Joshua

Joshua Chapter 9

• Joshua 9:1 And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
• 2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

Looks like rumors and fear stirred up trouble. The Canaanites decided to band together to come and fight against Israel not realizing that they could never fight against God who at that time was on the side of Israel. The days of the Canaanites were numbered. Their wickedness had come to the point where God had to intervene. Time was up. A nation can only go so far and God has to call a halt.

We have law and order to keep those that want to harm the innocent from doing so. Sometimes a criminal's actions are so dangerous that they have to spend a lifetime in prison or be put to death because they do not repent and stop the way they live that is dangerous to society. If God does not bring judgment upon those that do evil, the evil will accelerate from generation to generation.

As in the days of Noah, God has to say, it is enough at one point. Think of all the wicked rulers and empires before today's modern world. Where are they today? Where is the Roman Empire? Babylon? Media and Persia? The Grecian Empire? Hitler? Wicked rulers arise but they also fall. They will continue in this way until the day of the kingdom of Christ.

For now, believers in Jesus Christ must spread the gospel of the kingdom. We are to teach all nations that Christ is the only way of salvation and that individuals can be born again, changed by the spirit of God when we believe in Jesus the Christ. Our sins can be forgiven and we can then have the promise of eternal life and be part of the righteous kingdom to come. In the mean time we must resist evil and follow God's word in all things.

There is a reason for these stories in the bible; even the story of Joshua, and that is to bring us to the knowledge of how to receive our own salvation and also that we learn from the mistakes of those that lived before us. 

By studying the word of God faithfully, we keep from being deceived. What happens next is what can occur when we fail to listen to God and rely on our own selves.

The Gibeonites figured out a way to escape their demise and be spared destruction. These people were deceivers but at least they were smart enough to know they could not defeat Israel. Too bad they went about it in this manner instead of just repenting for their evil ways and crying out to God for mercy.

Rahab was saved because she believed in the God of Israel and hid the spies that had come to Jericho. The people we read about next are more like those that wanted to save their own lives but had no intention of changing the way they lived.

• Joshua 9:3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
• 4 They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
• 5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
• 6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
• 7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
• 8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
• 9 And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
• 10 And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.

It would appear that the days before our modern media, they had a way of spreading news. Perhaps travelers on trade routes. It would also appear that God allowed a few people to escape death so that they could warn and spread the news of Israel's conquests. In all that we read, we must remember that the will of God is always that men would repent and be saved rather than be destroyed.

• Joshua 9:11 Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us.
• 12 This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:
• 13 And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
• 14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

Big mistake. Once they accepted the victuals and ate with these people they could not do them any harm as the custom was in that day. They should have sought out God first.

Sometimes we can start to serve the Lord. In the beginning we have no confidence in our own ability so we rely on God's guidance. As we gain our own confidence, sometimes we stop consulting and relying on God and this is where we fail. We start doing things our own way and not God's way. We might appear victorious at times but the results will not be fruits of the spirit and making more disciples that fully trust and follow God.   

We never should desire converts to our religions but desire that souls are saved from sin and following the Lord. We want to add to the kingdom of God by trusting in the work of the Holy Spirit and not add to our own manmade kingdom or ministry. 

• Joshua 9:15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
• 16 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.

Secrets have a way of being revealed eventually.

• Joshua 9:17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.
• 18 And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
• 19  But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

They had to keep their word and could not harm these deceptive visitors.

• Joshua 9:20 This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.
• 21 And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.

This was why slavery was practiced in Israel. It was because these people deceived them and so their lives were spared but they had to serve Israel by doing the hard work.

• Joshua 9:22 And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?
• 23 Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.

God had laws that gave protection for servants so to be a servant for Israel would not be as bad as slaves to cruel people that lived in the land of Canaan so they really fared better than they deserved. Lying and deception is never good. 

• Joshua 9:24 And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
• 25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.
• 26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.
• 27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.

So we learn that these Gibeonites knew that God had given this land to Israel and knew that the inhabitants were to be destroyed. So we can see that the people of Canaan could have repented and turned to God years before this happened. 

Today it is the same. We now have a chance to repent and turn to God. It is sad that people would rather outlaw the message of the gospel and keep their sin not realizing that just as the days of Canaan were numbered, our days will be too if we continue in sin without accepting God's way of escape.  

The way of escape is not a religion; it is a life that is walking with God. This can only come about by turning from sin and turning to Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to God except through Him. That is the way God made for all who believe to be saved and escape the wrath to come. DC

Joshua Index