In the book of Joshua, we learned about Israel fighting the five kings of the Amorites who fled from the army of Israel and hid in a cave, and “Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave”, and in chapter ten and verse twenty-three of the book of Joshua, we learn how Joshua’s men, “brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave” where we read,
And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
The verse reads, “And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and they did so” which means “and they, Joshua’s men, obeyed Joshua’s order”, “and brought forth” or “and carried and lead out” “those five kings unto him” which means “the five royal rulers and leaders of the Amorites to him, Joshua” “out of the cave” or “from the midst of the hole or den” “the king of Jerusalem” or “the royal ruler and leader belonging to Jerusalem whose name means ‘teaching of peace’ and is the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Joshua’s” men carried the “five” royal rulers to “Joshua” from the den or “cave” where they were hiding, and the first one was the royal ruler of “Jerusalem”.
The verse goes on to say, “… the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “the king of Hebron” which means “the royal ruler and leader belonging to Hebron whose name means ‘association’ and was a city in south Judah approximately twenty miles south of Jerusalem and approximately twenty miles (30 km) north of Beersheba and near where Abraham built an altar”, “the king of Jarmuth” or “the royal ruler and leader belonging to Jarmuth whose name means heights and was a Canaanitish city in the lowlands of Judah with a king and located between Hebron and Lachish” “the king of Lachish” which means “the royal ruler and leader belonging to Lachish whose name means ‘invincible’ and was a city lying south of Jerusalem on the borders of Simeon and which belonged to the Amorites until conquered by Joshua and allotted to Judah”, “and the king of Eglon” which means “the royal ruler and leader belonging to Eglon whose name means ‘calf-like’ and was king of Moab who oppressed the children of Israel for 18 years before he was killed by the judge Ehud”. Joshua or the writer said the royal rulers of “Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon” were also a part of the “five kings of the Amorites” who were brought out of the “cave”.
When we think through the words in this verse, we learn how the “five kings of the Amorites” who were hiding within a “cave” were brought to “Joshua”. These “kings” initiated the conflict with “Gibeon” who solicited the help of “Israel”, and now they were captured and held accountable by “Joshua”. God watched over Israel, and He defeated their enemies. Their leaders were to pay for their deeds, and we shall see how in our next few verses. For now let us remember that God was giving the people of Israel the promise land. God loves the people of Israel, and because they were to be the nation through whom the whole world was to be blessed, God gave His Only Begotten Son Jesus to the world to die on the cross for the sins of everyone. (See Genesis 12:3; John 3:16) When He raised Him from the dead after three days, He made the way through faith and trust in Him as our personal “Savior and Lord” to be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and provided with His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and help us contend with our “enemies” according to His perfect plan and will.
Next time we learn how Joshua told his men, “Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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