The Southern Campaign

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Joshua 10

Introduction: Interpreting Narratives (Source: “Putting the Truth to Work” by Doriani)

1- Accurate interpretation of a narrative drama means that the narrative always focuses on the acts of God.

2- God is always the main character or main actor in biblical narratives.

3- The Primary goal of a narrative is to discern the activity of God as he achieves salvation.

4- The Plan: to identify the acts and nature of God in the narrative and then to observe the way the characters in the drama respond to Him

5- Narratives tell the story of God’s work. They describe his person and work and his ways with people

· since God acts according to his unchanging nature, past actions indicate what his might do in similar circumstances today

· because we are made in the image of God, narratives also show how we as image-bearers should live

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Proposition: The Omnipresence of God displays to Christians that He hears and comes to our call for help.

Transition: In this chapter we see that God encourages Israel by showing them that He is always there for them

Verse 1-15

1. Conflict: Canaanite Coalition against Gibeon v1-5

A- Conflict comes when powerful Gibeon unites with Israel to the dismay of the King of Jerusalem v1

1- He feared because of the reports of Israel’s conquests and because of the power possessed by Gibeon (they were great than Ai and had many mighty warriors – v2)

Application: God once again is viewed as one who keeps his promises because he continued to put fear into the nations in the promise land by defeating Israel’s enemies – Deuteronomy 20

Adonizedek, i.e., lord of righteousness, is synonymous with Melchizedek (king of righteousness), and was a title of the Jebusite kings, as Pharaoh was of the Egyptian.[1]

Ø Adoni Zedek forms a coalition with other regional leaders to punish Gibeon for their treaty with Israel

Ø v5 identifies the five as “kings of the Amorites.”[2]

Ø The four kings were from Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon, all cities southwest of Jerusalem.[3]

· Instead of having to defeat these five city-states one by one, He would help Joshua conquer them all at one time![4]

· God used Joshua’s mistake with the Gibeonites to protect Gibeon and accelerate the conquest of Canaan.[5]

Application: God is at work on us even in spite of ourselves – Praise be to God!

(this is why all the glory should be His)

Salvation

a- maybe you believe that your sins are too many for God to grant you salvation

Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (ESV)

b- What kind of God would he be if there is a sin too big for him to forgive or if he chose not to based on the volume of our sins – that would not be the god of the Bible?

Sanctification

a- Maybe you’re here and have made some mistakes in the past – none of them are to big for God to forgive

b- Like Joshua and Isarel, God is not finished with you yet and still desires for you to press on in the battle for your Christian Maturity

c- God desires for you to recognize your sin and repent and turn from your ways to head in a new direction

Proverbs 28:13-14 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into trouble.

2. The Call for help by Gibeon v6-7

a- This is the part of the story were we gasp and hold our breath and wait to see if Joshua will answer the call of the Gibeonites and be faithful to His Word and uphold the character of God

Ø The account of the battle falls into two sections, each parallel to the other: vv. 6–11 and 12–15. They are not successive stages, but parallel ones: they both describe different facets of the battle of Gibeon.[6]

b- The number of verbs found in the appeal of v6—all imperatives—add to this sense of urgency: “Do not let your hands drop from your servants; get up to us quickly and deliver us and help us!” The appeal to “deliver” is an emphatic imperative—perhaps best rendered as “you must deliver us!”—adding even more to this impression.[7]

Application: Despite the trickery by which the treaty had been made, Joshua and his people remained committed and faithful to their word.[8]

3. Climax: God assures Joshua of victory v8

Ø The climax of the narrative comes when we find out that God came to fulfill his promise to Israel in a miraculous way

Illustration: As a child gasps in anticipation of the 3 bears arrival at home with Goldi Locks sleeping inside, so does a child exhale when Goldilocks escapes from the bears

Ø we too exhale in relief to see that God is still in control and on Israel’s side Read v9-11

1- God continually encourage Joshua throughout the promise land campaign by reinforcing to him that it was God that was giving the victory

2- While Joshua and his force marched all night and took the Amorites by surprise (v. 9), it was Yahweh—and Yahweh alone—who took the decisive actions against the enemies (v. 10). Every verb in v10 is singular, indicating that he alone confused, struck, pursued, and struck them.[9]

a. Some modern interpretive rendering has Israel defeating the Gibeonites and pursuing them. However, the subject of the verb “pursued” is “he,” not “Israel.” [10]

3- the Lord caused large hailstones to fall on the enemy with deadly precision so that more were killed in this way than by swords[11] signifying God’s hand in the victory

4- Obviously the soldier’s and there swords were involved, but here, the author has chosen to ignore this fact and to focus instead on Yahweh’s direct involvement as Israel’s warrior.[12]

a- It is mentioned more were killed with the hail stones of God than were killed by the sword. This is interesting, because it was like God wanted them to know not to be confident in themselves, but in God.

Application: It is a very foolish mistake for you and I to have confidence in ourselves when we are just frail human creations molded by the hand of the Master Creator

4. The Sun Stands Still v12-15

A- The second section describing the battle of Gibeon is introduced with the disjunctive adverb translated “then” (meaning “at that time”). It introduces important action that took place at the same time as that of vv. 6–11, not something that happened later.[13]

B- What actually happened that day?

1- The answers are numerous answers that have been proposed that might all have some validity and possibility

a. The earth stopped rotating, an eclipse, clouds covered the sun, refraction of the sun’s rays[14]

- with all th time and attention given to this passage it should make us pause in declaring with certainty what happened that day.

- almost all of the solutions fall within the parameters of orthodoxy.[15]

- Most of them are also defended by believing Christians with a very high regard for the Bible’s accuracy. [16]

b- the point of this miracle is found in v14 – “the Lord fought for Israel”

Application: When trouble comes we are called to retreat to our Refuge

· God demonstrated to Israel and to us that He is our refuge to go to in our time of need

Transition: The rest of the story gives details about the remainder of the battle and how God gave the victory

Verse 16-27

The five kings flee westward and hid in a cave at Makkedah v5
They were discovered and held for later disposition by rolling a stone over the mouth of the cave
The army chased the enemy destroying them and their kings completely

Verse 28-41

1. This victory over the five kings and their armies sealed the doom of this part of the land

2. Joshua and his army went from one town to the next claiming victory in the name of the Lord their God

Verse 42-43

1. This record is brief and matter of fact, but the key to all of Israel’s and our success is found in v42

Conclusion:

Ø Because narratives describe God’s work, narratives call for a response (as all preaching should)

Ø Even though cultures change human nature has certain constants so that past stories of sin, redemption and faithfulness speak across the centuries

a- How does this apply to salvation history? – God is faithful God who desires the best for his people

b- What is this saying to the non Christian? – you are operating without the personal presence of God in your life

c- How does this point to Christ? – NT tells that Christ reveals to us the nature of God the Father

d- What is this saying to the individual Christian? – God is always there

e- What is this saying to this specific congregation – through our best and worst of times God will always be there

- Talk is cheap – ch9 is the talk and ch10 is the walk – Joshua demonstrated God’s covenant faithfulness

- God comes to our aide for help – both in his omnipresence and his personal presence - v10

- the sovereign God of Israel was not aloof to their problems and He is not aloof to our problems

- In answer to prayer Israel experienced the dramatic intervention of God on their behalf and victory was assured.[17]

Joshua called to God and God responded – not because he was subject to man’s will but because he is a personal God that is concerned with the trials of his children

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[1]Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002), 2:76.

[2]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 235.

[3]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 235.

[4]Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Strong (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996, c1993), Jos 10:1.

[5]Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Strong (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996, c1993), Jos 10:1.

[6]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 236.

[7]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 236.

[8]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 236.

[9]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 237.

[10]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998).

[11]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 1:350.

[12]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 237.

[13]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 238.

[14]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 1:351.

[15]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 246.

[16]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 246.

[17]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 1:351.