Joshua Bible Study Lesson Snippet
What one mistake leads to deception?
Jos 9:3-14 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, (4) they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. (5) The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. (6) Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us." (7) The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "But perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?" (8) We are your servants, they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, "Who are you and where do you come from?" (9) They answered: "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, (10) and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan--Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. (11) And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with us." ' (12) This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. (13) And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey." (14) The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD.
What an incredible, cunning plan the Gibeonites had hatched to save their skin. They must have wondered if Israel was going to fall for this. So in verse 4 we read 'They worked craftily and they pretended to be ambassadors.' How did they really approach Israel? In verse 9 it says they said 'We have come from a very far country, because of the name of the Lord your God. We have heard of His fame and all that He did in Egypt' They came with flattery. That is the first thing I noticed when I looked at it. Beware of people who pretend to be believers saying 'We have heard about this great God of yours that has done all these miracles. We have heard of His fame.' So they come and they are appealing to what you already know about God but in a flattering way and because of this you think they are on your side. However, remember that these are Canaanites in disguise. Way back, God had commanded that they were to drive out these people. Now, these same people have come up with an incredibly cunning plan, and you have got to give it to them for that, but the nation of Israel was to have no part with them.
So they come in with flattery. 'We have heard of all your fame. We have heard of all that God did to those two kings.' Notice that they don't say they had heard about Jericho and Ai which were their neighbors. Had they said that it would have given away the fact that they didn't come from a far country. They talked about 'on the other side of the Jordan' and not their neighbors. They talked to them as believers and they also came to them really as people in need, needs that had to be met. We need to think about these things carefully for they can be deceptive modes. People that you think are in the same camp as you, people that talk about the same God, but actually are not. People that have needs and come and try to join themselves to you in some way; this can be one of Satan's deceptions.
Joshua 9:14 The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD.
You can be in the right place but you can still be deceived. You can be centered on the centrality of the cross, the risen Lord Jesus Christ but yet you can still be deceived. And why were they deceived? It says 'because they did not ask counsel of the Lord.' They did not ask God about this new need that had presented itself to them. They were doing everything right except that they didn't bring God into the scenario of what was happening to them. They had no discernment. There was no prayer. They had no counsel from God at all.
This is what I love about the Bible because you get all these great men of God like Joshua, but he has weaknesses and failings exactly the same as we do. He did many wonderful things but we have seen two blunders which he made. After Jericho he went off in self pride straight into the next battle without asking counsel and you have the same thing here, he should have asked counsel of God regarding what was presented to him but he doesn't. As the leader he is responsible really for not asking counsel. So he is deceived. There is no discernment from him. So how do we bring God into the things that are facing us? Proverbs 3 is a really well known verse.
Pro 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (6) in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (7) Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
From: Joshua Chapter 9: Discernment and the deception of the Gibeonites