The book of Joshua is a very positive book in the Bible. It’s a book about the faithfulness of God, written to strengthen our faith in his promises, particularly the promise that Jesus Christ is preparing a new home for us where we can enjoy rest in his presence (Hebrews 4:1–16). It is also a book about our responsibility toward God. The Lord has made promises to us, he has shown himself to be worthy of our trust, and in this book we will see how the Lord calls us to now be faithful to him.
In light of the purpose of Joshua, the goal of your sermon must be to show how God has been faithful to us, and to what response the Lord is calling us. Joshua 12 focuses our attention on God’s kingship, his commitment to his promises, and the unity that he expects from his people. He is the King who deposes earthly kings who rule in unrighteousness. He is the King who always does what he says he will do, and he is the King who wants his people to be united in service. In response to God’s faithfulness, we must thank him for the big and small things that he gives us.
1 Now these are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the Arabah eastward: