Tues.’s Devo - Conquering Kings

Read: Joshua 9:3-10:43; Luke 16:19-17:10; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 13:4 Gibeon was one of the royal cities of the Hivites. They knew that God had commanded Moses to give them all the land and to destroy all of its inhabitants. They also heard about all the cities that Joshua had already taken. Instead of joining with the other “ites” in a war against Joshua, they came up with a better plan. They took old moldy food and put on worn out clothes and sandals and went to meet with Joshua. They explained how they were from a far off country and were passing through. They wanted to make a covenant with him of peace. Joshua didn’t want to make a covenant with them in case they lived close by, but when he saw all their old clothes and molded bread, he believed them. Instead of asking the Lord, Joshua let them deceive him into making a covenant with them. *** Three days later, they found out they did live among them, but it was too late; they had made a covenant with them. They went to see them in their cities of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim but could not attack them because of their covenant. The people of Israel grumbled against their own leaders for making the covenant. Joshua told the people that since they couldn’t kill them, they could make them cut their wood and draw their water. The people the cities were happy to be able to serve them and live. *** When the king of Jerusalem, Adoni-zedek heard how Joshua had captured Ai and Jericho and had now make a covenant with Gibeon, he met with he kings of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon to wage war against the people of Gibeon for making a covenant of peace with Israel. *** The people of Gibeon then went to Joshua and asked for help to fight all these nations. The Lord told Joshua not to fear because He would give them into his hand. Joshua marched his army all night and when they reached Gibeon, the Lord threw their enemies into such a panic, they ran. Israel chased them to Azekah and Makkedah where the Lord threw down huge hail stones from heaven to kill them. More died from the hail than the swords of Israel. *** Joshua prayed that the sun would not go down so they could finish fighting and it stood still for a whole day until they could finish the fight. They returned to Gilgal in victory. The five kings of the nations they had fought all hid in the cave at Makkedah. Joshua had stones rolled over the entrance so they couldn’t escape while they fought. After their total victory, they returned to the cave and had the five kings brought out. He had all the men of Israel put their feet on the necks of the kings. He did this to take away all the fear of them and the kings they would meet in the future. Then Joshua killed the kings and hung them on five trees. When evening came, he had their bodies thrown into the cave they had hidden in and rolled the stone back over the opening. (They did not rise from their grave like Jesus did.) *** Joshua then took the city of Makkedah and killed all of its inhabitants and the king. Joshua continued to the city of Lachish and took it and killed the king. *** Horam, king Gezer came with his army to help Lachish but they were killed also. Joshua then went on to Eglon and captured it in a day and killed all its people and king. They went to Hebron and captured it, killing its occupants. They did the same to Debir. ***Joshua struck the whole land devoting everything that breathed to destruction. Joshua captured all the kings and their land from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza and all the country of Goshen, as far as Gibeon. Then he returned to their camp in Gilgal. *** In Luke, Jesus told the story of a poor man named Lazarus who begged at the gate of a rich man’s estate. The rich man enjoyed his good food while Lazareth longed to eat his scraps. Lazareth died and was taken to Sheol by angels and lay with Abraham. *** The rich man also died and was taken to Hades where there was a deep chasm between where Lazareth and Abraham rested and where the rich man was. Hades was a place of fire, anguish, and drought where Abraham was was a place of refreshing. He begged Abraham to bring him a drop of water to drink but Abraham reminded him of the pleasure he enjoyed in his lifetime and the lack and pain Lazareth endured in his lifetime. Lazareth was now being comforted, but the rich man was in anguish. There was no way they could cross over to him. *** Then the man begged him to send someone to warn his family about hell. Abraham said they had Moses and the Prophets to warn them. The man contested that if he would send someone from the dead they would listen. Abraham told him if they wouldn’t listen to the prophets or Moses, they would not listen to someone who rose from the dead. Jesus was telling this story to the Pharisees who didn’t believe the prophets or Moses and still wouldn’t believe when he rose from the dead. They would be the ones who ended up in Hades. *** Jesus told his disciples, us, to be sure not to be the one to temp someone else to sin. He also encouraged us to rebuke a brother who is sinning so he will repent. If he does repent, then we must forgive him no matter how many times he has to ask us. It is God who judges sin. *** Jesus explained the relationship of a servant and his master. The master expects him to do what he says. If we only obey God as our master then we remain his slave. If we love, honor, give him our lives, worship and praise him, and seek to know him, we become his children and his friends. *** Lord, help us to go beyond just obeying you because it is the right thing to do. May our hearts be yours and may we enjoy a relationship with you as your child and your friend.