INTERNET BIBLE STUDIES

Joshua – Lesson 11

Introduction:

Last week we saw several of the kings making a pact with one another to fight against Israel. The Gibeonites were even more devious, and some of them come dressed as people who have traveled a long journey, asking to join up with the Israelites to fight against the inhabitants of Canaan.. While they were somewhat cautious, Joshua agreed to work with them without praying and consulting God about it. This was very displeasing to God, but once the pact was made they had to honor it and go forward with it. The Gibeonites were offered protection, and they became the slaves of the people of Israel. We should learn from this to never make a pact with anyone without first consulting with God. He wants us to be separate in our walk in the world, not making agreements with those who are against God. This week, in Chapter 10, we study the victory that God gave the children of Israel at Gibeon.

I. War Against Gibeon and the Victory over their Enemies

Josh 10:1 Now it came to pass, when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;

Josh 10:2 That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.

We see that Jerusalem was the place God chose to put His name after Israel had taken the land of Canaan. We see that the king of Jerusalem, King Adonizedek gave God no place in his thoughts. Many in the world today will go through the Christmas season, never know the Christ that makes up the first word in Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season, but many will never acknowledge Christ. We see that the King found out that the King of Gibeon had made peace with Joshua, and they feared greatly. Perhaps he had expected to have the Gibeonites on his side to fight Israel. But even if they had, it would not have been enough. When you fight against God, you always lose. Remember when the Sanhedrin council was gathered to decide what to do with the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Gamaliel, a Pharisee and great man of knowledge of the Law Stood and addressed the group.

Acts 5:34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;

Acts 5:35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.

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Acts 5:38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:

Acts 5:39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

Acts 5:40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

Josh 10:3 Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,

Josh 10:4 Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.

We find that the Amorites were supposed to go out with the other kings to fight against Israel.

Josh 9:2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

So the king of Jerusalem calls four other kings of the Amorites to help him to go out and fight against Israel.. By fighting against Gibeon, they probably had intentions of teaching the other kings and their people a lesson about consorting with the enemy. They would teach them that if they did as Gibeon, they would be in danger of an attack from their neighbors.

II. Gibeon Makes an Appeal to Israel to Help

Josh 10:5 Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.

We see that the five kings setup camp right before Gibeon. They are confident that they would have success, but they did not have the God of Israel on their side. We may have many great plans, but without God in them, there is no guarantee of success.

James 4:13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

James 4:15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

The Amorites had been the ancient enemies of God's people from a way back.

Num 21:21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

Num 21:22 Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king's high way, until we be past thy borders.

Num 21:23 And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

Josh 10:6 And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.

Gibeon appealed to those who had shown them mercy, and ask that they come and help them. In this they showed confidence in Joshua, and were confident he would be willing to come and help. They felt he had the ability to rescue them. We should so walk before the Lord that others have that kind of confidence in us. And we should show that kind of attitude towards Jesus Christ… What is there that can happen that Jesus can't deal with. There is nothing… He is God and able to deal with all things.

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Did Joshua go to help? Of course he did.

Josh 10:7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.

When you and I as Christians are asked to help someone, what is our response… Do we Say "No", or get out the organizer and look for a time available… Jesus was always available to go right then… not 3 PM on Wednesday or 2:30 Friday, but right when they called him to go. The only exception to that was when Lazarus was dying, and Jesus delayed three minutes to prove to the people that He was the Messiah by raising Lazarus from the dead. We need to not only be willing to be used, but we need to go. Get out of our comfort zones and do something for God.

III. The Lord Assures Joshua of Victory

Josh 10:8 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.

Josh 10:9 Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.

You know that this had to thrill Joshua. Since they had lost the first battle at Ai, he knew what being defeated was like. He did not want that for the people. We see that they went up from Gilgal all night. To me this is the example we should follow. Not just go one mile, but go that extra mile for those who need us. But not many will go the second mile, because few ever go the first mile. How much do we truly care for the lost of this world?

Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Mat 5:40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

Mat 5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Mat 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

IV. God Destroys the Enemy of His People

Josh 10:10 And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.

Josh 10:11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

We see the battle was not only done with the sword, but God intervened and slew many with giant hailstones. When God is on our side, the battle is all but won. I'm sure this caused great fear to come upon those who heard of this victory. Note how large the hail must have been, and how it killed even more than the Israelites killed with the sword. And it only fell on the enemy. Could God do that… Yes he could, and he did.

V. One of the Most Outstanding Miracles in the Bible

Josh 10:12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.

Josh 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

Josh 10:14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.

Josh 10:15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

There are some things we read about in the Bible that cause me to marvel. This is one of them. By Joshua's command, the sun stood still. You hear that old saying that no one can stop the clock of time. Well, Joshua did for one day. I'm sure he got permission form God to do this, but if God would stop the sun for Joshua, what will He do for you and I? Just about anything we ask if it is in His will for our life.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Does God ever lie? Never… then if He promises this, why don't we pray more believing? Because we lack in faith. Joshua lacked not in faith.. The whole course of nature moves or stands still at the will of God.

Mat 8:25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

Mat 8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Mat 8:27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

We see that when the disciples were scared that night in the ship when the storm arose, Jesus came and rebuked the winds and the sea. Now that is the kind of God I serve. Praise God for the power of Jesus Christ. Satan himself has no power over Jesus.

The sun is but an instrument of God, made to perform His good pleasure. The light existed and the earth was clothed with vegetation before the sun was made.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

The sun only rises and proceeds in a natural course by Divine commission.

Job 9:7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

We see how God commands the sun, whether it rises or not. Remember how it gave no light to Egypt for 3 days.

Exo 10:22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:

Isa 38:8 Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

Remember how that God turned back the sun 10 degrees in the book of Isaiah.

One day, the Lord will cause the sun to be darkened and the moon to be turned to blood.

Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

This will happen at the end of the tribulation.

Three miracles of nature happened that day at Gibeon. The great hailstorms came down from heaven. The sun stood still for almost a whole day, and the moon stayed her course.

It says that Joshua returned and all Israel with him… seeming to indicate that none of the Israelites were killed.

VI. The Five Kings Found and Held until the Enemy be Destroyed

Josh 10:16 But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

Josh 10:17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.

Josh 10:18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:

Josh 10:19 And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.

Josh 10:20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.

Josh 10:21 And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.

Josh 10:22 Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.

Josh 10:23 And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

Josh 10:24 And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.

Josh 10:25 And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.

Josh 10:26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

Josh 10:27 And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.

We see in verse 17 that the five kings are found after being searched for. Their attempt to hide failed.

Num 32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

One thing is for sure… there is no hiding place from God.. He sees it all.

Joshua commanded to have them hanged upon trees.

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

We see that they were accursed of God.

VII. Victories at Makkedah

Josh 10:28 And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.

Josh 10:29 Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah:

Josh 10:30 And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.

Josh 10:31 And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:

Josh 10:32 And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

Josh 10:33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.

Josh 10:34 And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:

Josh 10:35 And they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

Josh 10:36 And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it:

Josh 10:37 And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.

Josh 10:38 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it:

Josh 10:39 And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.

Josh 10:40 So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.

Josh 10:41 And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.

Josh 10:42 And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

Josh 10:43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

All of the victories that Joshua had was because of God. We see the promises of God being performed in destroying the enemy.

Josh 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

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