"A Very Unusual Day"

Introduction

Have you ever had a very unusual day? A day when you think at the end of it, “Did that really Happen?”

I remember the day 2 years ago when we learned that Christy was diabetic. The day started off with some suspicions and a couple doctor appointments. By the end of the day we learned Ashley needed surgery soon and Christy was hospitalized at Riley. We couldn’t believe how fast life could change!

I’m sure many of you have had extraordinary days. Joshua was about to see God do some amazing stuff.

The kings of the land unite and strike

Joshua 10:1–5 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.

in this first passage we have five kings uniting to fight against the Israelite incursion.

Interestingly this is the first time that Jerusalem is actually mentioned by this name in the Bible. Earlier it’s referred to as “Salem.” Jerusalem becomes the most important city in the region years later under Davide but right now it’s just one city among many.

We see a large group of kings getting together to face this new threat.

Previously last week we saw another group of kings gathering for battle.

Joshua 9:1–2 ESV

1 As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, 2 they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

We don’t learn what happened with their fight with Israel because the chapter quickly moves on to the Gibeonites. That said, chapters and years later we see a list of the kings destroyed and it includes some of the land mentioned in Joshua 9’s coalition.

Joshua 12:1 ESV

1 Now these are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the Arabah eastward:

Joshua 12:7 ESV

7 And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, that rises toward Seir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments,

The Battle of Gibeon

Joshua 10:6–11 ESV

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.

Despite the tricks employed to earn the treaty, the Israelites stepped up to keep the covenant they made. They kept their word.

Joshua and all the men set out promptly and as they are going God speaks to encourage Joshua.

Notice also, Joshua and the men acted in obedience and integrity but God was the one who acted to save and win the battle.

Joshua 10:10–11 ESV

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.

Joshua asks God for divine intervention

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.

Wow, a day that lasted twice as long as normal!! We are all experiencing the annual effect of the days getting dramatically shorter. Who else here is amazed still when the sun goes down at 5:30pm?! Remember waiting until 10:30 for the fireworks to start?

God heard and God stepped in in miraculous ways to save and protect Israel.

God fights for His people

One of the things we need to see in this passage is that God is the fighter, He is the one acting to fight for His people.

Psalm 24:8 ESV

8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!

Zephaniah 3:17 ESV

17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Far too often we have this soft view of Jesus and God. We fail to realize that God fights for His people, He fights for us! Sometimes it is this hope and trust in our God who fights for us that gives us hope in the mire of life.

Prayer is crucial

Look at how the author of Joshua describes what happens. Joshua speaks and asks God to slow down the Sun and God acts.

Which is the greater miracle, God causing the sun to stand still or God hearing the prayers of fickle, weak creatures.

Opening Up Joshua Prayer Is Important

‘When our spiritual enemies set themselves in array against us, and threaten to swallow us up, let us, by faith and prayer, apply to Christ, our Joshua, for strength and succour, as Paul did, and we shall receive the same answer of peace, My grace is sufficient for thee, 2 Cor. 12, 8, 9’

2 Corinthians 12:8–9 ESV

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Turn to God when you feel weak or unable to face the problems of today. Pray!~

There was another day that surpassed Joshua’s day

Joshua wrote that there hasn’t been another day when he wrote his book. But years later Joshua’s day was surpassed when Jesus went to the cross. He went there to win a battle his people couldn now possibly winf or themselves. He fought against Satan and his forces as soundly as Joshua against the enemies.

The people Jesus fought for were as unworthy as the Gibeonites.

And in the same way on that day the sun commemorated the day refusing the shine for three hours.

Matthew 27:45–46 ESV

45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus endured the darkness of the wrath of God against all the sins of the world. He endured this to win a victory for you and I.

For all who receive Jesus as their savior can win a victory as clearly and easily as the soldiers in Joshua’s army won against their enemy. All who accept Jesus will never have to experience the separation from God and darkness Jesus experienced.

Have you trusted in Jesus as your Savior today? Talk to me if you haven’t.

Conclusion

God is a mighty warrior still fighting on behalf of His followers today. Meditate on the reality of His power and protection.

God still works incredibly through prayer. Take your life to God in prayer today!