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To put it simply: the first half of the book of Joshua reports the conquest of Canaan, and the second half of the book reports the Israelites’ settlement of the land. And the second half of the book doesn’t read quite like the first half.
In Joshua 1–12, there are miracles and battles and victories. The Israelites cross the Jordan River on dry ground, the Lord causes walls to fall at the sound of shouts and trumpets, and hailstones fall from heaven upon Yahweh’s enemies. Hostility escalates as more and more kings rally together against the Israelites. Nearing the end of the book’s first half, the reader notices that the southern and northern parts of Canaan have been subdued.
The last chapter of the book’s first half is a summary of defeated foes. It’s not a battle chapter like the previous sections. Joshua 12 is a list.
Now, when Bible readers come across the kind of content in Joshua 12, it’s easy for them to scan it quickly and then move on. After all, there are a lot of unfamiliar places and regions. Some locations haven’t even been identified by ancient Near Eastern archaeologists.
A list doesn’t seem as exciting as the fall of Jericho (Josh. 6) or the battle with the five Amorite kings (Josh. 10). If you discern an instinct within yourself to give only a passing glance at chapters like Joshua 12, or even to ignore it altogether, then I’d like you to consider a few things.
First, all parts of Scripture matter (2 Tim. 3:16). We shouldn’t open a biblical chapter and think, “I don’t need to know what this means or why it’s here.” Since there are no wasted sections of Scripture, we should remind ourselves that every section of Scripture is inspired and is worthy of our study and reflection.
Second, sometimes what we’re facing is the challenge of unfamiliarity or the features of a different genre. Joshua 12 is a list, so it’s not meant to have the thrill of a battle narrative, nor is it going to have the kind of exhortatory strength of an epistle.
Third, we should ask and reflect on the questions, “What does the chapter contain, and why might it appear where it does?” In the case of Joshua 12, it is a list of kings defeated under Moses’s leadership (Josh. 12:1–6) and under Joshua’s leadership (12:7–24). And it appears where it does because it is a summary list of defeated foes, whose defeats are reported in earlier sections (not only sections in Joshua but also in the book of Numbers).
Having considered those three things, we’re better positioned as readers to appreciate the content of Joshua 12. The list is not dull. It is a list of defeated foes! Battles were waged, victories were won, and Yahweh’s supremacy was demonstrated. Under the leadership of Moses and Joshua (Josh. 12:1–6 and 12:7–24, respectively), mighty rulers fell before the people of Israel.
The rulers in Joshua 12:1–6 were defeated in Numbers 21:21–35, so the list is recalling key victories during the time of Moses’s leadership. The kings Sihon and Og (Josh. 12:2, 4) had reigned east of the Jordan River, and their defeat was a foretaste, a downpayment, of the conquest.
When readers get to the second part of the list in Joshua 12:7–24, we’re seeing the record of the battles in Canaan, some of which the biblical author narrated for us in the first half of the book. A cadence begins in 12:9: a king (left unnamed) is associated with his corresponding city, and the biblical author counts “one.” And this pattern is repeated thirty-one times (12:24). This pattern is a drum-beat of triumph. It is a rhythm for rejoicing.
As we read the list in Joshua 12, we should rejoice in the fulfillment of divine promises and the execution of righteous judgment. The wicked were brought low, and the Israelites marched forward in victory.
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