My friends, are
you the will of God and predestination to be King? Are you a King, heart of
God’s own heart and walk in the way to please the Lord? Gibeonites faced five
kings joined the force against them, how to defeat these huge army? Who helped
them to conquer the battle? Who were the true authority and power in the
military to defeat the enemy? Today, we
will learn the battle in O.T. book of Joshua 10: 1-43 and discover the
destruction of the Amorite coalition and the victory of Israelites. When the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of
peace with Israel, they were living near them. The king of
Jerusalem-Adoni-Zedek appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth,
Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon for the coalition in order to
attach Gibeon, because the people of Gibeon had made peace with Joshua and the
Israelites. These five kings of the Amorites joined forces. And moved up with
all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it.
(Joshua10:5)
When
there is nation crisis, to whom will you seek for help? It is significant
element to win the battle. The Gibeonites
asked Joshua for help and said, “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 force against us.” So Joshua
marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting
men. The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them
into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”
((Joshua10:6-7).
The Lord’s hand is with Joshua and the army of
Israelites, the Lord demonstrated three supernatural powers to defeat the Amorites
forces.
- The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah.
- The Lord casted down the large hailstones on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “O Sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon. So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar.
- The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a man. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel. (Joshua 10:10-14).
There are three different assumptions to view this
phenomenon supernatural event.
1) Some
assume a slowing or suspending of the normal rotation of the earth so that
there were extra hours that day (either twelve or twenty four). God did this so
that Joshua’s forces could complete their victory before the enemy had a night
for rest and regrouping. The Hebrew for stood still is a verb of motion,
indicating a slowing or stopping of the rotation of the earth on its axits which
would not affect the earth’s movement around the sun.
2) Some
assumes no irregularity in the rotation of the earth. One such view argues for
the prolonging of daylight by some sort of unusual refraction of the sun’s
rays. Therefore, there were more daylight hours but not more hours in the day.
3) Some
view supposes a prolonging of semi-darkness to give Joshua’s men relief from
the blazing summer sun, accomplished by God’s sending an unusual summer
hailstorm. This view takes stood still in verse 13 to mean “be still” or “cease”,
indicating that the sun was clouded by the storm and no extra hours were added
to the day.
The Lord defeated
the Amorite coalition and has given five kings into Joshua’s hand. The whole
army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered
a word against the Israelites. And they brought the five kings out of the cave
(where they had fled and hidden) to Joshua. Joshua
summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come
with him, come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings. So they came
forward and placed their feet on their necks. Joshua said to them, “Do
not be afraid, and do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is
what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” Then
Joshua struck and killed the kings and hung them on five trees until evening.
(vv.24-26)
Joshua gained the
battle, and took the Makkedah city, Libnah city, Lachish city, Eglon city,
Hebron city, Debir, and whole region including the hill county the Negev. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as
the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. Joshua subdued them from Kadesh
Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. All these kings
and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of
Israel fought for Israel. (v.42)
The Implication of Joshua 10: 1-43
1. Fear of God is the beginning
of wisdom, where there is God’s will and predestination, there will be the
strength and victory. God fought for Joshua’s battle to defeat the coalition of five
kings by sent nature disaster - hailstones, miraculously, none of the
hailstones harmed the Israelites.
2. Human need to submit and acknowledge God’s predestination. When Moses
pointed out Joshua to be the leader, God’s face shine upon the Joshua and fight
for his battle. Joshua is the will of God to inherit Moses’ leadership and
fulfill God’s calling to lead His people into the Canaan the land of milk and
honey. When there is God’s will and predestination, God fought Gibeonites
battle for the sake of Israelites.
3. Be humble; seek right God and godly council. The reason
resulted of the destruction of the Amorite coalition, because Gibeonites humble
asked Joshua’s help and the Lord is with Joshua, God’s favor is upon the Joshua
and the Israelites. Even there were five kings Adoni-Zedek, Hebron, Jarmuth,
Lachish and Eglon joined forces to against Gibeon and attacked it. With Lord’s
help, Joshua saved the people of Gibeon and defeated the forces of Amorite.
4. Don’t be frustrated and don’t resist God’s will and predestination,
if you are not God’s will and predestination in His timing, eve the coalition
of fives kings, it can results destruction. Joshua struck and killed the five
kings who had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah and subdued the entire
city, conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought
for Israel. (Joshua10:42).
5. When you are the predestination of God, God listen to your prayers
and petition. When the Lord fought for Israel, the Lord gave the Amorites over to
Israel, and answered Joshua’s prayers. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky
and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it
before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a man. Surely the Lord was
fighting for Israel.” (Joshua10:14).
Bibliography,
Bruce,
Katherine L. Weekly Message: The
destruction of Amorite coalition and implication of Joshua 10: 1-43. Orlando, FL:
Christian Arts Ministries, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSBBbmeaM9Q&feature=share
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