The Sun Stood Still

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Opening Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your Word. It’s a lamp for my feet and my guide through the dark times of life.

Read Joshua 10:1–15

^[1] 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.

Meditate

Remember, with God all things are possible.

Think Further

Israel’s success in capturing Jericho and Ai and the pact between Gibeon

and Israel created fear and unrest among the Amorite kings in Canaan. They formed an allied

army to attack Gibeon, which had become Israel’s vassal state (2–4). The Gibeonites sent an

SOS to Joshua (6). Joshua responded by mustering his troops to save Gibeon (7). Though

Gibeon’s pact with Israel was deceptively obtained due to Israel’s carelessness (Josh. 9),

honoring one’s word was important. Even God helped Israel keep its word to Gibeon. He

promised Joshua: “I have given them into your hand” (8).

God’s help is highlighted in verse 10. God confounded the enemies and Israel “defeated” them,

“pursued” them and “cut them down.” In the KJV and NASB, it is God himself who does all

these actions. The NIV and other versions state the facts, like a news report, putting forth what is

logical. The KJV and NASB focus on the deeper truth and present the theological perspective:

God was directly behind Israel’s victory. This truth is made clear in the NIV in verse 11: more

died from the hailstones sent by God than from the Israelite swords.

God takes part in the battle in an amazingly direct way. Because Israel needed more daylight

hours to secure a complete victory, Joshua prayed to the Lord for the sun and moon to stand still.

God answered his prayer and stopped the sun for a day (13). The reference to that day as

historically unique (14) underlines for us that it was a miracle. The Lord listened to one man and

stopped the heavens in their tracks (14)! Indeed “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and

effective” (Jas. 5:16). It was clear that “the Lord was fighting for Israel!”(14).

Israel’s success in capturing Jericho and Ai and the pact between Gibeon and Israel created fear and unrest among the Amorite kings in Canaan. They formed an allied army to attack Gibeon, which had become Israel’s vassal state (2–4). The Gibeonites sent an SOS to Joshua (6). Joshua responded by mustering his troops to save Gibeon (7). Though Gibeon’s pact with Israel was deceptively obtained due to Israel’s carelessness (Josh. 9), honoring one’s word was important. Even God helped Israel keep its word to Gibeon. He promised Joshua: “I have given them into your hand” (8).
God’s help is highlighted in verse 10. God confounded the enemies and Israel “defeated” them, “pursued” them and “cut them down.” In the KJV and NASB, it is God himself who does all these actions. The NIV and other versions state the facts, like a news report, putting forth what is logical. The KJV and NASB focus on the deeper truth and present the theological perspective: God was directly behind Israel’s victory. This truth is made clear in the NIV in verse 11: more died from the hailstones sent by God than from the Israelite swords.
God takes part in the battle in an amazingly direct way. Because Israel needed more daylight hours to secure a complete victory, Joshua prayed to the Lord for the sun and moon to stand still. God answered his prayer and stopped the sun for a day (13). The reference to that day as historically unique (14) underlines for us that it was a miracle. The Lord listened to one man and stopped the heavens in their tracks (14)! Indeed “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (Jas. 5:16). It was clear that “the Lord was fighting for Israel!”(14).

Apply

Reflect on your present struggles within and around you. Where do you think God is? How is he fighting for you? Trust him and thank him.

Closing prayer

Awesome God, how great You are. You are over all things and yet You know me by name. My lips praise You.

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