Joshua 10

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon;
And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still,
And the moon stopped,
Till the people had revenge
Upon their enemies. vv.12-13

Read chapter 10
The longest day probably ever we read here.  The sun stood still for about a whole day.  This was at the request of Joshua to the Lord as they were fighting their enemies.  Just like many of us can think there are not enough hours in a day to get all we want done, so Joshua must have wanted this to be a one day battle and nothing more.  The Lord heeded his prayer and let it be so.  There has never been a day like that since (v.14) where the sun stood still as much as we may pray for the same thing.   Joshua's day was long enough to bring out victory which has been told for generations of God's sovereignty (which if their were a sun god he would've had to bow down to Our God Almighty).  Our days may be short but we can choose how we use that time that will bring honor to God.  How we use our time for God's glory also has an effect on others around us.  Oh how our prayers should be more "Lord come in your kingdom" more than "Lord make the day longer."
If you got to make a day in the past longer for whatever reason which day would it be and why?  

Joshua 9

Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord.  So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.vv.14-15

Read chapter 9
Deception comes even in the "good times."  Joshua and all of Israel are feared by the nations for the rumor throughout the surrounding nations of what their God had done for them.  So because of this fear of the God of Israel men from Gibeon disguise themselves so that they can make a treaty with Israel under a different reason that will ultimately save them even when they are found out who they really are.  The leaders of Israel are curious and ask questions, yet Joshua and the leaders ultimately trust in their own discernment than even to think to ask the Lord, as it seemed probably so innocent to them.  Yet it is noted this is clearly the mistake they made: "they did not ask counsel of the Lord."  So it's revealed only three days later who they really are and because of the covenant made with them and their honor to it so that the vow they made with God as their witness, the Gibeonites are spared from being destroyed.  They were to live but as slaves to Israel as a curse of their deception.  When do you find yourself making decisions without asking the Lord for wisdom and end up being deceived or regretful of not seeking the Lord first?

Joshua 8

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city.  So those in ambush arose quickly out of their place; they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and they entered the city and took it, and hurried to set the city on fire. vv.18-19

Read chapter 8
Man is the Lord an amazing army commander!  This is an ambush plan God gave Joshua and the Israelite army to carry out to destroy Ai.  Of 30,000 soldiers of Israel, 5,000 lay in wait to ambush the city once all the men of Ai go after the rest of Israel into the desert pursuing to fight them.  Definitely goes to show you the importance of guarding your home basis that it's not only about the front lines in battle.  When have you seen or experience ambush of a base or part of your life attacked that you didn't give any guard to till it was too late?
Well just like Moses at the battle over the Amalekites in Exodus 17 when he held up his hands and rod the Israelites were winning, so Joshua kept his javelin raised and pointed at Ai till the battle was over with Israel winning.  Just because the Israelites won the battle didn't mean it wasn't hard, exhausting, draining - even for Joshua to hold a heavy metal pole up for so long is no easy task.  Who have been supporters in your life to help you in the battles no matter the length or size of the battle?  And how has that strengthened both of you?

Joshua 7

So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.  He brought the clan of Judah, and he took the family of the Zarhites; and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man, and Zabdi was taken.  Then he brought his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. vv.16-18

Read chapter 7
Achan's sin.  Just after the Jordan River waters were split for Israel to cross and then the fall of Jericho, no sooner did the Lord's anger burn against Israel; and no one knew or understood why.  Joshua seems so confused seeing they lost in battle against Ai when he knew the Lord's promise and deliverance.  Thankfully God tells Joshua why  and it's because of someone's sin.  Notice it's not like a court system today of trying to prove who committed the sin, but God boils it down right before their eyes to the one single man: Achan.  He knew he wasn't suppose to take the plunder of Jericho and covet, yet he did anyway probably justifying himself it was okay for we see his repentance of knowing what he did.  What may be hidden to man is not in the slightest hidden to God.  I wonder if Achan was in any agony before he was convicted by God?  When have you tried to hide a sin from not only people but from God?  What was the outcome?  Even though Achan admitted his wrong he still had to face the punishment: stoning.  We don't read that his admitting was a repentance, yet either way we thank Jesus for taking our due of sin.

Joshua 6

You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days.  And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. vv.3-4

Read chapter 6
This is not your typical siege: no warlike preparations were made.  As Israel is preparing to take down Jericho as God commanded, it was the people of Jericho that shut themselves in.  Jericho, a city that flourished with art and nature, locked themselves up so-to-say not wanting to believe the reality of their destruction and judgment of God.  Israel's tactic wasn't to intimidate the people of Jericho with all their weapons of war rather their symbol was carrying the ark around the city in silence- this showed that this victory was of God- and sound trumpets at the final march on the seventh day that seems more like getting ready for a festival than a battle.  This wasn't a siege that lasted for years or even months to make the people starve, it only lasted seven days.  It seems a very absurd thing the people of Israel were to do: walk around the city walls once a day for six days and then seven times on the seventh day.  Benson's Commentary suggests this was of God, "that they might learn to take new measures of things, and to expect success, not from their own valor, or skill, but merely from God’s appointment and blessing; and in general, not to judge of any of God’s institutions by mere carnal reason."
I always wondered how big this city was for this to be possible, at least to walk around a city seven times.  Yet these long marches around the city were to deepen the impression of God on those in Jericho as well as I'm sure it made a deep impression on the Israelites as well of Jericho their enemy.  How has God taken you on a seemingly ridiculous route or task of His promises that you might learn to lean on God in a new way?

Joshua 5

Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year. v.12

Read chapter 5

The end of the manna.  The whole time they were wondering in the wilderness from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan they ate manna.  40 years of eating the same thing until they entered the land of Canaan and enjoyed it’s produce of the land.  We know they complained in the wilderness about the manna like they were sick of it but I wonder that after having it for forty years if they ever missed it.  Some of my friends were born and raised in another country where they ate rice and beans almost every meal every day but when they came to the USA they enjoyed the food for a time but would always prefer rice and beans on their plate.  That’s what their palate was accustomed to.  Surely too food straight from God has to be pretty darn amazing as I like to call berries I pick off bushes God’s candy.  What is something in your life God provided that you took for granted and missed once it was gone? (Think of an item or a person or a place)

Joshua 4

And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. v.8

Read chapter 4

Ebenezer.  A lot of people know that word from a song or know it as the name of Scrooge in the play A Christmas Carol, but do you know what the word means?   Well this chapter helps us put a visual to what it means to “raise my ebenezer.”  Joshua had the Israelites take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River they just crossed and set it up on the shore as a remembrance and representation of the miracle God just did for them.  Now these weren't just small rocks they picked up but huge stones that they had to take up on his shoulder to carry (v.5).  Raising an ebenezer is a symbol of God’s goodness and miracle He did in their lives that every time they saw these twelves stones on the bank of the Jordan they would remember.  

At the camp I work at we have The Stone Pile and it’s a place for a new believer to place a stone on as their ebenezer where they accepted Christ as their Savior.  What is your ebenezer (or multiple ones) to remember God’s goodness and work in your life?