God Can Use Our Mistakes To Accomplish His Purposes

 The various groups in the northern part of Canaan had united against Israel, but there was no such alliance of the southern tribes.  Fearing Israel would turn to the south to avoid conflict, the inhabitants of Gibeon had made a treaty with Israel.  The Southern kings were already worried about Israel’s power, and they feared an alliance with Gibeon would make them almost impossible to defeat.  They decided to wipe out Gibeon before the two armies could get together, in Joshua 10:1-5.  “Now it came to pass, when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.

 

Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying, Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.  Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.”

 

With an agreement in place whereby the Gibeonites were to provide water and fire wood in exchange for keeping their land, Israel was obligated to protect them.  Joshua and the Israelites went to their aid, as described in Joshua 10:6-7.  “And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.  So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.”

 

The treaty with Gibeon violated God’s command, and had been made without consulting him, but he had forgiven them,  and would bless in the battle, as Joshua 10:8- 11.  “And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.  Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.  And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.  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.”

 

This was a coalition of all the different groups in southern Canaan.  God intervened on Israel’s behalf, not only causing he army to flee before them, but also causing a huge hailstones to fall, that killed more than Israel’s army killed.  Fearing they would escape in the darkness and regroup, Joshua asked God to stop the sun from setting, in Joshua 10:12-14.  “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.”  God apparently stopped the earth’s rotation for about twelve hours, giving Israel time to wipe out almost the entire army.

 

When it finally got dark, the Israelites returned to their camp in Gilgal, but within a few hours learned that the leaders of the attack were hiding out in a cave.  Joshua instructed his army to seal off the cave and catch as many of the enemies as possible before they could withdraw into the fortified cities, in Joshua 10:15-21.  “And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.  But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.  And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.

 

And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them: And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.  And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.  And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.”

 

With the coalition army defeated, Joshua took the time to execute the leaders, in Joshua 10:22-27.  “Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.  And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.  And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.  And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.

 

And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.  And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.”

 

Though Israel had been wrong in making the treaty with Gibeon, God used it to break the power of the southern coalition and kill its leaders.  It is important that we understand God already knows what we will do, and can use even our worst mistakes to accomplish his plan.  We don’t have to worry about interfering.