What's In A Number?

The following is a list of the kings that Joshua and the Israelite armies defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir. (Joshua gave this land to the tribes of Israel as their possession, including the hill country, the western foothills, the Jordan Valley, the mountain slopes, the Judean wilderness, and the Negev. The people who lived in this region were the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.) These are the kings Israel defeated: [Joshua 12.7-8]

I didn't cut-n-paste here the list of kings Joshua defeated, but it is worth noting that there were 31 of them.

It seemed important to me to note that there were 31 kings (and their kingdoms) defeated by Joshua and Israel because that's enough victory to cover every day in any given month of the year.

Yes, Just like the book of Proverbs contains 31 chapters (wisdom for each day of the month), so it is that there is a victory for each day of the month portrayed in Joshua's overpowering of 31 kings and their kingdoms.

I think this is worthy of consideration because:

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. [Ephesians 6.12]

We are engaged in warfare against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places... Can you say, "Kingdoms"? Kingdoms have rulers - usually called kings.

Joshua's victory over 31 kings is encouragement to us that there is victory for every day of our month. And, because there are 12 months in a year, like there are 12 tribes of Israel and 12 apostles of Christ, there must be an indication of sufficient strength in the cumulation of remembering 31 victories 12 times a year.

I know this may just be silly, but it meant something to me today.

Father, thank You for the numbers found in the Bible. I believe they all mean something whether I fully understand it or not. Thank You for speaking victory to me today in the number of kings defeated by Joshua in the Promised Land.