From Joshua 10:1-15

Personally, I love seeing when God reaches out and blesses outsiders.  In the New Testament, I am relieved at the news that Jesus came for Jews and for Gentiles – because I am a Gentile.  In the Old Testament, I love seeing God care for people outside of Israel because it reminds me of how broadly the Gospel extended in the New Testament and in the world today.  In Joshua 9, the Gibeonites make a covenant with Israel.  Israel upholds this covenant, even though the Gibeonites used deceit to get them to agree to it, because it was made in the name of God.  As we read Joshua 10, the Gibeonites cried out for help as an alliance of other kings moved to attack them.  Israel lives up to the covenant agreement, going to defend Gibeon in battle.  At this point, I want to remind you that Israel did not consult God before making this covenant with Gibeon.  Nevertheless, God acts on behalf of Gideon by throwing the enemy into a panic and then raining down hailstones on them – so much so that “there were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.” (Joshua 10:11) On that day, God makes the sun stand still as He fought for Israel.

These events give us another window into the character of God.  Even though Israel made this alliance without consulting Him, He still acts to defend Gibeon. This tells us that God takes covenants made in His name seriously, that He acts for the sake of those who believe in Him – regardless of their background, and that He has absolute power over nature.  This is one of those events in Israel’s history that shows God’s care for all people, even though the Gibeonites were not His chosen people He still acted to protect them and allowed Israel into that conflict.  Today, regardless of our ancestry, we trust that Jesus’ sacrifice was for us.  We know that for anyone who confesses Jesus as Lord and believes that God raised Him from the dead, salvation is a guarantee.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously cares for people who trust in Him.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged trust in God to act to protect us.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

  • Thank God for His faithfulness.
  • Confess to God the times where you don’t acknowledge His love for other people.
  • Ask God to lead you to be an agent of His will in the world.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious