Joshua 9:1-27

The fame of Israel and the victories that the Lord gave them spread throughout the land and brought fear into the hearts of all of the people of the region.  The majority of the kings and leaders decided to form a coalition of various peoples and unite in order to try to defeat this common enemy.  Normally these nations would have been enemies looking to conquer one another, but now they have a common enemy that has struck their hearts with fear.  However, there is another group who has also been motivated by fear but they decide to take the path of deception in order to try to gain peace with and protection from Israel.  The plot worked but it did not have to.  This chapter reveals at least two truths about Joshua and the other leaders in Israel.

JOSHUA RELIED ON HIS OWN WISDOM: The plan to deceive was simple; wear old clothes, pretend to be far away and get a promise of peace from Israel.  The Gibeonites came up with this plan because they feared for their lives and it was the only way that they thought they could save themselves.  The plan worked for one simple reason: Joshua and the leaders did not consult the Lord prior to making the decision.  Instead of going to the Lord and asking for Him to give them wisdom, discernment and direction, they relied on their own observations.  The clothes looked old, they looked like they had come from a far away country, but looks can be deceiving.  We are often tempted to trust our own powers of observation and human wisdom over what God has revealed.  We must never become so confident in our own strength and wisdom that we fail to seek the face of the Lord in every decision that we need to make.  He has promised to make His wisdom available to us when we ask.

JOSHUA REMAINED TRUE TO HIS WORD: Once the truth was known, the only reason the deception worked was because Joshua was a man of his word.  He had given his word hastily and done wrong by making the promise without consulting the Lord.  However, two wrongs do not make right.  He had to live with the consequences of his pride and self reliance.  The Gibeonites called themselves the servants of Israel and that is just what Joshua made them all become.  They were made to be the slaves of the children of Israel, but their lives were spared.  Unfortunately, the Gibeonites eventually were also instrumental at influencing the nation to follow many of their idolatrous practices.  Our sins have consequences and we must be ready to live with those consequences.  However, it would be far better to seek the Lord so that these problems could be avoided in the first place.