Is it true that the sun stood still?

The story of the sun standing still is found in Joshua 10 in the Old Testament. This event occurred as the Israelites were conquering the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. The armies of five Amorite kings came together to attack Gibeon, which had made peace with Israel. The Gibeonites sent word to Joshua and asked for his help. Joshua led the Israelite army on an all-night march and took the Amorite armies by surprise with a sudden attack the next day. As Joshua and the Israelites were pursuing and destroying the armies of the Amorite kings, Joshua prayed to God for help to complete the victory. Joshua 10:12-14 describes what happened next:

“At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.”

So in summary, Joshua prayed for the sun and moon to stand still in order to have extended daylight to continue pursuing and defeating the Amorite armies. In response to his prayer, God miraculously stopped the motion of the sun and moon for nearly a full day. With this extra time, Joshua and the Israelite army were able to fully destroy their enemies.

There are several key things to understand about this event:

1. It was a unique miracle. There has never been another day like it before or since.
2. It was a response to Joshua’s prayer as he led Israel in battle.
3. The purpose was to give Israel enough time to fully defeat their enemies.
4. God fought for Israel by heeding Joshua’s prayer.
5. It demonstrated God’s power over creation and His involvement in Israel’s conquest of Canaan.

Skeptics and critics have proposed various scientific explanations for how this event could have occurred. However, no naturalistic explanation can fully account for the details given. The text clearly presents it as a supernatural event and mighty act of God in response to prayer. While intriguing, searching for scientific explanations misses the theological significance of this unique miracle. It was a display of God’s power over creation and His faithfulness to His promise to give Israel victory over the Canaanites. This was the key lesson for Israel to understand.

The New Testament confirms this account as historical in Joshua’s long day. Hebrews 11:30 mentions Joshua and the falling of the walls of Jericho. James 2:11 also references Rahab hiding the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. So the New Testament writers treated Joshua’s leadership and the conquest of Canaan as real historical events, not myths or legends. This suggests they accepted the reality of miracles like the sun standing still.

While God may sometimes use natural means to accomplish His purposes, He is not limited by nature. As the sovereign Lord over creation, He can suspend the normal laws of nature to display His glory and power if He chooses. The God who parted the Red Sea and later caused the sun to reverse its course for Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:8-11) is certainly capable of stopping the sun for Joshua. This magnificent miracle displayed God’s supremacy over nature and the heavens themselves.

In summary, the account of the sun standing still is best understood as a historical event and mighty act of God to give His people victory. It cannot be fully explained by scientific theories. The miracle highlights several key truths:

• God is sovereign Lord over nature and able to suspend its laws as He chooses.
• God fought on Israel’s behalf and powerfully answered Joshua’s prayer.
• God is faithful to fulfill His promises to His people.
• No enemy can thwart God’s purposes and plans.

This amazing miracle pointed Israel towards trusting the Lord to fulfill His promises to them. It continues to remind believers today of God’s supreme power and unwavering commitment to bringing His plans to pass. He is able to do the impossible on behalf of His people.

Joshua’s Long Day and Historical Records

Some people have searched historical records from other cultures to find corroborating evidence of Joshua’s long day. There are various legends and oral traditions found in several ancient cultures that describe a long day or reference the sun standing still. These include records from China, Egypt, Mexico, and India among others. Some view this as supporting evidence for the biblical account.

However, the connections between these legends and the account in Joshua 10 are tenuous at best. None of the extra-biblical records clearly line up with the details in Scripture. The biblical text describes a unique, unrepeatable miracle tied to a specific time and place in Israel’s conquest of Canaan. It was not a worldwide phenomenon. Thus, it is difficult to prove any of these ancient legends correspond to the biblical event.

Additionally, many of the extra-biblical records are vague poetic or mythological descriptions that lack historical specificity. They do not contain measurable dates, names, and places that can be conclusively matched to Joshua’s day. The biblical account gives precise details of the timing, location, circumstances, and purpose that are absent from any ancient Near Eastern legends. So attempts to link them directly to Joshua’s long day are largely speculative.

In the end, while intriguing, extra-biblical stories provide inconclusive evidence regarding Joshua’s long day. God’s mighty intervention was focused on enabling Israel to conquer Canaan, not causing a worldwide disruption. The biblical text itself provides the clearest description of this unique miracle and its significance in salvation history. It does not need corroboration from uncertain legends to confirm its authenticity and truthfulness.

Lessons from Joshua’s Long Day

Joshua’s long day stands as a perpetual reminder of God’s faithfulness and power for His people. Even though it was a unique historical event, there are important lessons believers in every age can take from this account:

1. God is sovereign over creation. He can override the normal laws of nature for His divine purposes. No obstacle is too great for Him.
2. God powerfully answers prayer. Joshua prayed in faith, and God worked a miracle. We too can confidently bring our requests to our all-powerful Heavenly Father.
3. No enemy can thwart God’s plan. He ensures victory for His people. We never need to fear the schemes of the enemy.
4. God fights for His people. The Lord Himself fought for Israel. Believers can trust Him to battle on our behalf as well.
5. Nothing is too difficult for the Lord. Joshua’s long day reminds us that with God all things are possible.

This extraordinary miracle was intended to encourage future generations about the power and faithfulness of God towards His people. As the psalmist proclaimed, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3). Joshua’s long day powerfully declared this truth. For the Lord, even making the sun stand still was not too difficult. As heirs of the same gracious promises, believers today can have confidence that God will continue to display His mighty power on their behalf.

Joshua’s Long Day Foreshadows Christ’s Return

Joshua’s long day not only impacted Israel’s history, but also foreshadowed a future day when God will again intervene to save His people. The New Testament reveals that before Christ returns, God will once again miraculously prolong the day to allow His judgment to be completed.

In Matthew 24, Jesus described the end times tribulation that will come upon the earth prior to His return (vs. 21). But He promised that “immediately after the tribulation of those days…the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (vs. 29-30). It will be a day of God’s judgment on the wicked.

Similarly, Revelation 6:12-17 describes cosmic signs of the 6th seal judgment involving the sun becoming “black as sackcloth” and the moon becoming “like blood.” The heavens will be shaken prior to the great day of God’s wrath. And Revelation 8:12 mentions a coming time when a third of the sun, moon, and stars will be struck and darkened. Much like in Joshua’s day, God will sovereignly intervene to alter the heavens for a period of judgment.

But Revelation 7 reveals that before God pours out His final wrath, He will supernaturally protect His own people, sealing 144,000 from every tribe of Israel (vs. 1-8). Then a multitude from every nation will stand before God’s throne crying out for their salvation (vs. 9-17). Just as He saved Israel first before judging the Canaanites in Joshua’s day, God will preserve His people prior to pouring out judgment on the world.

So Joshua’s long day foreshadowed a coming “day of the Lord” (Acts 2:20). It will be a day of supernatural signs in the heavens followed by God’s judgment on the wicked but salvation for His people. As Joshua prayed for God’s help to gain victory over His enemies, so believers today can cry out for God’s mercy to save sinners before His final judgment falls.

Joshua’s long day recorded a miraculous event with a significant impact on Israel’s history. But it also pointed forward to a greater day in the future when God will once again supernaturally intervene in the heavens to judge the wicked and redeem His people. This coming cosmic event will make Joshua’s long day pale by comparison. When Christ returns, every eye will see God’s mighty power on full display.

Conclusion

The account of the sun standing still during Joshua’s battle against the Amorites testifies to God’s supremacy over the heavens and all creation. This unique miracle provided victory for God’s people and judgement for His enemies. It stands as an example of the Lord’s faithfulness and an encouragement to His people throughout the ages. While intriguing ancient legends exist, the biblical record gives the clearest description of this unrepeatable event. Joshua’s long day displayed the omnipotent power of God to subdue all things to His divine purpose and timing.

Though supernatural and far beyond human understanding, the miracle is consistent with God’s revelation of Himself in Scripture as the transcendent Author of all nature. It foreshadowed a greater day to come when Christ will return to save His people and judge the wicked. Joshua’s long day remains as a perpetual memorial that nothing is impossible with God. He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power and purposes.