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The Book of Joshua – Part 12, Joshua 10:16-43

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith!

But the Law is not of faith; “The man who does these things shall live in them.” Gal 3:12

[Study Aired May  13, 2023]

The last study introduced an association of the two fierce demon-possessed men coming from the tombs in the country of the Gergesenes. That connection can be represented by the five kings; the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish and the king of Eglon, all of whom hid and were sealed in a cave, a tomb in the bowels of the earth. They represent our most devilish kings within. If we cut off the head of the Serpent, he is rendered mostly crippled until his head is crushed. If his head is not soundly crushed, even a reflex from his jaws can inflict a poisonous bite.

Mat 8:28 And when He had come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, two demon-possessed ones met Him, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one might pass by that way.
Mat 8:29 And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with You, Jesus, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time? [Lake of Fire]

Of course, the entire story can be read at your leisure in Matthew 8, with the two men freed from their evil spirits.

Five Amorite Kings Executed

Jos 10:16 But these five kings fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah [Phonetic: mak-kay-daw’].
Jos 10:17 And it was told to Joshua, saying, The five kings have been found hidden in a cave at Makkedah.
Jos 10:18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones on the mouth of the cave, and set men by it in order to keep them.
Jos 10:19 And do not stay. Pursue your enemies and strike the ones who are behind. Do not allow them to enter into their cities. For Jehovah your God has delivered them into your hand.
Jos 10:20 And it happened, when Joshua and the sons of Israel had made an end of killing them with a very great slaughter until they were gone, the rest of those who remained entered into fortified cities. 
Jos 10:21  And all the people returned in peace to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah. None moved his tongue against any of the sons of Israel. 
Jos 10:22  And Joshua said, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me. 
Jos 10:23  And they did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon. 
Jos 10:24  And it happened, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel. And he said to the commanders of the men of war who had gone with him, Draw near, set your feet on the necks of these kings. And they drew near and put their feet on their necks.
Jos 10:25  And Joshua said to them, Do not fear nor be dismayed. Be strong and of good courage. For so shall Jehovah do to all your enemies against whom you fight.
Jos 10:26  And afterward Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees. And they were hanging on the trees until the evening. 
Jos 10:27  And it happened at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees and threw them into the cave in which they had been hidden, and laid great stones in the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very day. 
Jos 10:28  And that day Joshua took Makkedah and struck it with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed the king of it, them, and every soul in it. He let none remain. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he did to the king of Jericho. 
Jos 10:29  And Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.
Jos 10:30  And Jehovah delivered it also, and its king, into the hand of Israel. And he struck it with the edge of the sword, and every soul in it. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he did to the king of Jericho. 
Jos 10:31  And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and camped against it, and fought against it.
Jos 10:32  And Jehovah delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every soul in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
Jos 10:33  Then Horam, king of Gezer, came up to help Lachish. And Joshua struck him and his people until he had left him none remaining. 
Jos 10:34  And from Lachish Joshua passed to Eglon, and all Israel with him. And they camped against it and fought against it. 
Jos 10:35  And they took it in that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword; and every soul in it he completely destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish. 
Jos 10:36  And Joshua went on from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron. And they fought against it.
Jos 10:37  And they took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king, and all its cities, and every soul in it. He left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but destroyed it, and all the souls that were in it. 
Jos 10:38  And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it. 
Jos 10:39  And he took it, and its king, and all its cities. And they struck them with the edge of the sword, and destroyed every soul in it. He left none remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to its king, as he had done also to Libnah, and to its king. 
Jos 10:40  And Joshua struck all the land, the hills, and the south, and the valley, and the springs, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but destroyed all that breathed, as Jehovah, the God of Israel commanded.
Jos 10:41  And Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea even to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen, even to Gibeon.
Jos 10:42  And Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time, because Jehovah, the God of Israel fought for Israel.
Jos 10:43  And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.

Study Exposition:

Jos 10:16 But these five kings fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah [Phonetic: mak-kay-daw’].
Jos 10:17 And it was told to Joshua, saying, The five kings have been found hidden in a cave at Makkedah [‘a place of shepherds’. Origin H5348 & H5349 – 1. ‘speckled, marked with points.  1. sheep-raiser, sheep-dealer, sheep-tender’ a. of sheep and goats]
Jos 10:18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones on the mouth of the cave, and set men by it in order to keep them.
Jos 10:19 And do not stay. Pursue your enemies and strike the ones who are behind. Do not allow them to enter into their cities. For Jehovah your God has delivered them into your hand.

These five kings will epitomise grace through faith through their destruction by Joshua’s sword. First, the body of the Serpent must be destroyed since the head cannot function without the body. Hence, Joshua and his army pursued all the people of the cities to their death without their refuge behind the city’s walls.

Isa 27:1 In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. 

Luk 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 
Luk 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Luk 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 
Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

In righteousness, the Shulamite is a walled city (Son 8:10) withstanding the enemy, yet, if we are to utterly destroy our enemy within, we cannot allow him withstanding the word of God’s sword behind our walls of a proud and self-righteous heart. He must be utterly destroyed so he cannot be refortified as with removing one vestige of leaven that will quickly re-establish our puffed-up nature.

These five kings effectively connect as sheep herders, shepherds of the Lord’s flock, a flock of speckled and spiritual cross-breeds of impure minds ruling over the laity. They also represent Israel and those outside of the Camp of Israel in the Resurrection to Judgment who likewise have their spiritual kings within slaughtered to be made pure in the refiner’s furnace.

Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
Ecc 9:3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

When we understand the spiritual truth of our Lord’s word, we come forth from the darkness of our spiritual tomb through the five kings’ death representing grace through the faith of Christ and receive death by His spiritual sword.

Isa 66:15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 
Isa 66:16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

Jos 10:20 And it happened, when Joshua and the sons of Israel had made an end of killing them with a very great slaughter until they were gone, the rest of those who remained entered into fortified cities.

Peace comes after the death of the old man in our city.

Jos 10:21 And all the people returned in peace to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah. None moved his tongue against any of the sons of Israel.

The Lord and, much later King David, are bloody men delivering judgment to all unrighteousness. Only those who cannot see the resulting spiritual justice from such brutality dare speak against bloody authority (1Kg 2:2, 1Sa 16:8, Isa 63:1-6).

Exo 4:25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
Exo 4:26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

Circumcision spiritually represents the cutting off of our old lustful ways and being presented to our Lord with a circumcised heart.

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 
Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

We all must die a spiritually “bloody death”.

Jos 10:22 And Joshua said, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me. 
Jos 10:23 And they did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon. 
Jos 10:24 And it happened, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel. And he said to the commanders of the men of war who had gone with him, Draw near, set your feet on the necks of these kings. And they drew near and put their feet on their necks.

A little ‘innocent’ play with folly allows Satan to amplify lust to become a greater sin. Our Lord unremittingly hammers throughout the Bible that we are to show no mercy to our spiritual enemies. Our foot upon an enemy’s neck renders the rest of his body pretty much useless to get up and defend himself, similar to the analogy of cutting off the Serpent’s head. A stubborn, hardened neck resists a weakly righteous foot on the neck to suddenly have the body spring up and challenge authority.

David wasn’t in the habit of pussy-footing around with his enemies when he says, (2Sa 22:41) ”Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.”

Jer 19:15 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.

Jos 10:25 And Joshua said to them, Do not fear nor be dismayed. Be strong and of good courage. For so shall Jehovah do to all your enemies against whom you fight.

Everywhere in scripture are those dominating words for us to not fear or be dismayed that ring in our ears like grade schoolers learning their time’s tables (Eze 2:6, Eze 3:9, Jer 46:27). As the time of the end is very apparent, we must be certain that all these years of heartache and trials have not hardened our necks to relax searching diligently for hidden sin and subsequently stand fearfully dismayed before our enemies.

Mat 10:26 Fear them not [enemies within and without] therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
Mat 10:27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 
Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Jos 10:26 And afterward Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees. And they were hanging on the trees until the evening.

Deu 21:22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: 
Deu 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Of course, our Lord was innocent of sin, yet being made sin in His flesh, He, too, was physically worthy of death by the curse of the flesh (1 Corinthians 15). 

The law that didn’t permit a body to remain hung dead on a tree all night is a direct metaphor for Christ, our Sabbath and His rising on the third day. That was not going to happen to Christ to see His body corrupted and violated by the fowls of the air; also, it would have messed up the sequence and prophecy of Him rising on the “third day.”

Once the judgment of death is done, the body has no further use. To persist in making a mockery of the sinner by having him rot for days while the fowls of the air and beasts of the field disperse every vestige of his existence is grinding humiliation and no comfort for his family.

Once the curse of death is finished with its purpose in death, the body has no further use, whereas its antithesis of blessings can sometimes go on forever as with being blessed with the holy spirit.

Deu 11:26 Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse [H7043 – 1. to be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light:]
Deu 11:27 A blessing if you obey the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you today, 
Deu 11:28 and a curse if you will not obey the commandments of Jehovah your God, but will turn aside out of the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.