There 
is going to be a great nation that comes from the loins of 
Abraham. But the other level that it's 
operating on in terms of spiritual promise The seed is the Lord 
Jesus Christ. And that causes Paul in verses 
26 to 29 to make this implication. For you are all sons of God through 
faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized 
into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. 
There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female. 
For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, 
then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. So chapter 12 of Joshua is a 
foreshadowing of the victory that is to come. God promises 
Abraham a land. He secures the land. God promises 
Abraham a seed. He secures or he provides the 
seed. God promised Abraham blessing. When you read that Abrahamic 
covenant, those three elements are there. Land, seed, blessing. Well, when we come to the new 
covenant, we consider the land. Jesus is the heir of the world, 
or Abraham is the heir of the world via Jesus, Romans 4.13. The seed is Christ. We are the 
sons or seed of Abraham because of Christ. And do we not get 
blessing? Has not that foreshadowed victory 
come to fruition in terms of the securing of redemptive blessing 
for the children of God? So with reference to land, with 
reference to seed, with reference to blessing, all that was prophesied 
by God to Abraham comes to fruition. So Joshua chapter 12 is a reminder 
not only of the faithfulness of God to secure the land, but 
it should have encouraged the remnant that God is faithful 
to provide seed and to provide blessing. and the God who promised 
Abraham these things and who fought for His people during 
the conquest. Remember along the way in Joshua. Joshua 3, Joshua 6, a couple 
of times in Joshua 8, several times in Joshua 10, and in Joshua 
11 it tells us, it indicates for us, it highlights the reality 
that it's God who fights for Israel. It's God who brings the 
victory for Israel. And that should remind us, or 
back in Joshua 12, it should foreshadow God's ultimate victory 
in terms of 1 Corinthians 15, 20-28. First Corinthians chapter 15, 
the Lord God most high has ultimate victory over the last enemy, 
which is death itself. The Bible is a statement concerning 
the power, the majesty, the sovereignty, and the victory of God over all 
of his enemies, over all of those who oppose his rule and his reign, 
And here in 1 Corinthians 15, 20 to 28, the apostle celebrates 
that reality. But now Christ is risen from 
the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 
For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection 
of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even 
so in Christ all shall be made alive, but each one in his own 
order. Christ the firstfruits, afterward 
those who are Christ's that is coming. Then comes the end, when 
he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end 
to all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign 
till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that 
will be destroyed is death, for he has put all things under his 
feet. But when he says all things are 
put under him, it is evident that he who put all things under 
him is accepted. Now when all things are made 
subject to him, then the Son himself will also be subject 
to him, who put all things under him, that God may be all in all." 
So when we look at Joshua 12 and the summary of Kings, at 
least according to the help that we've received from Dale Ralph 
Davis, we ought to think in terms of ultimate victory. God, the 
Lord, is working out his plan. When we get to the book of Revelation, 
specifically chapters 21 and 22, following that great white 
throne judgment, we see the new Jerusalem coming down out of 
heaven. That is the manifestation and 
the consummation of God's redemptive plan. So Joshua 12 encourages 
the people of God to guard the unity demonstrate the fulfillment 
of his promise, to provide a list of his kindnesses for praise 
and adoration, and to point forward to the reality that the God who 
fights for Israel in Canaan is the God and Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, who does secure every spiritual blessing in the 
heavenly places in Christ for his people. Well, let us pray, 
and then we'll have some time for discussion. Our Father, we 
thank You for Your Word. We thank You for this chapter 
in Joshua 12. And God, I pray that our hearts 
would be encouraged, that we would see each and every one 
of these These kings, each and every detail indicated in this 
passage of Scripture is demonstrating and pointing to the faithfulness 
of God who has promised. We pray, Father, that we would 
be those who rehearse your blessings and who praise you for them and 
who sing hymns and psalms and spiritual songs in remembrance 
of the good gifts that you give to us. God, thank you for your 
mercy. Thank you for the gospel. Thank 
you for the fact that you have blessed us so richly. And we 
pray now through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.