The day the sun stood still: Joshua 10

 

 Living in the Promised Land: A study in the book of Joshua

To view this online as a video:  https://youtu.be/LcFWom3gL2c

Lesson Ten: Chapter 10: Southern dominance

A.     Introduction

1.     Greetings

2.     Overview. [For those online, see this book overview from The Bible Project (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqOqJlFF_eU )

B.     Today’s lesson: Chapter 10: Southern dominance

1.     A call to battle (.1-.8)

 

In today’s episodes, we see the Jewish people having conquered the cities of Jericho and Ai as dominators on the road to taking over the whole country. The people of Jerusalem hear about it (in verse 1) and send word to others in the southern regions of the country asking for their help to fight against Israel. What especially triggered their worry is that the Gibeonites had made an alliance with Israel (verse 4) and Gibeah is no small village itself. In other words, the king says, “the people of Jerusalem are in trouble, and so are the rest of you!”

At their convening they purposed to fight against Gibeah and take it just then. And thus we see in verse 5. The battle lines are drawn. Five kings and their armies line up to take the town of Gibeah. 

The people of Gibeah then send for their new partners, the ones who signed the contract to be loyal to each other in last week’s episode, the Israelites. Even though Joshua had agreed to make the Gibeonites into water bearers and lumberjacks without the counsel of the Lord, their contract was binding. Who knew that the first test of the contract would be a military protectorate and the alliance struck would cause Israel to wage war against five kings at once!

Verse 6 is the Gibeonite appeal. “Do not abandon your servants!” The Hebrew is an idiomatic expression I really like. It’s literally “Do not let your hands drop from your servants.” The use of hands biblically is fascinating to study from swearing an oath to calling on the Lord in prayer, from anointing people to serve in specialized categories to healing touches. The word ‘hand’ is yad in Hebrew and is the base of the word “Todah” meaning “thanks.” Even our thanksgiving could involve a clap or raised hand. The word hand is used over 1900 times in the Bible, which makes it substantially significant. 

I ponder the use of hand in the Gibeonite appeal, that they are asking the Israelites to stand with them in this imminent battle and not to drop your hands from us. The appeal to assistance is a usual use of the word hand. We even use the expression, ‘To lend a hand’ to someone. God was often angry with his people for “the work of their hands” being idolatry, that is, building idols with their hands. Paul the apostle said, “He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labour, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. (Eph. 4.28)

You can use your hands for good or for evil. Yesterday I watched a young man in our shop take a full afternoon into the evening readying a wall with scraping and puttying and then drawing an arrow, and finally painting and refinishing the work of his hands. It was and is good. His hands were employed in service to the Lord and to us, and I’m grateful.

2.     The battle itself (.9-15)

The Jewish people, at least the armies of Israel, were summoned by Joshua and marched through the night. They arrived at dawn and surprised the 5 Kings. (Verse 9). The enemy armies were still asleep, and the slaughter was comprehensive. Look at who gets credit for this victory? 

Verse 10 says it was the Lord who slew the enemies. Can you imagine if you were one of the Israeli army soldiers? You were awakened in the evening, and called on to march about 30 km to launch a surprise attack on the enemy camp. That means about 8 to 10 hour marching. And then God alone gets the credit. 

Look, what did he employ? Hailstones were used. It says God threw the stones down. (verse 11) And that more people died from the hail than from the battlers on the ground. So I guess a humble Israelite would have to acknowledge that. 

What’s also fascinating is that the hail only landed on and killed the enemies of Israel. That’s a user-specific miracle that builds my faith again. Then…

The sun stood still. 

There is so much discussion and opinion about how this worked. Most notable for us is that the Bible is not a science book. It’s a book of theology and history, of persons and God’s plans. When you read that the sun stood still, or even that Joshua prayed for this to happen, today, we know that the sun and earth are both in motion, but that the sun does not revolve around the earth. It was since the middle of the XVI century that Copernicus’ theory of our heliocentric solar system has been considered, and although it took about 100 years for Copernicus to be endorsed by science wholeheartedly, it seemed to contravene the biblical record. 

So let’s mention a couple of things about this cosmological reality.

Butler says this in his commentary:

the Hebrew verb דמם can mean “to be motionless” or “to be silent.” It may have meant that the heavenly bodies did not shine (Noth) or that the sun stood still and did not move, as it is interpreted by the Compiler (v 13b). Such poetry may have been motivated by a cosmic eclipse (Sawyer, PEQ 104 [1972] 139–46), by a Palestinian hailstorm (Scott ZAW 64 [1952] 19–20) or by an understanding of heavenly signs and portents by which proper positions of the heavenly bodies are important for earthly events (Holladay, JBL 87 [1968] 176). The precise context of the original poem will probably never be discovered.

See what I mean about controversy. And the problem lies in trying to make the theology book into an integrated volume with current science. That’s not how this works. 

What we are seeing here is not a step-by-step battle plan but rather one overarching theme—God is a Warrior and he fights for his people. He assures Joshua in verse 8 that he will be with the armies, and Joshua obeys and takes the army with him to Gibeon. Sure enough the Lord performs and acts on Israel’s behalf. If the sun and moon want to get involved, so be it. If the wind and the stones and the hail and the rain… if anything and everything wants to line up, so be it. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,The credit though is not as some astronomers would proclaim. The credit belongs to the Lord. 

And then let me cite another fairly respectable conclusion.

The traditional view must be maintained, however, for these alternate explanations do not do justice to the language of the text. Though it is true the verb dum (translated stand still in Joshua’s call) means basically "be silent" and so could refer to being silent in other ways than retardation of movement, still the verb amadh is also used (twice in v. 13) and it definitely indicates a change in pattern of movement. Further, verse 13 closes with the expression "and hasted not to go down," where the word "hasted" (uz) again speaks of motion, and the phrase "to go down" (labho) is normally in reference to the sun setting. Still further, verse 14 states that this day was unique in history which suggests a major miracle occurred such as to the prolongation of a natural day. The extent of the prolongation can also be estimated. Since the hour was noon when Joshua voiced the call, and it was stated that the sun did not go down for "about a whole day" (keyom tamin), it is likely that the afternoon hours until sunset were prolonged twice their normal length. In other words, the total daylight hours of the day were one and one-half times normal (Leon Wood, A Survey of Israels History, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1970, p. 181).

But I prefer the idea of darkness pervading. It’s based on the use of the damam meaning “to be silent’ and amad meaning to cease (Gen. 29.35, 30.9) and the sea ceasing to rage (Jonah 1.15) and elsewhere (2 King 13.18, 4.6). Most notable is Habakkuk 3.11 when the prophet is citing this moment in our history and says it ceased. 

If the attack was early in the morning and darkness was our cover, then asking the sun to stand aside (or stand down as in military language) denotes a request for darkness to continue. And that’s what I hold as my conclusion of this matter.

BUT REMEMBER… it’s not the how, but the WHO that matters in this story and other Holy War stories. God answered. The sun and moon, gods of other peoples, are subject to the Lord of Lords. 

3.     The ending of the kings and the mop up of the victory (.15-43)

The five kings were placed in caves as holding tanks, later brought out and slain, and then hanged on a tree as evidence of the comprehensive victories. They did not remain on the trees overnight as a way of honouring, even the dead, and even the enemies of Israel. Never let mockery define you. 

See the verse in Deuteronomy (21.23) which we spoke about last week, and which we both note here and Paul in Galatians used to highlight the curse of the tree-hanger. 

Deut. 21:22   “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, ²³ his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance.

The mop up of the operations fills the last of the chapter and due to time constraints, we leave that to your ease of reading later. The southern conquest is complete (.40-43), although not comprehensive as we will see in verse 20 and this will haunt the Jewish people later on. 

Invitation

Dear friends, do you have such a commitment to the Lord of Lords today? Have you met the one who was cursed on the Roman tree for you in Jerusalem? if you have never asked Yeshua to be your Saviour, today as we keep learning from Joshua, would you choose to believe the Lord of life?   What does it mean to be strong and courageous in light of learning about Yeshua? Would you be willing to take a stand for him who took a stand and died on a Roman cross for you? We remember Passion week and call Good Friday good because Messiah’s death accomplished salvation for all people. He took the curse we deserved to give us his righteousness which he deserved.

Without that kipporah (sacrifice) we would be hopeless, but because Yeshua died in our place on Passover, as the Passover lamb, and his blood was applied to the doorposts of our hearts, we can be forgiven. 

If you’d like to receive that today, just now, join me as we pray.

Say something like this: “Father in Yeshua’s name, forgive me my sin, I was wrong to dismiss you and to disbelieve in you. I need your mercy. I deserve punishment but you are kind and merciful and I receive your grace. I repent. I receive Yeshua as my saviour and Lord. I will live because of my faith in Messiah Yeshua. Amen.

If you prayed that, please let us know of your profession by writing straightaway, won’t you? Bob@JewsforJesus.org.au We’d love to hear from you.

 

Conclusion

We are delighted you have joined us today. Please join us next week and learn with the others how you can stay on track in 2021 and beyond.   I hope to see you next week as we continue our studies in Joshua.  You will certainly see yourself in the readings and in the lessons. It will be worthwhile!  Next week we will look at chapter 11, in what I call “How not to win” and see what lessons we can draw for ourselves from the events there!

Hope to see you then… until then, Shabbat shalom!

 

 

 

Bibliography

Butler, Trent C., Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 7. Joshua. Word, Waco, 1983.

Davis, Dale Ralph, Joshua: No Falling Words, Christian Focus, Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland, 2019.

Hess, Richard. Tyndale Commentary Complete. 

Meyer, F.B., Joshua and the Land of Promise, Christian Literature Crusade, Ft Washington PA, 1977.

Pritchard, James, “The Bible reports on Gibeon.” Penn Museum, Expedition, 1961. Volume 3, Issue 4.

Sanders, J. Oswald, Promised-Land Living, Moody Press, Chicago, 1984.

Toms, Paul, This land is your land. Gospel Light Publishing, Glendale CA, 1977.

Weirsbe, Warren. Be Strong: Putting God's Power to Work in Your Life. David C. Cook Publishing, Colorado Springs, 2010.

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D-Groups for this week

1)              Monday 11 am Sydney time. Led by James Howse

2)              Monday 7 pm, Sydney time, led by James White

(Contact our office for zoom details)

If you’d like to host a D-Group either online or in person, please contact bob@jewsforjesus.org.au for further details. It’s time to step up. Ponder this—who will be in your D-Group?

 

The Book of Joshua:   Outline.

 

C.     Entering the Land (Chapters 1-4)

a.     Chapter 1: A funeral and a promise (Leadership Lesson 1)

b.     Chapter 2: A harlot saves the day 

c.      Chapter 3: Go against the flow (Part 1)

d.     Chapter 4: Go against the flow (Part 2)

 

D.    Taking the Land (5-12)

a.     Chapter 5: Roll away iniquity: a study in sacraments 

b.     Chapter 6: Joshua fit d’battle ob Jericho

c.      Chapter 7: Getting it very wrong: Achan and his mistakes

d.     Chapter 8: Combat and Covenant

e.     Chapter 9: Common sense is not so common

f.      Chapter 10: Southern dominance

g.     Chapter 11: How not to win

h.     Chapter 12: God is faithful

 

E.     Possessing the Land (13-21)

a.     Chapter 13: Inheritance lessons

b.     Chapter 14:  For example

c.      Chapter 15: Geography lesson

d.     Chapter 16: Trends of note (Part 1)

e.     Chapter 17: Trends of note (Part 2)

f.      Chapter 18: Apportionment (Part 1)

g.     Chapter 19: Apportionment (Part 2)

h.     Chapter 20: Provisions (Part 1)

i.       Chapter 21: Provisions (Part 2)

 

F.     Retaining the Land (22-24)

a.     Chapter 22: Can an altar alter anything?

b.     Chapter 23: Staying on edge

c.      Chapter 24: Three funerals and Renewing the covenant

 

The Seven Nations

 

1.     Amorite

2.     Canaanite

3.     Girgashite

4.     Hittite

5.     Hivite

6.     Jebusite 

7.     Perizzite 

 

 

 

 

Josh. 10:1   Now it came about when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and had utterly destroyed it (just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were within their land, ² that he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. ³Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron and to Piram king of Jarmuth and to Japhia king of Lachish and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, ⁴ “Come up to me and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.” ⁵ So the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they with all their armies, and camped by Gibeon and fought against it.

 

Josh. 10:6   Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.” ⁷ So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. ⁸ The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.” ⁹ So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal. ¹⁰ And the LORD confounded them before Israel, and He ¹slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

 

Josh. 10:12    Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, 

            “O ^asun, stand still at Gibeon, 

            And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.”

^{13          a}So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, 

            Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. 

Is it not written in ^bthe book of Jashar? And ^cthe sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go downfor about a whole day. ¹⁴ There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for ^athe LORD fought for Israel.

 

Josh. 10:15   Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp to Gilgal.

 

Josh. 10:16   Now these ^afive kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah. ¹⁷ It was told Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” ¹⁸ Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and assign men by it to guard them, ¹⁹ but do not stay there yourselves; pursue your enemies and ¹attack them in the rear. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.” ²⁰ It came about when Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished ¹slaying them with a very great slaughter, ^auntil they were destroyed, and the survivors who remained of them ²had entered the fortified cities, ²¹ that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. No one ¹uttered a word against any of the sons of Israel.

 

Josh. 10:22   Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring these five kings out to me from the cave.” ²³ They did so, and ^abrought these five kings out to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. ²⁴ When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near, ^aput your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and put their feet on their necks. ²⁵ Joshua then said to them, “^aDo not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.” ²⁶ So afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he ^ahanged them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until evening. ²⁷ It came about at ¹sunset that Joshua gave a command, and ^athey took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and put large stones over the mouth of the cave, to this very day.

 

Josh. 10:28   Now Joshua captured Makkedah on that day, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword; ^ahe ¹utterly destroyed ²it and every ³person who was in it. He left no survivor. Thus he did to the king of Makkedah ^bjust as he had done to the king of Jericho.

 

Josh. 10:29   Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to ^aLibnah, and fought against Libnah. ³⁰ The LORD gave it also with its king into the hands of Israel, and he struck it and every person who was in it with the edge of the sword. He left no survivor in it. Thus he did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

 

Josh. 10:31   And Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish, and they camped by it and fought against it. ³² The LORD gave Lachish into the hands of Israel; and he captured it on the second day, and struck it and every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

 

Josh. 10:33   Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua defeated him and his people until he had left him no survivor.

 

Josh. 10:34   And Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon, and they camped by it and fought against it. ³⁵ They captured it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; and he utterly destroyed that day every person who was in it, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

 

Josh. 10:36   Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it. ³⁷ They captured it and struck it and its king and all its cities and all the persons who were in it with the edge of the sword. He left no survivor, according to all that he had done to Eglon. And he utterly destroyed it and every person who wasin it.

 

Josh. 10:38   Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to Debir, and they fought against it. ³⁹ He captured it and its king and all its cities, and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person who was in it. He left no survivor. Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had also done to Libnah and its king.

 

Josh. 10:40   Thus Joshua struck all the land, the hill country and the Negev and the lowland and the slopes and all their kings. He left no survivor, but he utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. ⁴¹ Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea even as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen even as far as Gibeon. ⁴² Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. ⁴³ So Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.