IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

The Sun Stands Still

Date: Sep. 11, 2023

Passage

Joshua 10:1-15 (ESV)

As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, 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, 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 warriors. So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.” Then 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 their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.

And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax 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.” So Joshua went up 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 given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10 And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a 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. 11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

12 At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

  “Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
    and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13   And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
    until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.

15 So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 10:8

And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.”

The King of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and Jericho and destroyed them. They also heard that the Gibeonites made a treaty with the Israelites, so the king of Jerusalem gathered the kings of the hill country around them and began to attack Gibeon.

It seems that when the Gibeonites turned to God’s side, the kings of Canaan became angry at them. Gibeon quickly called for help from Joshua. Joshua came to their aid with an all-night march. The Lord threw the kings and their armies into confusion and the Israelites defeated them completely. Through hailstones, God also helped to destroy those kings and armies of the hill country. As Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel, ‘Sun, stand still’, the sun stood still until the enemies were completely destroyed.

God gives complete victories to those who trust in him. May we trust in God daily and win the complete victory.

Prayer: Prayer: Father, help us to depend on you daily, and win the victory in you.

One Word: One Word: I have given them into your hand.

Daily Bread

God on the Move

Ezekiel 1:1-28

Key Verse: 1:12

And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went.

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