Let’s see.
I want to name the battles Israel has fought thus far, in the Book of Joshua I mean.
Jericho!
Then little Ai fell next, but only after a second attack!
But now, in chapter 10 of Joshua, it’s almost as if God “spurs” Israel further into war by causing (allowing) a coalition (confederacy) of five nations to attack Gibeon, a city “next door” to the Jewish encampment!
Maybe Israel “needed” such an attack at this point, to “provoke” her to further incursions into the land of Canaan. (It is so easy to become lethargic!)
So the Gibeonites (who had slyly become allies of Israel, thus under Joshua’s protection) called for help, when besieged by a five-nation army! “And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.” Joshua 10:6
Help!
So, camping about 20 miles away in Gilgal, the Israeli army responded. “So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour. And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.” Verses 7-9
They marched all night, it appears!
And they arrived, confidently so, based on the Promise just given to Joshua … from Almighty God! Did you notice that? “Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.”
So the battle ensues … “And the LORD discomfited (destroyed, crushed) them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.” Verse 10, geographically accurate descriptions, I might add. (Remember: “The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.” Exodus 15:3)
Then, the “point” of today’s Lesson, a fact to be learned … Verse 11: “And 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.” Wow!
God used the “weather” to help conquer these heathen aggressors!
Hailstones, in this case!
Deadly hailstones at that!
And He (the Lord) is going to do it again! In the coming days of world-wide Tribulation … during the pouring out of the seventh bowl (vial) of Judgment upon an ultra-wicked earth! “And there fell upon men a GREAT HAIL out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a TALENT: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” Revelation 16:21, with a “talent” weighing (at least) a hundred (100) pounds!
Wow!
Plus, God used “hail” in Egypt against the unbelieving, stubborn Egyptians! (Exodus 9:23-24 … “And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and HAIL, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained HAIL upon the land of Egypt. So there was HAIL, and fire mingled with the HAIL, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.” What power!)
And I have given you just a sampling of the Bible times when God used hail to judge!
A God Who controls, directs the weather!
The storms!
Who in fact created the “weather!”
May I say …
HE IS WORTHY TO BE WORSHIPPED!
He is also the Author of the gentle soft breezes that refresh mankind!
One more time, Wow!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
Get alone somewhere today and … WORSHIP HIM a while.
What a great God He is.