Bible Reading (Joshua 9:1-27)
“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.” (Joshua 9:21.)
Israel marched in formation and some disciplined style into the promised land of Canaan preceeded by the awesome Ark of the Covenant. Momentous moments in history. They carried the chest containing the Written Law of God. (Joshua 3:11-17.) That Ark had been carried round the walls of Jericho, it resulted in vengeance on the idolatress Canaanites. (Joshua 6:4.) Now at a place called Ebal it was written and inscribed on the stones of the altar and became the law of the land. (Joshua 8:32.)
In God’s unfolding plan and purpose was the divine desire for Israel to conquer Canaan and also for His people in a life style of loving obedience to Him would in turn be a loving witness to the surrounding nations. Moses had the same vision in (Deuteronomy 4:5-6.) and “Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people”.
In later times the Lord reminded their descendents:
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour”. (Isaiah 43:10.)
Later, again, the Lord reminds His obedient people:
“And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:12)
Today in 2006 every sincere Christian believer is aware of the Scripture “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8.) As it was, so it is!
Uncertainty caused kings, leaders and people on the western side of Jordan to come together in a combination of deception. In the hills, and in their valleys, and in all the coats of the great Mediterranean Sea men feared for their future. Israel was moving quickly into their territory and Israel’s God was supreme in His direction for and action of, His people. Jericho had fallen to them as had Ai and the Canaanites felt the need to combine together in a conspiracy against Israel. “That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.” (9:2) Although often fighting each other, they now came together to fight against Israel.
As it was in the yesterday of the past, so it is today in the present time.
With some understanding of the background of the situation we can unlock the combination of events.
The people of Gibeon
had their own plan of deception and deceit they were the flies in the ointment
for the treatment of Israel. It was certainly crafty and colourful, and
preferable to wholesale slaughter in war. Let others fight, but not them. The
same sun that softened wax will
harden clay. Self-preservation seen in old sacks, bread, dry and mouldy, old
cracked water bottles all covered with dust and dirt. It was a dirty plan of
deception, and the people of the Lord fell for it!
The fraud was discovered eventually, the promises made to the deceivers
were honoured. Here we have honour amidst deception. Bargains were kept by
Israel.
The princes of Israel acted conscientiously; they felt bound by their
thoughtless haste so they downgraded the Gibeonites to a servile condition as a
means of preventing their people from being ensnared into idolatry, and so they
thought acted in the true spirit and purpose of the law.
The work allotted to them was menial, the lowest tasks of drudgery yet
it placed them in a position of receiving great and precious privileges
regarding the ongoing truth and plan of salvation.
The grace and mercy of the Lord is seen clearly in this very
unsatisfactory episode. There are many levels of teaching that one could
explore, some regarding the serious gullibility of some enlightened people in
the church and in church leadership.
We need to be vigilant and able to read the signs of the times.
Those who enjoy the living bread of life do not need chunks of mouldy bread from soft talking deceivers with the appearance of sincerity. Those who are drinking at the fountain of life, need not suck on empty broken bottles of bitterness.
Page created 29 July 2006