Old Testament: Jos 10.10–11

To read the Bible in a year, read Joshua 9–10 on March 23, In the year of our Lord Christ 2023

By Don Ruhl 

Sometimes the Lord wants us to stand by while he works, and sometimes he wants us working with him. He expects us to do what we can and he will do what we cannot do. 

For example, as Joshua led Israel in fighting the Canaanites, the Lord let Israel fight, but the Canaanites were giants and sometimes Israel needed help, as in this case when the king of Jerusalem got other kings to join him in fighting Israel: 

So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.

– Joshua 10.10–11 

Did Israel know that the Lord would cast down large hailstones upon the enemy? The text does not indicate that, but Israel went forth to fight anyway. 

The lesson is, just do what the Lord wants done, and whatever we need from him to finish the job, he will provide it, even if we cannot see how he is going to do it. 

Questions: 

• Can you find Beth Horon, Azekah, Makkedah on a map? 
• How large would the hailstones have to be to kill a man? 

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