So have you heard of someone speaking of an abrupt change or a suddenly, when what was wrong was made right or what about something right, was going right suddenly changed to something not so good?
Do we notice when a "suddenly" appears and involves nations around the world at the same time?
The Flood occurred to save those who follow God! God show Noah the strategic plan of "An Ark" to save those of Noah's family for the rest of that known world were going to die because of their evil ways! Remember rain appeared abruptly, but Noah knew it was coming and it took some one hundred years to arrive, and it was delivered. And the known world at that time participated in that 'event'.
Then there was the day the Sun stood still and the Moon stopped in place.
Joshua 10 12-15 NKJV Then Joshua spoke 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 still over Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. 14 And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of man; for the LORD fought for Israel. 15 Then Joshua returned and all Israel with him, to the camp of Gilgal.
The " abruptly" appears out of or from the supernatural of God! It occurs when there is prayer given, when answers are needed and the only one who can get it done is God Himself!
In this passage, Joshua spoke to God in prayer that the sun stand still.....and we all know that we on planet earth orbit around the sun. The point is that sun had to stop its influence on the planets as the earth. Joshua spoke to the sun and the moon!
In earlier passages of Joshua, the man did not consult with God! In Joshua 9:14. You might remember this passage. You know there was a group of men called the Gibeonites and they had heard what God with Joshua and Israel had done had Jericho and Ai! So these men decided to deceive Joshua and Israel. They decided to be 'ambassadors' and they prepared their deceit by making themselves appear as the weary travelers. They took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. ( Joshua 9:1-5)
Then they come to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal and said: "we have come from a far country; now therefore make a covenant with us." And Joshua does question them about they might dwell among them and he asks again where do they come from and their response is that they have come from a very far country.....then they say flattering things like" we come because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt.
If you remember from what God told them, they would have to rid Canaan of the Canaanites. These specific men were Hivites who had most likely come into the region from what would have been north of Palestine in Syria. It was meant that they had to rid the land of them like what had been done in Jericho and Ai.
In earlier reading of Joshua, you can find those who live in Canaan as the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites,Girgashites, Amorites, & Jebusites.( Joshua 3:1-13)
As the Israelites entered into Canaan, those who of that land were hearing of their entrance and they began to melt within their hearts that God was moving in and His rule was going to be seen! And yes, kings and the such were shaking for they were to be driven out of that which God promised His people who came to possess that very land! So these Gibeonites did not think they could unite the cities of Canaan to fight against Israel, so they thought they would join them, the children of God, so they could live and not die!
These deceitful men keep speaking:
Joshua 9:11 Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take no provisions with you for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us." 12 "this bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy. 13 "And these wine-skins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey." 14 Then the man of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD.
Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them. And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them. (Joshua 9:15-17) The children of Israel then came to the actual region these deceitful men lived and allowed them to live. Israel had believed their lies and sworn a covenant with them. But the rulers said they would have them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them. Addressing that the men be called to him, Joshua asked why they had deceived them and spoke they were people who lived far away from them. Joshua pronounces a curse on them and none would be freed from being slaves---woodcutters and water carriers for the house of his God.
The people ( the children of Israel) grumbled as a whole community against the leadership that were placed before them by God. But their grumbling was because leadership did not seek God's counsel of the plan on the whole ordeal!
On their march forward across Canaan, the other kings heard of what Joshua and Israel had done to Jericho, and to Ai and how the Gibeonites had joined them.
( Joshua 10: 3:9) Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, "Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the children of Israel."
Therefore it was five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jersusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it. And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, "Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us."
So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the mighty men of valor. And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you." Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.
Joshua 10:10 So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes now to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And it happened, as they fled before Israel, and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
Now Joshua has counsel with the LORD! Now he is not making wrong decisions but right ones in hearing God speak to him the plan.
Now out of prayer the answer has come and the spiritual is seen in the natural! When God gives us authority to speak things happen. Victory occurs in the direction we are to be going. As with Joshua he followed God in prayer, he with his men of war and men of valor, they fought, they did not sit idly by and whine. They went at it with faith in God and hailstones killed more of those than the children of Israel had slain.
Joshua
spoke they would be slaves….and we know this came originally from Noah’s
speaking: Genesis 9:24-27 So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what
his younger son had done to him. 25 Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan, as servant
of servants he shall be to his brethren.” 26 And he said: “Blessed be the LORD
the God of Shem, & may Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth;
and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; & may Canaan be his servant.”
These men
would be wood cutters and water carriers to carry out laborious work! This act meant that the men of
Gibeon (Ghib—on) would do the work or service that their women and children had
done for them for centuries... Yikes!
These men
were being diminished….they would come into degrading employment: once warriors
now they were condemned to perform the work once performed by women or females.
It was for self- preservation, these people had sunk to a real low!
The Gibeonites
wanted to live, so they became servants or like Joshua had said in verse ….23 Now therefore, you are cursed,
& none of you shall be freed from
being slaves---woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.
Joshua 9:27
and that day Joshua made them wood-cutters and water carriers for the
congregation & for the altar of the LORD, in the place which He would
choose, even to this day.
(It is amazing to me how people will rather take a curse to live than trust God for what is ours already by the blood of Jesus! People are all out for "that cure " for covid 19 when we have Jesus! They would rather come under that curse thing than stay under the shelter of the living God!)
We should
take heed from chapter 9: Lies will not benefit anyone, and that pagans like
those people of Gibeon would produce no honor but would only be known for wicked lies and reduced to slavery!
It is
important to remember that in speaking, truth should prevail, our conduct
should prove having a heart after God and willing to do what He commands.
Reading earlier in Joshua 9:17 the congregation of Israel took three days to
get to Gibeon, and they went with battle attire and marched 18+ miles
overnight!
10 So the
LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon,
chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, & struck them down as
far as Azekah ( A–zee-kah) and Makkedah. 11 And it happened, as they fled
before Israel & were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down
large hailstones from heaven, on them as far as Azekah, and they died, There
were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with
the sword.
NOW THAT is
GOD! Joshua showed up suddenly……was traveling all night from Gilgal. The marching was a 18 -26 mile march…and …would
have taken 3 days and these men arrived at daybreak……..SO SURPRISE!
In verse 11
that God used hailstones to assist in the attack! This was no natural
occurrence. More were killed by
hail-stones than by the sword of the Israelites.
God himself
had spoken to Job of the treasury of
snow and hail, Job 38: 22-23 ….22
Have you entered the treasury of snow, or have you seen the treasury of
hail 23 which I have reserved for the
time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?
It is a
fearful thing to fall into God’s hands when one is against Him and His people.....So the sun
stood still in the midst of heaven, & did not hasten to go down for about a
whole day. 14 And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that
the LORD heeded the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel. 15 Then
Joshua returned & all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
God can and will do the miraculous in
fulfilling His word.
You and I
can be fully loaded and ready for battlements against the enemy. Prayer should be
our life as it was seen in Jesus. It is hearing Him and then doing without
hesitation, and no uncertainty, the surefooted who know God is with them….even
surefooted in the high places where even God has His arsenal ready for action. For God’s word is sure and makes us strong and
steadfast without quaking in our shoes where we never shrink or fall backward!
The great
power of God crowned the miraculous event…of the sun….and The great faith of
Joshua lived a victorious battle for Israel …… 24 hours became a 48 hour day….
Habakkuk
3:11. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation; at the light of Your
arrows they went, as the shining of Your glittering spear.
Joshua as
one who lived a life that illustrated a heart wholly devoted to the Lord that
exhibited a faithfulness and a trust in God!
Evidence
proved God is alive and is seen in those men who can move far above and beyond
themselves in a victory that is of the Lord God. He will do what He has spoken. God confounded
those idolaters who worshiped the sun and the moon. And that the very things
these men worshiped were stopped in place for a whole day!
In this day
and time, taking what was promised meant putting to death that which remained
in their way! For the Israelites, their success was to be in God and all that
He ever spoke to them.
Our
allegiance is to God the One and Only TRUE God. Hold fast when others lie, for
if you will hold strong in Him, He will not let you go! Those who lie, who bank
on lies will be those who will be diminished……but you who hold fast to God will
see the miraculous. Israel did!
That which
we might take for granted was used against this enemy ………..and God was faithful
and proved strong!
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