Joshua 10:1-25 | Kathryn Alban

Kathryn Alban
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Joshua 10:1-25
Joshua 10:1-25
I hope all of your have had a restfull Christmas. I have always enjoyed the week between Christmas and New Years. When you think of it most of us can relate to the business of everyday life. Especially leading up to Christmas, trying to manage life, work, family, holiday plans…maybe travel. And then Christmas hits. IDK about you but I felt like Christmas day was the longest day all year…in a good way. It’s almost as if time stood still and all we had to do was play with new toys. I don’t know about you but most years this week kinda feels like it lasts just a little longer than most. The year is ending. Many may have time off from work. Its like we have worked worked worked and now time stands still till it all starts again in January.
In our scripture today God literally made time stand still in order for His victory to be seen for those who called upon His name.
Our scripture is found in Joshua 10 , At this time Joshua is leading Israel…you know the Joshua from the song “ Joshua fought the battle of Jericho”. Joshua was the leader of Israel after the great Moses, who led God’s people out of slavery. Joshua leads God’s people in victory against many nations by trusting in God.
In this is the account of a battle that takes place because a nation, Gibeon, turns and makes peace with God’s people.
Expect Enemies
As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.” Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.
Have you ever made the right decision, knowing that it was going to cause people to be unhappy or come against you?
Illustration about making the right decision but the unpopular one. (Pineapple Pizza)
Do not think for just one second that turning to God makes life in this world easy.
Just like this case with Gibeon…when we become an ali with God…we automatically aquire enemies:
Enemies:
-David: Goliath, Saul, Sheba, Absalom, Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites
-Moses: Pharoah (Once considered family), Amalekites
-Joshua: Canaanites, Perizzites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, Jebusites, The Five Kings of our scripture today, and Amalekites
-Jesus: Pharisees, Saducees, his own people/ disciples
As Christians we should not be surprised when enemies come against us.
Why?
The world is afraid of God’s righteousness.
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
So if we know to expect enemies…What should we do when they come against us?
2. Seek Jesus to Face Your Enemies
And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.” So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.”
Illustration about forgetting about a resource that was available…Cash cab… “They can phone a friend”…many think that they know the answers and try to answer the question without help…they get the question wrong and …Ben. Bailey…the cab driver and host would say…should have called a friend.
When these 5 Kings come against Gibeon, when they are in trouble, what do the Gibeonites do?
They seek help from Joshua…You know that Joshua is another name for Yeshewah?…Jesus.
Sometimes as Christians when enemies are coming against us we forget whose side we are on…we forget that we have God to turn to.
Sometimes, even after accepting Christ and know He is on our side, we try to fight our battles by ourselves.
We see enemies coming against us and think that through our own strength or knowledge that we can have the victory.
-Fighting our own battles will only leave us more weak, feeling defeated and lacking peace.
But if we trust in the Lord:
And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.”
Once Joshua goes with his men to help the Gibeonites and quickly begin to fend off the enemies.
But in these scriptures we see that God’s work is so much greater than mans:
And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
Ok so here we see the Israelites fighting the Amorites and winning, the Amorites started to run and as they fled God sent a hail storm.
No the interesting part of this verse is that there were more Amorites who died in the hailstorm than by the sword of the Israelites.
Sometimes it might feel like we are gaining traction without seeking the power of God.
But when we seek God’s power far greater things happen
What I like about stories like this is that God does not do things according to our victory but to his.
When we seek Him supernatural things start happening.
3.Trust in His Victory
At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.
So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
Some take these accounts as metiphorical and others take these as literal.
Now, I do believe that we serve a supernatural God who is able to do supernatural things.
But whether the Lord actually stopped the earth from spinning or if this is poetic language does not make a difference...
The real point of this story is that when we call on God…Victory is found in him.
The Lord aided His people.
-I do not know about you but I can relate to many times in my life where if finally surrender to God’s ability and it is as if time stands still.
-We work and work and work to go so little distance, but when God takes control our work is expanded in a way that only He can get the glory for.
Illustration
After this time account of time standing still. The five kings of the Amarites flee to a cave. The israelites find these Kings, bring them out of the cave and this happens:
And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
This scripture is very significant. Joshua shows great leaders in what he does and it speaks volumes to our walk as Christians.
Joshua did not say…the battle is over, we are safe forever.
He embraces what God has just done by empowering the leaders of Israel to continue their trust in the Lord.
“Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
Here Joshua is giving the other leaders a momment to remember when they face furture enemies.
Do not be afraid of future trials because the God who fought yesterday’s battles, fights todays.
Conclusion:
Enemies will come
Will you seek God or your own strength?
Will you trust in him for future battles..
Deuteronomy 20:1 (ESV)
“When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.