By Dwight Clough
"O sun, stand still
... " Joshua 10:12
I'm always struck by
this passage. Joshua gives a command to the heavenly bodies, and God rearranges
the laws of physics so that they obey him. It's one of the greatest s in all of
scripture. In its scientific magnitude, it is an even greater miracle than the
parting of the Red Sea.
...
But that isn't the main
reason I'm so taken by what happened here. I'm struck by the context. Joshua
had just blown it. The Gibeonites, posing as distant travelers, deceived Joshua
and the other leaders into making a prohibited treaty with them. Joshua was
clearly negligent for failing to inquire of the Lord before ratifying the
treaty. Now, here in chapter 10, he's dealing with the aftermath of his
mistake. The Gibeonites are in trouble; Joshua and all Israel are called upon
to save them.
God could have washed
His hands of the entire affair. He could have said, "You got yourself into
this mess; you get yourself out of it. Don't look to Me to help you defend
these wicked Gibeonites."
But He doesn't!!! God is
a God of people who make mistakes, people who blow it, people who mess up.
I don't like making
mistakes, but when I do, God gently reminds me that the work of God isn't about
me and how perfect I am; rather, it is about the God who shows up despite our
failings.
Amen!!!!!
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