As creationists, how do we explain this?

[RichardT]

Joshua 10:12



Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.



It's obvious from verses 10-14 that the Bible is Geocentric in nature, but what about this section in verse 12 which states that the sun should stand still UPON GIBEON, and the moon, IN THE VALLEY OF AJALON. This here promotes a flat earth view because on flat earth cosmology, the sun and moon are really small.



How can the sun possibly stand still UPON GIBEON when it is huge?



Also, I don't want to debate heliocentrism and geocentrism in this thread, if you want to do that, please start a new thread..

 

[mark kennedy]

Geocentric perspectives in the Bible would be normal because that is where the writers live. The Genesis account is taken from the perspective of the Spirit hovering over the face of the deep, and God saying 'Let there be light'.

Same thing with the passage in Joshua but there is one thing you have overlooked entirely. The sun and moon were worshiped in ancient times so Joshua speaking to the sun and moon was an afront to celestial deities. All that was nessacary is that the light be prolonged for an undisclosed period.

Joshua was telling the deities their enemies worship as gods what to do. Nothing in the passage suggest anything other then a prolonged period of light, sunshine in the day and moon light in the night.

Grace and peace,
Mark

 

[Brennan]

Joshua 10:12



Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.



It's obvious from verses 10-14 that the Bible is Geocentric in nature, but what about this section in verse 12 which states that the sun should stand still UPON GIBEON, and the moon, IN THE VALLEY OF AJALON. This here promotes a flat earth view because on flat earth cosmology, the sun and moon are really small.



How can the sun possibly stand still UPON GIBEON when it is huge?



Also, I don't want to debate heliocentrism and geocentrism in this thread, if you want to do that, please start a new thread..

Surely it would be talking about the position of Sun and Moon in the Sky - as it appeared from wherever the Israelites were at the time.

 

[FallingWaters]

I didn't think this had anything to do with Creation per se.

Is that the story in the Bible where God made the sun stand still in the sky one whole day? Written from the perspective of the earth, we say the sun stood still, but we know in reality, the sun isn't moving... it's the earth that is turning. Just like in our every day language we talk about the sunrise and the sunset. That what it looks like from our perspective.

I thought I heard in the news a couple of years ago that there was like a day missing somewhere and they went back and found it, and so proved that this story was true. I have such a horrible memory for details, I don't remember more than that. All I remember is the gist of it. Sorry.

 

[RichardT]

I didn't think this had anything to do with Creation per se.

Is that the story in the Bible where God made the sun stand still in the sky one whole day? Written from the perspective of the earth, we say the sun stood still, but we know in reality, the sun isn't moving... it's the earth that is turning. Just like in our every day language we talk about the sunrise and the sunset. That what it looks like from our perspective.

I thought I heard in the news a couple of years ago that there was like a day missing somewhere and they went back and found it, and so proved that this story was true. I have such a horrible memory for details, I don't remember more than that. All I remember is the gist of it. Sorry.

No this isn't what I was talking about, I believe in Geocentricity... But I don't believe in a flat earth...

 

[ChetSinger]

Joshua 10:12

Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.

It's obvious from verses 10-14 that the Bible is Geocentric in nature, but what about this section in verse 12 which states that the sun should stand still UPON GIBEON, and the moon, IN THE VALLEY OF AJALON. This here promotes a flat earth view because on flat earth cosmology, the sun and moon are really small.

How can the sun possibly stand still UPON GIBEON when it is huge?

Hi, RichardT, I'll give you my $.02.

First, the speaker here is Joshua himself, not God, or the inspired narrator. So Joshua's use of the phrases 'upon Gibeon' and 'in the valley of Ajalon' themselves imply nothing more than Joshua's own beliefs and desires. He was describing, from his own knowledge, what he specifically wanted to happen.

In the next verse, the narrator describes what happened next:

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 hasted not to go down about a whole day.

I'll agree here with FallingWaters: the description of what happened is from the point of view of the narrator, who was on the surface of the earth. From that reference frame, the sun 'standing still' is a perfectly valid observation.

 

[ChetSinger]

I didn't think this had anything to do with Creation per se.

Is that the story in the Bible where God made the sun stand still in the sky one whole day? Written from the perspective of the earth, we say the sun stood still, but we know in reality, the sun isn't moving... it's the earth that is turning. Just like in our every day language we talk about the sunrise and the sunset. That what it looks like from our perspective.

Well said.

I thought I heard in the news a couple of years ago that there was like a day missing somewhere and they went back and found it, and so proved that this story was true. I have such a horrible memory for details, I don't remember more than that. All I remember is the gist of it. Sorry.

Sorry, but I think that was a Christian urban myth.

 

[FallingWaters]

Sorry, but I think that was a Christian urban myth.

Oh really. I thought I had heard it on the news, but then what would be the chances of that?

 

[FallingWaters]

No this isn't what I was talking about, I believe in Geocentricity... But I don't believe in a flat earth...

I didn't realize the OP was about geocentricity until after I had seen your other thread about geocentricity.

There are people who believe the earth is flat!?!

I personally think you're reading to much into the scriptures, but maybe I am just uninformed on the subject. Whose authority are you following on this? Where did you get these ideas?