Today’s reading

Joshua 11-13; Luke 4:1-32

Selected Verses

And Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms. Joshua 11:10

And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Luke 4:5-7

Reflections

“The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change” is a statement attributed to the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus. Christian theology disagrees because God is constant and unchanging. Nevertheless, to a large degree everything in our experience seems to be constantly changing, like the kingdoms of this world.

In Joshua’s day, Hazor was head of several kingdoms. With God’s leading and power, Joshua conquered Hazor and all the kingdoms of Canaan. The scripture tells us that God hardened the hearts of those kings so that they would fight against Israel and lose (Joshua 11:20). Hazor's kingdoms came under the dominion of Israel until the Assyrian captivity in 722 B.C.

Clearly the devil has some control in this world, but only what God allows him. He tempts certain people with power and authority in exchange for allegiance to his evil causes and purposes.

Which people does Satan personally approach? We have at least a partial list in the Bible where we are told that the devil went after Eve, Job, Peter, and Jesus (Genesis 3:1-7; Job 1-2; Luke 22:31-34; Luke 4:1).

Hazor ruled some kingdoms. Later, Israel possessed those lands. When the devil approached Jesus to tempt him, Satan claimed to have authority over all the kingdoms of the earth. In the final analysis, these earthly kingdoms rightfully belong to God the Creator and He providentially controls them. But the ultimate kingdom is not an earthly temporal one. Jesus proclaimed the coming of the kingdom of God.

Think about it

Do you serve a changing kingdom or the Kingdom that belongs to our unchanging God? Seek His Kingdom and serve the King who is eternal. He hardens hearts of proud rulers and turns hearts of all at His will (Exodus 7:3; Proverbs 21:1). Pray that His Kingdom may come in ultimate triumph soon and that we will be found in it.

© 2017 John A Carroll Used by permission