Extra time What’s time for? Catch up
Genesis 1, Joshua 10, 2Kings 20 /Matthew 24, Romans 14, 2Peter 3
OT
Joshua 10:1-15 Now Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the city of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies. He and his people became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large city–as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were mighty warriors. So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon. “Come and help me destroy Gibeon,” he urged them, “for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.” So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon.
The men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at Gilgal, “Don’t abandon your servants now!” they pleaded. “Come quickly and save us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have come out against us with their armies.”
So Joshua and the entire Israelite army left Gilgal and set out to rescue Gibeon. “Do not be afraid of them,” the LORD said to Joshua, “for I will give you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.”
Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise. The LORD threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered them in great numbers at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon and attacked them at Azekah and Makkedah, killing them along the way. As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the LORD destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.
On the day the LORD gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the LORD in front of all the people of Israel. He said,
“Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.”
So the sun and moon stood still until the Israelites had defeated their enemies.
Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day. The LORD fought for Israel that day. Never before or since has there been a day like that one, when the LORD answered such a request from a human being.
Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.
2Kings 20:1-11 About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the LORD says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.”
When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, “Remember, O LORD, how I have always tried to be faithful to you and do what is pleasing in your sight.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly.
But before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, this message came to him from the LORD: “Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the LORD. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will do this to defend my honor and for the sake of my servant David.'”
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil.” They did this, and Hezekiah recovered!
Meanwhile, Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, “What sign will the LORD give to prove that he will heal me and that I will go to the Temple of the LORD three days from now?”
Isaiah replied, “This is the sign that the LORD will give you to prove he will do as he promised. Would you like the shadow on the sundial to go forward ten steps or backward ten steps?”
“The shadow always moves forward,” Hezekiah replied. “Make it go backward instead.” So Isaiah asked the LORD to do this, and he caused the shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!
NT
Matthew 24:4-5 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will lead many astray.”
Romans 14:4-6 Who are you to condemn God’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord’s power will help them do as they should.
In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. Each person should have a personal conviction about this matter. Those who have a special day for worshiping the Lord are trying to honor him. Those who eat all kinds of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who won’t eat everything also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.
2Peter 3:3-8 First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will be scoffers who will laugh at the truth and do every evil thing they desire. This will be their argument: “Jesus promised to come back, did he? Then where is he? Why, as far back as anyone can remember, everything has remained exactly the same since the world was first created.”
They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth up from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the world with a mighty flood. And God has also commanded that the heavens and the earth will be consumed by fire on the day of judgment, when ungodly people will perish.
But you must not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.
OT Flash Points
Time – the beginning
Joshua – Keep the sun from setting
Hezekiah – shadow moves backward!
NT Flash Points
Matthew – in the last days many will call themselves “Christ”
Romans – Do not regard days and foods, it is all the same to God
2Peter – a day is as a 1,000 years to God
Perspective
Identify with the LORD, not common sense
He will do the impossible if we ask