Joshua 10:1

Joshua 10:1 says, 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;  The king of Jerusalem heard what had been going on.  He seemed to have given the credit to Joshua and the people of Israel more than to God.  Do people today hear about what we as followers of Christ are doing, and if so, are they worried about us?  It is sad if the rest of the world simply ignores those who are Christians, God's representatives in the world today.  Verse two states, 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.  The defeat of Ai worried them, but the fact that Gibeon had joined with Israel worried them even more.  Gibeon was a powerful, royal city, and it had joined with the Israelites.  No matter how powerful those are who oppose God today, they will one day fall or become a part of His people.  Of course, unlike Gibeon, they must come through an honest relationship with Christ.  We as followers of Christ have no reason fear those who stand against God.  Verse three declares, 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,  Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, sent word to four other kings.  Don't be surprised when the world unites against God.  Verse four adds, 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.  He proposed that they join together to defeat Gibeon, since Gibeon had made a pact with Israel.  Verse five continues, 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.  These five cities united in war against Gibeon.  They weren't even attacking the Israelites, God's people, but were attacking those who chose to be at peace with them.  We today should not be surprised if people who are wanting to get close to God's people are attacked.  They could easily become a part of God's kingdom, so those who oppose God would rather stop them before they do.  Verse six declares, 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.  The men of Gibeon were quick to send word to Joshua that they were about to be under attack by the Amorites.  The people of Gibeon may have tricked Joshua into making a pact with them, but they wanted him to honor it faithfully.  Verse seven states, So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.  Joshua and the mighty men of valor in Israel responded.  Would we be listed as mighty men of valor under the leadership of God today if those around us called on us for help?  Verse eight adds, 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.  God was with Joshua and assured him of the victory.  God told Joshua to not be afraid.  God has assured us the victory over sin and death today, through our faith in Christ, so we need not be afraid of the powers of the world.