Di Day Wey Sun Stand Still

One battlefield for di hills. Di enemy dey run, but di light dey go quick quick. And one man lift im face look sky come talk something wey nobody don ever talk before. Sun, stand still.

To understand dis day, you must know about one trick. Small time before, di people of Gibeon hear wetin happen to Jericho and Ai. Fear catch dem. So dem wear old clothes and sandals wey don crack, dem pack bread wey don dry and spoil, come meet Joshua, dey pretend say dem come from one country wey far well well. Make peace agreement with us, dem talk. And Israel do am, without asking God first. Three days after, dem find out di truth. Gibeon dey just near, for up di road. But promise wey person make for God name na promise. Israel keep am.

Now di king of Jerusalem, Adoni-zedek, don dey worry. Gibeon na big city, big pass Ai, with strong fighting men, and e just join Israel side. So e send message to four other kings, di kings of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. Come help me. Make we attack Gibeon. Five armies march. Dem surround di city and settle down to destroy am. And from behind di walls, di Gibeonites send one desperate message go Joshua camp for Gilgal. No abandon your servants! Come quick quick save us! All di kings of di hill country don join hand against us.

Joshua for fit just ignore am. Na dis same people fool am. But e gather im army, and Di Lord talk to am. No fear dem. I don give dem enter your hand. Not even one of dem go fit stand against you. So Joshua march di whole night, climb from di Jordan valley, through di dark. For dawn, im army appear like from nowhere. Di five armies no expect am at all. Fear catch dem, and dem run, go west for di steep road wey climb and then go down from Beth-horon.

And then di sky join di battle. As di enemy dey run go down di slope, Di Lord throw big big hailstones down on dem, all di way reach Azekah. Di Bible talk say di ones wey hailstone kill plenty pass di ones wey Israel sword kill. And still di day never finish. Joshua stand before all Israel, e talk to Di Lord, and then e talk to di sky itself.

Sun, stand still over Gibeon. And you, moon, for di valley of Aijalon.

And di sun stand still, and di moon stop, until di nation finish defeating dia enemies. Di sun stay for di middle of di sky and e no hurry go down for about one whole day. Di writer imself no fit believe am. No day like dat one before am or after am, when Di Lord listen to di voice of man. Because Di Lord fight for Israel. Then Joshua and all Israel go back to di camp for Gilgal. Di people wey trick dem dey safe, because Israel keep im word, and because God keep im own.

See one small detail wey dey easy to miss. Right after Joshua words, di Bible ask, dem no write dis one for di book of Jasher? Jasher mean di Upright. E be like say na old collection of poems and songs about Israel heroes. Second Samuel quote am again, for David song of sorrow for Saul and Jonathan. Di book itself don lost. Because Joshua words come from poem, people don understand dis day in different ways. Many people see am as miracle wey make daylight long. Others talk say God hold di light another way, or say di poem dey celebrate di victory with strong picture language. All of dem agree on di point wey di writer make: Di Lord fight for Israel.

Di Day Wey Sun Stand Still. You go find am for Joshua chapter ten, verse one reach fifteen. E start with one promise wey Joshua for wish say e no make, and e still keep am. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Promise dey wey you make wey don hard to keep, and how e go be if you keep am?