"And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel" (Joshua 10:14).

One of the most amazing events of history occurred when "the LORD fought for Israel" to enable them to conquer and occupy the Promised Land, even to the extent that, on one occasion, "the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day" (10:13).

Some quibble about the language employed, suggesting that Joshua thought the sun "moves," instead of the earth. The fact is, the motion of any heavenly body must be given in terms of relative motion (since all objects in the universe are moving in some way). Scientists normally assume the fixed point of zero motion to be the one which makes their equations most convenient to use, and this usually is the earth's surface at the location of the observer. Joshua's language was . . . quite scientific!

Furthermore, many scholars have documented numerous traditions of a "long day" (or "long night," in the western hemisphere) about the time of Joshua. The Biblical story is well supported as a real fact of history. There was a long day!

Such an event required the direct intervention of the Creator Himself. He who had started the earth rotating in the first place, when He separated day and night (Genesis 1:3-5), now slowed it down again until it stopped, and the daylight continued until Joshua could rout the Amorites.

God may not usually answer prayers and fulfill promises by such a mighty miracle as this, but He does answer prayer and keep His Word, and this unique event shows He is willing and able to do whatever is needed to accomplish His will. "The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went. . . . Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people" (Habakkuk 3:11, 13). HMM