The King's Footstool - Joshua 10:16-27

And we are continuing in Joshua chapter 10

Joshua chapter 10 Lord willing next week will be continuing if not completing chapter 10 and and Continuing on as we're studying this this campaign of the

Israelite army Conquering the land that God has given to them Last week we saw this coalition of five

Amorite Kings In their attempt to attacked attack Gibeon for their alliance with Israel If you recall last week we talked a little bit about that structure of of the

Canaanite the the larger Canaanite tribe and That the Amorite Kings were a part of the

Canaanites and the Gibeonites were part of the Canaanite people group But The Amorites were angry they were upset.

Maybe they were fearful that the Gibeonites had allied themselves to Israel We saw last week how

God honored the covenant that was made with Gibeon Through Joshua as Joshua went to the aid of the

Gibeonites how God guaranteed Joshua victory before he even went

We also saw how God fought for the Israelite army that not only did God keep the promises that had been made

But he also fought for Israel Such was

The effectiveness of God's fighting for Israel that Joshua tells us that the hailstones that God sent killed more

Amorites than the Israelites killed with their own swords We saw

God's sovereign rule over his creation not only in this fighting

But we also saw it as God Controlled the very moon and the Sun and caused them to stop in their places in the sky

This is far from from a cold deism that That would tell us that God made the watch and he wound it up and then he stepped away and he he let it run on its own

The scripture Tells us that God The God that we see in his word is a

God who yes absolutely made creation and he made it very intricate But he also displays his ongoing control and sovereignty

Over it this interaction with it This was displayed in the use of hailstones to defeat the army

This this enemy army of the Amorites and it was also displayed in giving

Joshua faith That Joshua didn't just ask for the Sun and Moon to stop in their places or command them to do so on his own

But God gave him the faith to do that to speak that word So now as we continue our study in chapter 10 we see

Joshua continuing to pursue these five Kings the battle is not over yet As he continues to pursue the

Amorite Kings and their armies So again picking up we're in chapter 10 we're starting in verse 16 we'll be reading through verse 28

Now these five Kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makeda It was told

Joshua saying the five Kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makeda And Joshua said roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and assign men by it to guard them

But do not stay there yourselves Pursue your enemies and attack them in the rear Do not allow them to enter their cities for the

Lord. Your God has delivered them into your hand. I Came about when

Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished slaying them with a very great slaughter Until they were destroyed and the survivors who remained of them had entered the fortified cities

That all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makeda in peace

No one uttered a word against any of the sons of Israel Then Joshua said open the mouth of the cave and bring these five

Kings out to me from the cave They did so and brought these five

Kings out to him from the cave The king of Jerusalem the king of Hebron the king of Jarma the king of Lachish and the king of Aglon when they brought these

Kings out to Joshua Joshua called for all the men of Israel and Said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with them come near Put your feet on the necks of these

Kings So they came near and put their feet on the necks of the

Kings Joshua then said to them do not fear or be dismayed Be strong and courageous

For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight So afterward

Joshua struck them and put them to death and he hanged them on five trees and they hung on the trees until evening

It came about at sunset that Joshua gave a command and they took them down from the trees and threw them

Into the cave where they had hidden themselves and put large stones over the mouth of the cave to this very day

Now Joshua captured Makeda on that day and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword

He utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it. He left no survivor

Thus he did to the king of Makeda just as he had done to the king of Jericho father, we thank you that as we read your word as we

Open it as we are guided and led in all truth by the indwelling

Holy Spirit Who takes your word and And through the ministry of your

Holy Spirit we find The very Word of God that is living and it is active and it is sharper than any two -edged sword

That we read words of not just things that have happened but we read your word

That you have preserved for us for our blessing for our good father as we

Consider your word today as we consider your mighty acts father what our hearts be

They pricked Again, would we be filled with a fresh awareness of your?

Greatness of your majesty of your glory of your sovereign

Kingly rule over all of creation and yet also

Lord would we be reminded again? This great love with which you have loved us that every page of Scripture Testifies to your love to the good news of Jesus Christ Would you be honored and glorified in this and we ask it in Jesus name.

Amen. I Don't know about you sometimes when

I read the Old Testament books, especially historical books like this and maybe it's because I'm I'm a bit of a history nerd.

It's always interested me Reading books and and studying events and of things that have happened in the past Sometimes we miss the scarlet thread of the gospel that runs throughout all of Scripture All of us would say well the gospel is in the

Gospels Matthew Mark and Luke and John and of course We can also talk about the good news of Jesus Christ being throughout the

New Testament But sometimes we forget that that God didn't just introduce the gospel

Starting with Matthew verse 1 of chapter 1 that it started in the garden

Genesis 1 1 beginning God created the heaven and the earth and Then we're told in more fullness that it was not just God It was

God the Father and and the Spirit of God Jesus Christ. The pre -incarnate Christ was active at Creation we can read the

Old Testament histories of Israel and it can be Easy for us to to read it as events that have happened and we should we should be aware of how

God worked in Israel We can sometimes read the historical books of the

Old Testament and and and read them as if we're reading a secular history What can we learn from what has happened in the past and we should do that?

We should read the Old Testament history books with that in mind how can we avoid the mistakes of the past and how can we look to those who were strong in the faith like Joshua like Moses and Emulate them where in those times that they were obedient to God But part of our intention in studying the book of Joshua and hopefully we have been we've been considering this

Well is is that it's not just an account of what happened to the nation of Israel And it's not just what we can learn from what

Israel did or did not do But it is also the gospel that is foreshadowed in the

Old Testament and the Old Testament history That we would see it and we would give thanks to God for the many ways that he proclaims the good news throughout all of the pages of Scripture So this portion of Joshua is not just a record of of this military conquest.

Although that is what it is in part We also see as we considered last week and as we've considered previously

God's sovereignty over his creation the seriousness of sin

The the fervor with which God will judge sin But we also see

God's faithfulness to his people at the same time we we read this and we read of God fighting for the nation of Israel and it can be easy for us to To distance ourselves from from that view of God as a warrior

Sometimes we see the God of the Old Testament as this warrior who fights and sends

The angels of the Lord to fight for his people and we can we can sometimes make the mistake of seeing

Jesus then as as meek and mild and thanks be to God. He is that towards those who run to him for salvation

But as we read the full counsel of Scripture, we also see that Jesus Christ is a warrior for us

He didn't just become some cold distant God with the end of the

Old Testament he still acts Miraculously as he desires to do so He fights for his people the warrior

God that we can call upon with confidence Did not end his ministry of fighting for his people and in our passage today.

We can see three Additional ways in which God shows his rule over the nations in which

God acts for his people We see first of all that the

Amorites the enemies of God are defeated Verses 16 through 21

Fight against the Amorites has continued now in the verses that we've read We see this this contrast between the

Kings and their soldiers who are fighting These five

Kings who at the beginning of chapter 10 went out so boldly against the Gibeonites They assembled this army and we're gonna go we're gonna go send a message to the

Gibeonites. We're gonna teach them a lesson about conspiring with these Israelites Now they are cowardly hiding out in a cave.

They're looking out for themselves. They're not seeing to the needs of the armies that they lead

If you've studied any kind of military history, you you know that one one basic tactic if possible

Is that a belligerent will always try to attack the leadership command and structure of the opposing force?

That We call this decapitating the enemy force they will try to cut off Logistically and and physically if possible the leadership from the rank -and -file from the soldiers who are fighting

It leaves the main fighting force in a state of what is called strategic paralysis and no one's able to make a decision

This was especially important in ancient military history and even up until the fairly recent time when there was this

Hierarchy of leadership The shameful reality for the

Amorites is that they've done this work for Israel. The leaders have cut themselves off from the fighting force

They've decapitated their own army by hiding out in this cave and looking to their own safety

So the main fighting force is out in the open. They're no longer They're no longer taking orders from an ultimate leader from a king

Can imagine what this would do for morale if all of a sudden the king is not there I'm sure you may have a general you may have some kind of group leader

But you don't have the king riding out in front of the fighting force

So Joshua quickly blocks the entrance to the cave He cuts these people off and what has been the hideout of these kings has now become their jail.

It's become their prison Joshua then orders the army to go after the

Amorites told in verse 20 that they but as Israel Finished slaying them with a very great slaughter until they were destroyed

Now we see that some of them obviously did escape to cities So we don't know to what extent there were people left and what condition those people were in If they were fit to fight or even if they were soldiers to begin with What we see here in verse 20 is that the defeat was pretty sound that there was there was no question about the victory here

We'll also see Lord willing in a couple of weeks that Joshua and the army will continue to pursue

Anyone who has fled and will also Execute punishment upon them.

So this is not the end of the story again This battle this fight will continue on as we continue through chapter 10

For the Amorite army, there was nowhere to hide. They're out in the open. They're exposed and Soon their cities will be destroyed as well

We'll see in the coming weeks these these these cities from which those

Kings came Those will be the next cities that Joshua will travel to and will defeat will destroy

And so God displayed his reign over these Kings and their armies

This Folly of the Kings hiding out in a cave where we're reminded that that John uses the same imagery

He sees the same vision when he's writing and of the revelation He notes the folly of the kings of the earth who try to hide from God's wrath and judgment he writes then the kings of the earth and the great men and Commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves

And among the rocks of the mountains and they say to the mountains and the rocks Fall on us and hide us from the presence of him who sits on the throne from the wrath of the

Lamb For the great day of their wrath has come and who is able to stand

God has shown his Sovereignty his rule his reign over these

Kings of the Amorites Just as John gives us assurance that God will do the same thing to the rulers of this world to all of the enemies of God That they will try to hide

They will try to flee They will not be hidden from God They will not be safe in their escape from judgment

See secondly that the Israelites are encouraged That God uses this as an opportunity to embolden to encourage the

Israelites Joshua has brought these Kings out of the cave now

Verse 23 it lists the cities of the Kings if you if you remember back to verse 5 of chapter 10

The Kings are introduced. They're they're named. They're they're specified by name and the cities that they came from And now we just see the names of the cities that they once ruled over there's this contrast between Verse 5 when those

Kings went out so boldly So audaciously against God and against his people and now they are captured

They no longer have titles of King Now they're just their association is with the cities which will soon be destroyed

They've gone from pride to shame It also sets the stage as we've just said for the coming destruction of these cities

So the Kings will be put to death but for now immediately Joshua has a message for the

Israelite army. So he calls all of the people of Israel together and And he calls the chiefs of the army to come forward

There's some similarity here and it's not obviously not explicit But there's it recalls to mind this this action of the

Israelites Against Achan and his family. We saw this back in chapter 7 if you recall when

Achan is Guilty of disobeying God by withholding some of the spoil that he was not supposed to touch

Achan and his family are stoned for their disobedience and this is a corporate act When the people of Israel come together and stone

Achan and his family and all of his possessions Whereas the stoning of Achan was a corporate execution of justice this is a corporate declaration of the victory of God's people

Victor putting his foot on the neck of a defeated foe is is a common theme in the ancient

Near East if you again, if you've studied history if you've looked at the imagery the artwork sometimes of a victorious general

It denotes that an enemy has been completely defeated that they are in a vulnerable position

We actually have a reminder of this and the symbolism of our own state seal if you've seen that before if you paid attention to that before The seal that flies in the middle of the blue flag or sometimes you'll see it on a on a license plate

On the obverse of the seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia there is there is virtue personified as a woman and she's standing

Over this fallen King who has a purple robe on and his crown has been knocked off of his head

And she's standing with her foot on his on his neck in his chest It's accompanied by the motto sick simper tyrannous thus always to tyrants

Of course one can't help but see the irony of this symbolism that we would overthrow the tyranny of one king in London only to Willfully take on a bunch of smaller

Kings in Richmond that the tyranny that we

Can find ourselves under with temporal governments today? May not be that much unlike the tyranny that we saw some 250 years ago and This all reminds us that victories in this earth among Temporal rulers and kingdoms are just that they are temporary

They are not lasting Nations rise and fall Israel as we will see as we continue through the

Old Testament will itself Face a civil war not just enemies from outside but enemies from within The nation of Israel will be split into Israel and Judah They will both go their own way in idolatry and they will both at different times be carried off into exile

But this victory that we see today points to something better and it is a better victory

It is the true victory that we saw foreshadowed in Psalm 110 that we read this morning

The Lord says to my Lord Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet

David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit speaking here, of course of Jesus Christ Of God the

Father speaking to Jesus of that victory that Jesus would

Establish and would secure for us Paul writing to the church at Rome Assures the church that there are people within the church who are false

Believers and who are teaching false things and Paul gives them the assurance the God of peace will soon crush

Satan under your feet Again, Paul writing this time to the church at Corinth It says in chapter 15, but now

Christ has been raised from the dead the firstfruits of those who are asleep For since by a man came death and by a man came the resurrection of the dead

For as in Adam all die So also in Christ all will be made alive

But each in his own order Christ the firstfruits after that those who are Christ's at his coming

Then comes the end when he hands over the kingdom of to the God to God and Father When he has abolished all rule and authority and power

For he must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet The last enemy that will be abolished is death

For he has put all things in subjection under his feet But when he says he has put all things in subjection

It is evident that he is expected who put all things in subjection to him When all things are subjected to him then the

Son himself Will also will be subjected to the one who has been who has subjected all things that God may be all in all

So this promise here that Joshua is giving this promise of victory That the

Israelites are seeing played out in a very physical way. It is fleeting We know that it is temporal

But it points to something infinitely better in Jesus Christ The better victory that Jesus secured for us as he suffered and died as he was victorious

Over death and came out of the tomb as he ascended to the right hand of God For now

We see it in part As in Paul's day when he wrote to the church at Rome We see those false believers whom

God will soon crush along with their master as Paul reminds the church at Corinth Jesus will reign until he has placed all of his enemies under his feet

So for now we see and we experience the reign of Christ in part, but soon we will experience it in full

This is the hope that we have And so we when we speak of the gospel that is in the

Old Testament and even in accounts like this This is what we're speaking of That this this gospel of Jesus putting all things in subjection under his feet

That the Israelites would see this happen in their day That they would experience the temporal nature of that victory

But it's because it was pointing forward to something better for us Israelites are encouraged by the victory of God We see third that the

Kings these evil Kings are put to death So now having been this object lesson

This example for the Israelites Joshua puts the Kings to death for their attack on God's people

Because ultimately that's what this was. This wasn't just an attack on Gibeon. Why did they attack

Gibeon? They attacked Gibeon because they allied themselves with the people of the one true God so these

Amorite Kings are killed. They are placed We're told they're hung on trees just has been that had was done to the king of AI Back in Joshua chapter 8

Then the process that Joshua is using here follows the instruction that's given in Deuteronomy 21 that anyone who is guilty of death

Has committed a sin that's guilty of death Is to be hung on a tree that they're to be taken down before sunset to prevent defilement of the land

And then the bodies of the Kings are placed back into the cave in which they originally hid

So this cave that has become a hideout became a jail and now this cave that was a jail has become their tomb

We saw the memorial stones at the edge of the

Jordan when the Israelites first crossed over into the promised land this heap of stones one for each tribe of Israel that Spoke to the the power of the majesty the sovereignty of God again over his creation

We saw the pile of stones over Achan and his family and all of their possessions

Erected as a memorial to the serious seriousness of sin The means by which

God would deal with it Now we see this memorial a third memorial of God's victory over his enemies again

We can't help but see This foreshadowing of Christ in this account

Paul again writing to the church at Galatia in chapter 3 Paul says Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us

For it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree In order that Christ Jesus in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the

Gentiles So that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith

Peter and his sermon before the Sanhedrin as recorded in the book of Acts Paul says the

God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you had put to death by hanging him on a cross

He is the one whom God exalted to his right hand as a prince and Savior to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins

And we are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him

Finally Peter again writing in his epistle his first letter Peter tells his readers for you have been called for this purpose

Since Christ also suffered for you Leaving you an example for you to follow in his footsteps

Who committed no sin nor was any deceit found in his mouth? While being reviled he did not revile in return while suffering he uttered no threats

But kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously He himself bore our sins and his body on the cross

So that we might die to sin and live to righteousness For by his wounds you were healed

For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned To the

Shepherd and the guardian of your souls as we saw last week

Adam Isaac was a was an anti type of Christ He was an anti type of Melchizedek who came out and and paid homage to Abram But in a greater way, he was an anti type of Jesus Christ And in the same way we see these

Kings as an anti type of Jesus Christ they were wicked They died for their sins.

They were hung on a tree and then they were placed in this tomb and they remained there

Joshua says they are there to this day Jesus on the other hand was perfect and he was without sin

He died for our sins and he was hung on a tree and became a curse for us as as Paul and Peter the rest of the

New Testament clearly declare He too was placed in a tomb.

But again, he did not stay there the gospel is foreshadowed and it is foretold for us and That the death and in the disposition burial of these evil

Kings So we see this defeat of God's enemies this promise of victory that the death of these

Kings this all points forward to the glory Of Christ that through his death through his atonement

His paying the penalty for our sin That it secures a victory for us and that it takes the punishment that we rightly deserve

This sad account reminds us But the reality is that we cannot hide from God.

We cannot run from him. We cannot escape judgment Your ability to hide from God and escape judgment is just as non -existent and ineffective as that of the

Amorite Kings God knows where you are. Just like Joshua knew exactly where the

Amorite Kings were He knew exactly where to find them but whereas the

Amorite Kings were hiding and Were found and were killed for their sins

If you are filled with a sense of your sin against God And this is a gracious call to run to him for mercy if you're confronted with your sins today and your need for him

It's not So God will put you to death. It is so that God will draw you to himself

That he will show you his mercy this grace this warning is a gracious warning

It is not a warning that is without hope that if you know that you are hiding in a cave from God this morning

That it is a gift from God that he is stirring your heart that he is bringing that to your mind that the words

Scripture of first John would be true that if we Confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness a second thing of the fear

That the Israelite leaders might have had and the encouragement the exhortation and from Joshua to not fear but to trust in God's sure victory

Imagine the experience of those leaders of the Israelite army They fought these

Kings and they fought their armies These chiefs of the of the is

Rick Israelite army they were not themselves Kings The Kings that they came forward and saw lying on the ground were in a military sense.

They're superiors They were people to whom they should have owed homage. They should have bowed before And now they stand in literal physical dominance over the

Kings How much more has God defeated Satan and as God defeated our sin and the power of sin over us?

It calls us to stand on the neck of sin To recognize that it has no power.

Are you doing that today? Am I doing that today? Or are we cowering in fear of Satan and sin?

Of the works of Satan that we see out in the world Are we fearful or are we walking in the victory that Jesus has proclaimed for us?

This passage is a gracious reminder to us that if you are in Christ that you have victory over sin

It is an encouragement. It is an exhortation to trust in that assurance of victory this passage

It's finally a gracious reminder to us That these

Kings rightly were put to death for their sin. And the truth is that we are all deserving of this same death

Our rebellion against God is no less odious is no less guilty than that of the

Kings of the Amorites and Yet in their death and in their burial

God points clearly and directly to Jesus That that our fate should be the same as the fate of those

Amorite Kings that we too should be put on it on a tree We should be taken down and buried in a cave

But God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God and Jesus Jesus took on that curse of our sin.

He took on the curse of being hung on a tree He was buried for your sin. He was buried for my sin

So that the fate of these rebellious Kings does not have to be our fate Instead we can be heirs of the promises made to Joshua when he tells the

Israelite army Do not fear or be dismayed be strong and courageous

Your God indeed will fight and does fight for you great

God in heaven we Are humbled we are humbled when we read your word and we are humbled when we

Realize that we don't even have a full Understanding of the ramifications of the love that you have for us that when we read these words that it is

Our human minds even have difficulty comprehending

How great you are? That you would execute judgment on those who were guilty that you would show mercy and grace to those who were guilty like the

Gibeonites, but who Who submitted themselves to you and that even in the death of these

Kings that you would point forward? to the to the guilt that we share and to the guilt that has been perfectly and abundantly and completely satisfied in Jesus Christ Father would you give us faith?

To read your word and to understand it better and to live by it better Would you warm?

Our hearts renew our hearts and our minds as we read your word and as we realize that every page

Proclaims the name of Jesus Christ and the good news That he brought to this earth

Father in our reading of your word and our doing of the word. Would you be worshipped?

Would you be honored and glorified? We ask this in Jesus name.