Theme: Miraculous Faith
Scriptures: Joshua 10:1-27
Notes and questions:
B1 Background
- Gibeon
- Canaanite city
- Means “hill city”
- Is a large town (Joshua 10:2)
- Was assigned to Benjamin (Joshua 18:25)
- Was assigned as a town for Levites (Joshua 21:17)
- Approximately 8 miles NW of Jerusalem
- At an elevation of 2,400 feet
- A city of deceivers (Joshua 9)
- Israel made a treat with them, but shouldn’t have
- Five kings attacked Gibeon.
- Israel destroyed all 5 kings.
- The place where the sun and moon stood still (Joshua 10:12-13)
- King Saul’s family had connections there.
- Abner and Joab had the young men fight at the well.
- Lord’s Tabernacle at Gibeon (1 Chronicles 16:39) King Saul, Samuel, and others worshipped there.
- Timeline and photos
B2 Joshua 9:1-2,
- What 5 nations are listed? (Joshua 9:1-2 HCSB) "When all the kings heard about Jericho and Ai, those who were west of the Jordan in the hill country, in the Judean foothills, and all along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea toward Lebanon — the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites —they formed a unified alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel."
- If Jericho and Ai had fallen, why did they think they could win against Israel?
- Why did the Gibeonites deceive Israel? (Joshua 9:22-27 HCSB) "Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us?Therefore you are cursed and will always be slaves — woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”The Gibeonites answered him, “It was clearly communicated to your servants that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. We greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever you think is right.”This is what Joshua did to them: he delivered them from the hands of the Israelites, and they did not kill them. On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers — as they are today — for the community and for the LORD’s altar at the place He would choose."
- Cities that are near and those who are far.
- (Deuteronomy 20:10-18 HCSB) "When you approach a city to fight against it, you must make an offer of peace. If it accepts your offer of peace and opens its gates to you, all the people found in it will become forced laborers for you and serve you. However, if it does not make peace with you but wages war against you, lay siege to it. When the LORD your God hands it over to you, you must strike down all its males with the sword. But you may take the women, children, animals, and whatever else is in the city — all its spoil — as plunder. You may enjoy the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God has given you. This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and are not among the cities of these nations. However, you must not let any living thing survive among the cities of these people the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. You must completely destroy them — the Hittite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite — as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they won’t teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and you sin against the LORD your God."
B3 Joshua 10:1-5,
- There are two famous “zedeks” Mel and Doni. Zedek is a title as king, lord, and pharoah are. Mel lived over 400 years before and was a priest of the most high God (Genesis 14). Doni was a priest for evil. The city of righteousness and peace was now a city devoted to destruction because of evil and no peace.
- Why did the 5 kings want to attack Gibeon?
- Did they think they would win?
- Who or what are some enemies we face?
- What do we do when facing enemies?
B4 Joshua 10:6-11,
- Even though Gibeon should have been destroyed per God’s command, Israel had made an oath/treaty with the Gibeonites. Now they make good on that oath.
- What was God’s response to Joshua when the Gibeonites asked for help?
- Air distance from Gilgal to Gibeon is ~10 or so miles. The ground distance that the army needed to walk was ~25 miles. The Israelites did this march in one night. Obviously when the Israelite army arrived it was light, and the fight started. Being very tired from the forced march and now having to fight would require extra strength.
- Who is the one who gave that strength?
- Who gives us strength when we are tired from our fights?
- Would this be encouraging? (Joshua 10:8 HCSB) "The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to stand against you."
- (Jude 1:24 HCSB) "Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen."
- The book Handfuls on Purpose has this comment on our passage: “Those who have purposed in their heart to do the will of God may confidently expect the help of God.”
- Azekah is a city close to where David and Goliath fought.
- Makkedah is southwest of Gibeon and sough of Azekah.
- Does God kill? See Joshua 10:11.
- If God is loving, why does He kill? (Romans 6:23 HCSB) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." So the same will happen to all people, unless they repent and believe the Gospel.
B5 Joshua 10:12-15,
- Was there really a day where the sun stood still? See http://creation.com/joshuas-long-day
- Some possibilities
- Bending of light miraculously to make it appear so. There is no slowing of the earth’s rotation.
- Changing of earth’s axis to give appearance. There is no slowing of the earth’s rotation.
- Slowing or stopping the earth’s rotation.
- An eclipse was a sign.
- The sun and the moon were at opposite sides of the horizon.
- Miraculous light source, not the sun. There is no slowing of the earth’s rotation.
- There is no science that shows a long day. NASA did not find a long day; this is rumor and not true.
- The Scriptures say it stopped, so be it.
- Another thing, if someone is going to fight God, they will lose. Psalms 2:1 Why do the nations rebel and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the LORD and His Anointed One: 3 “Let us tear off their chains and free ourselves from their restraints.” 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord ridicules them. 5 Then He speaks to them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath: 6 “I have consecrated My King on Zion, My holy mountain.” 7 I will declare the LORD’s decree: He said to Me, “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father. 8 Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession. 9 You will break them with a rod of iron; You will shatter them like pottery.” 10 So now, kings, be wise; receive instruction, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with reverential awe and rejoice with trembling. 12 Pay homage to the Son or He will be angry and you will perish in your rebellion, for His anger may ignite at any moment. All those who take refuge in Him are happy.
B6 Joshua 10:16-27,
- Can we hide from God? (Psalm 139:7-12 KJ2000) Where shall I go from your Spirit? or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, you are there: if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hides not from you; but the night shines as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to you.
- What is the significance of the commanders putting their feet on the enemy king’s necks? (Deuteronomy 21:22-23 HCSB) “If anyone is found guilty of an offense deserving the death penalty and is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, you are not to leave his corpse on the tree overnight but are to bury him that day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.”
- What encouragement do you find in (Joshua 10:25 NKJV) “Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
- Can we finish what God has called us to?
B7 Next Week
- Serious Business
- Theme: Covenant Faith
- Scriptures: joshua 24:1-28
