Sermon Tone Analysis

Reaction of the king of Jerusalem (10:1–2)

Reaction of the king of Jerusalem (10:1–2)

The Battle Against the Five Kings, 1-27

The Canaanite League, 1-5

The King of Jerusalem Reacts, 1-2

10 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors.

War Against the Traitors, 3-5

3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon.

For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.” 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.

Teaming up with the king of Jerusalem are the kings of these cities:

Hebron—The name means “alliance,” befitting the context; later it is also called Kiriath Arba (20:7).

It is 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem.

Abraham had once settled there ().

It was the first city of Canaan entered by Joshua and the other 11 spies sent out by Moses ().

Jarmuth—It is 16 miles west and slightly south of Jerusalem.

The name means “height,” in keeping with its commanding position that overlooks the coastal plain.

Lachish—Its site is 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem.

At Joshua’s time Lachish is a provincial capital of the Egyptian empire; it guards the southernmost invasion corridor to Jerusalem.

Eglon—Located seven miles southwest of Lachish, it is positioned to overlook a valley near the place where the hill country and coastal plain meet.

Gibeon Calls For Aid and Israel Will Answer!, 6 - 9

The Cry for Help, 6

 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants.

Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.”

Joshua has the perfect opportunity to avenge the Gibeonites’ trickery that led to the treaty.

He could let the five kings slaughter them.

Joshua did not think that way.

He had made a covenant with the Gibeonites in God’s name, and now he decided it was important to stand by that oath, even when it hurts.

So rather than looking on the situation as an easy way to be relieved of a difficulty, he seized it as an opportunity.

Discuss: keeping of oaths and vows.

Boice, James Montgomery.

Joshua (Expositional Commentary) (Kindle Locations 1570-1572).

Baker Publishing Group.

Kindle Edition.

Israel Musters and Marches, 7-9

7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.

8 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands.

Not a man of them shall stand before you.” 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal.

The 20-mile night march from Gilgal would take perhaps eight to ten hours.

It may have been aided by moonlight, as hinted by the reference to the moon in verse 12.

It was a difficult march up and over Canaan’s central mountain ridge, a rise of 3,000 feet from Gilgal.

Even after the hard, fast march and without a night’s sleep, Joshua catches the Amorites by surprise and conquers them in a great victory at Gibeon.

Joshua’s response shows that the treaty involves defense and is more than an agreement not to attack Gibeon.

He never hesitates but gathers his best forces and makes the 20-mile, all-night march from Gilgal to Gibeon.

The march from Gilgal would take perhaps eight to ten hours.

It may have been aided by moonlight, as hinted by the reference to the moon in verse 12.

It was a difficult march up and over Canaan’s central mountain ridge, a rise of 3,000 feet from Gilgal.

Even after the hard, fast march and without a night’s sleep, Joshua catches the Amorites by surprise and conquers them in a great victory at Gibeon.

Harstad, Adolph.

Joshua (The People's Bible) (pp.

152-153).

Northwestern Publishing House.

Kindle Edition.

Joshua shows himself to be the kind of friend everyone would like to have.

And the kind of friend we should be!

He also serves to picture his namesake, Jesus—the friend of sinners who laid down his life for friends and enemies alike.

The Lord’s encouragement shows that he wants Joshua to honor the covenant with the Gibeonites.

The encouragement is similar to other words of the Lord spoken to inspire Joshua: “Do not be terrified” (1:9); “I have delivered Jericho into your hands” (6:2); “No one will be able to stand up against you” (1:5).

We also need to hear God’s encouragement regularly for the specific challenges we face.

Harstad, Adolph.

Joshua (The People's Bible) (pp.

151-152).

Northwestern Publishing House.

Kindle Edition.

The Cry for Help, 6

Israel Answers, 7-9

Note that verse 9 shows how divine reassurance (v.

8) does not stifle but stimulates human ingenuity (the surprise attack), how God’s comfort does not sedate but calls forth his servant’s activity.

Yahweh has promised victory (v.

8), but his victory will be achieved through a forced night march and a surprise attack, probably while still dark (v.

9).

The truth of God’s sovereignty, rightly used, does not enervate but energises human response

es, 7-9

The Lord Undertakes For Israel, 10-14

The Lord is a Man of War, 10-11

The author shows clearly that the Lord is the cause of the total victory: “The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel.”

“The LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky.” “The LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel.”

“Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!”

God picked off the Amorites with the hailstones.