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Joshua 10:9-14 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. 9 Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night. 10 And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. 11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. 12 Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.

Humans often say the wrong thing. God never says the wrong thing, but we do. One of the most quoted statements I have heard related to the life of Evangelist Dwight L. Moody. Moody was THE Billy Graham before there was a Billy Graham. The story as I heard it was that Dwight L. Moody and some friends gathered together in a hay field to pray. His friend Henry Varley reportedly said:

“The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in a man who is fully and wholly
consecrated to Him”

The story is sometimes embellished with other details. In Paul Gericke’s book Crucial Experiences In The Life of D.L. Moody a conversation between Evangelist Varley and the yet unknown Moody is told:

“During the afternoon of the day of conference Mr. Moody asked me to join him in the vestry of the Baptist Church. We were alone, and he recalled the night’s meeting at Willow Park and our converse the following morning. “Do you remember your words?” {Moody} said. I replied, “I well remember our interview, but I do not recall any special utterance.” {Moody continued} “Don’t you remember saying, ‘Moody, the world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him?’ ” {Varley replied} “Not the actual sentence,” … “Ah,” said Mr. Moody, “those were the words sent to my soul, through you, from the Living God. As I crossed the wide Atlantic, the boards of the deck of the vessel were engraved with them, and when I reached Chicago, the very paving stones seemed marked with ‘Moody, the world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him.’ Under the power of those words I have come back to England, and I felt that I must not let more time pass until I let you know how God had used your words to my inmost soul.”

I believe God spoke to Moody that day. But it is NOT true that the “world has never seen what God will do with a man fully consecrated to Him”. How do I know? Because Joshua was a man fully consecrated to God. Enoch was a man fully consecrated to God, but we know little of his life. But Joshua – oh Joshua!

Joshua Loved The Lord. Do You Love The Lord?

Joshua lived for the Lord. Joshua did not walk the aisle at Church, get baptized, then forget about God save for the occasional Easter or Christmas service. Joshua did not slide God into a drawer until he needed the Lord.

No Beloved, Joshua loved the Lord. His life was fully dedicated and consecrated to God. It was because of this great love that Joshua never lost a battle other than that bad incident at Ai. Had Joshua listened to God before attacking Ai he would have never lost that battle. But Joshua had the same problem that we all have. He is a man subject to failure. Only one man ever walked the face of this earth and NEVER failed God, and that was the god-Man Jesus Christ. All others have failed at times. But Joshua – now Joshua, he came close to Christ in his faithfulness to God. He focused on God. He loved the LORD.

If You Love The Lord, Think And Pray Before You Act

We all make mistakes. One of the big mistakes that Joshua’s generals made was to make a truce with the city of Gibeon. Too often today that which is supposed to be the Church of Christ makes truces with Gibeon. We too often tolerate sin and worldliness. We too often depart from the Word of God and dress things up the way that we want them. What is our Commission from God? Is it not the same that Israel had? Did not Jesus say:

Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

In the entirety of this Great Commission there is no word “truce” or “surrender” or “compromise”.

The Commission Christ has given us – and that He gave Israel – was GO. Represent God. Teach what God said. Do what God said. Never did the Lord – either Old or New Testament – say “Go and compromise with the world”. Beloved, how can Light compromise with darkness? How can evil and good abide in the same house? We are not Taoists that believe in YIN and YANG, the blending of light and dark. Jesus said:

“You are the Light of the world, a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Let your light SHINE before men that they may see your good works, and GLORIFY your FATHER which is in Heaven! (Matthew 5:14-16, my paraphrase)”.

Oh, how shall we compromise? When we compromise the Commission we put ourselves and others at risk of damnation and hell fire. It is a FEARFUL thing to fall into the hands of the LIVING GOD (Hebrews 10:31).

The princes of Israel compromise with the city of Gibeon. They made a truce with the unconverted. This has often happened among the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Pentecostals, and various other so called “denominations” and “non-denominations” of organized religion. Joshua did not want to compromise with Gibeon. Yet the leaders of Israel did so, making a truce where no truce should be made.

Joshua is obligated because of the bad decision of others. Gibeonites are now the allies of Israel, for the princes and bishops of the Church have made an allegiance. When you make an allegiance with the darkness, be prepared to have to go to battle. We read:

Joshua 10:1-2 Now it came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; 2 That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.

The world – that fallen world – saw the compromise that God’s Church made with the unconverted. When certain denominations went with the flow and let darkness be called “light” the evil grew. Rather than repenting and being saved the unconverted became MORE BOLD in their sin. Now they attack and call those who once were their friends.

Five kings – lead by Adonizedec king of Jerusalem – decided to attack Gibeon. Gibeon made a truce with Israel, and Gibeon was in a place that Israel could occupy can strategically destroy the other cities. So Adonizedec contacts Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon. His plan is simple. “Let’s destroy Gibeon before Joshua and Israel can occupy it!”

Five Is The Number Of Grace

There is a beautiful picture here if you would see it. In the Bible FIVE is the number of GRACE. I do not believe it is a coincidence that there are five kings attacking Gibeon.

God gave us FIVE senses we neither earn nor deserve.
FIVE is reported 318 times in Scripture.
There are FIVE mysteries:
The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, Creation and Redemption.
Jesus Christ has FIVE wounds that held Him to the Cross.
There are FIVE sections in Psalms,
FIVE Books of the Law.
Israel brought FIVE offerings to God:
The Burnt, Sin, Trespass, Grain and the Peace Offerings.
David killed Goliath with one of FIVE stones.
The Church is founded on FIVE Books,
The FOUR Gospels and the Book of Acts makes FIVE.
FIVE is the number of Grace!

These FIVE Kings band together to attack Gibeon. Beloved, trials often come to lead us to God and His Grace. The Scripture says in James 1:2-3 “Brothers and sisters in Christ, be JOYFUL when you fall into various TRIALS {my paraphrase}”. Our response to God is “Trials Lord? Why should I be joyful when trials come?” Because, Beloved, trials are an opportunity for God to show you who you really are.

Gibeon is tried. Gibeon is tried.
Where does Gibeon look for it’s salvation?

Does Gibeon hear the Words of God, “Look unto Me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 45:22)? No. No. When the unbeliever is in a bad way do they go to the ATHEIST or the CULTIST or even to the BLATANT SINNER among them? No! When the unbeliever is in a bad way they look for someone who is EMPOWERED.

Gibeon knew that Israel under Joshua crossed the Jordan as if on dry land. Gibeon knew that Israel under Joshua destroyed Jericho. Gibeon knew that Israel under Joshua destroyed Ai. Israel under Joshua was being blessed. They were undefeated while they followed God. So Gibeon sends messengers to Joshua saying…

Joshua 10:6 …. Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.

Joshua cannot save anyone – but God can! Beloved, salvation is of the Lord (Psalm 3:8; 62:1). God has His Church on the earth to be HIS hands and feet, HIS agents, HIS ambassadors. The lost of Gibeon are crying out to the Old Testament Church. Save us, Joshua! All the Kings of the Amorites – fierce mountain men – are gathered together in one accord to kill us. Save us, Joshua!

We cannot save the world – but Jesus can. When the unbeliever cries out for help will we show them JESUS?

What does Joshua do? Does he sit back and say, “Well, these people are NOT believers. They tricked their way into an alliance with us. We owe them nothing!” Oh Beloved,

You are God’s Light.
You are God’s creation.
You are God’s creature.
You are God’s Kingdom.
You are God’s Church.

The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to REPENTANCE (2 Peter 3:9). That unbelieving friend that is in the hospital, did YOU, dear Christ follower, share Jesus with them? Or did you BEMOAN the fact that they are ill, looking hopeless and helpless. Shame, shame, shame on the Christian who will not trust God. Joshua made no excuses. He did not linger. What does the Bible say? IMMEDIATELY …

Joshua 10:7 … Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.

Joshua ascended. Joshua looked up and went because God spoke to his heart. The Lord told Joshua:

Joshua 10:8 … Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.

Joshua “waited on the Lord, and was of good courage – and God strengthened his heart” {my paraphrase} (Psalm 27:14). When you are doing God’s work God’s way then God never leaves you nor forsakes you (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). Joshua begins to move, and with him all of Israel. I am told that this trek was around 25 miles one way. Joshua and the children of Israel began to walk toward Gibeon.

Joshua “went up from Gilgal ALL NIGHT” (Joshua 10:9).

As day turned to night the city of Gibeon, surrounded by five kingdoms, began to despair. They didn’t know that Joshua IMMEDIATELY set out to save them. I can imagine those warriors standing guard on the outer walls. Far below them was a mass of people, like sand of the sea. The five kingdoms were not worried. Oh no, they were many. The five kingdom army bedded down for the night. The campfires dimmed. Thousands of men in full weaponized gear rested for the slaughter for the next day.

The guards on the walls of Gibeon look out in despair. Gibeon means “on a hill”. Gibeon is on a hill, but there are five kingdoms from the MOUNTAINS. They are far superior. One guard looks at the other. “I think I see movement, coming this way.” The other guard says “It is just our messengers returning from Israel. We have no hope!” And then the sound of thunder. Thousands of marching feet rock the earth. The Bible says:

Joshua 10:9-10 … Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night. 10 And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.

The armies of darkness awaken to confusion and the power of God’s people. Their armor forgotten, the minions of evil run into the night. Some nearly escape. But the Bible says:

Joshua 10:11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

God will be glorified! God will be glorified! No one can say it was Joshua’s prowess that won this battle. Absolutely not. God was in it. That is why it was won. “I can do ALL THINGS through Christ Jesus Who strengthens me”! (Philippians 4:13). God begins to hurl great hailstones down from Heaven, big enough to kill the enemy. God destroys the darkness. God destroys the darkness.

The Best Day Ever Because Light Shines On

But the sun begins to set. And here is where the wonder of our text is. We are told:

Joshua 10:12 Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.

Unbelievers have a field day with this verse. I have heard them say:

“Doesn’t your God know that the Sun doesn’t move?
Is He that ignorant?”

Well Beloved, God does know that the sun stands still, and that the earth and the moon rotate around it. Yet even knowing this truth today our most educated meteorologists speak of “Sunrise” and “Sunset”. To our perspective the sun seems to rise and set. The Bible says

“… from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the Lord’s Name is to be praised” Psalm 113:3.

Judges 14:18 “… before the sun went down”.

From our perspective the sun seems to rise and set. God gave us the ability to grow in knowledge and to know that the sun does stay still, but we rotate around it. God knows the truth.

But WE are feeble. To Joshua the sun appeared to rise and to set. So Joshua asked God to still the sun and the moon, to keep light upon the earth so that he could finish the job. Beloved, I see two great truths in this:

1. We do not always understand the mystery of creation. But God does. God knows all the stars by name (Psalm 147:4). We know little. Even with our NASA and the HUBBLE telescope, we still know very little. If an asteroid hit this earth the size of, say, Maryland, an itty bitty state, that asteroid would destroy all life on this planet. It would be as scientists call it “An Extinction Level Event” or ELE. Why don’t asteroids hit us? Why life on our planet, and no one else? We don’t know. We just can’t know all things – but God can.
2. We do not always in our ignorance ask the right prayer of God. Joshua had no idea that the sun didn’t move. But he asked God to take care of it.

Beloved, I do not know how God can be Triune. I do not know how it was possible for God to become man. I do not truly understand how God saved my soul, changing me from a lost and dark person into one of His Beloved Children. I do not understand how God can love a sinner like me. I do not understand why God does kill me – you – all of us where we are right now. I don’t understand. But God does. God does. Some of you smartalecks in the audience smirk and poke one another when I speak of Christ and his Cross. I do not understand why God does not blast you into hell this very moment. I do not understand why God doesn’t kill the blasphemer. Why does God tolerate the idiotic groups like Freedom From Religion and abortion sponsoring people? Joshua didn’t understand. I don’t understand. Joshua just prayed what he did know. Joshua prayed for a LONG DAY so he could finish God’s work. And God heard him.

Joshua 10:13-14 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.

The best day ever is the day you learn to live your life with God. The best day ever is when we hear Jesus, and race to His loving arms. If God can make a long day, God can fix that which ails you. Oh Beloved, look unto Jesus. Do not allow the whispers on the devil and of the world to keep you from God’s loving embrace.

A judgment day is coming. The Bible declares:

Hebrews 9:27-28 … it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

The five kings thought their judgment would never come. It did. Do not think your judgment day will never come. It will. Today is the day to look upward. Today is the day to ask Christ to touch your life, to save you, to cast down your enemies. Today. Not tomorrow, but today. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. May God speak to your hearts this very day.