The Book Of Joshua. Day 24, The Sun Stands Still, Part One

In Chapter 9 we found Joshua and the elders of Israel being deceived by men from Gibeon who pretended to be from a far country. As a result of not consulting the Lord, the leadership of Israel made a peace treaty with these men from the capital of the Hivite nation---a nation Israel was commanded to destroy. Upon finding out they'd been deceived, they informed the Gibeonites that they would be made subject to Israel from now on, which is an arrangement that suited the Gibeonites. But in Chapter 10 some of the great kings of the nations of the promised land will not be at all happy to hear that the important city of Gibeon is now under Israelite control. Five kings will band together to march against the city of Gibeon. Because the Israelites have made a peace treaty with the Gibeonites, they will be called upon to defend Gibeon against these kings. The Israelites would have had to face these five armies in battle as they take over the promised land, but they would not have had to face them all at once if not for the treaty with the Gibeonites. They would not have made the treaty with the Gibeonites if they had consulted the Lord first and had allowed the Lord to reveal the ruse to them. But God is so merciful! He will perform a great miracle in order to give Israel success against the forces of all five kings.

"Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and had become their allies." (Joshua 10:1) This man may be a descendant of Melchizedek, the person who was king of Jerusalem and a high priest of the Lord in Genesis 14. Melchizedek was the one who came out to meet Abraham after Abraham defeated four kings. The name "Melchizedek" means "king of righteousness", which is a good name (or royal title) for the man of Genesis 14 who loved and served the Lord and who pronounced a blessing upon Abraham. In contrast, the man named Adoni-Zedek, (which means "Lord of Righteousness") is not a man who loves and serves the Lord. Instead we find him fighting against the Lord. Anyone who hates and opposes the Lord's people is fighting against the Lord. The Lord takes attacks on His people personally. The Lord said in Zechariah 2:8 that anyone who touches His people is touching the apple (the pupil) of His eye. Can anyone ignore being poked in the pupil of the eye? No, and either can the Lord ignore wrongdoing against those who belong to Him. 

Adoni-Zedek is very unhappy to learn the mighty warriors of Gibeon will now be part of the Israelite army. He is alarmed that such an important city is now in Israelite hands. He proposes an alliance with four other kings so they can go up together to attack Gibeon. "He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. 'Come up and help me attack Gibeon,' he said, 'because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.'" (Joshua 10:2-4)

"Then the five kings of the Amorites---the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon---joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it. The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: 'Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.'" (Joshua 10:5-6) The Gibeonites appeal to Joshua on the basis of being the servants of Israel. Due to the terms of the peace treaty between the Gibeonites and the Israelites, the city of Gibeon is a vassal city of Israel and therefore the city's people are dependents of the nation of Israel. The Israelites are compelled by the treaty to come to the aid of the Gibeonites and to defend the city against the five Amorite kings.

This was a frightening prospect. Although the Israelites have already defeated Sihon king of Heshbon, Og king of Bashan, and the unnamed kings of Jericho and Ai, they did not have to fight these kings and their armies all at the same time. We know the Israelites were apprehensive about the battle ahead because the Lord speaks words of reassurance to Joshua. "So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all his best fighting men. The Lord said to Joshua, 'Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. None of them will be able to withstand you.'" (Joshua 10:7-8) Would the Lord encourage these men not to be afraid unless they were afraid? I do not believe so. That would be a waste of time and words, and the Lord is not wasteful. I believe that anytime in the Scriptures when we find the Lord encouraging someone not to be afraid it is because they are afraid. It is so easy for human beings to be fearful when we compare our own puny strength with something huge that has come against us. That's why the Lord takes man's focus off his own strength and commands man to consider His strength. The soldiers of Israel are outnumbered by these five armies that are attacking Gibeon. In their own strength I do not believe the Israelites could have beaten these forces. But they don't have to depend on their own strength. They are to depend on the One who says, "I have given them into your hand." The Lord is going to fight on the side of Israel. With the Lord on their side, the Israelite soldiers cannot lose.

It was a mistake to make a treaty with the Gibeonites but the Lord is merciful and forgiving. He is going to defend His people and He is going to defend the Gibeonites who are now the subjects of His people. He will give Israel victory in battle by performing one of the most astonishing miracles of the Bible. Join us tomorrow as the Creator of the sun causes it to stand still in the sky.