Joshua 10:1-15

No Day Like It

Before we get into our lesson today, we are going to spend some time thinking back through what we have covered in Joshua. Using your bibles and the collective brainpower of your table, fill out the top part of your outline:

Who, What, Where

What are people, cities/areas, or events that you remember from chapter 1-9 of Joshua—you are more than welcome to flip through your bible to be reminded.

(10 min max)

Review answers

People:

Moses

Joshua

Rahab

Israel

priests bearing the ark

Amorites

Canaanites

Achan

King of Ai

Gibeonites

Places:

Jordan

Gibeon

Ai

Jericho

Canaan

Events:

Joshua commissioned (ch 1)

Joshua takes command (ch 1)

Rahab hides the spies (ch 2)

Israel crosses the Jordan (ch 3)

Joshua commands twelve memorial stones from the Jordan (ch 4)

A new generation is circumcised (ch 5)

The celebrate first passover in Canaan (ch 5)

Joshua encounters Jesus (ch 5)

The destroy Jericho (ch 6)

Israel is defeated at Ai (ch 7)

Achan’s sin is exposed & he is killed (ch 7)

The fall of Ai (ch 8)

Joshua renews his covenant with God (ch 8)

The Gibeonites deceive Israel (ch 9)

What is the most amazing thing you have ever seen in creation?

What is something you will probably never see but would be amazing (could be real, could be made up)?

What do we know about the sun? What does it do everyday?

It rises and it sets, and you can tell the time of day based on what? Based on where it is in the sky.

What if I told you it was going to stand still and not move at all? That would be crazy. But that happens in Joshua 10. Turn there.

Joshua 10:1–15 “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.”

Okay so we are going to see a couple of different things. First in verses 1-5 these five kings decide to come together and form a pact:

Joshua 10:5 “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.”

Why did the want to join forces? What caused them to all of a sudden want to be friends?

Joshua 10:1–2 “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.”

They had heard what Israel had done to Ai and Jericho and didn’t want to be next. And then on top of that they had heard how the Gibeonites had made a pact with the Israelites (through deception) and that they wouldn’t be destroyed. And so the kings are looking at the map and saying, we are next! They are going to come for us, we must do something.

But they don’t decide to attack Israel, but rather who? Gibeon. They are putting this new treaty to the test and trying to pick off the smaller of the groups to weaken Israel.

Joshua 10:6 “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.””

Secondly we see the call for help. They come running to Joshua saying don’t forget the deal we have. We know we decieved you but we need your help.

In your flesh, what would your response probably be? Sucks for you—maybe you shouldn’t have decieved you—I don’t want to risk my life for you, your on your own.

But is that how Joshua responded?

Joshua 10:7 “7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.”

Why do you think Joshua responded this way? There is no command anywhere from God for Israel to protect the Gibeonites. God told Joshua to protect Rahab and her family. But there is nothing about doing so for the Gibeonites. But what does God command?

For us to keep our word.

Matthew 5:37 “37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

Numbers 30:1–2 “1 Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, “This is what the Lord has commanded. 2 If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”

Joshua and the Israelites had made a vow, a covenant with the Gibenoites and they were to honor that, even to the point of war.

Next we see God’s reassurance. God was not happy about the pact that Israel had made. However is pleased that they are keeping their word and so he encourages Joshua.

Joshua 10:8 “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.””

Joshua and mighty men of valor go off to war:

Joshua 10:9–11 “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.”

We thought the sun standing still was pretty impressive. What happens here?

joshua and the men chase the armies of these five kings, the Amorites, and they are fleeing far away. But God promised the enemy would be eliminated.

We see here Yehweh, the LORD, fighting for Israel.

v.10 “THE LORD” threw them into a panic

v.11 “THE LORD” threw down large stones.

Its the image as the LORD as a mighty warrior fighting for his people.

Psalm 24:8 “8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!”

And then what happens? Rocks come down from heaven!

Joshua 10:11 “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.”

Woah! Picture that—they are fleeing, thinking they got away from the enemy and then you start seeing your buddies fall down, thinking whats going up, you look up and its raining hailstones. It says large stones, these weren’t little pebbles or anything. Large stones raining down on them.

More people were killed by stones than swords.

And the story ends with another amazing act from God:

Joshua 10:12–13 “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.”

The sun stood still—the entire time Joshua and company were battling, the sun stood where it was in the sky. How amazing is that? There is some disagreement whether this meant it was light all day or dark all day or somewhere in between but the point is the sun stopped. For an entire day creation didn’t act the way it was supposed to because of God.

Application:

Why is the picture of Christ as a warrior so uncommon today? What is the picture of Christ?

In what way in this story did a seemingly insignificant vow/covenant that was made have serious consquences? What are things we make rash or quick commitments to that end up being time/energy/emotion suckers in our life? (i.e. what are things we say yes to without thinking about or having all the details but they end up taking all of our time, money, energy, emotions)

Are you amazed when God answers your prayers? If so, why?