Today we are going to start our look at Joshua chapter 9. In this chapter we read about was is referred to as the Gibeonite deception.
The Gibeon Deception
This chapter begins with all the kings west of Jordan coming together to wage war against Joshua and Israel. However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, and knowing how “God had commanded his servant Moses to give [the Israelites] the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before [them],” out of fear for their lives they resorted to a ruse:
The Gibeonites went as a delegation to Joshua and the people of Israel. As they prepared to go, they loaded their donkeys with worn-out sacks and old wineskins. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. Even their food supply was dry and moldy.
They came to Joshua and said, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.”
Joshua’s initial response was on-point when he asked, “perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?”
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The Gibeonites continued with their ruse saying that they came from a distant country. They said they came because of the fame of the God of the Israelites. They had heard the reports of what God had done in Egypt, Jericho, and Ai.
As for the distance of their journey, the Gibeonites showed the provisions they brought with them. They said that the bread was warm when they left on this journey, but now it is dry and moldy and inedible. The wineskins were new when they filled them, but now they were old and cracked. Even their clothes and shoes were worn out from the journey.
The Israelites Mistake
The tipping point in this chapter happened in the Israelites next move. They sampled the provisions of the Gibeonites, but they did not inquire of the Lord. They did not call out to God to determine the truth of what the Gibeonites said to them.
The Israelites believed the ruse, a treaty was made, and the damage was done. A few days after making the treaty, the Israelites found out that the Gibeonites lived near them, a three-day journey. Joshua and the Israelites went to the cities of the Gibeonites, but did not attack them “because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.”
The Result of the Deception
They did not attack them, they did not destroy them, but something had to be done in response to the deception. Joshua said, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them. [We will] let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.”
The result of the deception was disobedience to God’s command. God’s intent was that the Promised Land would be for the people of Israel alone. Their land was not to be shared with any other people group. Their mistake of not seeking God’s guidance in the matter brought issues for the Israelite nation. These issues are still being felt by the people of Israel today.
What Does This Mean for Us?
We will look into this further in upcoming posts. Ultimately, the foreigners that remained in the Promised Land can represent the sin in our own lives. The Israelites were to purge the foreigners from the land. When that did not happen, issues arose. In the same way, we are to purge sin from our lives. If we do not do this, we, too, will face issues because of them.
So, some questions we can ask ourselves is…
- Are we being deceived by sin?
- Will we seek God’s guidance in those things in our lives that may lead us astray?
- Are we aware of the consequences that may come if sin is left unattended?
Just a Thought…
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Have a blessed day!