April 23, 2024 | Be God's Light
The Sun Stands Still
Scripture: Joshua 10:1-15 (NIV)
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.
Devotional
Halley’s Comet makes a trip around the solar system every seventy-six years. It’s next scheduled appearance will be in 2061, when I am 100 years old. I can’t wait. The solar eclipse, which passed over my house two weeks ago, was another reminder that our universe is the handiwork of God. The next one to pass over Indiana will be in twenty years. Maybe there’s a better chance that I’ll see that instead of Halley’s Comet.
But the miracle in today’s Scripture is other-level power of God. The sun simply stayed put high in the sky for a full day. This is astronomically impossible. In other words, child’s play for the Creator of the universe. The key to understanding this is found in the last sentence of verse 14: “Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!” God was intervening and would get the glory for the victory.
It's all too easy to give ourselves credit for the things we have experienced in our lives. After all, we had no control that we were born into a particular family or in a certain country. In fact, we had no control that we were born at all. Our lives, from the moment of conception, are in the hand of God.
Psalm 31:14-15 says, “But I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands.” And after experiencing devastating loss, Job said this about God: “In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10).
Scientists believe that there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on the earth. The same God who spoke every star, planet, moon, and comet into being is the same God who knows you intimately from womb to tomb. The next time you are unsure about the power of God, just look to the sky. The next time you are doubting the love of God, just look in the mirror.
Poem
But You
Our enemies are noisy with shouts of mocking scorn
With spun lies and false witnesses they spew from morn to morn
But you, be not distracted
But you, be not afraid
But you, focus upon your King
But you, on Christ be staid
Sometimes we face a giant, sometimes our people shake
Sometimes the armor of this world we’re tempted to uptake
But you, pick up your five stones
But you, armed with God’s word
But you, stand on the battle field
But you, in strength of God
We often are outnumbered, captured and bound in jail
Before authorities we will stand, our faith in Christ they rail
But you, do not be frightened
But you, in strength be meek
But you, declare salvation
But you, God’s Spirit speak
