June 21, 2021
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Reading along with us in Joshua? Here’s today’s reading:
Joshua 10 (NIV)
The Sun Stands Still
1 Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and had become their allies. 2 He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters...........Continue Reading
Amazing to see battle after battle won by the Lord but I must say I read it heavy hearted at the amount of death that happened in this chapter. Certainly I never question God but it seems so many women, children, elderly, and innocent people lost their lives through this chapter.
I imagine it must have been an amazing thing to see the sun stop moving for half a day! God is faithful to those who believe and I believe that even the people of all these destroyed cities were loved by God and if they were truly innocent lives they are still with Him in heaven now!
Joshua 10 verses 12-14 the sun stands still, it doesn’t say how the sun was delayed going down but says there has never been another day like it when the Lord listened to man! It said surely the Lord was fighting for Israel. That is pretty powerful. Our God is an awesome God!
Of all the miracles recorded in the Bible, one wonders how high this one ranks. When you consider all the dynamics of the cosmos and the interdependence of different heavenly bodies, and all the principles of physics that govern such movements, making the sun stand still and keep everything else related unaffected is quite an accomplishment. Naturally it is easy for God to do because He created all the rules that are suspended for this to happen, but it is unlike anything else He has done…all pointing to His great glory, wisdom and power! And although all the killing in these chapters are hard to stomach, we must remember that these people are being driven out because of the evil that they have been perpetrating. The book of Leviticus tells us the land itself cried out because of the wickedness done. And none would really be innocent from the effects of such societies. One could even make the argument that those killed before the age of accountability would be saved, but if allowed to live in those societies, they would not grow up to be believers. But reading these chapters and having our hearts moved with compassion is a good thing!
The chapter begins with Israel coming to the defense of the people of Gibeon. Even though the treaty was obtained through trickery, God’s people are still expected to honor the covenant.
Joshua 10
God fights for Israel.
“And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.”
“Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. 14 And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.”
It reminds me of the power of prayer. When we pray in accordance with God’s will, the power available to us is immense……enough to control weather, throw down hail, even stop the sun!
24When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks.
25Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”