Since that time, they have crossed Jordan and they had only two setbacks.
1. THE PEOPLE OF AI
They had a tremendous victory at Jericho, but because God had told them not to partake of any of their possessions, and Achan disobeyed that command, they suffered a major setback at Ai.
But we need to look more closely at something that has confused a lot of folks
For example, why is it that God would not let them have the possessions of Jericho, but allowed them to have all the possessions of the countries after Jericho?
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT TO BE TRUE? The Word of God tells us. Look at Joshua 6:9, we read, “But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.”
It is believed by many that JERICHO WAS A TYPE OF FIRST FRUITS TO THE LORD, and its spoils were to be brought into the treasury of the Lord.
But from Jericho on, the people got to keep all the spoils of the cities.
Their first setback was at Jericho. But their second setback was with-
2. THE PEOPLE OF GIBEON
The Gibeonites were one of the people that Israel would be destroying eventually after Jericho. This is something they knew would take place.
But the Gibeonites outsmarted Israel by deception.
The Gibeonites lived about 18-20 miles from where Joshua and the people of Israel were camped. They came up with a clever plan and pretended to live in a distant land, and gave Joshua and Israel the impression that they would be no threat to their security. They stated that they wanted to make a peace treaty with Israel.
To make it look like they lived in a distant land and had come a long way to make a peace treaty:
• They put on old clothing
• They told Joshua and the rulers of Israel they had heard about all their victories in the wilderness before they had crossed Jordan and how they defeated the king of Og and Sihon on the other side of the Jordan River
• They had heard about their victories on this side of Jordan
• They convinced Joshua to draw up a peace treaty with them so when they came to their land they would not destroy them
• They deceived them and caused them to sign the peace treaty
It is not difficult to be deceived. People who watch television are deceived all the time.
Illus: For decades, James Arness (Matt Dillion) on the popular television program called “Gunsmoke” has been deceiving people into thinking he is a tough cowboy.
An Interview on the western channel revealed he is not the tough guy he acts like he is on “Gunsmoke”
Dennis Weaver said that most folks do not know this, but this fellow loves to have a good time. He said people will watch this tall man with no smile on his face, look the worst criminal in the eye and say, “Put that gun down or I will shoot!” He said on one occasion they were shooting such a scene, and Matt Dillon was standing toe to toe with one of the bad guys in this movie, and he had one of his hands behind his back, away from the camera. And he said as soon as they shot the scene, “He pulled from behind him one of the biggest ice cream cones you have ever seen, and started licking on it!”
But now things are beginning to change for Joshua and Israel. Until now, as they waged war to take possession of the Promised Land, it was always:
• One army
• One city at a time
But since they made a peace treaty with Gibeon in chapter 10, they are now fighting:
• Five armies
• Five cities
• Five kings
• All at one time
That is, five kings had joined hands to defeat Israel. But these five kings decided that before they would take on Israel, they would first destroy the Gibeonites for not joining in with them.
When these five kings decided to wipe the Gibeonites out, they sent a message to Joshua and Israel.
I. THE MESSAGE OF THIS BATTLE
Look at Joshua 10:1-7, we read, “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. 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. 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, 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. 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. 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. So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.”
In all the previous battles, they were fighting for land, but now they are fighting because of a Peace Treaty they had made with the Gibeonites. Joshua was not sure how this was going to affect their relationship with God.
Before, God always told Joshua not to be afraid, God would be with him and would give him the city.
Since the stakes were different, it must have caused Israel to wonder if God would be with them fighting for the Gibeonites. Verse 8, must have been a great source of comfort. Look at verse 8, we read, “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.”
Look at THE STRATEGY.
This was their biggest undertaking. They were now taking on five major armies. And may I say up front, had God not been with them, Israel would have been wiped from the earth.
The strategy consisted of two things -
A. JOSHUA’S ATTACK
Look at verses 9-10, we read, “Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night. 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.”
This was clever, but before you can appreciate it, you have to get a mental picture of what is taking place here.
Gibeon is approximately 18 to 20 miles from Gilgal. Gibeon sent a message to Israel, and the message was, “Help!”
Gibeon is surrounded by these five armies that are getting a good nights sleep, before they go into Gibeon the next morning to destroy them.
But while they were resting for the battle the next day, Joshua and Israel traveled that 18 to 20 miles at night, and surrounded them, and attacked them in the early hours of the morning.
While they were asleep, and before they got ready, they used the element of surprise to get the advantage over them.
But JOSHUA’S ATTACK was not enough to destroy five armies. Look at-
B. JEHOVAH’S ATTACK
Look at Joshua 10:11, we read, “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.”
When Joshua attacked them by surprise, they fled, but the Bible says they could not get away from God, because He “…Cast down great stones from heaven…”
Notice how God was fighting with them. Joshua and Israel are using swords, and God is using hailstones! You do your part, and God will do His part.
Illus: Imagine a baseball dropped from an airplane flying at 30,000 feet...imagine that baseball reaching speeds of 120 MPH as it falls to the ground...and imagine you're under it!
The Lord did more to defeat these five armies than Joshua and his men did.
This was a long battle, in fact, it started in the morning and lasted until late in the day. And that day seems to be like some of the days we have, that is, there are not enough hours to do what we need to do.
And Joshua did something that NO MAN HAS EVER DONE BEFORE. He more or less said, “God, we have been fighting all day long. We have been fighting five different armies at one time, but it is almost dark and the job is not finished.”
We have looked at THE MESSAGE OF THIS BATTLE. Now, look at what Joshua did.
II. THE MIRACLE OF THIS BATTLE
Look at verses 12-14, we read, “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. 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. 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.”
The sun is going down and the battle is not finished, so this man of God, in the presence of witnesses, said, “Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.”
And that is exactly what happened! The Bible says there has never been a day like this day before or since!
This miracle gives the liberals a fit. They said this is something that could never happen. It most likely will never happen again, but according to the Word of God, it did happened one time.
After this great miracle, look at-
III. THE MARVEL OF THIS BATTLE
Remember Joshua is fighting FIVE KINGS.
A. LOOK AT THE DESTRUCTION OF THESE KINGS
Look at verses 15-28, we read, “And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal. But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah. And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them: 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. 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. 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. Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave. 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. 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. 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. And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. 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. 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.”
B. LOOK AT THE DEVOURING OF THEIR LAND
Look at verses 29-43, we read, “Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah: 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. And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it: 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. Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining. And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it: 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. And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it: 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. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it: 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. 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. And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon. And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.”
The Bible says God mightily worked through Joshua and Israel. In verse 42, we read, “And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.”
Conclusion:
IS THERE ANY BATTLE TOO GREAT FOR THE LORD?
No, when God’s people are walking in obedience, there is no battle too great for the Lord.
I. THE MESSAGE OF THIS BATTLE
II. THE MIRACLE OF THIS BATTLE
III. THE MARVEL OF THIS BATTLE
