Joshua 10:1–6
1 Now it came about when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and had utterly destroyed it (just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were within their land,
2 that he feared greatly because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
3 Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4 “Come up to me and help me, and let’s attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.”
5 So the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they with all their armies, and camped by Gibeon and fought against it.
6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.”
Five-King Coalition of the South
King of Jerusalem
Now when the king of Jerusalem, Adoni-zedek, heard that Gibeon had made peace with Israel, he began to make political moves. This is the first time in the Bible that the full name of Jerusalem appears (it was called Salem until this point). The name Adoni-zedek (meaning, “my Lord is righteous”) is similar to the name Melchizedek (meaning, “my king is righteous”) which appeared in Genesis Chapter 14. “Zedek” is the name of a dynasty. The king of Jerusalem went to the four kings and proposed to establish an alliance among them. (1) The king of Hebron. Hebron was located 30 kilometers (about 19 miles) southwest of Jerusalem. Eventually, the city became the inheritance of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. (2) The king of Jarmuth. Jarmuth was located 26 kilometers (about 16 miles) southwest of Jerusalem. (3) The king of Lachish. Lachish was located 45 kilometers (about 28 miles) southwest of Jerusalem. In order to travel to Egypt, one must pass through this city. (4) The king of Eglon. Eglon was located just southwest of Lachish. Thus, a five-king coalition of the south was established. Before this, they were all in fear as they heard that Israel had crossed the Jordan River. The covenant between Gibeon and Israel meant to them that they now had an enemy within their region. If they neglected the situation, they would only place themselves in more danger. The fact that Israel had been defeated once in the battle at Ai gave them hope that even Israel was not invincible.
The Gibeonites
The Gibeonites immediately sent word to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, asking for military assistance. This appeal was based on the covenant that they had made. We can draw similarities between the Gibeonites and Christians. As we set apart from the world, we are persecuted and attacked by the world. A friend of God, the world will see as an enemy. Sometimes the dearest friend will leave us for our faith in Christ. However, we shall not be shocked or disappointed. Rather, we shall pray that such a trial becomes an opportunity to become more Christ-like.
Today's prayer
God the Father of Jesus Christ, please protect me from the evil one who rules this world. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.