Joshua 10:1-43 | "No Day Like It"

Scripture Reading for Opening of Service

Psalm 118:19–24 ESV

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Scripture Reading for Prayer

James 5:13–16 ESV

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

SERMON | Joshua 10:1-15: No Day Like It

I. Reading of Scripture

Joshua 10:12–14 ESV

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.

This is God’s Word, Amen.

Pray

II. Introduction

A. Introduction to Theme

I want you to think with me of a memorable, unique day in your life.

Perhaps it was the best day of your life? The birth of a child. A wedding day. A baptism.

Maybe it was the worst day of your life? The loss of a loved one? Receiving a life-changing diagnosis. Failing to achieve something you worked hard for.

Can you remember such a day? Could you tell me the date if I asked?

These days are unique and memorable for us because the events of these days are special and will not be repeated. They are one-of-a kind! There was and will be “No Day Like It.”

The day described in Joshua 10 was such a day. God’s Word says in Joshua 10:14 that there has been “no day like it.” But the reason this day is unique is different than what we might first think.

This is the day the “sun stood still.”

The day “the sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.”

A miraculous display of God’s power as the Almighty Creator of the Universe, pausing the setting of the sun for a day.

If you have a problem believing that God can cause the rotation of the Earth to stop so that the sun does not set, if that messes up your scientific understanding, it should!

Because this cannot be explained by the work of science. Miracles cannot be explained by the work of science — that is why they are miracles!

This is the work of God - who created Science, who created the Sun, Moon, and Planets by merely speaking them into existence. We believe this by faith. It is the work of God who sustains the movements of the Heavens by His Word.

The Creator can do what He wants with His Creation without breaking any laws of nature because the laws of nature belong to Him too!

If a day is a twenty-four hour period of time, the time it takes for the Earth to turn on its axis, the time it takes to watch sunrise to sunrise, then in this regard — there was no DAY like it - when “the sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.”

But as amazing as that miracle is, with all the focus it receives, God’s Word invites us to look deeper.

B. Introduction to Text

According to God’s Word, it was not the movement of the sun that made this day unique.

Look with me at Joshua 10:14 —

Joshua 10:14 ESV

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.

Every miracle has a meaning. Every miracle has an explanation. And the explanation of every miracle is found in God Himself.

And it is not WHAT God did with the Sun, as much as it is WHY God did what he did with the Sun, that gets the attention of the Scriptures.

God, the LORD, listened to the voice of a man.

What this means is that God “obeyed” the voice of a man (KM). That is shocking! And that is what made this day so unique! That is why the Scriptures say there was “No Day Like It.”

The miraculous power of God was witnessed when the petition of man in faith aligned with the will of God for His glory and for His people.

Church — The Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims that such an alignment exists today in Christ!

How is it that our petitions and our requests are aligned with God’s will? How is it that God’s power is witnessed in answer to our petitions? The answer is what Joshua 10 points us to, and that is the power of prayer!

1 John 5:14–15 ESV

14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

II. Exposition

Joshua 10:1-5 tells of the event that led to this day.

Joshua 10:1–2 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.

This king of Jerusalem is named “Adoni-zedek.” His name means “My lord is righteous” or “My lord is Zedek.”

His name alone is important because his name draws reference to his god. His idol.

His lord is not THE LORD, the living God of Israel.

The reason Israel was commanded to devote the inhabitants of this land to destruction was BECAUSE of their gods, their idols.

The Lord said to Moses:

Exodus 23:31(b) -33 (ESV)

...“I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.”

32 You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

When we hear about Joshua and Israel going to battle and defeating the inhabitants of the land, we should take a deeper look, and understand that there is a simultaneous battle of different forces at work as well — it is God destroying false gods.

Israel represents the living God! The inhabitants of the land represent a multitude of idols.

So when Israel defeats Adoni-zedek, what is really happening is that Israel is bearing witness not to “my lord is righteous” but to THE LORD who IS THE RIGHTEOUS ONE.

Whatever battle you are engaged in individually, whatever battle we as the Church are engaged in together, that battle, that wrestling always says more about who God is than who we are.

What is physical represents something spiritual. Spiritual warfare is real.

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Attacks will come through flesh and blood, but our enemy is NOT flesh and blood, our enemy is spiritual. Our enemy is spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.

Adoni-Zedek heard what Joshua had done and verse 2 says “he feared greatly.”

Enemies only fear if they have a reason to fear.

The same is true of our spiritual enemies. The spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places only fear us if they have a reason to. If we are making waves for the Kingdom.

Acts 19 tells us about seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva who were invoking the name of the Lord Jesus over evil spirits.

Acts 19:15 ESV

15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”

These evil spirits did not recognize the sons of Sceva. They had not made waves for the Kingdom as Jesus or Paul.

Adrian Rogers said if you are not in collision with the Devil you are in collusion with him.

Meaning, if we as Christians, or we as the Church are not experiencing spiritual attacks, we are not making waves! We are not colliding with the Devil moving in opposite directions but we’re moving in the same direction. We are not being noticed by the enemy! The enemy does not fear us!

When this thing we call church is made all about us, our preferences, our comfort, our methods — the enemy can focus somewhere else, because that church won’t make waves.

And there are so-called churches filled with many hundreds and thousands of people that don’t make waves for the kingdom.

When this thing we call church is made all about God, based on God’s Word and God’s ways — when the preacher says “I’m preaching God’s Word,” when the Church takes prayer seriously, when the membership are held accountable for living what they say they believe, when Deacons and Overseers are held to the responsibilities and qualifications God has given to each — the enemy takes notice of that.

Because though that church may be few in number, that church will make waves for the kingdom.

That church needs to be ready for an attack!

Adoni-Zedek was fearful! Because Joshua was making waves, advancing God’s glory in the land.

Joshua 10:3–8 ESV

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.”

This is the first time the Lord speaks since chapter 8 verse 18.

God does not speak in Chapter 9.

And when God breaks his silence he says “Do not fear them...”

Do not be afraid!

Chapter 10 of Joshua records more of what God does than what Joshua does, and the first thing God does is to speak. I want to highlight for you what is said of what the Lord does.

FIRST:

Joshua 10:8 “And the LORD said...”

That’s a good word for us too! We have God’s written Word and may find confidence in hearing it and knowing what God has said and acting upon it in faith!

“Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands.”

This battle belongs to the Lord. This battle will represent His name! His glory! His RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Joshua 10:9–10 ESV

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.

Notice in verse 10: “The LORD threw them into a panic before Israel.”

The LORD is the one responsible for this victory, not Joshua (KM).

Joshua 10:11 ESV

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.

Notice verse 11: “The LORD threw down large stones from heaven.”

The LORD is the one responsible for this victory, not the sons of Israel.

Joshua 10:12–14 ESV

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.

Notice in verse 12: “the LORD gave”

Notice in verse 14: “the LORD heeded the voice of a man.”

These are the things the Lord has done for His people!

The Lord said (v.8),

the Lord threw them into a panic (v.10),

the Lord threw down large stones from heaven (v.11),

the Lord gave (v.12),

the Lord heeded (v.14).

Whose battle was this? Joshua’s? Israel’s? or the LORD’s?

This battle was the LORD’s!

Whose battle are we fighting, Church? The LORD’s!

Let’s not fight battles of our own making. Let’s not fight one another, flesh and blood, over things that divide.

Let’s gear up and fight for what already belongs to the Lord! Knowing that our victory is secure in Him! Let’s kick in the gates of Hell that will never prevail!

God’s Word tells us that the shocking, miraculous uniqueness of this day was not that the sun stood still (if that weren’t amazing enough)! But that the LORD heeded the voice of a man.

The LORD heeded the voice of Joshua when , verse 12, “At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD.”

IV. Conclusion

This sermon is less about the SUN and all about the SON! This text is all about Jesus.

There was no day like it — until Jesus. This text points us to Jesus.

A. Gospel Proclamation

When Jesus, our Joshua, our Savior, became human.

Jesus who is God became a man, born in human flesh, so that he might speak to the LORD on our behalf, as our way and as our example.

Jesus makes today, and every day, unique in this way!

Jesus said:

John 17:8–9 ESV

8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

Jesus prayed to the Father for you! And the Father listened.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, before his death, Jesus knelt and prayed, showing what it means for man’s will to align with God’s:

Luke 22:42 ESV

42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

Jesus prayed to the Father - and the Father listened!

On the cross when Jesus died Jesus prayed to the Father: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34).

Jesus prayed to the Father - and the Father listened!

And when darkness was over the whole land, and the sun’s light failed, and the curtain of the temple was torn in two, Jesus called out to the Father: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And the Father listened!

And should we think that the sun standing still in the heavens is a miracle, think about the miracle and the power when God spoke to the stone that stood still over Jesus’ tomb and said “Move!” That stone moved!

And think of when God said not to the Sun, but HIS SON, Jesus, whose body lay still in the tomb: “Rise.” And Jesus rose! And being raised in power walked out of the tomb!

So that we may say of this day, and every day, forever in Jesus - there is “No Day Like It!”

This is a resurrection day! Jesus is alive and present with us this day!

This is a day where I may boldly draw near to the throne of grace and receive mercy and find grace in time of need (Heb 4:16).

So that we might pray these words together:

Matthew 6:9–13 ESV

9 …“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen

We can pray to the Father - and the Father will listen, because of Jesus Christ.

That is why we can say of today and ever day, in Jesus — There is No Day Like It! Amen!