View source for Joshua 10; Partners

=Objectives=
*Students will recognize that God does get involved.
*Students will confidently call upon God for help.

=Opening=
*Imagine you are in the middle of a battle, bullets whiz by and you hear the sound of explosions in the distance.  Who would you want in the battle with you?  Why?

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*Imagine you are opening your own business, who would you want as your business partner?  Why?

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*Imagine you are putting together an new football team and you will be coaching that team.  Who would you pick as your partner coaches?

=Main Body=
==Israel's Battle==
===The Background (10:1-6)===
*Look at a map in your Bible or on your device.  Where are Jericho, Ai, and Gibeon located?  What areas would Joshua have possibly conquered next?

*What strategy was proposed in verses 1-4?
**Adoni-Zedek proposed an alliance in which they would attack Gibeon before Joshua could mobilize and get an even stronger foothold in the land.

*What request is made in verses 5 and 6?  Why is this request significant?
**This really put the alliance Joshua had made to the test.  It probably would have been easy for Joshua to ignore the request.  After all, ignoring the request would fix his previous mistake right?

===Keeping Promises (10:7-9)===
*According to verse 7, how did Joshua respond?
**Joshua marched.

*According to verse 8, how did God respond?
**Joshua acted to keep his promise, God acted to protect Joshua.  

*How does verse 9 indicate that Joshua valued his trustworthiness?
**They marched all night to provide assistance.  According to Campbell, <blockquote>Gathering his forces, Joshua and his men marched the 25 miles from Gilgal to Gibeon under cover of darkness. It was a tiresome journey with an ascent of 4,000 feet up steep and difficult terrain. There was no opportunity to rest. The army was fatigued and faced a powerful foe. Clearly God must intervene or all would be lost. <ref>Donald K. Campbell, “Joshua,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 350.</ref> </blockquote>

===The Lord's Battle (10:10-11)===
*According to verses 10-11, who fought in the battle?
**The verses here are very clear that God was the one who led the battle.

===Zeal for God (10:12-15)===
*What did Joshua want to accomplish according to verse 12?
**Joshua wanted to see the total defeat of the enemies of God.

*How did Joshua's request demonstrate his total faith in God?
**This was no small request.  Also, Campbell states that <blockquote>An important fact that should not be overlooked is that the sun and moon were principal deities among the Canaanites. At the prayer of Israel’s leader Canaan’s gods were compelled to obey. This disturbance to their gods must have been terribly upsetting and frightening to the Canaanites. The secret of Israel’s triumph over the coalition of Canaanites is found in the words, Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel! In answer to prayer Israel experienced the dramatic intervention of God on their behalf and victory was assured. <ref>Donald K. Campbell, “Joshua,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 351. </ref></blockquote>

*What do you suppose actually happened?

*What can we learn about spiritual warfare from Joshua 10:12-15?
**We must not give up or let up.


===Single-mindedness (10:16-21)===
*How do verses 10:16-21 show that Joshua had a singleminded desire for the things of God?


===My Hope is in the Lord (10:22-25)===
*Notice the language Joshua uses in verse 25.  Where have you hard that before?
**Joshua 1:9
*How does the language in verse 25 indicate that Joshua had complete confidence in God?
**Mimicry can be one of the greatest forms of respect and trust.  Joshua displays his confidence in God by using God's own words.

===Finished Business (10:26-28)===
*How does Joshua complete his assignment in verses 26-28?

===Sealing the Deal (10:29-43)===
##Use a map and point out key places as the verses are read.


==Spiritual Battles==
===The Battles===
*What battles do the following verses describe:
**1 John 2:15-17 - Love for the world.  Specifically, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life.
**James 1:14 - Fleshly temptation
**1 Peter 5:8 - Satan

===Partnerships===
*What partnership is described in Ephesians 6:10-13?

===Victory===
*What do Romans 8:37 and 1 John 4:4 have to say about victory that God has promised believers?

===No Limits===
*What does John 14:13-14 promise?
*Mark 11:23 may seem like an incredible request.  How does Joshua 10 give us confidence in God?

=Conclusions=
*What are some examples of spiritual battles that Christians face?
*How should Christians respond to spiritual battles?