Key scripture – “They came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.” (Joshua 9:2).

Have you ever been conned by someone? Author, Wendy Pope says, nobody wants to admit they’ve been conned because for a moment you let your guard down and allowed yourself to be lured into a situation where later you were blindsided. When that happens you are left shaking your head, wondering how it all went wrong. I bet this is how Joshua felt when he realized he had been conned by the Gibeonites.

God had commanded the Israelites to wipe out the inhabitants of Canaan and that information reached the kings who lived in that region. God had already given His people victory over other kings, therefore, the surrounding territories were scared to death. Israel had already faced head-to-head combat with all the other kings, except the region of Gibeon. Rather than battling Israel head-on, the Gibeonites devised a different plan … they decided to deceive them. In Joshua 9:6-10 it tells us what the Gibeonites did.

“They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you are living within our land; how then shall we make a covenant with you?” But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Then Joshua said to them, “Who are you and where do you come from?” They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of the Lord your God; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt, and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth.” (Joshua 9:6-10).

The Gibeonites fictitiously claimed to be from a faraway land, and they also stated that they were tired, and in need of fresh supplies and seeking peace. The scam was very convincing it even included worn sandals, moldy bread and old wineskins. Appearing to pose no threat, Joshua signed a peace treaty with the Gibeonites.

“This our bread was warm when we took it for our provisions out of our houses on the day that we left to come to you; but now behold, it is dry and has become crumbled. These wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and these our clothes and our sandals are worn out because of the very long journey.” So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.” (Joshua 9:12-15).

You are probably thinking, “What is wrong with making a peace treaty? Peace is good, right?” Yes, peace is good, but not when God’s instructions were to only make treaties with faraway countries, not those you were dispossessing. (Exodus 23:23-24)

“For My angel will go before you and bring you in to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them. You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their sacred pillars in pieces.” (Exodus 23:23-24).

Since the Gibeonites duped the Israelites into making this peace treaty, it might seem like the Israelites were victims in this scheme, but Joshua 9:14 tells us the Israelites disregarded God because they failed to ask Him about the Gibeonites, “The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD.”
You may be thinking, what does this story about the Gibeonites have to do with me?

First of all, it is important for us to know it because we have an enemy, Satan, who is as subtle and crafty as the Gibeonites. His goal is to steal, kill and destroy us and our relationship with God. (John 10:10). With names like deceiver (2 Corinthians 11:3), liar, and father of lies (John 8:44) we must always be on the lookout. We can’t ever let our guard down.

Secondly, we can also learn a lot from Joshua’s disregard of God in his decision about the Gibeonites.

We learn that we have to be in constant contact with God through prayer and reading His Word. His Word guides us with truth. Our prayers help us know and understand God’s voice. He quickens us with the power of the Holy Spirit helping us know when to be on guard, and when the enemy rises up against us, we can fall back on truth. His Word is the absolute truth and will never ever fail!

We also learn that we must seek God for confirmation. Prayer is our communication for confirmation. We must inquire of the Lord before we do anything and wait for His direction.

I’m so thankful God recorded Joshua’s disobedience. It’s a wonderful reminder for us all to learn from. As a result of Joshua’s disobedience, God didn’t remove Joshua from his position of leadership or count him unfit. Joshua kept the peace agreement that he made with the Gibeonites, and God gave him the wisdom to still be able to work the problem out. God’s grace didn’t end for Joshua and it will not end for you and me.

As for the Gibeon con artists, when Joshua and the Israelites discovered the Gibeonites were actually neighbors, they were not destroyed because of the peace agreement but they were punished because of their deception. The Gibeonites were made to serve the temple by hauling water and wood. (Joshua 9:21). They were later called the Nethinim which means “given ones” and continued to labor for the temple and never caused any trouble for God’s people. Research shows the Nethinim returned to Jerusalem after Babylonian captivity and remained devoted to the Lord and serving His house.

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, Thank You for using ordinary men and women in the Bible to teach me how to follow You more closely and showing me once again how important it is to obey Your Word and do exactly what You tell us to do. When I start to rely on my own understanding that is when it all goes haywire. That is what You tell us in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Father, teach me how to follow You in every area of my life. Help me to learn from the times I fail, so I may become more like You. Before I make any decisions, I will come to You first for confirmation and direction so that I follow the plans that You have for me and do what you say to do. If I do that, then my crooked paths will be made straight and the Gibeonites will never get the best of me. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.