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Bro. Otis Fisher
We're in Joshua 10. Now it came to pass when Adonis the deck king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken AI and Had utterly destroyed it as he had done in Jericho and her king so he had done in AI and her king and And how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and Were among them were in Joshua 10.
This term among them Means that They were acquainted with them Had submitted to their laws and mingled interest with them. Now keep in mind that This is the Representative of Satan don't want you to watch how he works.
They that feared greatly became because Gideon was a great city at one of the royal cities and Because it was greater than AI and all the men thereof were mighty. Now there was no television. No radio. No telephone.
They depended upon word of mouth and the dread. Inspired by all of this Was increased by the fact of a state that was so populous so strong as Gibeon. That they found peace and found it expedient to Seek a treaty.
And they did. And we're remembering the devil. Wherefore Adonai Tishdek King of Jerusalem sent unto Horan king of Hebron and unto Paran king of Jarmuth and unto Japheth king of Lachish and unto Deborah king of Elgon Sane.
Now then the names that we run across in these kings They take great names for themselves. This one meant the Lord of Justice. So we find that tyrants often do that. And this is another way that the devil works.
Come up unto me and help me that we may smite Gibeon for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel. Now we find when sinners leave the service of Satan and the friendship of the world.
They shouldn't be surprised when their former friends hate them and that's what happened here. The this is the seed of said the seed on the hard ground and you remember that parable. Therefore the five kings of Amorites The king of Jerusalem the king of Hebron the king of Jarmuth and the king of Lachish the king of Eglon gathered themselves together went up they and all their hosts and encamped before Gibeon and made war against it.
And the men of Gibeon Sent unto Joshua to the camp of Gilgal saying slack not thy hand from thy servants come up to us quickly and save us and Help us for all the king of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.
They sent a runner to Joshua. We remember that it was told Moses back in Exodus 23 30 Little by little I Will drive them out from before thee until thou be increased and inherit the land. So this has been the promise of God.
It's still the promise of God he that believed will not make haste or Conclude that the promise will never be performed because it's not performed right now. How much time John does God have? That's true.
Time means nothing to God 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 unto Joshua Fear them not. For I have delivered now notice the have Dennis it's Past tense.
I've already delivered them unto you. There shall not a man of them stand before thee. Now Roger if you had that assurance going into battle, you sure wouldn't hesitate would you? Nine. Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly and went up from Gilgal all night.
He made an all-night march and the Lord discomforted them before Israel and Threw them with a great With a great slaughter at Gibeon and chased them along the way that was going up the Bethron and smote them to as Aztec and unto Makeda.
Now the word discomfort that we find in that Verse is referenced to the hail storm. That we haven't it hasn't been mentioned yet, but it made a tremendous noise. And we've all been in storms and I imagine this was ten times that and I came to pass as they fled from before Israel and We're in the gory going down to Bethron that the Lord cast down great hailstones From heaven upon them unto it Adzikei and They died.
They were more which died from hailstones and there were the children of Israel slew with the sword. Now picture this if you can they're not running across an open plain that's very mountainous country and They were fleeing down a very narrow pass.
And the storm came upon them. Now Dennis, how do you suppose that they were all in this pass? Flee but he had them all gathered together. They weren't scattered out All over the country. They were all going down this narrow place great high steep sides and I don't know how wide it was, but they were fleeing from Israel we find that God intervened with an electric storm an awful storm of hailstones and More perish from that than those that had fallen by Joshua fighting.
Let's talk about hailstones for a moment. What's the largest hailstone you have seen? Yes, Dennis. How long? All right, keep that picture in mind. Dennis, what's the largest you've seen. Roger what's the largest hailstone you see?
All right. Anybody see one bigger than a grapefruit? Well, if you'll take your encyclopedia You will find that hailstone once fell That passed through a battleship and sank it. There was another one That weighed several tons.
I Can't imagine that As big as a house a hailstone. Roger what causes a hailstone what what action takes place? That's exactly right. It travels down and up and down and up until it finally gets so heavy that the down Has to give way and it comes down these Canaanites All superstitious heathen and They worshipped nature.
What do you suppose Dennis that they were thinking. Well, let me ask Greg. Greg, what do you suppose they were thinking? When nature dumped all this hail on them, that's the normal reaction. Thinking that the gods were aiding the other side.
Well Joshua didn't wait around for the hail. He was busy doing what he could in partnership with God and God did What only God could do? 12 Then spake Joshua 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 son Stand thou still upon Gibeon and Thou moon in the valley of edge Agilon seeing God's miraculous hand and action.
Gave Joshua boldness to ask for the next step. Now He asked that the Sun stand still. What he was wanting was enough daylight to finish the task 13 and the Sun stood still. And the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.
Is not this written in the book of Jasher. So the Sun stood still in the midst of heaven and Hastened not to go down about a whole day. Well, the Sun and the moon had been silent as They Had witnessed all of the sins of these people.
Now we come to the question that everybody asks How was this day? Extended Greg. I want to go around to everybody. Give me your interpretation of that Roger. I Dennis Debbie joy when God through the Lord Spoke this world into existence.
Was there anything before? He spoke John. What? Wasn't even space was there. That not a miracle. When he divided the Red Sea he did it through Moses. But wasn't that a miracle? Roger and in these people's past very short past when he stopped the the water That had to be a miracle.
Now how this happened, I don't know. The result is very clear. Some have criticized this account saying that Obviously since the Sun is still and the earth rotates around the Sun that Josh was wrong. When he says the Sun stood still such criticism fails to account for our normal way of Speaking.
We say the Sun sets and the Sun rises. When it's not the Sun, it's the earth. More modern astronomy tells us that the Sun is in motion. The Sun did stand still. Well, Joshua Did not ask God to do the fighting for him.
Though God did that too Joshua simply asked That God would miraculously give them The opportunity to fight for him. When we work in partnership with God always in touch with our place like Gilgal And place where Israel had been conquered by God.
Then we'll see God do amazing things. Will not Be able to say there was a no day. We will be able to say there was no day like that before or after. I Believe that all God did was to lengthen the sunlight for a day.
How he did it, I don't know, you know, we run into a common error because we like to find out things and Dwayne we find ourself trying to explain or find a reason for every miracle. There's people that can do that and they denounce God That it wasn't a miracle and I'm sure there are some that have done the same thing was this but it seems to me that all God did was Put into effect daylight savings time the Sun light Did Afford them a victory.
Now why he did it. I have no idea He could have made Joshua Fight And win in a normal day it is so amazing. To look at everything of God and all of it is a miracle. Well, there was no day Like that before it or after it That the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man.
For the Lord fought for Israel now the Lord was doing it all. You know, some things are recorded that it seems like man did that and some things we assign to God. Is God doing this? But in reality everything is of God.
And Joshua returned and all the people with him unto the camp at Gilgal. Do any of you have anything you'd like to add to this Miracle the long day. That's true. And that itself was a miracle. Yes, I'll say they were well, it's interesting to read it.
We cannot help but ask how did it happen? But when I'm able to explain the creation, I will explain this. And Joshua returned and all Israel with him unto the camp at Gilgal, but these five kings fled and Hid themselves in a cave at Makeda.
Now I want you to watch as we read this and see if it makes you Correlate it with anybody. And it was told Joshua saying the five kings Are found to hid in a cave Makeda. And Joshua said roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave and set men by it to keep them so they sealed them in and Stay ye not but pursue after the enemies smite the hindmost of them.
Suffer them not to enter into their cities for the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hand. Now the word smite means to cut off the tail and that's what they were doing. Places to which the wicked flee for safety may become their prison and Measures, which they take to escape their destruction.
May be occasion of bringing it That very thing upon them. Now does that remind you of Saddam? Saddam was found in a hole in the ground too bad. They couldn't just roll the big stone on it. They were a split second from dropping a hand grenade in not knowing that he was in there, but they didn't.
God wanted him captured 20 and he came to pass when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter. Till they were consumed that the rest which remained entered into the fenced cities.
Notice now the victory was won one at a time. They took these cities one at a time. Roger again. Tell me why didn't the entire land fall to them all at once? That's so true, I cannot but help but think of the battle that's going on in Iraq.
Well to draw a present-day spiritual Lesson from this. We find that the key to victory was that the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. Well, that's true. Does he fight for us? Yes as we battle against our spiritual enemies he He fights for us.
How? How is the outcome. Going to be Debbie we won. He provides the victory as we walk the walk and all the people returned to camp. To Joshua and Makeda in peace. None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
What does it say about you Greg when you're? Disappointed in yourself. Because you have trusted yourself. Then Joshua opened the mouth of the cave. And bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave and they did so.
And brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave. The king of Jerusalem the king of Hebron the king of Jarmuth the king of Lachish and the king of Eklon. I wonder if any of these kings Said my name is so-and-so and I'm ready to negotiate.
That's what Saddam said. They first took him and I came to pass when they brought out those kings unto Joshua. That Joshua called for all of the men of Israel and said unto the captains of the men of war Which went with him come near?
Put your feet Upon the necks of these kings and they came near and put their feet upon the necks of them. Now Roger did they literally do that? Dennis what was the significance of doing that? That's right.
And it signified to the rest of the people what would happen to them if they rebelled. And Joshua said unto them fear not Nor be dismayed. Be strong Be of good courage. For this shall the lord do to all of your enemies against whom you fight.
And afterward Joshua smoked them slew them hang them on five trees. And they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. A little bit about hanging in that day and time the israelites thought that hanging was a Barbarous custom they were first they killed.
They did not kill them by hanging. In this country, they we've always done that this was the They first deprived them of life this was the debt required by justice. Then they were hung Perhaps generally by the hands never by the neck.
And it was done for a way of example to deter Others from committing the crimes for which these had suffered suffered. But they were never permitted to hang exposed all night. Now, why was this greg? Well, they couldn't have answered no more of the purpose Either justice or by an example.
They couldn't see them at night. That's right. And it was also to prevent any wild animals from getting at them. 27 and it came to pass at the time Of the going down of the sun that joshua commanded and they took down Took them down off the trees and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid And laid great stones in the cave's mouth Which remain unto this very day?
That neither wild beasts could devour them. Or the people could not Give them an honorable honorable burial. Thus that which thought they thought would have been their shelter Was made their prison first and then their grave.
How appropriate. 28. And it came that day and that day joshua took Makita and smote it with the edge of the sword. And the king thereof he utterly destroyed them And all the souls that were therein He let none remain.
And he did to the king of makita as he Did unto the kings of jericho. Now we find in these following verses Of his cleaning up as he Marched through the land. We conquer when god fights for us. If he be for us Then who can be against us?
Then joshua passed from makita and all israel with him into lebanon and fought against lebanon. And the lord delivered it also. And the king thereof into the hand of israel and he smote it with the edge of the sword.
And all the sore souls that were therein he let none of them remain but did enter the did But did unto the king thereof as he did under the king of jericho many things which are accomplished by human effort as I said before.
They're all accomplished by the lord god. Joshua passed from lebanon and all israel with him until Lachish and encamped Against it and fought against it and the lord delivered lachish into the hand of israel.
And we go on Of his passing through these cities. They were taking it and putting everybody to the sword In verse 40. So joshua smote all of the country of the hills and the south and the vales And of the springs and all of their kings and he left none remaining.
But utterly destroyed all that breathed as the lord god of israel commanded and joshua Smote them from kenish barnea even unto Gaza and all the country of goshen Even unto gibeon. And then in 43 joshua returned and israel all israel with him into the camp at gilgal then I have some notes but on this long day, but i'm not going to Bother your mind with all of that.
The main thing is that god did it. Joshua did his part. And god did his part. I say god all the time. It was the lord. Jesus the lord god. Not jesus yet, but the lord god that is doing all of this. God the father does not Touch man.
He has the lord to do that. And the lord is god. We may get into that someday. Now is there anything anybody would like to add to chapter 10? Yes. But it It was one city at a time. And that's the way we are to attack our problems.
Is one at a time. Don't get in a hurry. Don't look at the big thing and overlook the little thing. Because the big things are made up of little things. Is there a word from anybody? Dennis dismisses, please.