After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua and his army took them by surprise. The Lord threw the enemy into confusion, and defeated them in a great victory . . Now the five kings fled and hid in the cave at Makkedah. When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah, he said, "Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave and post some men to guard it. But don't stop! Pursue your enemies and don't let them reach their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand"
. . . So Joshua and the Israelites destroyed the armies of the five kings completely . . . Then Joshua returned to Makkedah and said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings to me." When they had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings" . . . then Joshua proclaimed to the men of Israel, ". . . Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight." Then Joshua killed the kings and hung them on five trees until evening." (Joshua 10: 5-27)
There is so much about this story in the book of Joshua that intrigues me. First, is the amazing turnaround in Joshua's confidence. Just a few chapters before it is God reminding Joshua to be strong and courageous. In fact, God proclaims that truth three times to Joshua in the first chapter alone. Yet, by the time this battle occurs, it is Joshua reminding his leaders and people to be strong and courageous. It is evident that God had greatly deepened Joshua's faith during this time.
It is also interesting to me that the five kings fled the battlefield, leaving their troops to fend for themselves. Here we see the opposite of courageous leadership, leaders with purely selfish desires, not caring about those under their authority. An unselfish leader thinks about his / her people first, and his / her own needs second. That is not true for these five kings. When the tide of battle turned they grabbed their crowns and joined together to look for a place to hide. Can you imagine the reaction the soldiers on the battlefield had upon discovering that their leaders had abandoned them while they were fighting for their lives? There are so many examples throughout history of armies rising to the passion of their commanders but the opposite is also true. And here we see the ultimate betrayal of an army of soldiers, with their commanders focused only on their own preservation.
Another point of interest was the moment right after Joshua ordered his soldiers to block the entrance with large rocks. The five kings, now found themselves trapped in darkness, awaiting their fate. Do you think they regretted their cowardice? Do you think they just waited, resigned to their punishment? Do you think they feverishly started digging, or frantically started looking for another way out of the cave? Do you wonder if they had feelings of guilt over leaving their men to die? We don't know the answers but we do know that they had to wait in the cave until Joshua had totally defeated all their forces. Then, Joshua returned to Makkedah to take care of the kings themselves. Was it hours or days? I don't know but either way I can only imagine the fear that gripped their hearts while they waited for the rocks to be rolled away . . .
Makkedah in Hebrew means place of herdsman and that is exactly how the five kings find themselves, herded into a cave with no way out. Upon Joshua's arrival he orders the kings brought out of the darkness and into the light, for this is not going to be a private execution. This is going to be a very public humiliation and statement about the power of God over all obstacles that Israel would ever face. Kings in all their power and glory mean nothing to God. In fact, the Bible tells us that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
So the kings are led out and forced to lie prostrate before Joshua. Joshua then tells his military leaders, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings". Just hours earlier these five men rode before armies, backed by all the might their countries possessed. Now they lay face down in the dirt. Joshua reminded his people, "Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies that we fight." Then Joshua killed the five kings.
God still uses various methods to teach us important lessons about His character. He knows the best ways that we learn and He will utilize whatever is needed to get our attention. In this story, God uses a public execution of five of the most powerful men on earth to demonstrate the futility of man against the power of God. I'm reminded of Psalm 2, "Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against His anointed one. "Let us break their chains," they cry, "and free ourselves from slavery to God." But the One who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Then in anger He rebukes them, terrifying them with His fierce fury. For the Lord declares, "I have placed my chosen King on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain." (Psalm 2: 1-6)
In ages past, in our present moments, and far into the future, the plans of God will never be thwarted. Man's plans are foolishness to God. He laughs at our shows of strength. He and He alone is all powerful and His promises will always reign true. And in the very near future, He will place His chosen King (Jesus) on the throne forever and ever. Man's plans will forever be dissolved, evil will be forever banished, and God's justice will reign forever more. Amen.
