7-11-12. Joshua 10a. THE LORD NEVER ABANDONS

Joshua 10:1-15
Key Verse: 10:6-7

Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF  Wednesday, July 11, 2012

“The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.” 7 So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men.”

Dear Lord heavenly Father, thank you for forgiving my sins and helping me to live for glory. Thank you for understanding my heart and my need for a Savior. You come to me and help me to follow you and overcome things that oppress me. I pray that you may guide us through the summer. Help me to be a source of blessing in Uganda and open my eyes to see the work of God going on there. Please grant me one word of God through this passage. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: Seek Shelter in The Lord (1-7).

Verses 1-7, “Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed[a] it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and had become their allies. 2 He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. 3 So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. 4 “Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites —the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon—joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it. 6 The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.” 7 So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men.

The Amorites were hoping that Gibeon would serve as a front line defense and not defect. But after hearing about the treaty, they sought revenge. Gibeon sent a message to Joshua saying, “Save us!” It was hard to ask for protection since they had just deceived Israel, but they trusted God and believed that Joshua would keep his promises. Their faith was growing and they sought shelter in God and God’s people. Joshua responded to their distress call. We too need to hear the distress calls of those who are suffering under the oppression of sin.

I learn here two things, that I need to come to Jesus and call out for Jesus’ protection and know that he will here my prayers and come to my rescue, and also, I need to hear the distress calls of others and answer the calls as much as I am able.

There are many things assailing my heart and my life. I need to be a man of prayer and a man of deep Bible study. I need to be an understanding shepherd, who can relate to others and have such a relationship that people can actually share the burdens of their hearts with me and I can pray for them and give them wise words of counsel from the words of God. I need to come out of gloominess and be filled with spirit and hope and passion and joy. There are many things that are assailing my heart that I need God’s protection and God help. For these I cry out to Jesus. For these I turn to God and depend on God and know that he will deliver.

I also need to hear others peoples’ cries for help and come to their rescue. I am deaf to others’ cried when I only think about myself and my own problems. I can not hear others’ cries when I am dwelling in depressed feelings. I need to look to Jesus and focus on Jesus and live a life of faith and prayer and then I will have clarity of heart and mind and I will become of others’ needs and be able to reach out to them and help them with the Gospel. I repent that I have been too much into my own issues and struggles. I must look to Jesus and I pray he opens my eyes and grants me a willing spirit to reach out others in their times of need.

Part 2: God Answers Far-Fetched Prayers (8-15).

Verses 8-15, “The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you. 9 After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. 10 The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. 12 On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon. ” 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on[b] its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a human being. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel! 15 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.”

Joshua was facing five armies. God encouraged him and he immediately responded to the promise of God with faith, marching his whole army into battle. God fought for Joshua. The enemy was in shambles. They could have considered the battle already won, but God wanted no one left standing. And so Joshua prayed based on the word of God and God’s will. Though it seemed like a far-fetched prayer, God saw his heart and answered.

There is power in prayer. God is ready to answer the prayers of his servants. He is eager to answer even the grandiose and improbable prayers of those whose hearts are set on doing the will of God. I have seen this happen many times. When there are Bible conferences, the missionaries pray that God may bless the conference with weather to bless the conference and it happens. Our ministry prayers that America may be a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation. It is a prayer based on the word of God. It seems improbable. It seems that all the forces of the universe is against it. People think that America will eventually follow the path of Canada and Europe in regards to Christian faith. This may not be the case. God is able to even make the sun stand still. He is able to making improbable things happen in order for his will to be done. The USA does not have to take the path of Europe and Canada. It can continue to grow to be a premiere Christian country and a missionary sending country and a exemplary Christian nation. God, who make the Jordan stop and who make the Sun stop, can do this and He is doing this right now. I will pray that God may continue to establish a 1:1 Bible study/discipleship ministry at NIU through our family. This seems highly improbable, but I believe it is a pleasing prayer to God and I believe it can happen, according to the will of God.

Prayer: Lord, there are so many people around me sending out distress calls. Help me to reach out to them with the gospel, knowing that you are with me.

One Word: Pray and fight the spiritual battle