Joshua 10:12-15

¹²On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” ¹³So 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. ¹⁴There 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! ¹⁵Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

Introduction

Paul’s prophecy has come true in this generation. It says in 2 Timothy 4:3, ³For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

When I accepted the challenge to be a pastor of the church, I don’t know if I heard but I can’t remember if the people who interviewed me on-line mention that they will dictate what I’ll preach. If it was so, then I would have obliged or rejected the challenge.
Yet, things happen when certain individuals wanted to dictate the way I prepare and deliver sermons. Such individuals were not the ones who interviewed me for sure. Nevertheless, I preach a sermon I prayerfully prepared and published in the website a day before delivery of the sermon. I also trust that those who would listen and act upon my sermon will be blessed, just as I was blessed to learn from it.
What should we do when people oppose to our message? Expect resistance. Israel is chosen by God yet He allowed them to experience war to help them grow in their faith.

When their enemy conspired to attack Jerusalem, King Jehoshaphat had millions of soldiers but he resolved to trust God and prayed for deliverance. The Lord’s Spirit told him in 2 Chronicles 20:15, ¹⁵This is what the Lord says to you: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not your, but God’s.”

This passage reminds us that resistance to work of the Lord is not our battle. The battle belongs to the Lord. Amen. The devil will still oppose God’s work. No matter how we respond, the devil will continue to oppose. The Lord allows such events to show us His power, how He will deliver the faithful, and to build our spiritual strength.

1. Deliverance

‎ ¹²On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in ‎the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”

The word “gave” is literally translated “delivered.”
The Lord Himself delivered the Amorites into the hands of the Israelites. He served as delivery agent to Joshua. The idea of deliverance is like God has put the Amorites in a delivery basket to Joshua, and the Israelites defeated them without much effort.
Joshua prayed in the presence of the Israelites, while the Lord brought confusion among the Amorites. The Lord exalted Joshua when He listened to the prayer of Joshua.
¹³So 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.
The word “Jashar” is properly translated “upright.”
To God, it is pleasing in His eyes or it is right in His eyes to listen to Joshua’s prayer. The ancient Hebrew concept is that the sun and moon move around the earth. Nevertheless, the idea that the sun and moon stopped in the middle of the sky to delay going down, it teaches that the Lord was in control and helped Israel defeat their enemies‎.

Practically speaking, when the Amorites retreated from the Israelites, they might have sought refuge in the forest in the Valley of Aijalon. The Israelites were not familiar of the place, and they could be ambushed by the escaping Amorites. The Israelites needed brightness of the sun and moon to complete their war and to collect plunders.
The kings of the Amorites conspired to oppose the Israelites but the Lord delivered them into the hands of Joshua and the Israelites. The story narrated that the Lord confused the Amorites and hurled downed hailstones.‎ Is this a timely lesson of trust in the Lord when people conspire to oppose His work through us?

Surprise Drama

Few days before it happened, there was a speculation that there would be surprise drama. It happened! Someone walked, took a mike and preached intensely the manuscript he prepared. I did not interrupt, why? How do I know if God speak through him or not? How should we respond? How should we respond when people insult us? ‎

It says in Romans 15:3-6, ³For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” ⁴For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. ⁵May the God who gives endurance and encouragement gives you the same attitude of mind to ward each other that Christ Jesus had, ⁶so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The human tendency when someone strikes us in the face is to strike back. But As Christians we believe that the insults we take while serving the Lord have fallen on Him. Therefore, if Christ’s Spirit is in us, insults may affect but cannot control us. It’s not us they insulted but Christ. With Christ’s Spirit is in us, we’ve got peace and gladness even when enemies would conspire to insult us. Find peace and joy in the Lord!
Jehoshaphat trusted that their battle belonged to the Lord. When they arrived at the enemies’ camp, they did not need to fight. They just carried the plunder from their fallen enemies. Like Jehoshaphat who trusted that the battle belongs to the Lord, we should trust how the Lord would fight for us and devour our enemies. Any Amen to that?

2. Devour

¹⁴There 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! ¹⁵Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.‎

The word “fight” is literally translated “devour.”
The idea of “devour” is to eat everything voraciously or to consume destructively, greedily and hungrily. Ancient Hebrews described how the Lord delivered the Amorites into their hands like devouring food hungrily.
When Joshua returned with all the Israelites into their camp at Gilgal, they would have been very hungry. And while they were eating, perhaps, the women and children asked, “How’s the battle?” Someone might have pointed out. “Just look at those hungry soldiers how they eat their food. That is how the Lord has devoured the Amorites!”

Boodle Fight

Have you ever experienced Boodle Fight? In a Boodle Fight, all food is distributed in a long table on banana leaves. Everyone who participates would use bare hands to eat. So when the “go” signal is given, everyone would just eat as much as he can. After the Boodle Fight is finished, the left over is a picture of how food is devoured.

And everyone who participates would agree of their satisfaction in the Boodle Fight experience. Similarly, when the Lord fought and devoured the enemies of the Israelites, Joshua and all Israel returned to their camp with complete satisfaction in the result of their battle against the Amorites.

As Christians, how should we respond when someone would cause our life to be difficult? The Lord has given us an example to follow. On the night when they arrested Jesus, one of His disciples reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Remember what did Jesus say?
Jesus told him in Matthew 26:52-53,‎ ⁵²“Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”

Bible students suggest that Peter died with the sword because he was the one who cut the ear of the servant. Others say he was crucified upside-down.l

Two nights before the unprecedented and unexpected drama last Sunday, the Lord has impressed in my heart when we were reading this passage during our family devotion. During our family devotion, each of us would share what God has impressed in each one’s heart. This was the passage I shared in our family devotion last Friday.
I was not surprised when some came to give a surprise sermon he planned and prepared. I did not have any grudge but pity on those who conspired to participate in the surprise drama. I hope that they did not blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
When the Lord encouraged Joshua not to be afraid of the Amorites and assured him that He delivered His enemies into their hands, it was an event to inspire us to keep on trusting the Lord Jesus even when things are confusing to us.
God will vindicate us and we trust Him all the more.
It’s His fight not ours! So find peace and joy in the Lord during surprise drama.

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