The Sun Stood Still

[Christina]

"Long days” of Joshua and Hezekiah “So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since…”—Joshua 10:13-14In Joshua 10, the Bible tells the story of the day when the sun--and time--stopped. The Israelites were fighting the Amorites in Canaan. During the battle, Joshua prayed for the sun and moon to stop, so he would have extra daylight to finish the task. Scripture records that this prayer was answered: The sun "delayed going down about a full day" (v. 13). The very objects in the sky that the Amorites worshipped fought against them!Several modern interpretations of the story have been suggested: Some say there was no actual miracle, but only the use of poetic language. The Israelites had fought so hard that it just seemed like two days of work in a row! Others propose that a cloud shaded the sun, keeping the day cool enough for the fighting to continue all through the afternoon. However, this relief from the heat would have benefited the enemy as much as Israel. Similarly, a solar eclipse has been suggested as causing reduced sunlight. But eclipses of the sun last for only a few minutes, not a whole day. All of these explanations fall far short of the statement that there has never been another day like the one described (Joshua 10:14, cf. Habbakuk 3:11 - “…Sun and moon stood still in the heavens…”).What really happened on that special day? As with all miracles, it is futile to speculate with scientific theories. The details are unclear, but we know that God could have refracted the light, or slowed the earth's rotation, or stopped the entire universe--all with equal ease! Time stopped for Joshua, and it ran backwards for Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:9-11). God used this event as a special sign to show Hezekiah that he would regain his health. The sun's shadow moved backwards by ten steps, probably five to six hours on the sundial. That is, the sun appeared to move eastward instead of westward. The conclusion is again the same, that such a miracle is beyond scientific explanation. God may have temporarily reversed the earth's rotation, including all its inhabitants, or the miracle in Hezekiah's day could have been local instead of worldwide. The latter view is supported by 2 Chronicles 32:31, which describes envoys who traveled to the land where the miracle occurred. Joshua and Hezekiah both made lofty requests of the Lord, that the very heavens might be altered. And God answered their prayers. The sun, moon, and stars obey the Creator who placed them in the sky by the power of his word. Eden Communications

 

[shutin45]

Keep sharing The Word with us Sis!!!I've REALLY been blessed by and enjoyed the lessons.Hope your day (and ALL readers for that matter

) is as beautiful wherever you are as it is here.Your Brother in Christ,Jim

 

[Job one]

Dear Christina,

Thank you for your beautiful article. I agree that the so called modern interpretations of man do not explain the miracle. Other suggest or try to explain away this wondrous event by various theories.

What you really see in those explanations is a combination of a lack of faith and understanding of how God and His servants operate. Some go so far as to declare it impossible because they claim it contradicts science. Of course those that claim such declare that other miracles also contradict science as well.

Has anyone ever proved beyond any shadow of doubt that the Jordan river was stopped three times, or the red sea was parted, or that Elijah did not have the power to close or open the heavens that it should rain not or should rain as the case might be, or that Christ could not turn water into wine? Do all these and other miracles of God performed by Him or His servants really contradict science? Or is it a matter of science failing to advance to the point and understanding of God's science relating to His creations?

This subject is worthy of explanation and is fascinating to say the least. I do not know how many picked up on your last sentence, but had they eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts to understand, then those miracles would not be a mystery, Your last sentence is key to understanding God's miracles. "The sun, moon, and stars obey the Creator who placed them in the sky by the power of his word."

Miracles are not "magic", but are the result of cause and effect as applied to a higher order of science available to our understanding of the very elements and the creation process.

 

[Disciple]

'there has never been a day like that before or since..'
haha God even put that sentence in there to rub it in sciences face! lol

 

[archaeologist5]

my question to the Op is; are you asking a question or trying to tell everyone what they already know?

 

[tomwebster]

my question to the Op is; are you asking a question or trying to tell everyone what they already know?

The OP is a statement not a question.

 

[Angelina]

I love that story...it is awesome and gives us a preview of God's sovereign power over the Children of men and his overall plan of restoration.

Sometimes he only does things once but who knows...it may just happen again one day!

Yeshua HaMashyiach Bless you!