Gibeonite Deception & the Sun Stands Still - Joshua 9:1 - 10:43

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: Bible Stories

Rusty's Notes

Joshua 8 left the Israelites recommitting to the Law after they conquered the city of Ai.
 
DECEPTION BY GIBEON
JOSHUA 9
1 When all the kings heard about Jericho and Ai, those who were west of the Jordan in the hill country, in the Judean foothills, and all along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea toward Lebanon—the Hethites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites--2 they formed a unified alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel.
3 When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended. 5 They wore old, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies. Their entire provision of bread was dry and crumbly.

• Map
• Gibeon stood seven miles south of Bethel.
• It was "one of the largest towns in the central part of Canaan,” larger than Ai (10:2), and possibly the capital city of the Hivites.
• It later became a Levitical town (18:25; 21:17).
• The Israelites much later pitched the tabernacle there, and it remained at that site until Solomon built his temple (1 Kings 3:4-5; 1 Chron. 16:39; 21:29).
• Hivites inhabited Gibeon at the time of the conquest (v. 7).

6 They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land. Please make a treaty with us.”

• God had not forbidden the Israelites from making peace treaties with non-Canaanite peoples (Deut. 20:11), but He had expressly commanded them not to make treaties with the native Canaanites (Exod. 23:32; 34:12; Num. 33:55; Deut. 7:2).

7 The men of Israel replied to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us. How can we make a treaty with you?”
8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”
Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where do you come from?”
9 They replied to him, “Your servants have come from a faraway land because of the reputation of the Lord your God. For we have heard of his fame, and all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two Amorite kings beyond the Jordan—King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. 11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land told us, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey; go and meet them and say, “We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.” ’ 12 This bread of ours was warm when we took it from our houses as food on the day we left to come to you; but see, it is now dry and crumbly. 13 These wineskins were new when we filled them; but see, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the extremely long journey.” 14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the Lord’s decision.

• The Israelites had failed at Ai because they had confidence in their own strength.
• They failed here because they had confidence in their own wisdom.
• How easy it is even in the service of the Lord to take God's guidance and blessing for granted!

15 So Joshua established peace with them and made a treaty to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them.
 
GIBEON’S DECEPTION DISCOVERED
16 Three days after making the treaty with them, they heard that the Gibeonites were their neighbors, living among them. 17 So the Israelites set out and reached the Gibeonite cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

• Wait… what?
• Joshua has been deceived.

18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then the whole community grumbled against the leaders.

• Here, the wilderness motif had been turned upside down, for in the wilderness, the leaders were justified, while the congregation was guilty.
• Here, the congregation is justified, while the leaders are at fault.

19 All the leaders answered them, “We have sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. 20 This is how we will treat them: we will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.” 21 They also said, “Let them live.” So the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, as the leaders had promised them.
22 Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us? 23 Therefore you are cursed and will always be slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

• The reason God forbade His people from allowing the pagan Canaanites to live, and subsequently become incorporated into Israel, was that they might lead the Israelites into idolatry.
• The leaders of Israel therefore punished the Gibeonites for their deception in a way designed to minimize the possibility of their ever doing this:
• They made them servants in the tabernacle, namely, gatherers of firewood and drawers of water for the Israelite congregation.

24 The Gibeonites answered him, “It was clearly communicated to your servants that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. We greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. 25 Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever you think is right.” 26 This is what Joshua did to them: he rescued them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. 27 On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers—as they are today—for the community and for the Lord’s altar at the place he would choose.[1]

• This plan probably reinstated the leaders in the good favor of the Israelites.
• Nevertheless, this was not a wise move, because the LORD wanted only authorized Israelites (Levites) to assist in tabernacle worship.
• By bringing these foreigners into tabernacle service, the leaders of Israel violated the holiness of God.
• The Gibeonites never led the Israelites into idolatry, as far as the text records, but their presence in the tabernacle displeased the LORD (cf. Ezekiel 44:7 - 7 When you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in both heart and flesh, to occupy my sanctuary, you defiled my temple while you offered my food—the fat and the blood. You broke my covenant by all your detestable practices. 8 You have not kept charge of my holy things but have appointed others to keep charge of my sanctuary for you.’ [2]).
• So there really are exact parallels between Rahab the individual and the Gibeonites the corporate unit.
• Rahab (plus her family) was the only individual saved out of Jericho.
• The Gibeonites were the only people saved out of the land.
• Rahab believed, left Jericho and came among the people of God.
• The Gibeonites were the only people in the land who turned to God, and they flowed on through all the years of Jewish history.

 
THE DAY THE SUN STOOD STILL
JOSHUA 10

• This chapter records the Canaanites' first aggressive action against the Israelites.
• The Canaanites threw the first stone against God’s people.

1 Now King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and completely destroyed it, treating Ai and its king as he had Jericho and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living among them. 2 So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed because Gibeon was a large city like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3 Therefore King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent word to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” 5 So the five Amorite kings—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces, advanced with all their armies, besieged Gibeon, and fought against it.

• Here the writer used the name Amorites (v. 6), in a general sense, to describe the Canaanites who were living in the nearby hills, including the Jebusites.
• The Amorites who lived in the mountains were the strongest of all the Canaanites.

6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Don’t give up on your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, for all the Amorite kings living in the hill country have joined forces against us.”
7 So Joshua and all his troops, including all his best soldiers, came from Gilgal.

• Map

8 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to stand against you.”

• This was the first time that Israel went into battle against an alliance of city-states.
• God reassured Joshua that he would be victorious.

9 So Joshua caught them by surprise, after marching all night from Gilgal.

• Their night march covered about 20 miles up steep terrain, with gear, under stress, in the middle of the night, and with a battle still before them.

10 The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel. He defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them through the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

• Map

11 As they fled before Israel, the Lord threw large hailstones on them from the sky along the descent of Beth-horon all the way to Azekah, and they died. More of them died from the hail than the Israelites killed with the sword.

• The Amorites and the Israelites realized that the victory came as a result of the supernatural help of Yahweh, and not simply by Israel's own power.
• Yahweh, not just Israel, had devoted the Amorites to destruction.

12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord in the presence of Israel:

• Joshua based his impressive petition on God's promise (v. 8).
• It was a public prayer that he spoke to the LORD in the hearing of the Israelites.

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
and moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still
and the moon stopped
until the nation took vengeance on its enemies.
Isn’t this written in the Book of Jashar?
So the sun stopped
in the middle of the sky
and delayed its setting
almost a full day.
14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to a man, because the Lord fought for Israel. 15 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.
 
EXECUTION OF THE FIVE KINGS
16 Now the five defeated kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 17 It was reported to Joshua, “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
18 Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men by it to guard the kings. 19 But as for the rest of you, don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don’t let them enter their cities, for the Lord your God has handed them over to you.” 20 So Joshua and the Israelites finished inflicting a terrible slaughter on them until they were destroyed, although a few survivors ran away to the fortified cities. 21 The people returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. And no one dared to threaten the Israelites.
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings to me out of there.” 23 That is what they did. They brought the five kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon to Joshua out of the cave. 24 When they had brought the kings to him, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the military commanders who had accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So the commanders came forward and put their feet on their necks. 25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Be strong and courageous, for the Lord will do this to all the enemies you fight.”
26 After this, Joshua struck them down and executed them. He hung their bodies on five trees and they were there until evening. 27 At sunset Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are still there today.
 
CONQUEST OF SOUTHERN CITIES
28 On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and struck it down with the sword, including its king. He completely destroyed it and everyone in it, leaving no survivors. So he treated the king of Makkedah as he had the king of Jericho.
29 Joshua and all Israel with him crossed from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. 30 The Lord also handed it and its king over to Israel. He struck it down, putting everyone in it to the sword, and left no survivors in it. He treated Libnah’s king as he had the king of Jericho.
31 From Libnah, Joshua and all Israel with him crossed to Lachish. They laid siege to it and attacked it. 32 The Lord handed Lachish over to Israel, and Joshua captured it on the second day. He struck it down, putting everyone in it to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. 33 At that time King Horam of Gezer went to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him down along with his people, leaving no survivors.
34 Then Joshua crossed from Lachish to Eglon and all Israel with him. They laid siege to it and attacked it. 35 On that day they captured it and struck it down, putting everyone in it to the sword. He completely destroyed it that day, just as he had done to Lachish.
36 Next, Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it. 37 They captured it and struck down its king, all its villages, and everyone in it with the sword. He left no survivors, just as he had done at Eglon. He completely destroyed Hebron and everyone in it.
38 Finally, Joshua turned toward Debir and attacked it. And all Israel was with him. 39 He captured it—its king and all its villages. They struck them down with the sword and completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He treated Debir and its king as he had treated Hebron and as he had treated Libnah and its king.

• The purpose of Joshua's raids was to destroy the military capability of these city-states, and to instill fear and confusion in the remaining Canaanites.
• Archaeology has confirmed that many of these cities did not suffer complete destruction at this time.
• But beyond inflicting immediate loss, this campaign achieved little else by itself—it was a sweep, not an occupation: 'Joshua returned and all Israel with him, to the camp, to Gilgal' (Joshua 10:15, 43).
• Occupation of the land, to live in it, keep livestock and cultivate crops in it, etc., was a far slower process, visible in part later in Joshua and in Judges.

40 So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the Judean foothills, and the slopes—with all their kings, leaving no survivors. He completely destroyed every living being, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41 Joshua conquered everyone from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen as far as Gibeon. 42 Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

• The writer again emphasized the main reason for Israel's military success: "The LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel".

43 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.[3]

• Israel did not defeat every town or kill every Canaanite without exception.
• However, Joshua did remove the military threat to Israel that the larger cities in the south posed.

 

• The Israelites fought one battle at a time, and so must we.
• We need to do what God puts before us to do—day by day—rather than taking on more responsibility than God wants us to assume at that moment (cf. Matt. 6:25-34).
• The Israelites fought one battle at a time, and so must we.

Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.[4]

[1] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Jos 9:1–27.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Eze 44:7–8.
[3] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Jos 10:1–43.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Mt 6:25–34.