Okay.  You all should get this.  What momentous event finally took place last Tuesday night?  Barry Bonds finally hit his 756th home run.  5th inning - count 3-2 - Bonds belts the pitch 435 feet into right center field.

After the home run.  After the celebration - Bonds and others on the team expressed a great relief.  The pressure was off.  All the hype and expectation.  Now they could get on with playing baseball  .Of course the Giants still lost.  But, now they can have fun while losing.  No pressure.

Do you ever feel like this?  Like someone hit the accelerator of life and you weren’t holding on?  Just a tad squeezed and under pressure.

Maybe this?  Like the expectations and work load are just a tad too much.

Remember this cartoon?  “Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night.  Nor of the pestilence that walketh in darkness.  But hose line drives will kill you!”   

This morning we are moving forward in our look at the Book of Joshua - Conquest By Faith.  We are coming to chapter 10.

As we’ve been moving our way through the book of Joshua we’ve been seeing that Joshua is about what?  real people facing enormous challenges and learning to trust God along the way.  We’ve been learning what it means for us to trust God through the circumstances of our lives.  We’ve also been learning what it means to trust God as He moves us forward as a congregation.

We’ve seen - as we’ve been watching God’s people - in victory and defeat - lessons they’ve been learning as they’ve been moving into the promised land - we’ve seen that trusting God requires consecration - everything that we are totally surrendered to God - nothing held back - or held onto.  Its all God’s.  And God - if we will trust Him - will forgive us and set us free from our pasts.  He will renew us - cleanse us - heal us - and place before us new opportunities.  He will give us direction for our lives - guidance in how to live our lives as He’s designed them to be lived.  And He will be with us - even leading us to His victory in life.

Bottom line:  If we do things our way we get creamed.  Its really crucial - when living by faith - to seek out God first and to do things God’s way.

Which brings us to chapter 10 - and trusting God when we come up against great opposition - when life seems stacked against us.

Verse 1:  Now it came about when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and had utterly destroyed it (just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were within their land, that he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.  Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron and to Piram king of Jarmuth and to Japhia king of Lachish and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, “Come up to me and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.”  So the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they with all their armies, and camped by Gibeon and fought against it.

Let’s pause there and catch up to what’s happening.

First - The Gibeonite Maneuver

As Israel is moving into the Promised Land - the people who coming up on Israel’s “Cities to be Conquered” list had heard how Israel had mowed down all the people of Jericho and Ai and Bethel - and Og and Sihon  - kings from the east side of the Jordan River - and what had happened in Egypt - to Pharaoh - so these “next to be conquered people” began forming alliances with the one purpose of defeating Joshua and Israel.

The Gibeonites - which if you look on the map - we’re probably a confederation of four cities - Gibeon being the most powerful - the Gibeonites realized that military power alone wasn’t going to defeat God.  So they devised this deception where they tricked Joshua and Israel’s leaders into signing a treaty with them.  Remember this?  The old clothes and dried up bread?  We’re people from a city far far away?  We want to be your servants?

Joshua and Israel’s leaders - without asking God - get themselves into this alliance where instead of wiping out Gibeon - like God had told them to -  they end up making the Gibeonites their servants and becoming their protectors.

Second - The strategy of Adoni-zedek - the king of Jerusalem.

On the next map you’ll see the 5 cities listed here in verses 3 to 5.  Notice that the five cities are south of Gibeon.  Gibeon controls the central highlands and the conquest route to south.  Along with defeating Jericho, Ai, and Bethel - Israel’s alliance with Gibeon gives Israel control of the central area and an opening to attack the south - where these 5 cities are.

That concerns Adoni-zedek - the king of Jerusalem.  Because he’s next on the “Cities to be Conquered” list.  So Adoni-zedek forms an alliance with these four other kings of the south to defeat Israel.  Step one in that plan is to chastise the traitorous Gibeonites and retake the center.

The strategy of this is pretty basic.  Joshua is with the people - Israel - in Gilgal - about 20 miles down hill from Gibeon.  Seemingly out of the picture.  If these 5 kings can attack and take Gibeon - while Joshua is off at Gilgal - not only will they regain dominance and control of the area - but they’ll weaken and demoralize Israel - handing them a strategic defeat.  They’ll prove that Israel can’t be trusted when it comes to alliances and ultimately show-up Israel’s God - in Who’s name the alliance was made.

Verse 6:  Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.”  So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors.  The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.”  So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal.  And the Lord confounded them before Israel, and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.  As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with their sword.

Two things here we need to grab on to.

First:  grab on to What Joshua does

The Gibeonites expected help.  They’re part of this alliance  The name Joshua means “The Lord saves.”  In the name of God Joshua is suppose to save them.  But these 5 kings are a formidable force - 5 powerful cities.  An opposition not to be taken lightly.  Everything that’s been gained so far - the conquest of the Promised Land - it could all be lost in some vain attempt to rescue these deceiving Gibeonites - who aren’t even Hebrew.

Grab that - there’s a real danger here.  Real pressure.  Real opposition.

It would be so easy to make excuses.  “Well, we couldn’t get there in time.  Would have liked to have helped.  It was just their tough luck.  They were suppose to have been wipe out anyway.  Maybe this is God’s will.”

Every been there?  Felt like God was calling you to do something?  Maybe to share your faith with someone.  Or, to stand up for him.  To turn away from some sin.  Make a life style change.  To move forward in faith.    Its so easy for us to make excuses.  In the face of family and friends and co-workers - pressure put up against us - its so easy for us to hold back from what God lays out before us.  Isn’t it? 

Joshua’s response is immediate - an all night march.  Mustering the troops so no one needs to catch-up.  All night they march up the hill from the Jordan River valley - about 20 miles - up hill - about a 2,000 foot climb - to surprise the armies laying siege to Gibeon.  It’s a bold - audacious move - catches the 5 kings by surprise.

In the face of formidable opposition its a move made by faith in God.  An alliance has been made in God’s name - in God’s - trusting God - honor the alliance.

Second:  grab on to What God does

While Joshua is doing the marching thing - mustering the troops - doing what he knows that before God he - by faith - needs to do - God speaks to Joshua.  “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands not one of them shall stand before you.”  How’s that for a confidence builder?

The Almighty God of creation saying to you, “Joshua, I’m with you.  I’ve got it covered.  Victory is yours.”

“All right God!  Let’s go take on some Amorites.”

If you’ll look at the map - notice with me the geography of this battle.

Beth-horon is like a mountain pass - 10 miles up hill from Gibeon.  Israel’s army marches 20 miles up hill - all night.  Spends the morning fighting an army that’s dug in for a siege.  Then chases them 10 more miles up hill through a mountain pass.  Finally they’re headed down hill to a place called Azekah - otherwise known as Makkedah.  They get through the pass - and now their going downhill into the enemies home turf.

They haven’t slept.  They’ve been fighting a formidable enemy.  They’re pursuing this army - keeping the pressure on.  There’s been no let up for these guys.  Real fatigue - weariness is a possibility. 

Ever been there?  Tired of the up hill battle.  Seeing the enemy gathering strength for a greater opposition.  Wondering how much longer you can keep going.

Then God steps in.  God tossing super-sized man killing hailstones from heaven.  More Amorites die from the hailstones than those killed by the Hebrews in battle.

Verse 12:  Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “O sun, stand still at Gibeon, and O moon in the valley of Aijalon.”  As they’re coming through the pass Gibeon was behind them - the Valley of Aijalon which was in front of them - below them.  Ever wish you had an extra few hours in your day?  “God keep it daylight until we get all these Amorites killed.”

Verse 13:  So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies.  Is it not written in the book of Jashar? - the Book of Jashar was probably a historical record of Israel’s wars that God didn’t include in His Scriptures - And the son stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.  There was not day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.  Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp to Gilgal.

There are a number of theories on what happened here.

The Hebrew word for “stopped” is “amad” which can have the idea of being dumb struck by something - being stopped in our tracks because of what we’ve seen.  Some people have said that Joshua was calling on the sun and moon to witness to what God has done.  “Even the sun and moon are amazed at God at work.”

“Amad” is also the same Hebrew word used in 3:16 to describe the Jordan river standing still while God’s people crossed on dry land.  So it has a physical meaning.  Literally that the sun and moon stopped moving.   The Almighty God of creation who called the sun and moon - and everything else - into being simply by the power of His word is certainly able to stop celestial motion for a few hours.

That God did it - when Joshua asked for it - that He did it on behalf of His people - is astounding.  Verse 14 says, “There was no day like that before or after it.”  That’s an understatement isn’t it?

Notice the point of all this.  Let’s not get lost in the miracle and miss the bottom line:  Verse 14:  “The Lord fought for Israel.”  Who fought for Israel?  The Lord.  Hold on to that.  Who fights for His people?  The Lord.

Verse 16:  Now these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah

They’ve been surprised - pursued - attacked by super-sized hailstones - and now the sun won’t set.  There’s no cover of darkness to retreat under.  While everyone else is trying to make it back to the safety of a fortified city - these 5 kings do the cowardly treasonous thing - they abandon their armies - and go hide in a cave.

Verse 17:  It was told Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”  Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and assign men by it to guard them, but do not stay there yourselves; pursue your enemies and attack them in the rear.  Do not allow them to enter their cities for the Lord your God has delivered them into your hand.”  It came about when Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished slaying them with a very great slaughter, until they were destroyed, and the survivors who remained of the had entered the fortified cities, that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace.  No one uttered a word against any of the sons of Israel.

Point being:  This was a complete rout.  When all is said and done - there’s silence.  No opposition left.

Verse 22:  Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring these five kings out to me from the cave.”  They did so, and brought these five kings out to him from the cave:  The king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.  When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.”  So they came near and put their feet on their necks.  Joshua then said to them, “Do not fear or be dismayed!  Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.”  So afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until evening.  It came about at sunset that Joshua gave a command, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and put large stones over the mouth of the cave, to this very day.  Now Joshua captured Makkedah on that day, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it.  He left no survivors.  Thus he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

Joshua could have just killed these 5 kings.  But, Joshua pulls the kings out of the cave and goes through this public ceremony of having his military leaders put their feet on the necks of each king.  It was ceremony that demonstrated the ultimate in humiliation - total defeat - a posture that allowed for no pretense of pride on the part of these 5 kings - no hope of rescue.  Absolute and total defeat.  There’s no question about who won and who lost.

King Solomon speaking about his father David’s success against Israel's enemies - Solomon talks about a time when God put David’s enemies under his feet.  (1 Kings 5:3)  Same image.  In Psalm 110:1 David writes that His - David’s - victories foreshadow what will be the ultimate victory when God makes God’s enemies God’s footstool through the victory of the coming Messiah.  Paul writes about Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15:25 - same image:  “For He - Jesus - must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”

Paul writes in Romans 8:35:  “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”  Name your pressure - your stress point - the struggle - whatever the opposition - spiritual or otherwise.  We live in a spiritual battle zone.  Christians are targets of the enemy.

“What can separate us from the love of Christ?”  Answer - Romans 8:37 - remember this?  “In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him - Jesus - who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Not just survival.  But victory.  Conquest by faith because of God.

In the midst of this public demonstration of victory - Joshua - says this - its his reason for the ceremony - the point he wants his people to understand - verse 25:  “Do not fear or be dismayed!  Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.” 

Underline that verse.  Write it down someplace.  Memorize it.  Its God’s promise to you.  Not just to Joshua with His enemies.  But God’s promise to each one of us through Jesus Christ.

Who fights for His people?  “The Lord.”  When you feel fearful or dismayed remember this:  We are victorious because He is victorious.    Say that with me.  “We are victorious because He is victorious.” 

Coming to verse 29 - there are series of military victories here.  As I’m reading you can look at the screen and you’ll see the geography of all this.   

Verse 29:  Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.  The Lord - who?  The Lord gave it also with its king into the hands of Israel, and he struck it and every person who was in it with the edge of the of the sword.  He left no survivor in it.  Thus he did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho.  And Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish, and they camped by it and fought against it.  The Lord - who?  The Lord gave Lachish into the hands of Israel; and he captured it on the second day, and struck it and every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah.  Then Horam king of Gezer - the old Gezer himself - came up to help Lachish, and Joshua defeated him and his people until he had left him no survivor.  And Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon, and they camped by it and fought against it.  They captured it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; and he utterly destroyed that day every person who was in it, according to all that he had done to Lachish.  Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it.  They captured it and struck and its king and all its cities and all the persons who were in it with the edge of the sword.  He left no survivor, according to all that he had done to Eglon.  And he utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it.  Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to Debir, and they fought against it.  He captured it and its king and all its cities, and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person who was in it.  He left no survivor.  Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had also done to Libnah and its king.

We’re reading through these verses very quickly.  These were real battles fought over a significant period of time.  But, the way Scripture records these battles is done to impress us.  There is a serious lack of effective opposition.  Boom - boom - boom - one after the other God destroys the enemies of His people.

Verse 40:  Thus Joshua struck all the land, the hill country and the Negev and the lowland and the slopes and all their kings.  He left no survivor, but he utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel had commanded.  Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea even as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen even as far as Gibeon.  Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because the Lord - who?  the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.  So Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

Looking at the map (slide 22) you’ll see all these cities and the area that Joshua ultimately conquered. (slide animation)  When chapter 10 is done - God’s people have not only overcame formidable opposition - but they’ve taken the central and southern sections of the Promised Land.

There are two thoughts of how all this can apply to us that I’d like to share with you.

First:  The crucial importance of faithfully following God’s instructions.

A while back I read about a college student in Lubbock, Texas who was taking his final college exam - a final in a logic class known for its difficult exams.  To help with the test - the professor told the students they could bring as much information to the exam as they could fit on a piece of notebook paper.  Most students - writing very, very small - crammed as many facts as possible on their 8½ x 11 inch sheet of paper.

One student - however - tried something different.  On the day of the test this student walked into the class on logic and put a piece of 8½ x 11 notebook paper on the floor.  He then invited an advanced logic student to stand on the paper.  The advanced logic student told him everything he needed to know.  He became the only student to receive an “A.”

We’ve been seeing that every time God’s people stop listening to God they get themselves into trouble.  Every time God’s people are willing to obey God they’re victorious.  God commanded Joshua to take the land - to destroy everyone who lived there.  Joshua did things God’s way and he was victorious.

On October 16, 1982, Badger Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin was packed.  More than 60,000 die-hard University of Wisconsin supporters were watching their football team take on the Michigan State Spartans.  What was odd - regardless of what was happening on the field - who was winning or loosing - there were bursts of applause and cheers and shouts of joy from the Wisconsin fans - completely irrelevant to what was going on in the football game.

It turns out that seventy miles away the Milwaukee Brewers were coming from behind to beat the St. Louis Cardinals in game four of the 1982 World Series.  Many of the fans in the stands were listening on portable radios and responding to something completely different than their immediate circumstances. (1)

We have this choice in life.  In the circumstances of our lives - often seemingly overwhelming - who will we listen to?  In faith - will we step forward trusting God?

Second thought of application.  Never doubt God’s zealousness for you.

Verse 43 reminds us that Joshua captured all these kings and their lands - not because he was some great military genius - some great political leader - clever - wise - but because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.  Who fights for His people?  The Lord.  Who fights for you?  The Lord.  Never doubt that.