League With the Gibeonites
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God, he felt himself under obligation to protect them. He did not this
time move without divine counsel, and the Lord encouraged him in
the undertaking. “Fear them not,” was the divine message; “for I have
delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand
before thee.” “So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people
of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.”
By marching all night he brought his forces before Gibeon in the
morning. Scarcely had the confederate princes mustered their armies
about the city when Joshua was upon them. The attack resulted in
the utter discomfiture of the assailants. The immense host fled before
Joshua up the mountain pass to Beth-horon; and having gained the
height, they rushed down the precipitous descent upon the other side.
Here a fierce hailstorm burst upon them. “The Lord cast down great
stones from heaven: ... they were more which died with hailstones
than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.”
While the Amorites were continuing their headlong flight, intent
on finding refuge in the mountain strongholds, Joshua, looking down
from the ridge above, saw that the day would be too short for the
accomplishment of his work. If not fully routed, their enemies would
again rally, and renew the struggle. “Then spake Joshua to the Lord, ...
and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon;
and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and
the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their
enemies.... The sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not
to go down about a whole day.”
Before the evening fell, God’s promise to Joshua had been fulfilled.
The entire host of the enemy had been given into his hand. Long were
the events of that day to remain in the memory of Israel. “There was
no day like that before it or after it, that Jehovah hearkened unto the
voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.” “The sun and moon
stood still in their habitation: at the light of Thine arrows they went,
and at the shining of Thy glittering spear. Thou didst march through
the land in indignation, Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. Thou
wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people.”
Habakkuk 3:11-13
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The Spirit of God inspired Joshua’s prayer, that evidence might
again be given of the power of Israel’s God. Hence the request did not
show presumption on the part of the great leader. Joshua had received
the promise that God would surely overthrow these enemies of Israel,