No Day Like It.

Joshua 10

Good morning, Church! It’s a joy to see all your smiling faces today.

You all look fantastic—ready to dive into God’s Word together. So, grab your Bibles and turn with me to Joshua chapter 10.

We’re now in the sixth week of our series called "Strong and Courageous," where we’ve been journeying through the major events in the book of Joshua.

Our goal? To remind each and every one of us that true strength and courage aren’t found in ourselves, but in the Lord alone.

Today, we’re diving into one of the most jaw-dropping moments in Joshua—and trust me, that’s saying something.

We’ve already witnessed some wild stuff in this book, haven’t we? We’ve seen the waters of the Jordan River come to a standstill, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground.

We’ve watched the mighty walls of Jericho come crashing down with nothing more than shouts and trumpet blasts.

And now, we’re about to encounter a day unlike any other in history.

I mean, seriously, how has Hollywood not turned this into a blockbuster yet? They’ll churn out endless remakes and pump out 8,000 mediocre superhero flicks, but a high-quality movie about an epic event from Scripture? Nope, apparently that’s too much to ask.

Honestly, though, it’s probably for the best. They’d just mess it up anyway. Have you heard the latest?

They’re trying to cast Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan the Lion in a new adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series.

The lion who’s a clear parallel to Christ? Voiced by a woman? I’m not sure that’s what Lewis had in mind when he wrote those books.

I’m guessing that show’s going to tank about as hard as the new Snow White movie seems to be doing. Hollywood just can’t help itself sometimes.

But let’s get back to the good stuff—this incredible event in Scripture.

Here’s the setup: five kings are about to team up, forming a powerful alliance.

Their target? The Gibeonites.

Why? Because the Gibeonites made a treaty with Israel, and these kings are out for blood, ready to punish them for picking sides.

To understand how we got here, we need to understand chapter 9.

The Gibeonites pulled off a pretty slick deception.

See, God had explicitly told the Israelites not to make treaties with any of the tribes living in the land of Canaan—where Gibeon happened to be.

But the Gibeonites had a plan. A few of their representatives showed up at the Israelite camp looking like they’d just trekked across a continent.

Their sandals were falling apart, their clothes were tattered, they were covered in dust—all part of the act.

They claimed they were from a far-off land, nowhere near Canaan. And Joshua and the Israelite leaders? They bought it hook, line, and sinker.

Without even pausing to ask God what He thought, they signed a treaty with these folks.

Of course, it didn’t take long for the truth to come out.

Turns out, “far, far away” was just a stone’s throw down the road.

The Gibeonites weren’t foreigners—they were locals, right there in Canaan.

Once the deception was uncovered, the Israelites couldn’t just break the treaty—they’d sworn an oath.

So, the Gibeonites were absorbed into the Israelite nation, becoming part of their community. But that decision didn’t sit well with the neighboring tribes. Now, these five kings are banding together, ready to wipe the Gibeonites out for aligning with Israel.

Here’s the thing: this whole mess could’ve been avoided. If Joshua and the elders had just stopped for a minute and sought God’s guidance before signing that treaty, they wouldn’t be in this predicament. But they didn’t.

They saw the worn-out sandals and the dusty clothes, and they thought, “Eh, looks legit—let’s make it happen.” And now? Now they’ve got a war on their hands.

Before we roll our eyes and say, “Man, those Israelites are so dumb,” let’s take a good, hard look in the mirror.

Because we do this all the time, don’t we? We make decisions—big ones, small ones—without even thinking to consult the Lord. We just charge ahead, trusting our own instincts, and then when it all blows up in our faces, we’re left standing there with our hands in the air, going, “Now what!?” Sound familiar? I know it does for me.

Well, for the Israelites, the “now what” is a full-on battle against these five kings. They’re stuck defending the Gibeonites because of that treaty, and it’s about to get intense. But here’s where we see God step in—because even when we mess up, He’s still faithful.

This event in Joshua 10 isn’t just about a war; it’s about God showing up in a way that’s going to leave everyone speechless.

So let’s read- Joshua 10:1-27 and unpack this incredible moment where God proves, once again, that He’s the source of all strength and courage. Let’s dive in!

Joshua 10:1–27 ESV

1 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, 2 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. 3 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, 4 “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.” 5 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. 6 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.” 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 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.” 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10 And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 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. 12 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.” 13 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. 14 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. 15 So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. 16 These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17 And it was told to Joshua, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them, 19 but do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies; attack their rear guard. Do not let them enter their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.” 20 When Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a great blow until they were wiped out, and when the remnant that remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, 21 then all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. Not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel. 22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.” 23 And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24 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. 25 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.” 26 And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening. 27 But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

I love when science catches up with the Bible. I absolutely love it.

I just read this head line yesterday “Astronomers say Earth’s water is even older than the sun.”

If you have a Bible- turn with me to Genesis 1:1-15

Genesis 1:1–15 ESV

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

You know when the sun shows up? Verse 16.

And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

All they had to do was read Genesis 1 and they could have saved themselves a whole bunch of time and money.

or how about NASA charting out when the sun, moon, and planets are going to be like, 100 years from now, 1,000 years from now.

Why? Because when you’re slinging satellites into space, you don’t want them playing bumper cars with Jupiter or something!

They’ve gotta map out the orbits, make sure everything’s smooth sailing for the long haul.

So they fire up this fancy computer—think of it like the ultimate GPS—and they start running the numbers, zooming back and forth through time. Everything’s humming along until—the thing just freezes. Red lights flashing, alarms blaring, the whole deal- little robot comes out- danger will Robinson danger.

Something’s messed up—either the data they punched in or the results spitting out.

So they call in the tech squad, right? The service guys come in, check it out, and they’re like, “this machine’s running perfect.”

The head honcho from IBM’s scratching his head, going, “Then what’s the problem?” And one of the team pipes up, “Uh, we’re missing a day. Like, a whole day’s gone from space-time.”

They’re pulling their hair out, pacing around—no clue what’s happening.

Then this one guy—goes, “Hold up, y’all. I remember something from Sunday School way back. Didn’t the sun, like, stop moving one time?”

The room goes silent. They’re looking at him like he’s lost it, but they’re out of options. “Prove it,” they say. So he grabs a Bible—probably dusty from sitting on a shelf—and flips it open to Joshua 10.

So they punch that into the computer, rewind the clock to Joshua’s time, and—boom—it’s close. The missing time? 23 hours and 20 minutes. Not quite a full day, but then they notice the Bible says “about a day.” That little word “about” matters, y’all!

God’s not sweating the seconds—He’s painting the big picture. But here’s the kicker: they’re still short 40 minutes. And if you don’t account for those 40 minutes, your orbits are gonna be a hot mess 1,000 years down the road.

That’s when Church Kid pipes up again. “Wait, didn’t the sun go backwards somewhere too?”

The NASA guys are like, “Dude, you’re pushing it.” But they humor him, crack open 2 Kings 20, and there’s Hezekiah, sick as a dog, staring death in the face. Isaiah tells him he is going to die.”

Hezekiah’s not buying it—he wants a sign. Isaiah’s like, “You want the sun to move forward ten degrees?” Hezekiah’s like, “Nah, too easy. Make it go backwards ten degrees.” Isaiah prays, God flexes, and the shadow on the sundial slides back ten degrees. Guess how long ten degrees is? Exactly 40 minutes! Add that to Joshua’s 23 hours and 20 minutes, and bam—you’ve got your missing day.

NASA’s over here with their fancy tech, and God’s like, “Y’all, I’ve been telling you this in My Word the whole time!”

It’s like the Bible just high-fived science and said, “Told you so.” So next time someone tries to tell you the Bible’s just fairy tales, you tell ‘em about the day NASA’s computers hit a wall and God’s truth lit the way. That’s the kind of God we serve—big enough to stop the sun.

But He is also inimately with us- He isn’t just in the big things- he is even in the small things.

He can use anything- even what people say.

that is our first truth.

God sovereignly guides what is heard for His purposes.

Think about everything we have covered so far in Joshua.

Let’s start with Rahab.

Now, if we’re honest, she’s probably not the person we’d put on the "Most Likely to Be Used by God" list. She’s a Canaanite. She’s a woman. She’s a prostitute. But let me tell you something—God specializes in using the unlikely to accomplish the unforgettable. He is not limited by your résumé. In fact, He’ll take what the world calls “damaged goods” and turn it into a divine destiny.

Rahab didn’t have the right background, but she had the right belief.

In Joshua 2, Rahab tells the Israelite spies something that’s absolutely stunning. She says, “We have heard…” — “We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt…” (Josh. 2:10). And then in verse 11 she drops the mic: “And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted… for the Lord your God, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.”

Church—don’t miss that. Rahab didn’t see God part the Red Sea. She wasn’t there when Pharaoh’s army got swallowed up. She didn’t walk through the desert with Moses. But she heard about it. And when she heard it, faith was born in her heart. She knew—this ain’t just another tribal god. This is the One True God.

And here’s the question that hits us between the eyes: Why did Rahab respond in faith while others responded in fear or defiance?

Because like C.S. Lewis said: “What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.”

See, Rahab stood in humility. The kings stood in pride. She heard and surrendered. They heard and resisted.

In Joshua 5:1, when all the Amorite and Canaanite kings heard what the Lord did at the Jordan, it says “their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them.” Same word. Hearts melted. But the response was different. They didn’t say, “Your God is God alone.” They didn’t fall to their knees. Instead, they clenched their fists.

And it keeps goin’.

In Joshua 9:1-2, the kings gather to fight. They heard, and instead of falling on their face in repentance, they pick up their swords in rebellion. They team up to resist God’s people.

Then you get the Gibeonites—masters of deception. They pull a fast one on Joshua. In 9:9-10, they say, “We have heard a report of Him…” They knew the stories. They knew God’s reputation. So they used deception to survive. Their actions were fear-based, not faith-filled.

Now here’s where it lands in our lap.

Everybody hears. Rahab heard. The kings heard. The Gibeonites heard. The difference is how they responded to what they heard.

And Paul says in Romans 10:17—“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

So what are people hearing from you?

Let me make it plain: Your life is preaching a sermon long before your lips ever say a word. You could be the only Bible some folks ever read.

The question is, when they look at you, when they talk to you, when they hear you, do they hear Jesus?

Do they hear grace in your conversations? Do they hear peace when the rest of the world is losing their minds? Do they hear faith when fear is shouting loud? Do they hear the gospel—or just noise?

Listen, I get it. Some of y’all think, “I’m not a preacher.” But can I tell you something? You don’t have to be in a pulpit to proclaim the gospel. Rahab didn’t have a title. She didn’t have seminary training. She just heard the truth—and believed it enough to act on it.

Some of ya’ll have been listening to the Bible being preached your whole lives and have told a soul about who Jesus is.

If you need a pulpit to preach Jesus- you don’t ever need to be behind the pulpit.

Because here is the thing-

Your workplace? That’s your pulpit. Your kitchen table? That’s your mission field. Your social media feed? That’s your platform.

Let 'em hear Jesus in your story—even the messy parts. Especially the messy parts. Because that’s where the gospel shines the brightest.

See, Rahab’s past didn’t disqualify her—it qualified her to show off God’s grace. And by the time we get to the New Testament, this woman who lived on the outskirts of society is listed in the genealogy of Jesus. Matthew 1. Go check it. She’s the great-great-great-grandmama of the Messiah.

Only God can do that.

Have you ever heard the saying “Preach the gospel and when necessary use words.”

That’s not a great saying- That’s like saying do math and when necessary use numbers.

You can’t preach the gospel without using words.

Romans 10:14–15 ESV

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

If you think your voice doesn’t matter—someone’s eternity may depend on what they hear through your life.

If you feel like the underdog—so was Rahab, and God used her to swing the gates of the Promised Land wide open.

Let them hear. Let them hear about a Savior who saves sinners. Let them hear about a cross that covers shame. Let them hear about a tomb that couldn’t hold Him. Let them hear about a hope that doesn’t shake when the world does.

Rahab heard—and it saved her whole family.

So what might happen if your neighbors hear through you?

Let’s live like people who believe the gospel is true. Let’s talk like people who know grace is real. Let’s love like people who know eternity’s on the line.

Because they will hear something from us.

Let it be Jesus.

God sovereignly guides what is heard for His purpose.

Secondly- God sovereignly works through human means.

At the very start of this journey, Joshua had heard this promise from the Lord: Joshua 1:5

Joshua 1:5 ESV

5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

But now, it seems the odds are stacking up—multiple cities have rallied together in opposition.

Still, even in this seemingly overwhelming situation, the Lord is sovereignly at work. He takes what these five kings had heard about Joshua and his God and uses it for His divine purposes.

Rather than allowing Joshua to face five drawn-out, individual battles, God permits these kings to form an alliance—so that Joshua can conquer them all in a single campaign. Five enemies, one battlefield. What looked like a threat was actually a divine setup for a decisive victory.

Had Joshua fought these battles one by one, it would have cost more time, more troops, and more effort.

But God, in His perfect wisdom, orchestrated events to bring about greater triumph with less strain. His ways, as Paul reminds us, are beyond our ability to fully grasp: Romans 11:33 “33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

And yet, even in the mystery, we can trust this promise: Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Whats interesting is though is that it was Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, who urged the rulers of four other Amorite cities to join him in attacking the Gibeonites.

It’s noteworthy that the alliance against Gibeon is initiated by the king of Jerusalem. Looking back, we know what Jerusalem would one day become: the city of King David, the site of the temple, and the place where Christ would be crucified and rise again.

There are multiple interpretations of the meaning of Adoni-zedek’s name. Given the context—his era, region, leadership style, and pagan belief system—the most fitting translation here is “[the god] Zedek is lord.” Once the five kings formed their coalition, their armies marched toward Gibeon and took their positions, ready for battle.

In response, the Gibeonites sent an urgent plea to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal: “Don’t abandon your servants. Come quickly and rescue us! Help us, for all the Amorite kings of the hill country have united against us” (v. 6).

Joshua found himself drawn into conflict because of his covenant with Gibeon. His obligation wasn’t merely to refrain from attacking them—he was also bound to defend them. The covenant had been made in the name of the Lord, and Joshua was determined to honor it fully.

This moment becomes one of grace for the Gibeonites. Joshua doesn’t just protect them—he seizes the opportunity to take on and defeat five enemy nations in a single campaign.

Now don’t miss this—Joshua and the people of Israel are stepping into what we might call the beautiful mystery of divine-human partnership.

God’s got the power, but He lets His people put their boots on the ground.

This ain’t a sit-back-and-watch moment. No, Joshua takes the entire army—not just a scouting party like he did at Ai (and we know how that turned out)—he takes every able-bodied warrior, and they march all night long from Gilgal to Gibeon.

Why? Because the enemy was right there—on Gibeon’s doorstep—just waiting for the sun to rise so they could pounce. But Joshua doesn’t wait for the daylight. He’s not playing defense. He’s trusting that obedience in the dark leads to victory in the light. So Israel marches through the night, shows up before the enemy’s even had their coffee, and surprises the entire five-king confederacy.

Now here’s where it gets good.

Israel’s doing their part—blood, sweat, and sandals—but what happens next is something only God can do.

The Bible says the Lord threw the enemy into a panic. Think about that. The enemy had numbers, they had weapons, they had strategy… but they didn’t have clarity. If you are panicking, you are not thinking clearly.

Because when God steps into a fight, it doesn’t matter how strong the opposition looks—if the Lord scrambles their minds, they’re done.

This Canaanite coalition, this National Alliance of enemy kings, they lose it. Their courage collapses. Their battle plan crumbles. And they realize real quick: “We ain’t just fighting Joshua… we’re fighting Joshua’s God.” And so they do what enemies always do when the presence of the Lord shows up—they run.

Listen, that’s the kind of God we serve. He lets us swing the sword, but He brings the victory. He invites us into the fight, but He never leaves us to face it alone.

So whatever you're facing—just know this: you might be marching through the night, but if God’s with you, confusion’s coming to the enemy, and victory’s on the way.

Now picture this: the Israelites are chasing down their enemies, and the sun is starting to dip low on the horizon.

Daylight’s fading fast. And you know how battles worked back then—no night vision goggles, no floodlights, just torches and hope. If the sun sets, the enemy could slip away into the darkness.

And Joshua—this time, unlike with the Gibeonites—he gets it right. He doesn’t lean on his own understanding. He doesn’t rely on military momentum. No, this time, he prays.

He takes it to the Lord. Because Joshua knows—the One who made the sun can make it stay put.

So Joshua prays this bold, borderline audacious prayer: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon! And moon, hold your spot in the Valley of Aijalon!” (v. 12). And y’all… God listens. He hears His child pray and He hits the pause button on the universe. God literally puts creation on hold so His people can walk in victory.

It’s like God says, “I invented time… I can bend it if I want to.” This is divine daylight saving time—not just for convenience, but for conquest.

But hear me—what’s most incredible isn’t that the sun stood still.

What’s truly amazing is that the God who spoke light into existence would incline His ear to the voice of a man. That the Creator of the cosmos would say, “I hear you, son.”

And that right there? That’s the heart of our God. He’s not just powerful—He’s personal. He’s not just sovereign—He’s listening. And if He answered Joshua’s bold, sun-stopping prayer, then what might He do when you pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, through Jesus our great High Priest, who is right now interceding for you?

Adrian Rogers once said “You can do more than pray after you pray, but you can do no more than pray until you pray.”

We have to be a praying people. We have to be people who expect our prayers to be answered. God hears us- God hears me.

What would the world look like if God answered every pray you prayed this week?

Would it look any different?

Can I tell you what it would look like if God answered all my prayers immediately this week.

That His will would be done. I have wants, I have desires. Some for selfish reasons. My heavenly Father knows that. But more than anything, I want want God wants and God wants His gospel spread.

So I always pray for this community, this city to know the Lord. I pray that someone would surrender their life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I pray that some one says they want to take their faith public and want to be baptized. I pray for people to come and join the church and lock arms with us as we go out to do the will of the Lord. I pray that this church grows- not just physically but spiritually.

But none of that happens if I don’t pray and I can do more than just pray.

We need to be people who ask God for big things—sun-stand-still kind of things. Not for our glory, but for His purposes. Because we serve a God who can stop the sun… and still move mountains.

God the Father listened to His child Joshua. And not just in a general, “God hears all things” kind of way—but in the personal, relational, Father-to-son kind of way. Joshua prays, and God hears him.

And what does He do in response to Joshua’s prayer? He doesn’t just let the sun stand still—He also clears the battlefield.

Joshua and the Israelites chase down their enemies, and sure, they take some of them out with the sword. But the Bible says that God Himself starts raining down hailstones from the heavens. And get this—more enemy soldiers died from those hailstones than from Israel’s swords.

That’s our God. He’s not a distant commander handing out assignments. He’s a divine warrior, a perfect marksman who never misses a shot. He fights for His people. He’s involved in the battle. He doesn’t step back—He steps in.

And listen, I know the sun standing still gets all the attention—and rightly so. That’s cosmic! That’s creation-pausing, mind-bending, miraculous power on display. But don’t let that miracle make you miss the message: the most jaw-dropping part of this story isn’t that the sun froze in the sky—it’s that God listens to His people.

The point is the power of God. The point is that the Creator of heaven and earth—the One who spoke light into existence—is the same God who extended the day and held back the night so that Joshua and his army could walk in victory.

The writer says, “There has been no day like it before or since” (v. 14). And he’s right.

The sun stood still. Time bowed to the Creator. But y’all, that miracle in Joshua 10 wasn’t just a display of power—it was a preview of something greater.

Fast forward about fourteen hundred years. This time, God didn’t pause the day—He pushed it forward.

The sun clocked out early. At high noon, the skies went dark. Luke tells us, “It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three, because the sun’s light failed” (Luke 22:44–45).

Why? Because the Light of the World was hanging on a cross.

The Son of God, the true and better Joshua, was fighting a battle not against Amorites, but against sin, death, and hell. And on that day, the Father turned His face away.

Jesus, the sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2), cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mark 15:34). And the answer? So that you and I would never have to be.

See, back in Joshua’s day, God gave His people more time so they could win the battle.

But on Calvary, Jesus ran out the clock—and still claimed the victory. The sun stood still for Joshua, but the Son hung still for us.

And here’s the good news: there’s coming a day when time won’t matter anymore. Revelation says there’ll be no more night, no more need for sun or lamp, “for the Lord God will be our light” (Rev 22:5).

That’s the gospel. And that’s our hope.

At the end of the battle, it’s clear—God delivered on His promise. Joshua and the Israelites didn’t just chase down their enemies… they defeated them.

The five Amorite kings who tried to run and hide in a cave? Yeah, they were dragged out, executed, and buried right there in the place where they thought they were safe.

That cave went from a hiding spot to a tomb—because you can’t hide from the justice of God.

City after city fell. God handed the entire southern region over to Israel.

And Joshua? Once again, he stood tall as a victorious leader—a man deeply respected by his people, because he walked in obedience and watched God do what only God can do.

But don’t miss the deeper point. Joshua prayed and saw miracles—and he didn’t even have what we have. He didn’t have the full story of redemption. He didn’t have the cross. He didn’t have the empty tomb. He didn’t have Pentecost or the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Joshua didn’t know the name of Jesus—but he trusted the same God we do.

As I am wrapping up this sermon, let me ask you—if Joshua, with a shadow of the gospel, could believe big and pray bold… how much more should we? We have the whole story!

We know the greater Joshua—Jesus Christ, who defeated sin and death once and for all. We have a High Priest who lives to intercede for us. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us. What problem could you possibly have that God cannot handle? Is there anything too hard for our God?

Saint Augustine said it best: “Pray as though everything depends on God, and work as though everything depends on you.” That’s what Joshua did.

He prayed like it all depended on heaven… and then he marched, fought, and led like it all depended on his obedience. That’s divine-human partnership. That’s walking in step with the Spirit. That’s living like the victory is already secure—because in Christ, it is.

So cast your cares on Him. Lift your voice in prayer. Step forward in obedience. And watch what God will do when His people believe Him for sun-stand-still kind of miracles—not for our fame, but for His glory. So whatever God is calling you to do in this time, lets do.

Lets stand, lets sing, lets respond.

Let me pray for you.