Joshua Part 8

November 12, 2025

FBC Baxley

Week 8 — The Long Day of Battle

Text: Joshua 10:1–43

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.********

-Pray

Introduction:

In 1947, the British Mountaineer George Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest.

His famous response was, “Because it is there.”

Some challenges demand a response, not because they are easy, but because they reveal something about who we trust.

Joshua faced a challenge like that in Joshua 10.

Five Amorite kings had joined forces to attack the Gibeonites—Israel’s new allies.

Against overwhelming odds, Joshua marched all night, fought all day, and prayed one of the boldest prayers in Scripture.

O.S. Hawkins writes in The Joshua Code, “Prayer moves the hand that moves the world.”

Joshua’s story reminds us that when God’s people pray boldly, God’s power is revealed gloriously.

Background:

After the deception of the Gibeonites in chapter 9, Joshua honored his covenant with them.

When the five Amorite kings—Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem, Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon—heard about Gibeon’s alliance with Israel, they united to destroy Gibeon (10:1–5).

It was not just a military attack; it was a spiritual confrontation.

These kings represented the entrenched forces of Canaan’s idolatry resisting the advance of God’s kingdom.

Warren Wiersbe, “Whenever God’s people take new ground, the enemy will always organize opposition.”

I. The Coalition Against God’s People (10:1–5)

Truth: Obedience often invites opposition.

The Amorite kings feared Gibeon’s alliance with Israel because Gibeon was a “royal city” (v. 2).

Their unity was not for righteousness but rebellion.

Evil often cooperates when threatened by truth.

Application: Don’t be surprised when obedience brings opposition.

When you stand with God’s people, expect the enemy’s pushback.

The same spiritual principle holds today—those who align with God’s truth will face pressure from a world united in defiance of it (John 15:18–19).

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 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.

Illustration: In 1857, Jeremiah Lanphier began a simple prayer meeting in New York City.

Within months, tens of thousands joined, starting the Third Great Awakening.

But early on, critics mocked him.

God’s movements often begin with opposition before they spread with power.

II. The Confidence in God’s Power (10:6–11)

Truth: God fights for those who trust Him.

When the Gibeonites called for help, Joshua immediately responded.

Verse 7 says he “went up from Gilgal,” the place of covenant renewal.

Before every great victory, God’s people must return to the place of commitment.

In verse 8, God gave Joshua assurance: “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand.”

Notice the tense—“have delivered.”

The victory was already secured in heaven before the battle began on earth.

As Joshua obeyed, God fought for him.

Verse 11 records that the Lord hurled “large hailstones” upon the enemy, and “more died from the hailstones than by the sword.”

Scholars like John MacArthur affirm that this event underscores “God’s direct intervention in history to fulfill His promises.”

Illustration: Imagine a commander on the battlefield realizing his artillery is heavenly hail!

God’s sovereignty reminds us that no matter how the odds appear, His power is unmatched.

Application: When you walk in obedience, you never fight alone.

O.S. Hawkins, “Faith is not believing in spite of the evidence; it is obeying in spite of the consequences.”

III. The Cry for a Miracle (10:12–14)

Truth: Bold prayers honor a big God.

This is one of the most remarkable prayers in all Scripture.

Joshua prayed, “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”

The Hebrew verb דּוֹם (dom) means “to be silent, still, or motionless.”

It’s as if Joshua prayed, “Sun, be still—pause your course until the victory is complete.”

R. Kent Hughes, “The God who created time has no problem controlling it.”

Whether God prolonged the day, refracted the light, or supernaturally altered the earth’s rotation, the truth remains: God sovereignly intervened.

Verse 14 says, “There has been no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man.”

The text does not exalt Joshua’s power—it magnifies God’s willingness to respond to faith.

O.S. Hawkins writes, “Prayer does not equip us for greater works—prayer is the greater work.”

Illustration: George Müller, who cared for over 10,000 orphans through prayer alone, once said, “I live in the spirit of prayer; I pray as I walk, when I lie down, and when I rise.”

Like Joshua, Müller prayed audaciously—and God answered abundantly.

Application: Don’t be afraid to pray big prayers.

When we call upon the Lord (Jeremiah 33:3), He promises to answer with “great and mighty things.”

Faith-filled prayer moves heaven because it trusts the heart of the God who rules it.

IV. The Completion of God’s Promise (10:15–43)

Truth: God finishes what He starts.

This section records Joshua’s southern campaign.

One by one, the five kings were defeated and their cities captured—Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir.

Joshua 10:42 summarizes it: “Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.”

The repeated refrain—“the Lord fought for Israel”—is the interpretive key.

Joshua’s strategy was bold, but the success belonged entirely to God.

Commentary Insight: According to the New American Commentary (David M. Howard), “Joshua’s victories underscore a theology of divine warfare—God Himself is the warrior leading His people to victory.”

Application: When you obey God and pray boldly, you can trust Him to bring the battle to completion.

As Paul wrote, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).

Conclusion:

Joshua’s story is not just about a long day—it’s about a great God.

A God who controls time, commands creation, and answers prayer.

O.S. Hawkins concludes, “When we pray, we invite omnipotence into our circumstances.”

Joshua’s “long day” reminds us that God still listens, still fights, and still works wonders for His people who dare to call upon Him.

-Pray