In Joshua 10, King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem, alarmed by Israel’s victories and Gibeon’s alliance with them, formed a coalition of five Amorite kings to attack Gibeon. Gibeon appealed to Joshua for help, and Joshua led his forces in a surprise attack after an all-night march. The LORD assured Joshua of victory, threw the enemy into confusion, and intervened with hailstones that killed more than the Israelites did. Joshua prayed for the sun and moon to stand still, extending the day for Israel’s victory.
The five kings were captured, and executed. Their bodies were placed in the cave where they hid. Joshua then led Israel in a campaign that conquered multiple cities, including Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir, leaving no survivors as commanded by the LORD. This campaign secured the southern region of Canaan, demonstrating God’s support for Israel.
On the day that the LORD gave the men of Israel victory over the Amorites, Joshua spoke to the LORD. In the presence of the Israelites he said, “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; Moon, stop over Aijalon Valley.” [13] The sun stood still and the moon did not move until the nation had conquered its enemies. This is written in The Book of Jashar. The sun stood still in the middle of the sky and did not go down for a whole day. [14] Never before, and never since, has there been a day like it, when the LORD obeyed a human being. The LORD fought on Israel’s side! [15] After this, Joshua and his army went back to the camp at Gilgal.
Joshua 10:12-15 GNB
Considering this entire occurrence, not only did the Lord induce fear in the Amorites and unleash hailstones upon them, but simultaneously, Joshua fervently appealed to the Lord for divine intervention – for the sun to halt its movement. How was this extraordinary event accomplished?
It’s unexplainable by human standards, but many theories try to provide evidence. Author Immanuel Velikovsky noted that there are records from ancient Americans speaking of an extraordinarily long night at the same approximate time of this event with Joshua. Some scholars have found Egyptian documents describing an eclipse that took place around the same time as this event.
Of course, as believers we understand that this was a miracle from God, however, I believe the “how” is much less important than the “why.” Why did God answer this prayer of Joshua’s and why did Joshua pray it?
Logically speaking, as Joshua’s army had the Amorites on the run. He knew they would regroup and attack the next day if the Israelites didn’t completely destroy these forces before sundown. So, Joshua’s prayer fell within the already-revealed will of God. God had said they would be victorious. So Joshua, knowing this, prays boldly.
Are our prayers characterized by boldness? Not boldness in terms of demanding everything we desire, but boldness in terms of aligning our prayers with the thoughts and ways of God that have already been revealed. Joshua exemplified this boldness as he advanced in faith, standing alongside God on the battlefield.
Even though Joshua and his people had a lapse in judgment making a treaty with Gibeon, at this point, Joshua and God want the same thing. Notice, Joshua doesn’t ask God to fight for Him but for God to give Joshua the opportunity to fight with Him. Their wills are aligned, and this is a beautiful thing because I believe when our will is aligned with God’s and we are participating in that plan, He will lead us and guide us to victory.
In order to know His will we have to know Him. We have to open His Word and understand what He loves and what He hates and once our hearts have been changed, our prayers will follow. Look at what Jesus said…
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33 ESV
So, where do you need to make adjustments to your prayer life based on this reality? Have you been seeking God or seeking an outcome?
Probably the strongest point to consider in this story is the fact that God still answered Joshua’s prayer and worked a miracle despite their foolish decision to make a treaty without seeking Him! Joshua got himself into this mess, and it would be God who would get him out – but let’s consider Joshua’s action steps.
In Joshua 9, he does not consult God and foolishly enters into an unfavorable agreement with his adversaries. It proves to be a grave mistake. Instead of retaliating against Gibeon for their deceit, Joshua could have chosen from several alternative courses of action. One possibility was launching an attack on Gibeon, thus avenging their treachery. Another option involved informing them that they would not be receiving assistance, as they had deceived the Israelites and deserved the consequences.
Many of us tend to compound one sin with another, falling into this kind of thinking. The journey from Gilgal to Gibeon was an arduous 25-mile trek, including a challenging 4,000-foot elevation ascent. Furthermore, they had to undertake this journey at night.
Many of us would have said, “I’m not doing it. It’s too hard.” It would have been easy to justify the position that it was not their battle to fight. How many of us have missed the miracle because we compounded one sin on top of another?
At this critical junction, Israel chose to keep their word, trust God, and put in the effort into moving forward with an impossible promise, and it’s clear the Lord blessed this decision. Their success (and ours as well) is not determined by the degree of strength or strategy, but rather, by the degree of seeking and obeying God’s ways.