This article is a write-up of my meditations and learnings regarding the command to "Stand Still." I want to share the significance of what happens when God instructs us to wait or remain firm in the midst of a crisis.
Two great leaders, Moses and Joshua, spoke these words in two different situations. In both cases, God granted a miraculous victory to the Israelites.
- Moses: When he stretched out his hand, the Red Sea split and stood like walls, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry land.
- Joshua: During the battle at Gibeon, Joshua spoke, and the sun stood still while the moon stopped in its place.
Recently, I attended a live session with astronaut Barbara Morgan. While explaining a video from the James Webb telescope, she described how our solar system formed among the stars and continues its quiet journey through space. She noted that it belongs to a larger family of stars in the Milky Way, and beyond that, countless galaxies follow their own paths in the vast universe.
My thoughts began to move in their own "orbit," trying to understand the greatness of it all. It felt impossible to fully imagine the sheer number of stars and galaxies, how they exist, and how they perfectly maintain their paths. In that moment, I was reminded of Genesis 2:1:
“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.” — Genesis 2:1
The Hebrew word used here for "host" is ṣə-ḇā-’ām. Its definitions include:
- An army or organized host.
- A host of angels.
- The sun, moon, and stars.
- The whole of creation.
- Warfare, service, or going out to war.
I am not here to explain the physics of the sea splitting, the mechanics of the sun stopping, or the orbital calculations of the Milky Way. Instead, I want to share what I learned in the "stand still" situation.
Stand Still – Moses and the Red Sea
“And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.’” — Exodus 14:13
What they did:
- The Three-Day Journey: After the Passover, the Israelites reached the Red Sea in roughly three days, covering about 60 miles. This was their first long, continuous journey.
- Moved Forward: Even while being told to stand still and see God's work, they had to move. Exodus 14:15 says, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.’”
After the Passover, 600,000 men—more than 2 million people in total—traveled for 3 days without stopping, and stood with the Red Sea before them and Pharaoh’s army behind them.
- The people of Israel were literally not prepared to fight, and they did not have any weapons to do so.
- They had no strength to react or fight back against Pharaoh.
In that time, the word came to Moses to “Stand Still.” And the Israelites listened to the word spoken and acted in obedience. They stretched themselves to walk through the midst of the sea, but that act alone did not bring victory over Pharaoh.
Stand Still – Joshua and the Sun
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge upon their enemies. — Joshua 10:12-13
Five kings came against Gibeon, and Joshua, along with the army of Israel, went to fight them. This was because the kings attacked Gibeon, even though it had made a peace treaty with Israel. The Gibeonites had agreed to serve the Israelites as woodcutters and water carriers as part of their treaty.
What they did:
- The All-Night March: They marched all night (uphill) from Gilgal to Beth Horon—about 20 miles.
- The march was uphill and took place entirely at night.
- There was no rest in the morning; the battle began at dawn and continued throughout the day.
- Joshua commanded that the sun not set, extending the fight for another 12 hours.
- In total, the army fought for more than 24 continuous hours.
When Joshua prayed, “Sun, stand still,” the Israelite army listened to the word which Joshua spoke in the sight of Israel; they acted on that word by continuing the war from the evening for the next 12 hours, believing that the sun would not go down. They stretched themselves even further and continued fighting. They acted with great effort and endurance, but the victory did not come because of their hard work.
The Meaning for Us
In the first instance, Moses spoke to the people. In the second, Joshua spoke to the Lord in the sight of the people. In both cases, the people listened and acted in obedience.
Standing still does not always mean doing nothing; it means operating in God's timing rather than our own, and 100% work is required even though it is not the source of the victory.
- The Israelites "stood still" by trusting Moses, but they still had to walk through the sea.
- Joshua’s army "stood still" by trusting God's control over time, but they still had to fight the battle with everything they had.
They stretched themselves with great effort and endurance, but the victory did not come from their hard work. The victory came from God’s mercy. It came when the waters fell on Pharaoh—the same waters that stood as a wall for the Israelites—and when the hailstones struck the opponent and not the Israelites. God alone brought the victory.
“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” — James 2:17
“Stand still” is a situation where we must listen to the Word of God and act upon it. It may not be easy; it may require us to stretch ourselves, and it may even seem painful or "crazy" to do. However, it is required. Our part is to move forward with a willing heart and trust Him fully.