What kind of life!

What kind of life! - Joshua 10:8-14 Joshua was due to the Gibeonites (Gibeon). Although they cleverly reached the people of Israel, the issue was that the Gibeonites pose as ambassadors to make an alliance (ally-covenant, agreement, unite) with Israel. They lie that they say they are distant, but it is false, they are close. The princes of the congregations had sworn in. They could no longer touch them. Punishment is given, they had to be water carriers and lumberjacks for the whole congregation. Gibeon is trapped in the other cities, and they ask Joshua for help.

I. Gibeon was attacked and they ask Israel for help.

A. A man of faith and great passion was needed.

1. God encourages him in this decision.

2. He knew that because they had embraced faith and worship of the God of Israel, they had joined together to shelter under the shadow of His wings.

3. As his servants, he had obliged himself to protect them.

4. (Joshua 9:22, 23, 27) He delivered them from the hand of the children of Israel and they did not kill Him.

5. God encouraged Joshua in this work: (Joshua 10:8) Do not be afraid of them; that is; (A) Do not doubt the goodness of your cause "or the clarity of your calling." (B) Do not fear the power of the enemy; for I have delivered them into your hands.

6. Joshua how soon he prepares to execute his decision and God helps him in the execution of his purpose.

7. "The great ability of Joshua" and "the power of God working effectually to defeat the enemy."

8. In this action "Joshua showed his good will" "in the haste he gave to succor Gibeon." (Joshua 10:9).

9. Now that the thing was ripe to carry it out. "No one was as quick as Joshua, even if it seemed slow before."

10. He marched all night, "determined" "not to give rest to his eyes" nor torpor (numbness, drowsiness) to his eyelids until he had carried out his enterprise.

11. We cannot be idlers (who have little willingness to do something that requires effort or constitutes an obligation, especially work), but hardworking.

12. Joshua's great faith and the power of God crowned Joshua's faith with the stupendous miracle of stopping the march of the sun, thus prolonging the day of Israel's victory until the total defeat of the enemy.

13. The hailstones did not fall from a place higher than the clouds; but, to show that help came to Joshua from a higher place, the sun itself, that with its constant motion (action and effect of moving or being moved) rendered its services to the whole earth, it stopped on this occasion to do a special favor to "the Israelites."

14. We see that: (a) The phrase "Sun, stop" was great on Joshua's lips.

15. He commands the sun to stop at Gibeon, the site of the war (battle) action, and implies that what he was trying to do with this request was for Israel to "gain an advantage over its enemies."

16. The wonderful response to Joshua's request.

17. As soon as Joshua uttered the phrase, "the sun stood still."

18. (Joshua 10:12) Joshua spoke to the God of miracles and all supernatural.

19. God was not going to leave His people devastated and destroyed.

20. That the enemy did not have a night to rest and regroup his forces.

21. (Joshua 10:13) "Stopped" indicates a delay or stop in the rotation of the Earth around its axis.

22. Thus, prolonging the hours, the Israelites had to pursue and destroy the enemy before they could escape to the safety of their walled cities.

23. Literally in descriptive language is to say that the sun and the moon stopped.

24. Several "natural explanations" have been given for what happened on this occasion.

25. So simple: But it is enough to know that it was a miracle that resulted in an extended day for battle.

26. How he did it is not a question for us... It is not for us to try to explain or apologize to miracles, but to glorify their God.

27. The battle had been a tremendous feat for Joshua and Israel.

28. They had marched all night and then fought for the longest day in history.

29. They had (Joshua 10:10-11) strived beyond ordinary limits, yet the victory was the Lord's.

30. (Matthew Henry) But why did Joshua have to try so hard for himself and his men?

31. Had not God promised him that He would without fail deliver the enemy into his hands?

32. "It is true that He had said so; but God's promises are not given to “relax" and suppress (to make it disappear or cease to exist, to eliminate, to take away), but "to enliven" and "encourage" our efforts. Amen.