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??Let's review our Joshua lessons with a song：??Joshua led the people of Israel, Israel, Israel.
??Joshua led the people of Israel, now the story we will tell!
??Two spies were helped by Rahab, she hid them carefully,
??A red cord out her window did save her family.
??(repeat first two lines)
??Now you march around the city, one time for six days straight,
??On the 7th day, march 7 times, give a shout and celebrate!
??(repeat first two lines)
??Now don't make an agreement, with the people in this land,
??But the Gibeonites fooled Joshua, and their trickery would stand.
??(repeat first two lines)
??Yes, the Gibeonites had become an everyday sight in the camp at Gilgal, as they chopped wood and hauled water. Joshua and the people of Israel kept their promise to the Gibeonites, and all seemed to be going well. But Joshua chapter 10 begins ？Now it came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai？and completely destroyed it, as he had done to Jericho, and how the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, they were greatly afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because all the men in Gibeon were mighty. So Adonizedec king of Jerusalem gathered 4 other powerful kings and all their armies, and they ALL went to battle against Gibeon.
??What do you think the Gibeonites did when they saw this vast army gathering around their city？Joshua 10：6 says ？And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua？？" Come and help us, quick!" they cried to Joshua. The Gibeonites knew where to go for help! Never had they heard of a God so powerful to save and help as Israel's God. He is the same powerful God today, and He says in Isaiah 45：22, "Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth：for I am God, and there is none else. The God of Israel is the God Who created all things, including you and me. He has all power and there is no problem too big for Him! Not even the biggest problem you and I have, and that is sin.
??You may think your bad grades in school, or your lack of money, or your lack of friends is your biggest problem. But none of those problems last forever. God says the problem of sin keeps us separated from Him and His wonderful heaven forever. Do you know where to go for help with your sin problem？The same place the Gibeonites went!
??Romans 5：8 says that God proved His love to us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God's love made Him give up His dearest treasure, His perfect Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to take our punishment for sin. Before you even knew Him, or cared to know Him, Christ had already come to earth to take care of your sin problem! About 2000 years ago, He allowed Roman soldiers to nail His hands and feet to a rough wooden cross, where He died. The blood Jesus shed there, the suffering He endured, the death He died, were all a part of the payment for your sin and mine.
??But how wonderful to know He came alive the 3rd day! Now He is in Heaven, listening for those who cry out with all their hearts, "Help me, Lord Jesus. Save me from my sin!" The Gibeonites were also crying out, Help us, save us! They knew only the God of Joshua could help them.
??Of course, the Lord knew all about this desperate need, long before anyone else knew it. Listen as I read Joshua 10：8 ？And the Lord said to Joshua, don't be afraid of them. I have delivered them into your hand; there shall not a man of them stand before you."
??With God on his side, Joshua and his army were a MAJORITY, even though they were facing a battle against 5 armies!
??Joshua quickly called his army together and they traveled all night to get to Gibeon as quickly as possible. As Joshua's army and the people of Gibeon began the fight against these 5 mighty armies, there was another invisible army there as well. The Bible says the Lord upset the 5 mighty armies of the Amorites. One way He upset them was that He cast down great hailstones from heaven upon them. The soldiers that died from these huge hailstones hitting them, were more than the army of Israel had killed!
??There was no doubt that God was giving Joshua the victory over his enemies. But one thing was troubling Joshua during that battle. As he glanced up at the sky, he realized the sun was about to set, and the moon was about to come up. He needed more time to finish that battle! With a great and godly boldness, Joshua suddenly did something that no one else on earth has ever done! Joshua 10：12-14 tells us, Then Joshua spoke to the Lord ？in the sight of all Israel, "Sun, stand still upon Mt. Gibeon; and you, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon." And the sun stood still, and moon stayed, until the people of Israel had gotten the victory over their enemies. So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not
??go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it？for the Lord fought for Israel. The Lord had been their Helper, in a miraculous way!
??Verse 15 says, "And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal."
??The battle was over, and they had won! But I'm sure as that army returned home, they were not bragging on how well they themselves had fought! The army of Israel knew they had won because the LORD had fought for Israel! If you know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour from sin, the Lord fights for you too! There's a heavenly army of angels we never see, but they are working for us as believers. If God's army is for us, who can stand against us？Will you remember the Lord is your Helper this week？Ask Him for help with all your problems! Will you obey His commandments and live to please Him, so nothing will hinder the Lord form helping you when you call to Him？And don't forget the THANKS prayer afterwards!
??If you are not a child of God, will you go right now to "How to be a Child of God？"
