Five Kings and Hailstones from Heaven Joshua 10

Joshua 10:5 "Therefore the five kings of the Amorites: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts and encamped before Gibeon and made war against it."

Here is the situation: Gibeon has tricked Israel into being their guardians. Gibeon was a royal city and was feared by the other kings of the mountains. These five kings joined forces to defeat Gibeon. Under their agreement, Israel came to the rescue.

It seems strange to think of Jerusalem being under the rein of the Amorites but at this time it was. Israel was the invader under God's direction to possess the land. The people of the land had resorted to all kinds of terrible deeds and this was their judgment.

Joshua traveled all night and came upon the five kings by surprise and routed them. As the enemy fled, hailstones from heaven came down and killed some, in fact, more than Joshua killed.

v11 "And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with halstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword."

The victory was swift and decisive. Only Gibeon stood after the battles were finished.

v42 "And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel."

The LORD has not yet told Joshua or the people where the place is that He would place his
name. They did not occupy any of the cities but returned to Gilgal. These battles took place in the mountains of Palestine in the area around Jerusalem. There is more fighting to come.

We should note a great miracle that took place during these battles.

v13-14 "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 hasted not to go down about a whole day." "And 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."

Here are the words that stopped the sun and it stood still.

v12 "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, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou Moon, in the valley of Ajalon."

Psalms 27:4 "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple."

keywords: Bible Study, Joshua, Old Testament, milton southerland, Jerusalem

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