"Five Canaanite Kings hiding in a Cave", Edward Gurden Dalziel.
I love the ability of photography, and paintings, to freeze frame life, and force us to consider with our imaginations, a particular moment in time.
Here we see the five Amorite Kings hiding in a cave at Makkedah. The five of them joined forces to punish Gibeon for making peace with Joshua, and the Israelites.
Subsequently, Joshua comes against them and begins the destruction of their forces. Amazingly, God "threw down large stones from heaven" on them, and more were killed from God's hailstorm then were killed with Joshua's swords.
To further drive holy fear into their hearts, Joshua commands the sun, and the moon, to stand still so that they had enough daylight to complete this wholesale destruction.
As these kings witness their complete helplessness before God, and their warriors being easily destroyed, they run and hide in this cave. Joshua sees them run into the cave, chases them down, and rolls a large bolder in front of the cave, trapping the five kings.
And here we see Dalziel's depiction of the trapped kings. You can see them rubbing their hands, exhausted, and talking among themselves. What must it be like to be trapped in a cave with holy God fighting against you? You know you are completely helpless, and you suspect your end is near. Is there still a remnant of defiance in the two kings in the background?
After Joshua completes his task of wiping out this army, he turned his attention back to these kings. They were hauled out of the cave, laid on the ground, and Joshua commanded, "Come near; put our feet on the necks of these kings." Then the kings were struck to death, hung on a tree for all to see, and then, at the end of the day, thrown back into their cave, and sealed for all eternity.
One of the errands of the Old Testament is to teach us a proper view of our God. He is to be feared! Woe to those who stand against him outside of his kingdom, and foolish be the child of God who dreams that God does not discipline his children.
Jesus taught us "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)
A proper "fear of the Lord" is required in our view of holy God. Again, the post-modern view of "Bono in a bathrobe", as though Christ were merely a good man is a dangerous view. Christ also told us that many will cry Lord, Lord, in the final days, and he will cast them away.
Oh family, oh reader, in all your getting, get your name in the Lamb's book of life. You do not want to find yourself in a future version of this cave.
