The Sun and Moon Stayed Still - Joshua 10:13

In the book of Joshua, we learned about the Amorite armies, “it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand you still upon Gibeon; and you, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon”, and in chapter ten and verse thirteen of the book of Joshua, we learn how, “the sun stood still, and the moon stayed” where we read, 

And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

The verse reads, “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and the sun” which means “and the sun in the sky” “stood still” or “tarried and waited silently and quietly”, “and the moon stayed” which means “and the moon in the sky also tarried and waited silently and quietly”, “until the people” or “till the human beings of Israel” “had avenged themselves” which means “had punished and taken vengeance their own selves” “upon their enemies” or “on their, the people of Israel’s, hating foes and adversaries”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “sun” and “moon” in the sky remained in place till such time that the armies of Israel punished their hating foes. 

 

The verse goes on to say, “Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “is not this written” which means “is not this event recorded, inscribed and engraved” “in the book of Jasher” or “within the record, missive or document belonging to Jasher whose name means straight, upright and correct”? “So the sun” which means “wherefore, therefore and on this account the sun in the sky” “stood still” or “remained and waited in place” “in the midst of heaven” which means “within the middle of the visible sky”, “and hasted not to go down” or “and did not press, make haste nor hurry to descend” “about a whole day” which means “for around the time of an entire sunrise to sunset”. Joshua or the writer rhetorically questioned whether the event of the “sun” remaining in place was recorded in the “book of Jasher”, and it remained in place in the sky and did not descend for the length of time of around a sunrise to sunset. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we see how Jehovah God fulfilled “Joshua’s” request, and the “sun and moon” remained in place for the period of about a sunrise to sunset. Somewhere this event is recorded in the “book of Jasher”, but this much we know, it is recorded for us here. God worked a miracle on behalf of “Joshua” and the armies of Israel, and He will work a miracle in our lives as well when we receive His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days. The miracle is that He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and keep us aligned with the ways that are pleasing to Him. (See John 16:13; Acts 1:8; Revelation 4:11)

Next time we learn how, “there was no day like that before it or after it”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".