Jos 10:13 | KingComments | STEP | God wants His blessing to emerge from the failure of His own. If we see that, fear will disappear ( ). If faith is directed toward God, that is, if we trust in Him, we can continue trustingly. God has promised them victory. They must act, there must be fight. But when fighting with the LORD’s promise in mind, fight is only victory. They move in the night. The attack is surprising. The LORD is fighting along. He confuses the enemy, so that the people can gain victory. The LORD has His own weapon in the hailstones: “Have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have reserved for the time of distress, for the day of war and battle?” ( ; cf. ). With it He kills more than His people do by the sword. The prophetic application is obvious when we think of the book of Revelation, where we also see hailstones coming as judgment from heaven ( ). The events in Joshua indicate the final victory. If we rejoice for the appearance of the Lord Jesus, we are also pleased that God will cleanse the earth of all evil and that our victories have also come to an end in the final victory. Then there is no more battle to fight. From what Joshua says, speaks an enormous faith ( ). The Lord Jesus told us that we can move mountains if we have faith ( ; ). Joshua is aware of the blessing God wants to give. Therefore he turns to God in faith and commands the sun and moon to stand still in the Name of God. He speaks his words before the eyes of the people, making them all witnesses of the consequences of his statement of faith. It gives his faith an extra dimension. He is sure of the hearing and bears witness to it. The people did not have that faith, but after seeing the hearing they will be strengthened by it. It may also have that effect on us. We live in the day of victory, fighting against the wickedness in the heavenly places. The battle is not only between Joshua and Adoni-zedek, but between the God of Israel and the idols of the Canaanites, which are in reality the demonic powers that are concealed behind these idols. Baal is the sun god and Astarte the moon god. The enemy believes that the sun and the moon are on their side. Through Joshua’s faith, they are fixed in their movement as proof that the God of Israel is truly and solely God. We have the struggle against spiritual rulers and powers. Joshua seems to understand that it is not only about the kings of flesh and blood, but about those they are led by and who are on the side of the enemies. Joshua asks God to show His power over the evil powers. When Joshua commands the sun to stand still, he fulfills God’s purpose, Whose power is all-powerful and Whose command sun and moon obey. Idolaters may call to the sun and the moon for help, that is to say to Baal and Astarte, but the LORD, the supreme One, shows to His people that the powers of heaven are but his servants. When Joshua says “sun, stand still”, it is not scientific language, but what is said in everyday language. Everyone says that the sun rises and sets. On that day the sun stays in the sky twelve hours longer. It is a very special, unique day. The voice of Joshua is heard as never was the voice of anyone else. He is a picture of the Lord Jesus. We can also see the sun as a picture of the Lord Jesus. When the sun stands still, the light remains longer. The sun does not set over the world until the believers are caught up. The believers “are all sons of light and sons of day” ( ). By the power of the Spirit of Christ, they can already in faith achieve victories that God will once publicly achieve over the whole earth. We already see the Lord Jesus. He is heard by God in His death and resurrection. He is the Sun at God’s right hand. We live in the day that does not end until full victory is achieved. We see Him to Whom “all authority has been given … in heaven and on earth” ( ). The demonic powers shudder and tremble before this light of the sun. The “the book of Jashar” or “the book of the upright” is a history book in which certain acts are recorded, possibly in poetic form, which are generally not included in the Scriptures ( ; cf. ; ). It is ancient Hebrew literature that has been lost. If it fits into God’s plan for His Word, Bible writers quote from it (cf. ).

‏ Joshua 10:13

The LORD Defeats the Amorites

God wants His blessing to emerge from the failure of His own. If we see that, fear will disappear (Jos 10:8). If faith is directed toward God, that is, if we trust in Him, we can continue trustingly. God has promised them victory. They must act, there must be fight. But when fighting with the LORD’s promise in mind, fight is only victory.

They move in the night. The attack is surprising. The LORD is fighting along. He confuses the enemy, so that the people can gain victory. The LORD has His own weapon in the hailstones: “Have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have reserved for the time of distress, for the day of war and battle?” (Job 38:22b-23; cf. Exo 9:24-25). With it He kills more than His people do by the sword.

The prophetic application is obvious when we think of the book of Revelation, where we also see hailstones coming as judgment from heaven (Rev 16:21). The events in Joshua indicate the final victory. If we rejoice for the appearance of the Lord Jesus, we are also pleased that God will cleanse the earth of all evil and that our victories have also come to an end in the final victory. Then there is no more battle to fight.

From what Joshua says, speaks an enormous faith (Jos 10:12). The Lord Jesus told us that we can move mountains if we have faith (Mt 21:21-22; Mk 9:23). Joshua is aware of the blessing God wants to give. Therefore he turns to God in faith and commands the sun and moon to stand still in the Name of God. He speaks his words before the eyes of the people, making them all witnesses of the consequences of his statement of faith. It gives his faith an extra dimension. He is sure of the hearing and bears witness to it. The people did not have that faith, but after seeing the hearing they will be strengthened by it. It may also have that effect on us.

We live in the day of victory, fighting against the wickedness in the heavenly places. The battle is not only between Joshua and Adoni-zedek, but between the God of Israel and the idols of the Canaanites, which are in reality the demonic powers that are concealed behind these idols. Baal is the sun god and Astarte the moon god. The enemy believes that the sun and the moon are on their side. Through Joshua’s faith, they are fixed in their movement as proof that the God of Israel is truly and solely God.

We have the struggle against spiritual rulers and powers. Joshua seems to understand that it is not only about the kings of flesh and blood, but about those they are led by and who are on the side of the enemies. Joshua asks God to show His power over the evil powers.

When Joshua commands the sun to stand still, he fulfills God’s purpose, Whose power is all-powerful and Whose command sun and moon obey. Idolaters may call to the sun and the moon for help, that is to say to Baal and Astarte, but the LORD, the supreme One, shows to His people that the powers of heaven are but his servants.

When Joshua says “sun, stand still”, it is not scientific language, but what is said in everyday language. Everyone says that the sun rises and sets. On that day the sun stays in the sky twelve hours longer. It is a very special, unique day. The voice of Joshua is heard as never was the voice of anyone else. He is a picture of the Lord Jesus.

We can also see the sun as a picture of the Lord Jesus. When the sun stands still, the light remains longer. The sun does not set over the world until the believers are caught up. The believers “are all sons of light and sons of day” (1Thes 5:5a). By the power of the Spirit of Christ, they can already in faith achieve victories that God will once publicly achieve over the whole earth.

We already see the Lord Jesus. He is heard by God in His death and resurrection. He is the Sun at God’s right hand. We live in the day that does not end until full victory is achieved. We see Him to Whom “all authority has been given … in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18). The demonic powers shudder and tremble before this light of the sun.

The “the book of Jashar” or “the book of the upright” is a history book in which certain acts are recorded, possibly in poetic form, which are generally not included in the Scriptures (2Sam 1:18; cf. Num 21:14; 1Kgs 14:19 ; 29). It is ancient Hebrew literature that has been lost. If it fits into God’s plan for His Word, Bible writers quote from it (cf. Tit 1:12).