The Sun Stands Still
Reflections: In the first two passages, we see the power of God to protect those who He loves. Psalm 91 is a psalm about the shelter we find in the arms of the Almighty. Whether it large numbers of people, or deadly pestilence (which was a huge deal in that context), God would cover and watch over His people. One of the ways the people would see God’s protection is in His judgment of their enemies, not always in their timing but in God’s providence. The psalm teaches us not to look at outward appearances but to “dwell/abide” in the shelter and shadow of the Almighty. We often try to find security in lots of different worldly ways, but ultimately our destiny is in God’s hands.
Our Joshua passage shows someone who trusts in and has supreme confidence in God’s Word. Joshua has already seen God work in amazing ways and confidently leads the people to the next steps in conquering the Promised Land. Today five kings gather in a coalition, after hearing what Israel has done to their neighboring nations. Note they could have made peace like Gibeon had done, and God would have spared them for what was about to happen (This fact is often missed for those suppose God is arbitrary and capricious in His judgment!).
Yet, in their defiance of Israel and ultimately God himself, they go to attack Gibeon and by connection, Israel. As the Gibeonites see the approaching 5 armies, they call out to Joshua, and the Lord tells Joshua not to be afraid of them because He has given them into their hands. In the midst of their victory over these five kings, Joshua asks God to make the sun stand still, as they emerge victorious over the Amorite kings. And like God powerfully ushered in great signs of His power and presence through Moses, He answers Joshua’s request and the sun stands still for 24 hours. Wow!
We see too that the Lord causes large hailstones to be hurled upon the rebel armies, also showing the Israelites that this was God’s conquest more than anyone else. The victory was important enough, but more importantly the Lord was teaching them to trust in Joshua, his anointed servant and also ultimately in Him.
Joshua’s prayer reminds us to pray boldly. Have you asked God to stop the sun lately? Probably not, but the point is do our prayers seek to trust God in bold and radical ways, where the only way for our prayers to be answered is a powerful show of His presence!
In Luke 13, Jesus teaches the crowds about the true nature of repentance. He points out two types of tragedies. One the Galileans, whose blood was sacrificed and mixed in with the ritual worship sacrifice of the Roman Emperor. This would have been a huge abomination is the Jewish world. And likely due to their theology, they would have thought that these Jews were guilty of something and therefore deserved this punishment. In the second example, we see a natural disaster where a tower fell near a water tower in Siloam. Jesus’ uses this example to teach them of the nature of sin that we are all guilty and needing to repent before God. The idea that some people are worse sinners than others and that is why bad things happened was a false doctrine that evolved in the Jewish faith.
Jesus further amplifies this when he teaches about the fig tree that bore no fruit. This is the positive aspect of the other teaching. Fig trees are supposed to bear fruit. Israel, as God’s chosen Vine, was supposed to bear fruit showing them to be the people of God. Jesus was teaching that although the Jews were the chosen ones, they would have to repent like anybody else. They were hard hearted as a people, and therefore would get no preferential treatment. Jesus came to tell us that we are all in the same boat and as God’s representative, and in fact God Himself, He came to bring judgment and salvation. Judgment for Israel, who had failed to bear fruit! The light of salvation to the Gentiles, who were grafted into the Vine of God (see Romans 11 for more teaching on this!)
You wonder what Jesus would say to the Church today? To you and me? As we read the Word, God’s Holy Spirit convicts us of the things in our life that need a turnaround (this is the Greek word for “repentance” literally to have a change of mind). As we turn from the things we know are wrong and turn to Jesus for forgiveness, we will bear fruits worthy of repentance. We will become the people God has called us to be, Jew and Gentile alike.
Take a moment to pray and ask God to shine His light into your life and where He might want to move to cultivate a life of honoring Him in all you say and do!
Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
Joshua 10:1-28
The Sun Stands Still
10 Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and had become their allies. 2 He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. 3 So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. 4 “Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites —the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon—joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it. 6 The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.” 7 So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. 8 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.” 9 After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. 10 The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. 12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon. ” 13 So the sun stood still,and the moon stopped,till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel! 15 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
Luke 13:1-17
Repent or Perish
13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
The Lord our God is righteous in everything he does. Daniel 9:14 (NIV)
God shows no partiality. Romans 2:11
Holy Caregiver, help us remember that all people are your children, regardless of their race, nationality or political ideals. We give thanks that you watch over all your children. Amen.
Our Joshua passage shows someone who trusts in and has supreme confidence in God’s Word. Joshua has already seen God work in amazing ways and confidently leads the people to the next steps in conquering the Promised Land. Today five kings gather in a coalition, after hearing what Israel has done to their neighboring nations. Note they could have made peace like Gibeon had done, and God would have spared them for what was about to happen (This fact is often missed for those suppose God is arbitrary and capricious in His judgment!).
Yet, in their defiance of Israel and ultimately God himself, they go to attack Gibeon and by connection, Israel. As the Gibeonites see the approaching 5 armies, they call out to Joshua, and the Lord tells Joshua not to be afraid of them because He has given them into their hands. In the midst of their victory over these five kings, Joshua asks God to make the sun stand still, as they emerge victorious over the Amorite kings. And like God powerfully ushered in great signs of His power and presence through Moses, He answers Joshua’s request and the sun stands still for 24 hours. Wow!
We see too that the Lord causes large hailstones to be hurled upon the rebel armies, also showing the Israelites that this was God’s conquest more than anyone else. The victory was important enough, but more importantly the Lord was teaching them to trust in Joshua, his anointed servant and also ultimately in Him.
Joshua’s prayer reminds us to pray boldly. Have you asked God to stop the sun lately? Probably not, but the point is do our prayers seek to trust God in bold and radical ways, where the only way for our prayers to be answered is a powerful show of His presence!
In Luke 13, Jesus teaches the crowds about the true nature of repentance. He points out two types of tragedies. One the Galileans, whose blood was sacrificed and mixed in with the ritual worship sacrifice of the Roman Emperor. This would have been a huge abomination is the Jewish world. And likely due to their theology, they would have thought that these Jews were guilty of something and therefore deserved this punishment. In the second example, we see a natural disaster where a tower fell near a water tower in Siloam. Jesus’ uses this example to teach them of the nature of sin that we are all guilty and needing to repent before God. The idea that some people are worse sinners than others and that is why bad things happened was a false doctrine that evolved in the Jewish faith.
Jesus further amplifies this when he teaches about the fig tree that bore no fruit. This is the positive aspect of the other teaching. Fig trees are supposed to bear fruit. Israel, as God’s chosen Vine, was supposed to bear fruit showing them to be the people of God. Jesus was teaching that although the Jews were the chosen ones, they would have to repent like anybody else. They were hard hearted as a people, and therefore would get no preferential treatment. Jesus came to tell us that we are all in the same boat and as God’s representative, and in fact God Himself, He came to bring judgment and salvation. Judgment for Israel, who had failed to bear fruit! The light of salvation to the Gentiles, who were grafted into the Vine of God (see Romans 11 for more teaching on this!)
You wonder what Jesus would say to the Church today? To you and me? As we read the Word, God’s Holy Spirit convicts us of the things in our life that need a turnaround (this is the Greek word for “repentance” literally to have a change of mind). As we turn from the things we know are wrong and turn to Jesus for forgiveness, we will bear fruits worthy of repentance. We will become the people God has called us to be, Jew and Gentile alike.
Take a moment to pray and ask God to shine His light into your life and where He might want to move to cultivate a life of honoring Him in all you say and do!
Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
Joshua 10:1-28
The Sun Stands Still
10 Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and had become their allies. 2 He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. 3 So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. 4 “Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites —the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon—joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it. 6 The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.” 7 So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. 8 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.” 9 After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. 10 The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. 12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon. ” 13 So the sun stood still,and the moon stopped,till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel! 15 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
Luke 13:1-17
Repent or Perish
13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
The Lord our God is righteous in everything he does. Daniel 9:14 (NIV)
God shows no partiality. Romans 2:11
Holy Caregiver, help us remember that all people are your children, regardless of their race, nationality or political ideals. We give thanks that you watch over all your children. Amen.
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