So the sun stood still,
and the moon stopped,
till the nation avenged itself on its enemies...
Joshua 10:13
How did the sun stand still? Of course, in relation to the earth the sun always stands still -- it is the earth that travels around the sun. But the terminology used in Joshua should not cause us to doubt the miracle. After all, we are not confused when someone tells us the sun rises or sets. The point is that the day was prolonged, not that God used a particular method to prolong it.
Two explanations have been given for how this event occurred: 1. A slowing of the earth's normal rotation gave Joshua more time, as the original Hebrew language seems to indicate. 2. Some unusual refraction of the sun's rays gave additional hours of light. Regardless of God's chosen method, the Bible is clear that the day was prolonged by a miracle, and that God's intervention turned the tide of battle for his people.
10:32 Footnote:
Notice that every Israelite victory, the text gives the credit to the Lord. All of Israel's victories came from God. When we are successful, the temptation is to take all the credit and glory as though we did it by ourselves, in our own strength. In reality, God gives us the victories; and he alone delivers us from our enemies. We should give him the credit and praise him for his goodness.
11:15 Footnote:
Joshua carefully obeyed all the instructions given by God. This theme of obedience is repeated frequently in the book of Joshua, partly because obedience is one aspect of life the individual believer can control. We can't always control our understanding because we may not have all the facts. We can't control what other people do or how they treat us. However, we can control our choice to obey God. Whatever new challenges we may face, the Bible contains relevant instructions that we can choose to ignore or choose to follow.
11:18 Footnote:
The conquest of much of the land of Canaan seems to have happened quickly (we can read about it in one sitting), but it actually took seven years. We often expect quick changes in our lives and quick victories over sin. But our journey with God is a lifelong process, and the changes and victories may take time. It is easy to grow impatient with God and feel like giving up hope because things are moving too slowly. When we are close to a situation, it is difficult to see progress. But when we look back we can see that GOD NEVER STOPPED WORKING.
Keep reading -- 292 days left!
All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV
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