Checkmate
Joshua 12:1 – 14:5 Read it here
In the game of chess, one player wins by taking the king of the other player. Once the losing king is cornered but not yet taken, the status is called checkmate—the playing piece is still standing, but it is doomed.
That was the situation the defeated kings found themselves in before the conquest reached each one of them, knowing that their fate was sealed and watching helplessly as the game played out to the end.
While we’re reading a book of history, there is also a metaphor to be found here. In the New Testament we will read of Christ defeating the powers and principalities—the rulers of the world.
We live basically in the day of the crossing of the Jordan River: conquest is assured, but the old rulers still stand for now. Perhaps we can appreciate the methodical ruthlessness of the conquest better when we realize it’s a glimpse into humanity’s future, as God reclaims a world that has been lost to the power of sin (at least temporarily).
The readings the rest of this week will be ones you’re likely to skim over, so they are a bit longer than some we’ve had in the past. It’s a lot of lists and geographic descriptions with little that’s likely to excite your interest. As always, though, I encourage you to hang in there.
As boring as property descriptions were (and still are), remember what they represent: the fulfillment of God’s promise to give his people a home where they can live in peace.
Speaking of peace, it’s also notable that this brings a major transition in the form of government for the Promised Land. Thirty-one kings are listed as having been defeated, each having ruled over just a small area, sometimes even a single city. Rather than feuding city-states, there will now be a unified, if decentralized, government for the whole territory, uniting people under a common set of laws and customs and thereby reducing the conflict between neighboring cities.
We aren’t yet seeing the kingdom of Israel, but are beginning to see a self-awareness of being one people united both in territory and in law.