Monday, January 12, 2004
Joshua 10 saved by hailstones and light
The kings of this world are unhappy with those who enter into a covenant of peace. (We've noticed this in our own life and politics.)
Joshua 10:3 So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent a message to King Hoham of Hebron, to King Piram of Jarmuth, to King Japhia of Lachish, and to King Debir of Eglon, saying, 4 "Come up and help me, and let us attack Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the Israelites."
Why would Adoni-zedek want to attack his form friends at Gibeon rather than his present enemy, Joshua. Perhaps the betrayal by Gibeon from the way of war-resistance stung more than the much more palpable threat from the Hebrews. It is possible that the war-powers fear peace more than they do violent resistance. In any event, Adoni-zedek organized the five kings to take up arms against Gibeon. Gibeon, in response, called on Joshua as their savior:
Joshua 10:6 "Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly, and save us,...”
The Hebrew word for "save" us is yasha -- the word most often used in scripture of YHWH when God acts to save his people. What follows is one of the most amazing of the YHWH-warrior stories. First God speaks the archetypical words, "Fear not" which is the precursor to the authentic YHWH-war events. Fear is the instrument of violence. The love of God removes fear.
Joshua 10:8 The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have handed them over to you; not one of them shall stand before you."
Then begins the fighting. But the real actor in the warfare is God, who overwhelms the human warfare of Joshua:
Joshua 10:9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10 And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who inflicted a great slaughter on them...11...while they were going down the slope of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down huge stones from heaven on them ... and they died; there were more who died because of the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.
Clearly, this is no pacifist tract, and the slaughter committed by the Israelites was real. But the text is concerned to let us know that the battle was YHWH's. The rain of lethal stones from heaven was not enough; the miraculous beyond any possiblilty of rational comprehension overwhelms the story. Joshua spoke to God and said,
Joshua 10:12 "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon, in the valley of Aijalon." 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Even more than the story of Rahab and Jericho, this text invites us to interiorize or spiritualize the event. Here darkness is swallowed up by light; night encompassed by day. Here we see that the light shined in the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it. Here is Christ, the light of the world whose kingdom shall know no end.
Joshua 10:14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded a human voice; for the LORD fought for Israel.
In reality, the Lord fought for those who were in fact NOT Israel, but who had entered into the covenant of peace. May it be so with all who have made peace and broken down the dividing wall of hostility through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2).
Joshua 10:3 So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent a message to King Hoham of Hebron, to King Piram of Jarmuth, to King Japhia of Lachish, and to King Debir of Eglon, saying, 4 "Come up and help me, and let us attack Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the Israelites."
Why would Adoni-zedek want to attack his form friends at Gibeon rather than his present enemy, Joshua. Perhaps the betrayal by Gibeon from the way of war-resistance stung more than the much more palpable threat from the Hebrews. It is possible that the war-powers fear peace more than they do violent resistance. In any event, Adoni-zedek organized the five kings to take up arms against Gibeon. Gibeon, in response, called on Joshua as their savior:
Joshua 10:6 "Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly, and save us,...”
The Hebrew word for "save" us is yasha -- the word most often used in scripture of YHWH when God acts to save his people. What follows is one of the most amazing of the YHWH-warrior stories. First God speaks the archetypical words, "Fear not" which is the precursor to the authentic YHWH-war events. Fear is the instrument of violence. The love of God removes fear.
Joshua 10:8 The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have handed them over to you; not one of them shall stand before you."
Then begins the fighting. But the real actor in the warfare is God, who overwhelms the human warfare of Joshua:
Joshua 10:9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10 And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who inflicted a great slaughter on them...11...while they were going down the slope of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down huge stones from heaven on them ... and they died; there were more who died because of the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.
Clearly, this is no pacifist tract, and the slaughter committed by the Israelites was real. But the text is concerned to let us know that the battle was YHWH's. The rain of lethal stones from heaven was not enough; the miraculous beyond any possiblilty of rational comprehension overwhelms the story. Joshua spoke to God and said,
Joshua 10:12 "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon, in the valley of Aijalon." 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Even more than the story of Rahab and Jericho, this text invites us to interiorize or spiritualize the event. Here darkness is swallowed up by light; night encompassed by day. Here we see that the light shined in the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it. Here is Christ, the light of the world whose kingdom shall know no end.
Joshua 10:14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded a human voice; for the LORD fought for Israel.
In reality, the Lord fought for those who were in fact NOT Israel, but who had entered into the covenant of peace. May it be so with all who have made peace and broken down the dividing wall of hostility through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2).
