If God Is for Us
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, I know that You are for me. Fill me with Your courage and strength today as I live out Your plans for me.
Read JOSHUA 10:1–15
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. 2 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. 3 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. 4 “Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5 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.
6 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.”
7 So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. 8 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.”
9 After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. 10 The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.
12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 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. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!
15 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Before reading further, thank God for his unfailing love for you.This was an incredible day in the life of a people following an incredible God. Spooked by the news that the powerful city of Gibeon had made peace with the Israelites (1–3), King Adoni- Zedek of Jerusalem decided on a preemptive strike to destroy the alliance. Calling his surrounding cronies, he laid siege to Gibeon (3–5). Little did he realize that this aggressive strategy for victory had simply played into Joshua’s hands: God would use this convergence to wipe out five opposing armies all at once (8).
As I read and reread this passage, I’m reminded of Romans 8:31. Not only did God sustain Joshua’s army after marching all night (9), he threw the armies of the Amorite kings into confusion (10), then he pounded them with giant hailstones (11). And, to ensure that none escaped his judgment, he responded to Joshua’s prayer and kept the sun shining (12–14). God had decided the outcome of this battle (8). There was no doubt, no balance of probabilities at play. And the same goes for you as his child. Jesus has won the definitive, decisive victory on your
behalf. He is the same God who was with Joshua and he has made you “more than a conqueror” (Rom. 8:37).
Apply
Open your heart to God; in what areas of your life might he want you to be filled with greater faith (see Rom. 8:31)?
Closing prayer
Powerful God, I praise You that our faith is fully founded in Your mighty strength.
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