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March 25
The Bible reading for today is in Joshua chapters 9,10,11.
We begin our reading with a deception. The Gibeonites were Canaanites who lied to the leaders of Israel in order to establish a covenant relationship that would protect them from Israel’s army.
By now kings of the provinces in Canaan have begun to talk with each other about this enemy called Israel. They were aware of their power and their victories over Egyptians and Canaanites, especially mighty Jericho.
Gibeon pretended to be a people colony outside of the boundaries of Canaan. They knew of Israel’s “scorched earth” policy of destroying every man woman and child in Canaan. Their plan of deception was to protect their families from such annihilation.
And they got away with it. A covenant was made with Israel that committed each people group to the welfare of the other. Thus, Joshua and the congregation were unable, by their oath in God’s name, to strike the Gibeonites down. So they made the Gibeonite neighbors their servants...their slaves.
How did Joshua miss this evil deception? Our reading today tells us.
“So the leaders of Israel took some offerings from the Gibeonite ambassadors instead of seeking the Lord about the covenant.”
Wow...up to now, Joshua had been so careful to look to the Lord concerning this promised land invasion. But this time he was distracted. So distracted by the actors and their gifts that he forgot to seek God’s counsel. And that spiritual carelessness would cost the Israelites down the road. And that’s a part of the rest of the story.
Back to the text...Five kings in Canaan put a plan together to draw Israel’s army out. They would attack Israel’s new partner, Gibeon...to confuse the foreign soldiers of who was and who was not their enemy.
Those 5 Kings didn't know Joshua’s God. The scriptural record reveals that God commanded and promised Joshua.
He commanded him “to not fear”. He promised him “victory” on the field of battle. To fear would be more than disobedience. It would also demonstrate little faith in God.
So Joshua led his army on a 12-hour march from Gilgal to Gibeon...uphill 3,000 feet...for 20 miles. And the Israelite army, after all of that, was given victory on the battlefield by God.
That sounds like the end of the story. But not quite.
God was giving good success to the Israeli army. But there was still much fighting to be done as twilight approached. So Joshua asked God for a special favor. Speaking in front of his fellow warriors, Joshua said...
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon...and the sun stood still until Joshua’s army could take out God’s full vengeance on the five kings...even to their total destruction.” The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for a whole day. There has been no day like it, before or since.”
Every time I read, “there has been no day like it...”...I think of two things:
1. “God stopped the universe for His people”...in my mind, God was showing His treasured ones just how much He loved them and believed in them...stopping heaven and earth to prove it.
2. I think of another special day when God reoriented the universe for His chosen ones...when He covered the sun with His hand from noon until three...pitch dark for three hours...while His sinless son took on the darkness and the judgment of God on the sins of all His elect sons and daughters throughout time...so to save all those who believe Him...like you and me...
Without apology, we can say, “...there has been no day like it, before or since.”
Thank You, Jesus
Have a great day
