GOD AT WORK FOR HIS PEOPLE. Joshua 10 The alliance between Israel and the Gibeonites, also known as Hivites, prompted the Amorites of five cities to form a coalition to attack the large city of Gibeon. The king of Jerusalem felt threatened and wanted all the tribes of Canaan to join against Israel. Not only was Gibeon a large city, but its men were also "mighty,” meaning “good fighters.” Even though they were effective in battle, they had the wisdom and common sense to seek peace with Israel because they knew Israel’s God was mighty.
The Gibeonites’ urgent plea to Joshua identified them as servants protected by their masters. Despite a twenty-mile climb up a steep hill during the night, the attack was launched early in the morning, catching the Amorites off guard. The Lord had promised they would be victorious, so the Israelites had no hesitation about going into battle immediately.
In the early campaign, disobedience and prayerlessness led to inevitable defeat. Now, in the southern campaign, new dangers and challenges are met with faith, action, and relentless, daring warfare. This resulted in complete victory. Five kings declared war on Gibeon, which called for help from Joshua. Confident in God’s promise of victory, Joshua left Gilgal, his base of operations, and defeated the enemy. One of the greatest battles in history occurred, during which God intervened and lengthened the day so that the victory would be total and complete.
It was then that the Lord took control and caused panic among the Canaanites, defeating them at Gibeon. Israel did not settle for a partial victory because the enemies of the Lord had to be completely defeated. To finish the victory, the Lord used His own creation as the most powerful way to accomplish His will. Very large hailstones fell on the fleeing Ammonites, killing more than the Israeli soldiers. He even stopped the movement of the sun and moon until His purpose was fulfilled by the Israelite army when Joshua made his unusual appeal to the Lord.
Like the nation of Israel when they entered Canaan, we too must learn to conquer our enemies and handle opposition under divine guidance and power before we can claim what we have been given. Much of Christian living involves winning battles, big or small, throughout daily life. Losing one battle in the Christian life does not mean ultimate defeat. The choices we make at critical moments can prove to be decisive in many areas of Christian experience.
Quick fixes for sin problems and heated reactions to attacks are not the way to victory. Losing a single battle does not mean defeat. Critical moments that occur can be very decisive for the rest of our lives. Joshua had learned that "he that believeth shall not make haste" unless God directs them. There are times for action, and there are times for waiting, depending on how the Lord Himself instructs us.
When victories occur in the lives of God’s people, it is important that God, who grants the victory, receives the praise. His strategy was to have Israel draw out the Canaanites into the open, where they could be seen. When sin is exposed in all its evil intent and practices in the light of God’s holiness, we see things as they truly are. God uses whatever means He chooses, and those means are suited to accomplish His sovereign will in the right place and time. Those who serve Him must be ready and willing to do their part as He directs His servants.
After Israel took control of the central part of the land, reaching beyond Jericho to Ai and Bethel all the way to Shechem, they waited for the Lord's guidance. In the central campaign, the decisive battles were at Jericho and Ai. In the southern campaign, the key battles took place at Gibeon and Beth-horon. In the northern campaign, the decisive battle was near the waters of Merom [Josh.11]. The first opposition came subtly through the deception of the Gibeonites. There are times when God shows mercy to us despite our independent attitude and may use us again. Sometimes, by divine sovereignty, He uses a mistake to "fall out to the furtherance of the Gospel." Gibeon was a major key city in the land, well-defended by mighty men. Yet God granted victory over those people despite Israel's failure.
When a sinner realizes their lost condition and seeks the Lord, there is antagonism toward them. Those who are "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God" are condemned in their own souls when a lost person realizes that only the Lord Jesus Christ can save them. Hostility from those who know that person, including friends and family, is common. A coalition of five kings who ruled southern cities was formed against Gibeon. Fear is a natural response when someone is convicted of their danger. While fear itself does not save, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." It isn't wrong for people to feel afraid to hear the Gospel for fear they will be convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and consequently become followers of Christ.
We must remember who we are. The Israelites were no ordinary people because God's supernatural power supported them, making them to be feared. Today, God’s people—the Church—are to be feared too. Some unbelievers might end friendships because they are afraid of being associated with someone committed to holy living. Just entering a building where a Bible-believing and practicing church meets can make people nervous. They fear being converted. The people there are unwavering in their testimony, courageous in faith, and holy in their lives. There is a sense of reverence when the Lord’s people gather, and God's presence commands respect.
The believer should be righteous in conduct, unwavering in principles, passionate in devotion to the Savior, sacrificial in service, and transparent in life. This should make the place where God’s people gather truly impactful on those who come there. It is beneficial when the practice of truth, tempered by grace, creates a reverential fear. There was no battle until Joshua took the initiative and attacked. He did not hesitate to act quickly and righteously toward the Gibeonites who had lied to him because the Lord said, "Fear not, for I have delivered them into thine hand." Integrity requires that we keep our word, regardless of what others say or do against us.
When we rely on the promises of God found in His Word, we can follow the way God has been and continues to work in grace for His people. Obedience to Him provides assurance of victory as we trust His faithful Word and apply it in every situation we face. Whether the Lord chooses to use nature, unexplainable means, or empower His servants to achieve the desired results is ultimately up to Him.
When God grants His approval to something, there is no need for us to delay for our own reasons. A plan was already established, and a strategy was in place for conquering the land. The all-night march and the swift attack caught the enemy alliance off guard. Before they could respond, the Lord "discomfited" them, threw them into confusion, and they were defeated by hailstones from above and the God-guided swords of the Israelites. The longer daylight hours also contributed to victory over five kings and their armies at once. Divine authority and divine intervention led to one of the greatest victories in human history. This event was so powerful that a poetic stanza was written in the book of Jasher.
When the Lord Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church, He didn’t mean that the gates of hell would not come out and march against the Church. The gates of hell cannot withstand the onslaught of a Spirit-filled company of God’s people. It is important, and it is God’s plan, that His people be on the offensive. We are not to run away, but instead, launch a full-scale attack in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There will be times when our word and integrity are tested. We will face tests of our leadership to see if we will follow God's instructions or make excuses or delay necessary actions. Our honor, honesty, and convictions will be challenged. We will be tested to see if we truly believe and are willing to act on the Lord's word despite what others may say or do.
The key to Joshua's victory was “Gilgal,” the place of cutting off the flesh. Gilgal symbolized remembrance: all God’s people experienced death there when they crossed the Jordan. It also represented resurrection: they entered new life with their leader. As the place of renunciation, they cast off the carnal living of the wilderness. Gilgal became a place of restoration because they regained fellowship with the Lord. At the point of realization, they ate the “old corn of the land.” Finally, they had strong sustenance from the land. It was here in the place of revelation that Joshua met the Captain with the drawn sword. The lessons of Gilgal must be well learned and reviewed.
Paul, the apostle, gave the key to a Christian's life and work: "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." A believer needs to stay near the cross to understand and maintain our perspective in life and work. Communication with God is more an attitude than just an act. The Christian life is rooted in Calvary. This is where we died with Christ and rose with Him, where we consciously renounce carnality. Here we enter into intimate fellowship with the Lord. This is where we consume the strong food of His Word and recognize that all our faith begins with understanding what was accomplished there. We see that the Captain of the Lord of Hosts, who secured the greatest victory of all time, is with us. Gilgal reminds us that we need to maintain a certain attitude. The lines of communication between God and us must be kept open. The attitude and actions of communication between God and us are the keys to power.
The results of Joshua acting in faith triggered a divine intervention in which the Lord "discomfited" the ungodly coalition. He enabled His people to slay, chase, and smite the enemy and continued to act on their behalf by sending the killing hail and extending the daylight to secure a victory that would never be forgotten. A victory like this had never happened in this way before. Here, when Joshua acted in faith in the Lord, the Lord acted in power for His people. We are not alone in spiritual warfare. God "hearkened"—listened to His faithful servant, and the Lord "fought" for His people. The Lord helps, sustains, and grants victory when we are in fellowship with Him. There is no specific protocol to follow in winning spiritual battles over spiritual enemies. In ourselves, we are helpless and need God in every situation.
The battle wasn't over until the five kings, who had hidden in a cave out of fear, were brought into the open. They were forced to lie on the ground with Joshua’s captains' feet on their necks so all Israel would see that it was the Lord who gave the victory. Leaving any sin hidden in a "cave" nearby means losing the victory. Sin must be brought out, confessed, judged, and forsaken forever. Nothing else will work. We need to put our feet on the necks of pride, materialism, compromise, jealousy, and a critical attitude—every crippling thing in our Christian testimony.
The Lord has fought for us and won the victory. Likewise, He gained victory at Beth-horon, and Israel was identified with the Lord, “against whom ye fight.' We go beyond surrender and consecration to Christ’s lordship, declaring war on all that is sinful in our lives. Satan will continually oppose those who fight against sin. We launch attacks on all fronts by God's power, maintain a constant fellowship with God, and claim victory in the name of the Lord Jesus.
The five kings had to be executed. In the believer's life today, we must be sanctified. We must triumph in Christ by never siding with sin, by opposing everything that needs to be judged, condemned, and confessed before God. Israel could see that it was the Lord who gave them the victory, even though He used them. He is greater than any enemies or opposition we will face. All honor from any victory belongs to God alone. Our praise is for Him alone. Joshua led the army as God commanded. He did not debate, compromise, or rationalize what God said. He simply obeyed God. This principle still applies to us today.
We should never permit relationships or activities that lead us to accept sin or let it take hold. However, some alliances we form might make us think we're finished because of failure. God, in grace, worked for His people despite their past mistakes. In grace, God guided them to obey Him again, encouraged them with promises of victory, enabled them to trust His Word and act in faith, and granted them success and victory. This order still applies today. The Lord used the power He alone possesses and matched them with the unified strength of His people.
In the narrative, it appears that some people from Hebron had been hidden and were not discovered during the initial battle. The Israelites moved through the area so quickly that those who escaped were able to regroup and rebuild Hebron, even installing a new king. Therefore, Hebron had to be conquered again before the task was complete. The second time, not a single inhabitant was left. The king of Hebron had died when Hebron was defeated, but a new king took his place, and they had to be defeated once more.
Obedience to the Lord brings the reward of being set apart from the world and dedicated to God and His word. We cannot make peace with undefeated enemies of God. Soon, the battle against compromise and carelessness will have to be fought again. There comes a time when we must put our foot on the necks of our spiritual enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. God watches over us in times of crisis and will protect, strengthen, and bring those who submit to His sovereign will to safety.
Winning one battle doesn't mean we won't face opposition again. We must keep exercising spiritual energy to conquer enemies. Even after defeating them, we must remain vigilant against resurgence. We need to take proactive steps in our lives to prevent old battles from resurfacing. Full obedience earns the reward of faith that is put into action. God's word cannot be second-guessed or downplayed.
True self-judgment occurs when we return to Calvary after both our victories and our defeats. Prosperity can boost our confidence and cause us to neglect the things of God if we are not cautious. Self-judgment helps us move forward with renewed strength despite the conflicts of godly living that lie ahead. Returning to “Gilgal” is just as important after a victory as it is after a defeat. It is in the place where we worship the Lord and fellowship with His people that we find the wisdom to remember that it is God who is working in and through us, and that this brings Him pleasure.
To live a victorious Christian life, I must be consistent, faithful, prayerful, and trust God alone to work through me. I need to take control of my life and intentionally avoid sin despite my desires and wishes. Our meeting with the Lord is where we find the grace to crush self-will, resist our fleshly nature's deception, and renew our strength. It is in His presence that we can prepare to move forward in faith and fulfill the mission we've been given.