“The Deception of the Gibeonites”


BIBLE READING: Joshua 8-10

                In Joshua 9, men from Gibeon had heard what God had done by the hand of Joshua at Jericho, Ai and Bethel. They had heard that Jehovah had commanded Joshua to not make any covenants with any of the people of Canaan, but to destroy its inhabitants.  Therefore, out of fear for their own lives, they pretended to be travelers from a far country seeking to make a covenant with the people of Israel.  They must have put on a good show, because Joshua fell for their trick, hook, line and sinker.  I’m not sure if Joshua had grown overconfident in his own leadership abilities or if it was a simple lapse in judgement, but the Bible is very clear when it says that he “did not seek the counsel of the LORD” (Joshua 9.14)  Joshua does the very thing he was not supposed to do, make a covenant with the enemy.  Shortly after, they are found out as fraud, but the damage had been done.  When the people of God make a covenant with someone, it had to be kept. In time, this lapse on Joshua’s judgement would come back to haunt the nation.  So, what is to be learned from Joshua’s mistake?  First, when making big decisions in our life, its best that we seek the counsel of the LORD in prayer.  He may not directly answer us, but He is still listening.  It also sets a good precedent for putting God first in our lives.  Next, sometimes our enemy, the devil, does a good job at pretending to be something he is not.  The Devil can disguise himself as something that is appealing and good and be ugly and condemning at the same time.  If he is crafty enough to trick Joshua, he has the power to trick us as well.  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday - October 4, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study TUESDAY BIBLE READING:    Genesis 32:22-32 Do you want to be blessed? That sounds like a rhetorical question, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to be blessed? I guess it really depends on your definition of “blessed.” Many people desire blessings that will make them wealthy or, perhaps, material goods. However, being blessed is not limited to those physical things. In fact, sometimes we can be blessed in the most unusual ways. For instance, in Genesis 32:26, we find Jacob wrestling with what we often call an angel. Within the story, Jacob is overtaking the angel and holding him down; refusing to let go until the angel gives him a blessing. The angel obliges Jacob, but not in the way he might have imagined. The angel changed his name from “Jacob” to “Israel,” but he also did something else. He put Jacob’s hip joint out of socket, causing him much pain and difficulty walking. In part, his blessing had to do with him walking with a limp. How is tha...
Read more

“Examples”

BIBLE READING: Mark 13- Luke 1 DISCUSSION                                                                                   This past week we have read of some great examples in the bible.   We read in Mark 13 about us being ready and being prepared for when Jesus returns.   We need to all stay awake!   In Mark 14 we read of one action having such an impact.   How this woman gave her very best to Jesus because of her love for Him.   In Mark 15 we read of Pontius Pilate and his desire to keep his power.   He loved his power and did not want to give it up even if that meant sending an inno...
Read more

Monday

BIBLE READING : Job 3. 1-26 “I wish I had never been born,” Job said to his friends. “I wish that my birthday was just wiped off of the calendar as though it never happened.” Who could blame him? The loss that he had endured in mere moments had been catastrophic. Job had experienced a wonderful life until that day, when all he had known changed. I know that many people have endured tragic losses, but Job’s defeat seems unfathomable. Isn’t it ironic that, although Job’s comments brought him so much pain, they can bring us so much joy? My mother always taught me that, no matter how bad I may think things are, someone else always is suffering more than I am. Not only does that help us to feel that we are not alone in our depression, but it gives us that hope for what is to come. Job’s story helps us to learn to appreciate the blessings that we have today! Job was not in control of his circumstances, but he was in control of his reaction to those circumstances. When Job was hurtin...
Read more