Joshua 10:1-15

Joshua 10:1-15

So far in Joshua it has become clear that the nations are recognizing the God of Israel and His power. They have seen countless times how He has provided for them in giving them victories. They had already captured two large cities in the Promised Land, and the remaining nations were starting to worry. In Joshua 10, the king of Jerusalem begins to grow fearful of Israel’s power, but his main concern is how Gibeon had aligned with Israel. Gibeon was one of the larger nations in the land, and the king of Jerusalem became upset with their decision. He would have much rather had them on his side, hopefully to fight with him against Israel. Now he was looking at a battle against Israel with the help of Gibeon. He more than likely felt as if he was already defeated. So he gathered some of the surrounding nations by his side and prepared for war, but his war was not against Israel. Instead, he decided to attack Gibeon.


Gibeon immediately went to Joshua for help. Because of the covenant they had made with Israel, they expected Israel to help them in this battle. Joshua could have simply said no, allowed Gibeon to be destroyed, and return to Israel back to its normal state, as they had been before Gibeon tricked them. However, Joshua recognized that Gibeon was now a part of Israel. Even through man’s mistake, God had brought Gibeon to them, and in the process He was able to reach out to people from another nation. Therefore, God told Joshua to go and defend Gibeon and promised a victory once again. So Joshua led Israel alongside Gibeon and attacked the nations that had gathered against them.

What is truly amazing in this story is not what Joshua, Israel, or Gibeon was able to accomplish in this battle. This story hinges on God’s miracles. God promised victory, but He did not say that the victory would come from the hands of Israel. Israel killed a good amount of the soldiers from these opposing nations, but that is not what won the battle. God sent large hailstones to the ground, killing the soldiers as they fled. Furthermore, He allowed the sun to stand still, for much longer than 24 hours, in order that the battle could be finished.

Yes, Joshua was the military leader and he did request from God that the sun stand still, but the central figure in this story is God. More and more people around the world (or at least that part of the world) were discovering the God of Israel. They may not have like all He was doing, but they knew who He was. His name was spreading throughout the world at a rapid pace. One of the main reasons His name was becoming known was because of what He was doing. He was splitting rivers, raining down hailstones, and holding the sun in place. He was defying all the laws of nature (which He can do since He put those laws in place), and showed the nations that who He truly is. He worked with Israel through their mistakes, and after they repented, He continued to bless them with victory. If we lose sight of God in this story, then we lose sight of the whole meaning of it as well. God is to be obeyed, and those who choose not to will endure His wrath. As for those who obey His commands, life may still be hard, and hard times (such as a league of armies) may come against you, but you can always depend on God and find strength in Him. It may not be easy, and victory may not come immediately, but God will be on your side, and what is better than that?

Matt