Joshua 10

The conquest of Canaan began with God and not with man. Jericho was defeated and destroyed. Ai was gone. The Gibeonites were so afraid that they had arranged an alliance with Israel, believing that God had given the land to His conquest people.

How do you fight against God? How can you stop someone that the Almighty has anointed? The city-states of the Amorites were greatly afraid. Yet they did not offer themselves for surrender. Nor did they did flee from their territories allowing the Lord's people to seize the land while still retaining their lives.

They decided to attack the one group among them that had entered into league with the God of Israel, the Gibeonites. They brought to bear upon that people all the wrath of man that they could muster, creating a coalition of powers that took counsel together against the Lord's chosen people and Joshua, their God-given leader.

Adoni-zedek, the “lord of righteousness” who was king over the city-state of Jerusalem, was the convenor of this alliance of the Amorites. He would punish the Gibeonites for making peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.

What would Israel do? Would they be faithful to their covenant with Gibeon? More importantly, what would the true Lord of Righteousness do, the God of the conquest? Joshua and the armies of Israel moved quickly to honor their word to protect the Gibeonites. The Voice of the Lord, the Almighty Power of the conquest, came to Joshua with this clear message of faithfulness: “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands.”

Joshua and the armies of Israel marched all night, but it was the Lord that threw the Amorite coalition into a panic before Israel. It was the Lord who cast down large hailstones from heaven upon them. It was the Lord who heard the voice of Joshua, and created a day like no other, causing the light to continue at great length. The nation of the heavenly Lord of Righteousness took vengeance upon the Amorites. Their defense of the Gibeonites received the full endorsement of God. Those who had peace with Israel were protected by the strong hand of Almighty God.

The result for the alliance of the world against the forces of heaven? Complete defeat. Their armies were decimated, and the warriors of the Lord were able to trample even the kings of the Amorites under their feet.

Joshua spoke to the chiefs of the men of war of Israel. “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” The Lord received all the glory for the victory. Those who would trust in Him rather than in the array of the world's armies need not live in fear. The Lord had fought for His people and for those allied with them. He had won decisively.

What became of the kings that had challenged the Almighty? Their dead bodies were hung on the trees until evening.

The conquest of Canaan continued throughout the southern cities of that land. The Lord gave victory through Joshua. The God of Israel fought for His people. All those who sought their refuge in the Amorite coalition were destroyed.

When the Lord of Perfect Righteousness came to save His people from sin, death, and hell, He won His decisive battle by hanging on a tree. The cross looked like the ultimate in failure. But it was the victory of the Almighty for us. Through the cross, Jesus decisively defeated the forces of the world and hell that would have liked to sift God's beloved children as wheat until there was nothing remaining of his people. Christ has defended us, and we are free from the dominion of the world.

Our King was lifted up on a tree, but we proclaim the power of His death for us in the light of His glorious resurrection. We have died in His death, and now we live in His life. Blessed are all those who find their refuge in Him.