February 14, 2014 - Friday

Start Time: 5:13 A.M.

End Time: 6:56 A.M.

Title: The Gibeonite Deception

Scripture: Joshua 9:1 – 27

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things—the kings in the hill country,in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)—  they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.

NOTES:

Ø God reveals our enemies to us!  When HE is with us, we become a force to be reckoned with so our enemies show themselves to ally together against us but together, they are still useless in the eyes of our Lord!  Praise the Lord!  The Presence of the Lord solidify us and threatens our enemies so they come together, united to ruin us, therefore revealing who they are to us.  God allows this so we see who are up against us and we will know that without God, we can never succeed against nations (in this case 6 nations coming together as one).  The reality is, God’s glory is greater and His power is stronger than any nation and even combining all nations against Him, they still fall short of fighting against our Lord.  Yet in our eyes, we see them as established nations, we see them as strong and mighty but with God’s vision, they are nothing but mere dust in the sand.  So we focus on God and do not fear when our enemy join together to come against us because this only goes to show that our God is greater for they have to join forces to try to ruin God’s people yet in the end, they will still lose.  Hallelujah!

→ However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded^[a] with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.  Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.”  The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?” “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua.  But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”  They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of theLord your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, 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.  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.”’ 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.  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.” The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.  Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath. 

NOTES:

Ø God also allows allies to form with us, those who made a choice to submit rather than fight the True living God!  God does not only reveal our enemies, He also shows us our allies!  God is a God who allows a change of heart and He allows it to slightly change His plans to include them when their hearts are right before Him.  The Gibeonites are descendants of Ham (Noah’s son who told his brothers about Noah’s nakedness instead of covering it); they are to be wiped out as per God’s instructions to Moses yet because the Gibeonites know that God is the true and Only living God, they succumb to His people rather than fight them.  God gave them wisdom on how to become ally with the Israelites (the Children of the Lord) and God allowed this to happen because they humbled and recognized that they can do nothing to win God’s battle.  It is an irony that the descendants of Ham (the son who put his father to shame) were the ones who saw God in the lives of the Israelites.  Clearly, they learned from their past and saw their mistakes from their ancestor Ham.  They made sure that their eyes are opened to the truth this time and does not see the nakedness of their Father but this time they saw the Glory of their God!  This is truly a sign of repentance!  Hallelujah!

→ Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them.  So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim.  But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders,  but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now.  This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.” They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept. Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us? You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

NOTES:

Ø God allows us to make our own choices to see our own mistakes when we make decisions without consulting Him!  Joshua made a treaty to the Gibeonites without consulting with God and so they ended up living together with them in the land of promise when it was only supposed to be them living in the promises of the Lord.  Now they have to share it with the people they made covenant with before the Lord.  This passage clearly shows how fair God is.  The repentant people (Gibeonites) were blessed with their lives and to be able to live in the land that God promised His people but were punished by their trickery by becoming the servants (water carriers and woodcutters) of the Israelites in their own land.  The Children of the Lord were given favor to continue conquering the land despite of their wrong decisions but now they have to share it with another race because of their ignorance and own decisions.  Both the Gibeonites and the Israelites learned from their mistakes, the Gibeonites learned from their ancestor’s mistake and also their own trickery which resulted for them to become the servants of the Israelites (which again fulfills the words of Noah before he died that Ham will serve his brothers).  The Israelites on the other hand, learned that their decisions will impact them as the Promised Land is now shared with another group of people (the Gibeonites). 

→ They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.” So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose. And that is what they are to this day.

NOTES:

Ø God gives favor to those who sees and recognize His glory and win their hearts thru the works He does in the lives of His people!  The work of the Lord in our lives becomes the sickle that catches the harvest in the field.  We are the tool to win souls, our lives are God’s instruments to win others.  WE need not do anything, we just allow God to work in us.  Our victories and living testimonies will show the Glory of the Lord which will win the hearts of the people!  Hallelujah!  Truly, this is why God deserves all the glory for HE does all the work!  Praise God!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Praise Your Name forever for You deserve all our worship and praise!  God, my Lord, my Jesus, I am truly amazed of how You work!  You truly do all the work and we are mere instruments.  Many times we’ve been trying our best to find a way on how to win souls yet the truth is, this is your job and not ours!  Our job is to testify your good works in our lives and You will win the people over.  Lord please forgive me if there are times that I take over and feel like I’m in-charge when the truth is I don’t have the right to do so.  Please show me that all glory is Yours so I should step aside and let You do all the work!  Holy Spirit, help me to be humble and become a good instrument of catching the harvest by showing Your power, Your glory and Your might works in my life.  Take my life Lord and use it.  Do as You please.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!