hide text
Israel's continuing success led her enemies to exert increasing opposition against the people of God. This chapter records the Canaanites' first aggressive action against the Israelites.
10:1-5 The Jebusites lived in and around Jebus, ancient Salem (Gen. 14:18). The writer called this town Jerusalem for the first time in Scripture. "Jerusalem"means "the founding (or possession) of peace."Adonizedek (lit. lord of righteousness) and Melchizedek (king of righteousness, Gen. 14:18) were titles of the Jebusite kings, as Pharaoh was a title of the Egyptian kings. Jerusalem lay closer to Gibeon than any of the other towns that allied with Jerusalem against Gibeon. Probably for this reason Adonizedek took the initiative in this alliance.
"The Amarna letters indicate that Jerusalem was the center of political activity in the fourteenth century B.C. and was always conscious of its own security."131
10:6-11 Here the writer used the name "Amorites"(v. 6) generally of the Canaanites who were living in the nearby hills including the Jebusites.
"The Amorites who dwelt in the mountains were the strongest of all the Canaanites."132
This was the first time Israel had gone into battle against an alliance of city-states. God reassured Joshua that he would be victorious (v. 8).
God's strategy included an early morning surprise attack that caught the Amorites off guard (cf. Exod. 23:27). Israel was able to gain the advantage and pursued the fleeing Amorites for several miles. God also sent a hailstorm (cf. Exod. 9:24) as the Amorites descended from Upper Beth-horon to Lower Beth-horon along the ridge route that connects these towns (the "descent,"v. 11). This storm killed many of the enemy but none of God's people. By this the Amorites and the Israelites realized that this victory came as a result of the supernatural help of Yahweh and not simply by Israel's own power. Yahweh as well as Israel had devoted the Amorites to destruction.
"The crossing of the Jordan at high flood and the cyclonic hail storm at Aijalon are of special theological significance, for Baal was the great Canaanite storm god who was supposed to control the rain, the hail, the snow and the floods of Palestine. These episodes proved that Baal was as powerless before Yahweh in Palestine as he had been in the episode of the plagues in Egypt."133
Note in verses 9-15 how the writer alternated references to the activities of the Israelites and God. He seems to have wanted to impress the reader with the fact than God and men were laboring together to secure the victory (cf. 1 Cor. 3:9).
10:12-15 Joshua based his petition (v. 12) on God's promise (v. 8). It was a public prayer that he spoke in the hearing of the Israelites.
There are two basic explanations of this miracle among evangelical scholars.
1. God slowed or stopped the earth's rotation, or He tilted its axis thereby lengthening the period of daylight. Most of those who hold this view believe God counteracted the worldwide effects of this miracle by His supernatural power.134The main problem with this view is its improbability. Would God (He could, of course) perform such a worldwide miracle simply to give Israel more daylight? Advocates reply that this is the normal meaning of the words the writer used.
2. This may have been a local miracle whereby God provided additional light for Israel. Some advocates of this view believe God created unusual atmospheric conditions that resulted in the refraction of sunlight after the sun had set. Others feel God provided a light for Israel that may even have looked like the sun but was a different source of light such as the shekinah.135The main problem with this view is the language used in the text that seems to imply an actual alteration of the earth's rotation. Advocates reply that this is the language of appearance and cite similar miracles in Scripture (e.g., Exod. 10:21-23; 2 Kings 20:10-11). Some also cite God's promise to provide day and night regularly that seems to favor this view (Gen. 8:22; cf. Jer. 33:20-21).
Robert Dick Wilson, a competent and conservative Hebrew scholar, believed that both the sun and the moon experienced an eclipse by other heavenly bodies.136He argued that the Hebrew words translated "stand still"and "stood still"can be translated "be eclipsed"and "was eclipsed."This is a possible explanation.
Various writers have suggested many other views and variations of these views.137
The Canaanites regarded the sun and moon as deities. Their control by Yahweh must have deeply impressed Israel's enemies.138
The Book of "Jashar"("righteous,"v. 13) seems to have been a collection of stories of Israel's heroes. Some of these stories, if not all of them, were in verse and commemorated God's great acts for Israel (cf. 2 Sam. 1:18).
An additional note that Yahweh fought for Israel (v. 14) reemphasized God's initiative for His people in faithfulness to His promises.
"God fights for Israel. He also fights with and through Israel. She cannot expect the victory, however, if she does not do her part."139
10:16-27 The Israelites suffered no significant losses in the mopping up operation that followed. "No one uttered a word against"(v. 21) means no one lifted a finger in resistance against the Israelites (cf. Exod. 11:7).
Putting one's foot on the necks of one's enemies was a symbolic act that represented complete subjugation in the ancient Near East (v. 24; cf. 1 Kings 5:3; Ps. 8:6; 110:1). The act also gave the Israelites greater confidence. Joshua strengthened the impact of this act with an encouraging exhortation (v. 25).
Israel's leaders placed large stones over the grave of the Canaanite kings (v. 27) for the benefit of future observers (cf. 7:25). This constituted still another memorial to God's faithfulness and power.
As believers experience increasing success in our spiritual warfare, we normally experience increasing opposition from our spiritual enemies, as Israel did. Still the Lord fights with His people (2 Cor. 12:9). We have responsibilities to secure victory (e.g., trust, obedience, using our resources, etc.; cf. Eph. 6:14-18). The Lord also provides assistance naturally and supernaturally. He enables us to use the strength, wisdom, and endurance He has given us. He also does things we cannot possibly do for ourselves. He gave the Israelite army extra light and sent hail from the sky. He gives us material gifts, He changes the hearts of people, and He opens up new opportunities for us, to name a few of His acts.
