The Day The Earth Stood Sll Screen 1 Joshua 10:1-14 09-27-15 Screen 2 Vs. 1 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem . “Adoni-zedek” -name means “my Screen 3 lord is zedek/righteous.” It is assumed that Canaanite kings assumed this name in imita>on of the ancient priest (“of the most high God” Gen. 14:18) and king of Salem (Jerusalem). (Melchezidek circa 2000 B.C. - 600 years before conquest of the land). “Jerusalem” - city of peace (“perfec>on”) Vs. 1 con’t. heard how Joshua had captured Ai . “Ai” - means “the ruin” - perhaps a meager military post at this >me in history. Vs. 1 con’t. and had devoted it to destruc>on, (“put under the bar”) doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, “the ban” - this meant total destruc>on of (literally) “devo>on” as in Joshua 6:17 “devoted to the Lord for destruc>on” This sounds vey harsh. (Remember this is the OT - not the fully revealed word of God. They had no Screen 4 “Sermon on the Mount”. They had no “love your enemies” teaching) We must remember, the Canaanites were evil - ghoulish people. They constantly entered Israel to join them in their religious pros>tu>on, child sacrifice and other atroci>es. The purity of the Israelite religion had to be preserved. (Does a surgeon hesitate to remove an arm, leg, even a vital organ to save the life?) * ULTIMATELY, the salva>on of the world depends on this endeavor - !1 another Jesus is on the way!!! [“Fierce devo>on to God”] How fiercely devoted to God are you? Am I? {I felt sad for all those people.” M. Freeman} “Jericho” - strategic loca>on - First city acacked (last week) “Gibeon” - the Gibeonites made peace with Israel in Joshua 9:15 Without the counsel of the Lord (lit. “mouth” of the Lord). [vs. 14] which would ul>mately lead to the divided kingdom (1 Kings 12) even though the Gibeonites had tricked them into it! We cannot afford to do anything - make any step - make any decision as a church and as individuals without the “counsel of the Lord!” Vs. 2 he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal ci>es, Screen 5 and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. Gibeon had lots of water (“drawer of water” Joshua 9:21) - very elaborate water system. Well inhabited and well for>fied. Probably had no king - none even men>oned. “Mighty” - powerful warriors - populaon unknown. Vs. 3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Screen 6 Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, “Hebron” - 19 miles S,SE of Jerusalem - another name for Kiriath - arba (”arba” in Hebrew Map 7 means 4) - 4 villages are connected with the city - strategic loca>on - travel routes “Jarmuth” - (or “wild ass”) popula>on 3,000 “Lachish” - a royal Canaanite city and one of the chief fortresses of Judah (about 30 mies !2 from Jerusalem). Immense strategic importance! It had a reputa>on for strength “Eglon” - loca>on uncertain Vs. 4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike (lit. means “smite”) Gibeon. For it Screen 8 has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.” *He wants to go on the offensive not against Joshua and the sons of Israel but rather on a sister-Canaanite city (Gibeon) because they made a treaty with the children of God.* (They were viewed as “selling out”) (*Coali>on against the people who made peace with the people of God.*) Vs. 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the Screen 9 Screen 10 king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it. The Amorites were descendants from Canaan (Genesis 10:15) - the 4th son of Ham, son of Noah. “Amorite” means “westerner” or “tall ones” - a prominent people group in Canaan. They were the most numerous of all the people groups in Canaan. (Almost 100% change Gibeonites will be annihilated!) Vs. 6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax Screen 11 (lit. “slacken your hands from”) your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.” A runner was sent to Joshua at Gilgal! So should Joshua and the children of Israel go? Do they owe anything to Gibeonites? NO! They had been tricked into their treaty in the first place. But > > > !3 Vs. 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the Screen 12 mighty men of valor. JOSHUA JUMPS ON IT!!! WHY? Up to this point, Joshua has acacked one walled/for>fied city at a >me. At the current rate of bacles - it will take him FOREVER to conquer/take the land. But here - Joshua and his forces have the opportunity to defeat five very strong, very strategic, very powerful, very wealthy ci>es at once!!! *A GREAT OPPORTUNITY HAS ARISEN - and when great opportuni>es arise, great leaders Screen 13 seize the MOMENT!!! A GREAT OPPORTUNITY HAS RISEN FOR RBC - COME TONIGHT AT 6:00 PM, IN THIS VERY ROOM - SANCTUARY! Great leaders don’t have the most talent; or giqedness; intellect; or abili>es - they have the most determina>on and have the ability to spot and seize *great opportuni>es*. (We have great leaders here at RBC who can spot great opportuni>es as they arise! AMEN!) Vs. 8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your Screen 14 hands. Not a man of them shall stand (soldier or watch) before you.” Lord says - “Do not fear!” Why? Joshua must have gocen afraid when he considered who he was going up against (COALITION - five highly organized; very strong; vey strategic; very wealthy and powerful ci>es at once) By the way - the children of Israel had NEVER - NEVER - NEVER - been up against a united group of anybody BEFORE this day. The pay off outweighed the RISK! (I can hear the people saying “we’ve never done this before . .”) But the word of God must take precedence above our comfort, ease and pleasure. !4 ➜OBSERVANCE REQUIRES RISK ⬅ “Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the absence of SELF! “ Erwin McManus *Really gets interes>ng.* Vs. 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. - Screen 15 a surprise acack. Joshua and his soldiers marched 25 miles from Gilgal to Gibeon in the dark. It was an assent of 4,000 q. up steep and difficult terrain. There was no opportunity for rest! (Roman soldiers had about 35 lbs. of equipment!) The army was fa>gued and faced a powerful foe. *God must intervene or all would be lost!* Vs. 10 And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a Screen 16 great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. Perhaps this surprise acack was s>ll in the dark. Many were killed in this ini>al acack and pursued them six miles to Beth- born (there were two ci>es called this, Upper Beth - horon (closer) (6 miles) and lower Beth-horon Map 17 (furtherest) (8 miles). Azekah is 24 miles (approximately) from Gibeon. Mahkedah is 14 miles South of Azekah = 38 miles total from Gibeon. The soldiers had marched all night 25 miles and then fought (to the death) many Ammorites and chased them/routed them another 38 miles = 63 miles! (from troops that haven't slept). To say that their >red is an understatement! If God doesn’t show up soon. DISASTER! (let’s back up a little) Vs. 11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth- Screen 18 Screen 19 horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they !5 died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword. Largest stone on record in the world - 300 lbs. Verona, Italy in 1762. May 1, 1888 during a hailstorm in Moradad, India - 250 people were killed. The largest American hailstone ever recorded was 17 inches in circumference, with a weight of 1 1/2 pounds * 1st MIRACLE - * This hail storm occurred in mid-summer. There are only five to eight days of hail per year in this area, mostly in mid-winter. Making this truly a miracle. (I can just see the Israelites running and figh>ng completely exhausted and God pel>ng the enemy with hailstones! {No>ce “stones” - stoning was punishment - mode of execu>on for the sins that the Canaanites par>cipated in! Literally, they were stoned to death by God!} Hail was an affront to the Amorites because their pagan deity BAAL was the great Canaanite storm god who was supposed to control the rain, the hail, the snow .