More Difficult Traveling Through Indonesia – Part II

Continuing from the previous post regarding the difficultly of the Indonesia route for a vessel “driven forth by the wind.” 
    Naturally, the Creator of all things could alter and change anything He chose, but again, He generally, according to the scriptural record, has operated in a much less altering environment as that which would bring about world-wide change. Of course He stopped the descent of the sun and moon’s light in Israel so they could finish their battle: “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hastened not to go down about a whole day” (Joshua 10:13—but when He has done that, it in part has been for man to understand His power in behalf of them. It was not necessary that Joshua should speak, or the miracle be recorded, according to the modern terms of astronomy.

So let’s take a look at this event. The sun appeared to the Israelites over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Ajalon, and there they appeared to be stopped on their course for one whole day. Is anything too hard for the Lord? Yet, there is no such comment of the Lord’s interaction with the natural events of travel or the elements during Lehi’s travel to the Land of Promise—in fact, it covers a short sentence or two, other than the events of the storm.
    In the case of Joshua, however, we are looking at something different. Did he, however, mean the earth stopped actually revolving? Scientists say that this would tear the earth apart! Of course, to the God that created this earth, that may not have been the result. On the other hand, and looking at this from a different perspective, in ancient times the moon is said “to not wait” for the sun when it sets below the horizon before the sun rises. When the moon and sun are seen together then the moon is said “to wait” or “stand” for the sun.  When the moon is said “to stand” it means the moon is not on the horizon but further up in the sky. (Institute for Biblical & Scientific studies; p185). In addition, Dr. John Walton who teaches at Moody Bible Institute, gives two important observations: Firstly, the description in Josahua 10 “Places the sun in the east and the moon in the west, thus… indicating that the prayer was made in the morning.” And Secondly, this day is unique, not because of astronomical phenomenon… but because God listened to the voice of man!”
    In looking at the Hebrew written of this event, the word עמד, which means to “stand still” or “wait,” is used here. But if we are to apply it to the moon and not to the light of the moon, where would be the use of the moon's standing still in the valley of Ajalon, when it would be low down in the sky westward, and incapable of rendering Joshua any help? If we regard the light of the moon as meant, there is no phrase more common in poetry and poetic prose than to speak of moonbeams "resting" upon an object. The people. The word here is גוִי. And the sun stood still. Here the word עָמַד is used of the sun. But, as before, it refers naturally enough to the sun's light.
    We also need to ask ourselves the more important question and that is “how did the people at Joshua’s time understood this?” Well, to answer this let’s take a look at Acts 2:20 where the moon is said to turn "into blood." Does this mean the moon actually turned into real blood? No! It was used figuratively of a lunar eclipse when the moon turns a dull red color, sometimes when the moon is close to the horizon the atmosphere causes the moon to look orange-red in color, or clouds or smoke can darken the moon. Lawson Younger in his book Ancient Conquest Accounts has some very interesting comparisons of Joshua 10 with other ancient Assyrian, Hittite, and Egyptian conquest accounts. Being able to conquer the enemy in a single day is a great victory in ancient times. One implored his god to maintain daylight long enough for their enemies to be defeated, and the supernatural aid of the God in battle with hailstones is told.

So it could be said the Lord did not stay or stop the actual rotation of the sun and moon here, but only retained the moon and sun’s light upon the scene so Israel could complete their task and defeat their enemies. Thus, the declining sun continued to shine upon Gibeon, and in the neighborhood, upon the descent from Beth-heron the Upper, and on the whole region throughout which the fugitive Canaanites were scattered, since it would seem logical that not all the fleeing host took off in just one direction, and possibly in the neighborhood of Gibeon itself there remained quite enough of the scattered portions of the host to need urgently the sun's light to complete their destruction.
    Flavius Josephus in his “Antiquities of the Jews,” writes about Joshua 10:13: “One would not get the impression that the earth actually stopped rotating! So what is going on? How does one get a lengthened day?” Joshua wrote: “"and he said; Before the eyes of Israel,
Sun, on Gibeon be dumb (or silent), and moon, in the valley of Aijalon. And was dumb (or silent) the sun, and the moon stood, until the nation was avenged on its foes. Is it not written in the Book of the Upright? And stood the sun in the midst of the heavens, and did not press to go as on a full day. And never has been a day that before it or after it; For Jehovah listened to the voice of a man. For Jehovah fought for Israel." Two different Hebrew words are used in the passage which are often translated in these verses as "stand still" or "stood still." The first is transliterated as "damam" and it has a basic literal meaning of "to be dumb" and by implication, to be astonished, to stop, or also to perish. And it is many times translated as to be silent. The second word used is transliterated as "amad" and it has a basic literal meaning of "to stand." However, per Strong, it is used in various relations both literal and figurative, and as transitive or intransitive, a wide range of uses. Considering the many varying possibilities such as, to raise up, set forth, dwell, abide, endure, tarry, continue and even cease; the experts are left scratching their heads about the true implications of the Hebrew text.
    We can also take a look at some interesting facts of ancient records that show "heavenly bodies standing still" was common terminology used at the time:
1. "When the day is long according to its calculation, there will be a long reign. The day is calculated to last as long as the Sun remains above the horizon." When a month has 30 days, its days are said to have their full or proper length.
2. "When the Moon stands in a fixed position, there will be want of rain." (Drought…?)
3. "When the sun stands within the "halo of the Moon," (also called a moon ring or winter halo) in all lands they will speak truth." (Rain…?) There’s an old weather saying even today… "Ring around the moon means an approaching storm and rain soon!" There’s truth to this saying, because high cirrus clouds often come before a storm.
4. "When the Moon stops in its course, the market will be low." (Financial…?)
5. "When the Sun stands in the place of the Moon, the king of the land will be secure on his throne." (Israel defeated its enemies!) This is a comparison of Joshua 10:13 and the Lord’s crucifixion (Luke 23:44-47).
6. "If in Adar (12th month of the Hebrew year corresponding to February to March on the Gregorian calendar) the sun stands still in the middle of noontime: the land will experience siege (and) misery." These reports show us that terms like "The sun or moon stood still" were commonly used to describe certain conditions of heavenly bodies that they observed. It does not mean the earth stopped rotating.
7. Another important point is one of the most important calculations in ancient times was the full moon in the middle of the month. The first day of a full moon was when the moon set minutes after sunrise, so that the sun and moon were both visible on opposite horizons. If this was on the 14th, it was a good omen but if on the 15th, it was a bad omen. It says that if "on the fourteenth day the Moon was seen with the Sun. There will be an overthrowing of fortresses and downfall of garrisons (the troops stationed in a fortress or town to defend it!)"

Joshua commands the sun to remain

    The point is, to man God works in mysterious ways, but to God, His ways are natural within the laws he has established, and for the most part he operates within the realm of His established laws that man can easily understand, though at a level or ability man is incapable of achieving.
    Consequently, since God works through his Laws for the benefit of man, allowing man to do all that he can in the process and helping out when necessary, we see a God that is involved in matters, but does not as a rule interfere other than in helpful ways to those he assists. As an example, continuing the light of the Sun and Moon to aid Israel in defeating their enemies—and act that all Israel knew and understood was the hand of the Lord acting in their behalf.
    In the case of Lehi’s travels across the sea, other than the four-day storm, there is no mention of anything in which the Lord was involved, therefore to suggest that he changed the course of wind and waves is neither accurate nor suggested. And certainly, the absence of a statement does not necessarily mean it did not exist, but it certainly should not be considered to have existed in light of suggestions to the contrary.
    Nephi, in guiding his ship, tells us he was “driven forth before the wind” (1 Nephi 18:8,9), and when we understand what that statement means, we can see it could mean nothing else!