Weekly
Message: The victory of Israel vs.
Amorite coalition (Joshua 10: 1-43)
By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce Christian Arts
Ministries 3182016/ 5/15/2022
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.
1).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,
2).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.
3) 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
took the Makkedah city, Libnah city, Lachish city, Eglon, Hebron , Debir, 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 form 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
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 Joshua and Israelites sake.
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 and
predestination 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 defeated them all in this
battle.
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 there are fives kings’ coalition, 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 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. (Joshua10:42)
5.
When you are in
the will 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. He said, “O Sun, stands still over
Gibeon, O moon, over the valley of Aijalon. 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 victory of Israel vs. Amorite coalition (Joshua
10: 1-43) Orlando, FL; Christian Arts Ministries, 2016.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study
Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
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