Joshua 10:23-27: a reflection

23They did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24When they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him, “Come near. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” They came near, and put their feet on their necks. 25Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight.” 26Afterward Joshua struck them, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until the evening. 27At the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and threw them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

This is a hard scene from Israel's conquest. Five kings who had made war on God's people are captured and brought before Joshua, and their defeat is total. Before Israel's commanders, Joshua speaks words meant to steady the people for the battles ahead: do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous, for this is what the Lord will do to all your enemies. The victory over these kings was meant to assure Israel that God would fight for them.

We read the severity of such passages soberly. They belong to a particular moment of judgment on entrenched evil, and Scripture reports them plainly without inviting us to relish them. What the text emphasizes is not human triumph but God's: it was the Lord who gave the victory, and Joshua's word to his people is a word of courage rooted in God's action. Their confidence was not to rest in their own strength but in the God who fought for them.

For the Christian, the courage Joshua spoke points beyond earthly battles to a greater victory. Our true enemies are not people but sin, evil, and death, and over these Christ has won a complete triumph. His word to us echoes Joshua's: do not be afraid, for he has overcome. Whatever spiritual foes rise against you, take heart that the decisive victory has already been secured by Christ. Be strong and courageous, not in your own power, but in the One who has put every enemy under his feet.

Lord, Joshua told your people not to fear, for you would give them victory over their enemies. Our true enemies are sin, evil, and death, and over these Christ has already triumphed. When spiritual foes rise against me, let me hear that same word: do not be afraid. Make me strong and courageous, not in my own power, but in the victory Christ has already won. Amen.