bibleteacher.org: sermon by Rev Willmouth, Joshua 10:1-21:45

"Winning The Victory"
Joshua 10:1-21:45
(Focal Passage: 10:1-15)

(This Sermon was preached at Trinity Bible Church on January 6, 2002. All Scripture
references used in this sermon are based upon the NASB^®, unless otherwise stated)

This Sermon was written and submitted by: Joseph M. Willmouth, Pastor of Trinity Bible Church in Biloxi, Mississippi 39532. This contributed article is copyright protected, and the sole property of the contributing author. It may be freely copied and used provided the above credits are included. Document expiration: indefinite.

1 Now it came about when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and had utterly destroyed it (just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were within their land, 2 that he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. 3 Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron and to Piram king of Jarmuth and to Japhia king of Lachish and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 "Come up to me and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel." 5 So the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they with all their armies, and camped by Gibeon and fought against it. 6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, "Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us." 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. 8 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you." 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal. 10 And the LORD confounded them before Israel, and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And it came about as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that the LORD threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword. 12 Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon." 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. 14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. 15 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp to Gilgal.

Introduction: We have come to a long section of Scripture that I have decided to summarize much of it because it contains so much historical information that it would be best suited for a bible study class and not a sermon. This section also pretty much covers the same principles that we have covered up to this point and there is no need to go back over them. I hope that you will take the time and read through those areas on your own so that you will have a fuller understanding of Israel's history and how it fits into the other books of the Old Testament. This morning, I want to concentrate on a small section and how it relates to believers today. We often fail to remember that like Israel, we too are in are in a struggle against the things of this world; Ephesians 6:12, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Because of this fact, we can learn from Israel's example of how to win the victory in our walk with the Lord.

I. Know That The Opposition Is United (10:1-5).
1. It is brought together by fear (vv.1-2).

A. One of the principal kings in the south, Adoni-Zedek [uh-doh'ni-zee'dek], gathered the whole region together to fight against Israel (EBCNT).
1) His name means "Lord of Righteousness."
2) The news of Israel's victories at Jericho and Ai, with the extermination of all their inhabitants, struck fear into the heart of Adoni-Zedek (EBCNT), because with the surrender of the Gibeonite cities completed an arc beginning at Gilgal and extending through Jericho and Ai to a point just a few miles northwest of Jerusalem (BKC).
A) Jerusalem's security was being severely threatened.
B) If the advances of Israel's armies continued without challenge Jerusalem would soon be surrounded and captured.

B. We are told that when the king had learned of Israel's victories and the Gibeonites' defection that "he feared greatly."
1) "feared," ("yare'" {yaw-ray': qal imperf}); to fear, be afraid, terrify.
2) "greatly," ("me'od" {meh-ode'}); exceedingly, abundantly, greatly.
C. The defection of the Gibeonites was cause for great alarm for three reasons (EBCNT):
1) It was discouraging to see such a large city with an excellent army surrender to the enemy.
2) Without Gibeon the southern coalition was severely weakened.
3) They constituted a fifth column that would fight with Israel in time of war.

Application: Fear comes in many different packages. There's a healthy fear, like having reverence or respect for someone. There's also a healthy fear that protects us from harming ourselves. Then there's a another type of fear that we see in this passage, and it goes just beyond being afraid of someone. What was driving the king of Jerusalem's fear was that there was something that was going to happen that would totally disrupt their world. The reason why the world gets fearful when God's people are on the move is because they are afraid that their world will be disrupted. What I mean by their world, is their very way of thinking and behaving. And it doesn't matter if you come carrying a sword or a Bible, both are just as threatening to the world's way of thinking. When this happens they are willing to do what ever it takes to stop you. Just this last week, I read in the Washington Times (01/02/02) that the Democratic Party here in America has come up with a plan to identify the "the religious right" (i.e., any Christian who acts like a Christian) with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Their goal is to make people think that Christians are extremists and intolerant. Whether we like it or not, we need to recognize that we are at war with the worldly culture in which we live. They are fearful of Christians and the truth of the Scriptures, because if the Bible is right then they are wrong and their world is threatened. Whenever God's people are on the move, and obeying God's commands then the world becomes fearful.

2. It is motivated by hate (vv.3-5).

A. The king of Jerusalem intensified his efforts at building an alliance with the kings of Hebron [hee'bruhn], Jarmuth [jair'uh-moth], Lachish [lay'kish], and Eglon [eg'lon] (MOT).
1) He was not about to let the Gibeonite-Israelite covenant go unchallenged.
2) He would crush the Gibeonites while the Israelites were still camped about 20 miles (32 Kilometers) down the Judean hillside, along the Jordan River at Gilgal.
B. Gibeon had to be punished to prevent any further defections to Israel and also to eliminate the threat of their siding with Israel in time of war so the coalition of kings moved against Gibeon.

Application: John Huffman makes this observation, "When on God's side, you will face opposition. God's people are always threatened by those who are not on God's side" (MOT). When a person studies world history it doesn't take long to see that the world has been at war with God and His people for most of its existence. Throughout history, the harder the world tried to silence God's people the more they grew. We are reminded of the world's view of us in John 15:18, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you."

II. Realize Your Need For Help (10:6-15).
1. From Others (vv.6-7).

A. Faced with certain slaughter, the Gibeonites sent a runner to Joshua in Gilgal with an appeal for help against the overwhelming force that pressed on them (BKC).
B. Joshua was faithful to his promise and sent help to the Gibeonites.

Application: The Gibeonites knew they were headed for destruction, so they came to Joshua ("Jehovah is Savior") and asked for protection. When they found themselves in danger, they believed Joshua's promise and called on him for help. That's what God's people need to do when they find themselves facing the battles of life. The Gibeonites turned the whole burden over to Joshua and trusted him to keep his word, and he did (BS). Likewise we need to turn our burdens over to "Jehovah is Savior" (Greek: Jesus/Hebrew: Joshua) and we need to turn to one another for help and encouragement. We are reminded of this throughout the New Testament: Hebrews 10:24, "and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds"; Galatians 6:10, "So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." If a Christian cannot trust another Christian for help, then what good is the Christian faith? We must always be willing to help others when we can so that our fellowship and faith will remain strong even in the midst of great danger. And again we are reminded in this passage about keeping our word to others. Israel may have made some mistakes along the way, but this didn't stop them from keeping their promises to others. God wants us to live in such a way that our lives attract others to Christ, and this should include honesty and integrity (JIS).

2. From the Lord (vv.8-15).

A. The present situation was urgent, and God's word of encouragement and his promise of victory were welcome (v.8: EBCNT).
1) The phrase, "fear not," had become a keynote in Joshua's walk with the Lord (1:5-9; 6:2; 8:1).
2) Neither Joshua or the Jews had to be afraid because God had already promised them victory (BS).
B. Not only could Israel trust in God's promises, they also had to exercise their faith by putting it into action by their marching off to battle (v.9: EBCNT).
1) Israel made a forced march under the cover of darkness.
2) The march would have taken eight to ten hours.
C. Not only did they have God's promise of victory, they had God's help in the victory (vv.10-15).
1) First God "confounded" the enemy (v.10).
A) "confounded," ("hamam" {haw-man'}); brought into confusion, to throw into confusion.
B) In the midst of this confusion, it made it easier for the army of Israel to destroy many of the enemy troops.
2) Second, God brought down hailstones that killed many of the enemy troops (v.11: EBCNT).
A) When God intervened on behalf of his people with "large hailstones," the accomplishments of Israel's army were dwarfed by comparison.
B) It was the Lord who won the victory.
C) The Canaanites, who worshiped nature deities, must have thought that their own gods were aiding the Israelites.
3) Thirdly, God extended the day light so that the enemy could be totally destroyed (vv.12-15).
A) This miracle is often called "Joshua's long day," and it is the fourth and last great miracle in the book of Joshua (EBCNT; BFS).
(1) The parting of the Jordan River (3:7-17).
(2) The destruction of Jericho (6:1-27).
(3) The hail and sword destroy the Gibeonites (10:1-11).
(4) The sun and moon stand still (10:12-15).
B) The fact is NO ONE, apart from God, can tell how this happened but it doesn't change the fact that it did take place.
C) "The Book of Jashar" (i.e., "the book of the righteous") is mentioned also in 2 Samuel 1:18 (EBCNT).
(1) Like "the book of the annals of the kings of Israel" (1 Kings 14:19) and "the book of the annals of the kings of Judah" (1 Kings 14:29), this bit of ancient Hebrew literature has been lost.
(2) Perhaps it was a collection of heroic songs.

Application: This passage provides an excellent example of the interplay between the work of God and the work of man in achieving victory (BFS). Many people would look at this passage and totally focuses upon the miracles and would try to convince believers today that this type of miracle should be a part of our daily lives. After all, didn't Jesus say that if we had the faith of the mustard seed we could move mountains? While that is true, the focus here isn't on Joshua's prayer for a miracle, but rather it is upon the fact that when God desires something done, He will personally be involved in getting it done and will answer prayer that seeks the same thing that He wants. We are reminded of this in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." God often turns the prayers of ordinary men into the miraculous when they first seek God's desires. He will open closed doors, and will do what we cannot do by ourselves. The focus here is not that we should seek a miracle, but rather we should seek the Lord's plans and not our own, and when we do see the impossible take place then we should give Him the glory and not try to make people think that it was because of our super-faith. God simply wants faithful people, who will faithfully march to His drum beat. This is the key for winning the victory.

III. Winning The Victory (10:16-21:45). (just summarize this section)
1. Completing The Conquest (10:16-12:24).

A. The Southern campaign completed (10:16-43).
1) Kings and cities destroyed (vv.16-39).
2) Southern campaign recounted (vv.40-43).
B. The Northern campaign completed (11:1-15).
1) Kings unite in opposition to Israel (vv.1-5).
2) Israel conquers the armies and cities of the North (vv.6-15).
C. The summation of all of Israel's campaigns (11:16-12:24).
1) The land conquered (11:16-23).
2) The enemy overcome (12:1-24).

Application: Two things stand out in this record; It was the Lord who gave the victory and Joshua obeyed the Lord by destroying the enemy, just as Moses had commanded (with the one exception of Gibeon: BS). Another important thing to bring out in this section is that this didn't happen overnight but took somewhere around 7 years just to complete the Northern campaign. This is easy to forget since all we have is a few condensed chapters that we can read which makes the time seem shorter. We must never be in a hurry to outrun God and be so impatient that we get ahead of Him. We must remember to do things according to God's ways and in God's time. Psalm 27:14, "Wait for the LORD; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD."

2. The rewards of faithfulness (13:1-21:45).

A. The division of land among the 12 tribes (13:1-19:51).
B. The cities of refuge appointed (20:1-9).
C. The 48 Levitical cities given (21:1-45).

Application: God rewarded the Israelites' faithfulness by giving them the land that He had promised to Abraham and his descendants (Gen.12:7). He even provided care and provision for those who needed His protection and to the priests whose inheritance was their service to the Lord. We should always remember that the blessings that God gives to His people is never the result of their good works, but are the results of God's good grace and God's promises. As the people of God, we can claim God's assurances by faith. God has also made a New Covenant through the shed blood of His Only Son, Jesus Christ. And like the covenants that He had made with Israel in the past, He will be faithful to keep the new one also. God's promises can be trusted, no matter what the circumstances may be (BS). The apostle Paul reminded us of this fact in 1 Corinthians 1:9, "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

Truths To Ponder: (our key to winning the victory)
1. Remember that the world does not love you, nor will they ever seek peace with you as long as you live like a Christian.

- In fact the more you grow and mature in your walk with the Lord and become more like Christ the more they will fear and hate you.

2. Second, remember to seek both God's help and other believers' help.

3. Thirdly, be obedient to God's Word and seek to do His will first.

4. Fourth, be patient and wait upon the Lord and don't try to run ahead of Him.

5. Lastly, know that in the end we'll have the victory in Jesus Christ and will be rewarded for our faithful service (1 Cor.3:10-15; 2 Cor.5:10).

Study References

BKC - John Walvoord & Roy Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Old Testament ed).
BS - Be Strong; putting God's Power to Work in Your Life, by Warren Wiersbe.
BFS - Bible Studies Foundation (http://www.bible.org/).
EBCNT - Zondervan's, Expositor's Bible Commentary, New Testament.
JIS - Journey Into Success, by Tommy C. Higle.
MOT - Mastering the Old Testament, vol.6, Joshua, by John Huffman.

Hebrew Study Reference Tools

. Analytical Key to the Old Testament, by John Owens, Baker Books, Grand Rapids MI, 1999
. Bible Works 4.0 for Windows, Hermeneutika Bible Research Software, Big Fork MO., 2^nd edition.
. Biblical Hebrew; An Introductory Grammar, by Page Kelley, Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids MI, 1992
. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, by E. Brown, S. Driver, and C. Briggs, Hendrickson Publishers, 1996
. The Complete Word Study Bible & Reference CD, by Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, AMG Publishers, 1997
. Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament, by H.W.F. Gesenius, Baker Books, Grand Rapids MI, 1994
. Nelson's Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament, Merrill Unger and William White Editors, Thomas Nelson
    Publishers, Nashville TN, 1980.
. The New Englishman's Hebrew Concordance, by Wigram, Hendrickson Publishers, 1984.
. New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology, Willem VanGemeran, General Editor, Zondervan Publishing
    House, Grand Rapids MI, 1997
. Old Testament Parsing Guide, by Todd Beall, William Banks and Colin Smith, Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville
    TN, 2000.
. Wilson's Old Testament Word Studies, by William Wilson, MacDonald Publishing Co. McLean VA, (note dated).