The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder Lasser Bradley Jr. Mm-hmm. Dozen tumblers seem My great Redeemer's raised the glories of my government, the triumphs of this race. This is Leser Bradley Jr., inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. For trust is our love, allever failing our helper is prepared for still our ancient foe the seed to work us who is ruffed and our brave unarmed with cruel head on earth is not his equal I'm glad to have you with us us for the broadcast today.
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Now to day we go back to our series from the book of Joshua.
So we're ready to talk about that great occasion when the sun stood still, and this first half of the message deals with the preparation and what led up to that great event, which we'll talk about more in detail in Part two. We come today to Joshua chapter 10. If you've been reading ahead. You might be able to guess that the title of my sermon Is The sun stood still. We read Joshua chapter 10, verse 13.
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. We saw in chapter nine that Joshua was deceived by the Gibeonites. They really were close neighbors, but they presented themselves as though they had come on a long journey.
So that the bread that they carried with them was moldy and their shoes were worn out and they made such an impression that Joshua made a quick decision. And it was a mistake. He didn't take time to seek the guidance of the Lord. I guess he had a lot on his mind thinking about the battles that were in front of him. And so He agreed.
to make peace with these people. That was something he had been forbidden to do. He was not to make peace with the inhabitants of the land. He was to drive them out. And so now we see some of the complications that come from making a bad decision.
He has Agreed. to have peace with them. And now They are going to be attacked. And they send to Joshua and say, come help us.
So by agreeing to work with these people, He now has some additional responsibilities put on him that he hadn't anticipated.
So we read Going back to the first verse of Joshua chapter 10.
Now it came to pass when Adazondech, king of Jerusalem, had heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it. as he had done to Jericho and her king, So he had done to Ai and Hercule. and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them, that they feared greatly. because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
So when the king of Jerusalem hears what has happened, That The mower bikes The people inhabiting the city of Moab have made peace. With Joshua They are greatly afraid. What's going to happen now? We had depended on them. They are a large city, and the men that are among them are mighty men.
We thought they would be our allies.
Now we need to go destroy them. And so the king of Jerusalem then summoned four other kings. To come help him, saying, that we may smite Gibeon, for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
So, the fact that the word has been circulated. That Joshua was victorious. At Jericho. The walls had been brought down. and that he was victorious at AI.
And now The city of Gibeon being a larger city, And they have made peace with Joshua, it's greatly disturbing to this king.
So he seeks the help of other kings that they will now invade the Moabites. But first, as we look at this passage, we want to consider God's overruling providence. No doubt Joshua regretted the decision he made. It was made hastily. It was made without consultation.
It was made without seeking God's guidance and. Probably was embarrassed by it. because the people were disturbed. The people were very critical of him having made that decision. But He didn't pitch in the towel.
Yeah. Give up. Say, well, that's. Just so. Terrible thing that I've done.
I don't think I can be useful anymore. I think I'll just step aside. No? He stood by his word to the Gibeonites. He expresses now a willingness to go to their defense.
And so he's keeping his promise. And he's moving forward with the work that is before him.
So they Enemy's plan was to combine forces Then attack Gibeon in verse five. It says, Therefore, the five kings of the Amorites gathered themselves together and went up. they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
So these kings respond. To the king of Jerusalem and saying, Indeed, something must be done. We need to join forces, we need to go and attack. Gibbon. The enemies of God often seem to be very arrogant and self-confident.
These kings obviously assume that because they are joining forces, they're going to be successful in wiping out. the inhabitants of Gibeon because of their betrayal. And we see many examples of that in Scripture. were those who did not recognize God. We're very proud, boastful, arrogant, self-confident.
But we also observe that they were brought to great defeat. We'd find This in the case of Pharaoh. It all started when Moses appeared before the king saying that God demands that you let his people go. And Pharaoh says, Who is the Lord that I should obey him? Bold, arrogant, not going to recognize the true and living God.
Well, the ten plagues were brought upon them. And finally, he said You can go. And in Exodus chapter 14, verse 23, we read this. And the Egyptians pursued and went after them to the midst of the sea, even all of Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. Verse 25.
And the LORD took off their chariot wheels.
Now, here are these people. Feel like we've we're going to get this thing under control. Pharaoh's changes his mind. He wants his people brought back.
So the water of the Red Sea is rolled back. Pharaoh's host is seeking to pursue them. And when they're out in the sea, the water roll back, but they're where the sea would normally be resting. God takes care of the matter by taking off their chariot wheels.
So the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. They got the message. We're in deep trouble because the Lord is fighting for them and against us. But It was a little too late. Verse 28.
And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen. There remained not so much as one of them.
So here we go from Pharaoh saying, Who is the Lord that I should obey him? to seeing God taking the wheels off the chariots of those who were in hot pursuit, and the water returning and drowning them all, and there was not so much as one of them left. God brings down the mighty from their seats. And then we think of it. when David went out to fight Goliath.
1 Samuel chapter 17, verse 43. And the Philistine looked about and saw David, and the And he disdained him, for he was but a youth and ruddy and of fair countenance. And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistines said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field. Here's this giant, a man of war, who's been striking fear in the hearts of the Israelite army for days.
David, the shepherd lad, comes because he's had experience with his God and knows what God is able to do on his behalf.
So he comes in the name of the Lord. Recognizing the battle is the Lord's. Verse 49. And David put his hand in his bag and took thence a stone and slang it. and smote the Philistine in his forehead that the stone sunk into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.
Here's this proud, boastful military leader. being brought down by a little shepherd boy. Because God was in the matter. With all of his boasting. You come on to me, he says to David, I'll give your flesh to the fowls of the air.
And not long after he's on his face, on the ground. And then David takes his sword. Blast his own sword and cuts his head off. And the people saw that God had given them a victory. And then we read in Psalm 2 about the kings of the earth.
Verse one of the second Psalm Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The heathen, those who do not believe in God. Make their boasts, they rage, they talk about what they're able to do and going to do. The people imagine a vain thing. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
Now, you'll note in reading the entire Psalm that there's obvious messianic references here to the coming of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. But it's applicable in many cases along the way as to how God dealt with his enemies and sustained his people.
So, what's his response? He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision.
So here are pagans. Here are people who do not believe in the true and living God. And they rage, they make their plans, they make their claims about what they're going to do in suppressing the people of God. And God sits in the heaven and laughs. What folly it is.
For little feeble creatures of the earth to think that they're going to withstand the true and living God. He shall have them in derision.
So God overrules The boast of the enemy. He often overrules even the mistakes that people make. Overrules troubles and even their sins. Seventy-six verse ten says Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee. The remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
That's reassuring to know, isn't it? That God makes the wrath of man to praise Him. Here's the kings of earth. Making their most Making their claims. And God will restrain such wrath That he will not be pleased to use, but he will release such of it that he will turn to some positive benefit to his glory or the benefit and advancement of his people.
So we can see How God makes the wrath of man to praise Him, and the fact that these kings have united, so now there are five kings. Joshua would have With that without what it transpired. Joshua would have had to go individually to each city and attack each king and have one battle for each one.
So there would be five battles in which he would be engaged. But they have united, so now he can whip them all in just one battle. God makes the wrath of man to praise him.
So all of their planning and scheming came to naught. Think about this principle. In the case of Joseph's brothers, who were full of wrath. They were jealous, envious of their brother. They talked about killing him.
That's how great their anger was. But one of the brothers says, let's not kill him, let's sell him into slavery. God makes the wrath of man to praise him.
Their wrath would have brought about His murder. But God intervenes, of course. And we can see the unfolding of divine providence as he's sold into slavery. He's falsely accused in Potiphar's house. He spends time in prison, but he's finally brought before Pharaoh and elevated to be the prime minister of the land.
And then at a later time, When Jacob Is feeling the pangs of hunger. He says to his sons, You've got to go down to Egypt and buy corn. My, what a surprise. They could never have imagined that the man they would meet was their. brother He's not a slave, he's next in power to Pharaoh himself.
God makes the wrath of man depracing. And Joseph held them accountable for their actions. He said, You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. And not only were they fed, But Jacob and the whole household were moved down to Egypt and cared for. By Joseph.
God makes the wrath of man to praise him.
How wonderful to be able to rest in the truth. of such a God as this.
Sometimes defeat also is used to prepare for victory. They were defeated. At AI, of course there were multiple causes for that. But One of them was that Joshua had listened to the advice of some of the spies who said it's not necessary to send the whole military group there, just to send a few. But uh he learned from that mistake.
And he learned something about the technique that was going to be necessary in order to have victory on the second go-around. And you'll recall some of the details of that story, how they waited in ambush, and when the people came out of the city, they then destroyed those that had come out and the city itself. And so God sometimes uses our failures To show us our weakness and to bring us to complete dependence upon Him. That doesn't excuse failure. It doesn't defend sin.
But it is good to know that our sovereign God can work in such a unique way. That he makes wrath, even the wrath of man, to praise him. He's not the author of sin. But he's certainly in charge. And God in His absolute sovereignty controls every aspect of life, all that transpires on this earth, and makes even the wrath of man to praise Him.
Next, we observe that God cares for his people. Notice the Approach. Of the Gibeonites. It's described as one of the royal cities because it was greater than AI. And all the men thereof were mighty.
But when they're asking Joshua for help. They're not boasting of any might. They're not claiming that they can withstand the enemy. They are coming humbly before him. as they face danger.
They acknowledge their weakness. And they turned to the one who could help them. They turned to Joshua. And the name Joshua means Jehovah is Savior.
So they are turning to one Who is Able to to feed them in this hour of need. They're turning to one who has proven himself in previous battles to be successful. He was successful, of course, because God was with him.
Now in verse 6 It says, And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp of Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants. Notice their approach. We're your servants. Yes, they had been deceitful when they approach Joshua originally. and therefore were able to get the benefit of his promise to Bring them to a safe place.
Sure. They come humbly. They come acknowledging, we are thy servants. Come up quickly and save us. And there's a lesson in that for us.
That if we're going to approach our Joshua, if we're going to approach Jesus Christ, our Savior, Asking for his help. How do we approach him? We have to come. humbly. We have to come acknowledging, Lord, I'm thy servant.
I can't make any demands. I'm not worthy. I'm not deserving. But I come as thy servant. Come quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.
So we need to follow the example. of coming and making our requests to the Lord. as servants.
So um 31 verse 2 says, Bow down thine ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be thou my strong rock for an house of defense to save me. He's making a request. The psalmist is making the request that the Lord come speedily.
When These Gibbonites were making such a request. have been critical of that. and say they were a little boastful. They were somewhat presumptuous to say, come quickly, as though they could make such a demand. But uh I see it as a humble request.
They needed help, they needed it quickly, and so that's what they're asking for. And there are numerous examples in Scripture. where God's servants have made that kind of a request. Lord, I sink in deep mire. Save me.
I'm going down for the count. And so, in this one, in Psalm 31, Bow down thine ear, deliver me speedily. Be thou my strong rock.
So We need to learn. There are practical lessons to be learned from all of this. May we learn to turn to the one who can deliver us when we face our troubles. That's exactly what these people were doing. They knew there was only one that could help, and that was Joshua, and they're turning to him for that help.
There are troubles. that all of us encounter in life. Job Chapter 5, verse 7 says, Yet man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward. It's just a fact that in this world there's going to be trouble. Consider the fact that we are fallen sinners.
We're living in a world which the scripture describes as lying in wickedness. If the whole world lies in wickedness and we are sinners and we're going to be in contact with other sinners, and Satan is the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, you can expect that there's going to be some trouble. Don't have to step back as though this is some strange thing that I've got difficulties, I've got troubles in life. It's just a part of what we're going to encounter in this volume world. Jesus gave such instruction to his disciples in John 16, verse 33.
These things I have spoken unto you, that ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation. It until you made habit. You will have it. He's talking to those who were his followers, and no doubt part of what is encompassed in this is the fact that they would face persecution because of their testimony, because of their faithfulness in preaching the gospel.
So in the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. And that I'm telling you, you will have tribulation. You need not despair. You need to not give up as though there is no hope.
I have overcome the world. And therefore, since you're my disciples, I'm going to give you the strength to overcome as you move forward. Our troubles though must drive us to the Lord. And not away from him.
Some people tend to complain. Troubles come. I say, I just don't understand why God has allowed this trouble to enter my life. Why has God allowed me to go through this terrible affliction? I don't understand it.
But you see, if we really Recognize the absolute sovereignty of God. and we recognize our own unworthiness. We're not going to. Complain. We're not going to challenge the sovereign acts of God.
We're going to bow in humility and ask for His help and pray that He would teach us whatever lessons we need to learn.
So it's to draw us to Him. The troubles are to humble us, bring us to dependence upon him, bring us to the place that we recognize. I have to walk by faith. I have to rest in his promises, but not moving away from him.
So Yeah. Life is full of troubles. But there is help. There is help for us, just as Jesus was telling his disciples that in him they could have peace. Looking at the book of Isaiah chapter 40.
Verse 29, it giveth power to the faint. And to them that have no might, he says. He increaseth strength.
So? you're having trouble. All kinds of troubles. that we can encounter in this life. Physical troubles.
sicknesses, long-term sicknesses. Financial reversals. Marriage problems, problems with children who are rebellious, all kinds of things that can be disruptive. But he says He's able to give us the strength that we need. He giveth power to defend.
You get to the point you feel like, I can't take anymore, I can't keep going. You feel I'm going to faint, I'm going to give up. But he gives power to the faint. to them that have no might. You've reached your wit's end, as the psalmist describes it.
He increaseth strength.
I guess Of Jesus all my trials. I cannot bear these burdens alone. Today we've brought you the first half of a message entitled The Sun Stood Still. We look forward to bringing the second half next week when we'll go into more detail about the event itself. I know this one today was primarily dealing with the preparation of things that took place leading up to that great event.
Again, I urge you to write us. We look forward to hearing from you until next week at this same time. May the Lord richly bless you all. I'm a stealthy. Jesus all of my troubles.
He is a kind, compassionate friend. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder Lasser Bradley Jr. Address all mail to the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45217. That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45217. Bear my burdens alone.
I'm the sell Jesus, I must tell Jesus, Jesus can help me, Jesus alone. Oh, how the world to rebels me. Oh, how my heart is tempted to sin. I'm the self Jesus, and he will help me over the world the victory to win. I'm a sell Jesus, I'm the sell Jesus, I cannot bear my burdens alone.
I'm the sell Jesus, I'm a sell Jesus, Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
