Joshua 9:1-14 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Joshua 9:1-14. Let’s go!
Joshua 9:1-14 (NIV)
1 Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things–those in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Great Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)–
2 they came together to make war against Joshua and Israel.
3 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
4 they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended.
5 The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.
6 Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.”
7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?”
8 “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”
9 They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt,
10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan–Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.
11 And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; make a treaty with us.”‘
12 This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is.
13 And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.”
14 The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD.
On verses 1-14: Unlike the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites who form an alliance to fight Joshua and the Israelites (v1-2), the Gibeonites take another approach (v3). Believing they are no match for the Israelites, they decide instead to send a worn out looking delegation pretending to come from a far away country and wanting to make a peace treaty with the Israelites (v4-6). Without looking into the issue too much, and without praying and asking God for guidance, the Israelites eventually make the peace treaty with the Gibeonites (v7-14). Only later do you they discover that the Gibeonites actually lived very close to the Israelites.
What can we learn from this?
1. Hopefully you are noticing this pattern as we read the book of Joshua: whenever Joshua and the Israelites looked to God for wisdom on how to deal with a certain situation, they succeeded and prospered. But whenever they relied on their own wisdom and research instead of inquiring of God, they would end up making foolish decisions that they would later on regret. Don’t just research and think through your decisions. Even more, take the time to inquire of the Lord before making decisions and choosing which direction to go.
2. What the Gibeonites did was a shrewd and clever thing. It reminds me of Jesus’ words when he says:
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.” (Luke 14:31-32)
In a way you could say that what the Gibeonites did with the Israelites was similar to what God with us, except that God was and is the far more powerful one. Because God did not want to see us perish by His powerful hand, God sent ahead a delegate, His Son Jesus, who came to us in weakness. Jesus came and asked for terms of peace by dying on the cross for our sins and inviting us to trust in Him.
Heavenly Father, I pray that when making big decisions, I would not simply rely on my own wisdom, research or experience, but that I would inquire of You and rely on You. Thank You that whereas You could have chosen to annihilate us in Your wrath, instead You went out of Your way to show us mercy. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
