In our study of Joshua chapter nine, we will look at how the devil deceived Israel and apply it to our walk as Christians.
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When all the kings on the west side of the Yarden in the hills, in the Sh'felah and all along the shore of the Great Sea that fronts the L'vanon - the Hitti, Emori, Kena'ani, P'rizi, Hivi and Y'vusi - heard what had happened, they joined forces to fight together against Y'hoshua and Isra'el.
As we saw in chapter 8, Israel was back on track with the Lord and God had given them another victory in the land of Canaan. The people living in the land heard about the victories over Jericho and Ai. They decided to band together to try to stop the Israelites. As Christians, sometimes the same type of thing seems to happen. We can be walking victorious with the Lord and the next thing we know it is like the entire world is lined up against us.
But when the inhabitants of Giv'ah heard what Y'hoshua had done to Yericho and 'Ai, they developed a clever deception: they made themselves look as if they had been on a long journey by putting old sacks on their donkeys and taking used wineskins that had burst and been mended back together. They put old, patched sandals on their feet and dressed in worn-out clothes; and took as provisions nothing but dried-up bread that was crumbling to pieces. Then they went to Y'hoshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Isra'el, "We have come from a country far away. Now, make a covenant with us."
The Gibeonites did not join the coalition against Israel but decided to try to trick them. This is also a picture of our Christian walk and the struggles that we face. Most of us recognize the enemy (the devil) at work in those who attack us but we often miss those that try to deceive us (Gibeonites). In the Hebrew text, it says that the Gibeonites asked Israel to make a covenant "for us" while it is translated here as "with us" and there is a big difference. When it says "for us" it helps us to understand that the Gibeonites were not offering Israel anything but, in fact, were only looking to their own interests. Israel was a covenant people and they should have recognized this fact.
The men of Isra'el said to the Hivi, "How do we know that you don't live here among us? If you do, we don't want to make a covenant with you." But they answered Y'hoshua, "We are your servants." Y'hoshua asked, "Who are you, and where do you come from?"
We see that Y'hoshua and Israel were watching out and trying to obey God as He had told them not to make a treaty with the people of the land. When questioned, the Hivites (Gibeonites) lied and we are reminded that Satan is the father of lies.
They answered him, "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the reputation of ADONAI your God. We have heard reports about him - everything he did in Egypt, and everything he did to the two kings of the Emori across the Yarden, Sichon king of Heshbon and 'Og king of Bashan at 'Ashtarot.
The Gibeonites used a mixture of lies and truth to deceive the Israelites. They surely had heard about what God had done in Egypt and seen what He had done to the Amorite kings. We remember from Exodus 9 that God said that the plagues in Egypt were for that purpose. We are reminded of the fact that this method is still used by Satan to deceive even Christians. The first step in dealing with the devil is recognizing his methods of operation.
So our leaders and all the people living in our country said to us, "Take provisions with you for the journey, go to meet them, and say to them, 'We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.' Here is the bread which we took for our provisions. It was still warm when we took it out of our homes the day we left to come to you. Now look at it! It's dry and turned to crumbs! And these wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, now they're torn. Likewise these clothes of ours and our shoes are worn out because of the very long journey."
The story is backed up by the props that they brought with them. Many times we put more trust in our physical senses than in God and that is what the Israelites did. We must remember that it is easy to deceive the eyes. That is what magicians and the like do and it is also how the devil operates.
The men sampled some of their food but didn't seek the advice of ADONAI,
We see that Y'hoshua and the Israelites did not stop to pray before they did anything. They tasted the food and went with their physical senses instead of asking God about this decision. As Christians, we must remember that our dealings with the devil must begin with direction from God.
so Y'hoshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to spare their lives, and the leading officials of the community swore to them. But three days later, after they had made the covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, that they lived there with them.
Y'hoshua did not pray before making a decision and the other leaders agreed with him without seeking God's will in the matter. Three days after making the oath, they heard that they had been deceived. Throughout the Bible, the number three is associated with the earthly display of God's will for men. At the end of these days, they found that they were out of God's will in the matter but they had made a promise that they could not break. As Christians, this period of three days would have been a good time for prayer and fasting to seek the will of God. This is how we are to face the schemes of the devil without falling for them.
The people of Isra'el traveled and arrived at their cities on the third day. Their cities were Giv'on, K'firah, Be'erot and Kiryat-Ye'arim. The people of Isra'el did not attack them, because the leading officials of the community had sworn to them by ADONAI, the God of Isra'el; but all the community grumbled against the leaders. However, the leaders replied to the whole community, "We have sworn to them by ADONAI, the God of Isra'el; so we can't touch them.
The Israelites went to confront the Gibeonites and we see that they actually lived around Jerusalem but Israel did not attack them because of the treaty. The rest of the people were upset with the leadership but they could not break their oath. This is a reminder of what happens in any group that is not completely led by God. This would have been a total of six days after they had made the decision. We are reminded that the number six is associated with the insufficiency of the works of men and the need for grace. Now, they had come to the end of what they could do. We are reminded that they could have avoided all of this by praying on that first day. It is also better for us if we do not swear any oaths because the devil can use them against us.
Here is what we will do to them: we will let them live, so that God's anger will not be on us because of the oath we swore to them. Yes, let them live," the leaders continued, "but let them chop wood and draw water for the whole community." This is what the leaders said.
The entire assembly agreed that they had to let the Gibeonites live but they also decided to make them slaves. This might sound good but it was still not in keeping with God's instructions to not make a treaty with the people of the land.
Y'hoshua summoned them and said this to them: "Why have you deceived us by saying, 'We come from a place very far away,' when in fact you are living right here with us? Now you have a curse on you: you will be slaves forever, supplying people to chop wood and draw water for the house of my God."
Because of their deception, Y'hoshua pronounced a curse of the Gibeonite people. That curse was a partial fulfillment of the prophecy of Noah where he said that Canaan would one day serve Shem. The sacrifices at the tabernacle required a lot of wood for the fires and water for washing.
They answered Y'hoshua, "It is because we heard the reports that ADONAI your God had ordered his servant Moshe to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from ahead of you. So we were terrified for our lives on account of you; that's why we did this. Now, as you see, we are in your hands; do to us whatever seems good and right to you." So Y'hoshua did exactly that: he saved them from the power of the people of Isra'el, so that they didn't kill them. But he did that same day make them choppers of wood and drawers of water for the community and for the altar of ADONAI in the place which he would choose; and they remain so to this day.
The Gibeonites had deceived the Israelites in order to save their lives. They accomplished that purpose and willingly submitted to the forced labor.
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