From Joshua 9

The Gibeonites have seen and heard everything that has happened to bring Israel to their doorstep.  They have heard rumors about everything God did to free Israel from Egypt – plagues unlike anything they had ever seen.  They have witnessed the fall of Jericho and every other city that stood against the Israelites.  All of this leads them to the conclusion that the God of Israel is real and fights for them, so the Gibeonites trick the Israelites.  They do everything in their power to make it look like they have just finished a long journey – ragged clothes, stale bread, and worn-out wineskins.  With that appearance, they go to Israel and essentially say “we’ve heard how incredible your God is and how He has set you apart, so we came a long way to make an alliance with you.” Israel notably doesn’t consult God about the whole thing, bought the ruse, and made a covenant with them.  Later, the Israelites come across Gibeon – not a far distance away but right next door.  They grumble about the situation, but they “did not attack them, because the leader of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.”

This historical event in Israel’s history gives us a window into how God expects His people to act. First, we can observe that Joshua and the other leaders failed to consult God about the whole thing.  This can remind us that, regardless of how sure we might feel about a situation, we should always take our decisions and struggles to God in prayer.  Who knows?  He might keep you from making a fool of yourself.  The other thing we can observe is that Israel upholds their covenant with Gibeon, despite their deceit, because they made that covenant in the name of God.  Now today we might not make covenants in the name of God (a concept that’s a whole separate discussion), but we are still representatives of God.  When we make promises or agreement, we should keep in mind that we are witnesses to our Lord and we should follow through on our word.  This daunting task gives us a new appreciation for the incredible terms of our new covenant with Jesus – one that relies on Him and Him alone.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously upholds His covenant with us.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to live by our word.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

• Thank God for His faithfulness.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t follow through on your word.
• Ask God to lead you to live with radical honesty.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious