Jehovah is the Savior
King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem ...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 town—as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were strong 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 his camp in Gilgal. “Don’t abandon your servants now!” they pleaded. “Come at once! Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack us.” Joshua 10:1-6 NLT
When King Adoni-Zedek found out that the Gibeonites were now servants of the Israelites, he was furious. So he summoned the other four Canaanites kings to form an alliance and to fight the Gibeonites. Gibeon is a huge city and a strategical one this is why it is important for the Canaanites to recover it back. When the Gibeonites made an alliance with the Israelites, they now became the enemy of their former allies. King Adoni-Zedek will not form an alliance with the Israelites and was determined to convince the neighboring cities to fight with him. Little did he know and the other four kings that their alliance will make it easier for Joshua to conquer Canaan, the Promise Land. When Gibeon was surrounded by the armies of the Amorite kings, immediately the leader of Gibeon sent out men to ask Joshua for help. The meaning of Joshua’s name is “Jehovah is the Savior.” Though the Gibeonites were themselves have strong armies and their walls are a fortress, they came to realize that it will be better to trust in the one whose army is led by the one true God. Their strength is not from their own abilities and from within by it lays outside of them, to the one they trusted their lives with. When we have God as our Savior, He expects that we will be committed to Him alone and not be persuaded to change our allegiance with those who oppose God and His Kingdom. “‘Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: ‘I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people’” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).
Blessings,
