Joshua 10

Joshua 10: 12-14  

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.”
So the sun stood still,
and the moon stopped,
till the nation avenged itself on 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. 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!


Wow, I find these verses absolutely amazing. “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still. I wonder what gave Joshua the boldness to ask God for a “favor?” Was it him seeing God’s hand in action that gave Joshua the boldness to ask for an even greater miracle - to keep the day going, to keep the sun from setting, so that Israel had time to accomplish a complete victory before darkness fell?  

Was it truly a battle of light vs. dark? We often talk about it and the Bible of gives us illustrations of the sun and the moon as long standing allies to sin, wickedness, and demonic religion. Why would they (the dark and its sins) allow Joshua to complete this victory over their allies, the Canaanites?

So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it. How does the length of a day get extended? It could have been a slowing of the earth’s rotation; it could have been a tilting of the earth’s axis; it could have been a miracle of reflection of light; it could simply be that the presence of God is manifested in light. Whatever it means, the result was clear. The sun seemed to stay still in the sky, and Israel was able to complete the victory.

Till the people had revenge upon their enemies: Joshua did not ask God to do the fighting for him, even though God did do some of that. Joshua simply asked that God would miraculously give him the opportunity to fight for Him. So did Joshua finally learn his lesson to seek God before taking action? I think so and hope so…. When we work in partnership with God, then we will see God do amazing things. And as this scripture says “there has been no day like that.”