It certainly was a miracle, of almost “unbelievable” proportions!

One of the most astounding in the entire Old Testament, maybe the entire Bible!

Yet we Christians accept it as 100% True, knowing the Faithfulness and Veracity and Power of Almighty God, our dear Heavenly Father!

Here’s the Text: “Then spake 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 thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 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. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.” Joshua 10:12-15

Did I read this right? “The sun stood still!”

And this too? “The moon stayed” … in place, not budging!

Wow!

Absolutely!

In our Text here … a battle is raging.

The Jews, their fighting men, are prevailing, routing the enemy.

And (apparently) Joshua felt he needed more time to complete the assignment, to annihilate the wicked five-king coalition that so blatantly had attacked!

So HE (what faith) asked God to do something amazing, unheard of, almost unthinkable! ““Then spake Joshua to the LORD … in the sight of Israel, SUN, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, MOON, in the valley of Ajalon. And the SUN STOOD STILL, and THE MOON STAYED, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.

Perhaps the earth slowed in her rotation, eventually coming to a standstill … thus the sun would have also (according to human perception) stood absolutely still!

And the moon’s “halting” would have been equally impressive! She does move in orbit about the earth! We have here at least a “double” miracle, folks!

(By the way, if you believe a three-day dead Jesus could have been resurrected … you will have no hesitancy believing these astronomical aberrations! And we ALL know He, our Saviour, is alive!)

Also interesting … Christian men who are also scientists tell us such a drastic alteration in the earth’s normal behaviour would have produced major changes in the weather … at least for that long day, that double day!

I am wondering … things like giant hailstones falling from the sky? Remember yesterday’s Lesson? “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.” Joshua 10:12, how logical!

So … God thus gave Israel (another) victory! Note the last verse in today’s Text. “And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.” Leaving behind dead enemy soldiers everywhere! (Joshua 10:15)

BUT … all this being true, just like our Bible records it … there was something else, even more amazing!!!

It’s back in verse 12. “THEN SPAKE JOSHUA to the LORD … and HE (STILL JOSHUA)  SAID in the sight of Israel, SUN, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, MOON, in the valley of Ajalon.” Joshua commanded this? That’s exactly what we’re being told!

And then verse 14 adds, exclaims … “And there was no day like that before it or after it …” Understandable! Atmospheric upheaval, with a logically objective goal!

But WHAT made that day so powerfully different?

Not (in God’s Eyes anyway) the fact that the sun or moon “obeyed.”

BUT THAT … “The LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man.” Again, verse 14 of  our Text. The whole line, thought: “That the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.” Thrilling!

God was dong the fighting!

God was the Commander-in-Chief!

Yet … God listened to a man!

Yes, that fact mesmerized the inspired historian here! Again, King James Version … “The LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man.”

Talk about the power of prayer!

Talk about GOD … hearing and answering!

Folks … this Text should encourage us all, to pray and pray and pray!

What, Preacher Bagwell, pray for the sun to stand still?

No, not that.

But when needed … pray for things “exceedingly abundantly above all we could (even) think!” Who would have ever thought of asking the sun to stand still?

But God was up to the task, clearly able!

Yet … where’s any such promise?

“Now unto HIM that IS ABLE to do EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY above all that we ASK or THINK, according to the POWER that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

“The LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man.”

A giant of a man, in his faith!

And folks, that is (I believe) perhaps the main lesson from the miracle of the sun standing still!

God hears and answers prayer!

BIG ONES, BIG PRAYERS, EVEN!

Do you need something “unthinkable” today?

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Well, if so , you know what to do!