Joshua 9

         Verse 1-2: News of Israel’s victories at Jericho and Ai spread quickly throughout the nearby nations, and their kings, no doubt fearful of suffering the same fate, form an alliance to fight against Israel. These are the same kings mentioned at the beginning of chapter 5. (Joshua 5:1) One of the peoples mentioned in verse 1 are the Hivites.
 
            Verses 2-15: Gibeon is one of the cities of the Hivites (v.7), and its leaders come up with an additional plan to avoid destruction at the hands of Israel. They send ambassadors to Joshua, disguised in old, tattered clothing and with moldy food to make it appear as if they came on a long journey from a far country. (v.4-5) Even their shoes are worn and full of holes. Israel is camped at Gigal (v.6), and the Gibeonites meet with Joshua and the elders. Notice, however, that they don’t give a proper name of their country – or even a specific name of their people. This, of course, raises the suspicions of the elders, and they question the strangers further. (v.7) “…Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?” can be read as “What if you’re from one of these nearby cities? We can’t make an alliance with you because you’re our enemies.”
            The Gibeonites, however, neatly sidestep the question by saying simply, “We are thy servants.” (v.8) But Joshua is still not convinced, and he presses them further, again demanding to know the identity of their country and their people. The Hivites again neatly avoid a direct answer by repeating that they are “…from a very far country…” (v.9) and then bring up the old news of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and her victories against the Amorites and the kings Sihon and Og. (v.10) They also emphasize once more that “We are your servants…” (v.11) and then point out their moldy bread (v.12), wineskins that have holes in them and their shoes with worn out soles. (v.13)
            At this point is when Joshua should have told the strangers to stand by while he consulted with God. But Joshua and the elders fail to do this, instead taking the men at their word and trusting in the physical evidence presented to them. (v.14) Joshua then makes an alliance with the strangers, and it’s confirmed by the elders of Israel. (v.15)
 
          Verses 16-27: Of course it doesn’t take long for the Hivites’ deception to become known to Joshua and all of Israel. (v.16) Although the text doesn’t say so specifically, the implication in verse 16 is that Joshua and the elders received word from the neighboring cities of the Hivites that the men they had just made an alliance with were, in fact, the inhabitants of Gibeon. (v.17) The fallout from this deception and from Joshua’s grave error of not consulting the LORD is disastrous for all of Israel. Because they are now allies, Israel is prevented from destroying the Hivites and conquering all the cities listed in verse 17. Furthermore, this causes dissension among the people and rebellion against the elders. (v.18)
            The elders, however, remind the people that they swore an oath in the name of the LORD to not destroy the Hivites. (v.19) To violate that oath will bring the wrath of God upon Israel. (v.20) It is puzzling, though, why the lie on the part of the Gibeonites wouldn’t have nullified that oath. The text doesn’t say, and the elders are correct in their interpretation of the Mosaic law regarding oaths. (Numbers 30:2) This is why God, through Moses, warned the Israelites not to be rash with their vows. God takes oaths seriously, and to go back on one’s word is sin in the eyes of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 23:21-23)
            In their initial meeting with the Gibeonites, Joshua and the elders had granted the strangers’ request to be servants to Israel. The elders now remind the people of this agreement. (v.21) The Hivites will still be conquered, but they will serve as slaves to the Israelites rather than being utterly destroyed as God had originally commanded be done to all the Canaanites.
            Joshua then summons the Gibeonites who had deceived them and demands an explanation. (v.22) Because of their deception there is now a curse upon them and all their people. (v.23) They and all their descendants will be slaves of Israel with no hope of buying their freedom or being released from their perpetual servitude. The men respond with an explanation for their trickery: they had heard of God’s judgment against all the nations of the promised land, and they were, naturally, afraid of Israel. (v.24) Therefore, in order to avoid the judgment that had fallen upon Jericho and Ai, the Hivites had concocted this plan, and it succeeded. The men acknowledge that they are at the mercy of Joshua and the elders, and they willingly submit to being Israel’s slaves in perpetuity. (v.25)

            There are two major lessons to be learned here. 1) We should never fail to ask God for guidance daily, especially for decisions that could affect the direction of our lives. Even choices that to us seem simple and obvious (i.e. buying a new car or accepting a new job offer that comes with a pay increase) can have hidden consequences for our daily lives that only God can see. Those decisions may not seem to us to have negative consequences, but too often it’s only in hindsight, when we have to live with the unexpected fallout of those choices, that we realize we should have consulted the Lord first before deciding what direction to take. That new car might end up having so many mechanical issues that it would have been better for the monthly budget if you had stuck with the older but reliable vehicle. Or that new job with the higher pay might come with a boss that requires you to work on Sundays.
            2) The consequences of our rash choices can often adversely affect us for a very long time, perhaps even the remainder of our lives. The decision by Joshua and the elders to form an alliance with the Hivites had long term consequences for Israel. (2 Samuel 21:1-2, 6) This is the main reason we should always seek the LORD’s  guidance for every decision that could potentially affect the course of our lives. What may seem obvious or inconsequential to us can often come with unintended side effects that we don’t experience until it’s too late to reverse course.
            What’s especially disheartening in this account of the deception of Joshua and the elders is that they had just experienced the disastrous consequences of sin when Achan disobeyed God’s commandment. Joshua should have known better than to take the word of the strangers before seeking God’s guidance. The fact that the answers from the men of Gibeon were deliberately vague, as well as their testimony of God’s power in delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, should have been enough to warn Joshua and the elders that something was not quite right with these “ambassadors”. How often have we today allowed ourselves to be deceived because of the flattery of non-believers? How often have we decided to go with our gut rather than ask God for guidance? There was a good reason God had commanded Moses and the Israelites to annihilate all the peoples of Canaan. Even though the Hivites were slaves of Israel they still exerted some adverse influence in the lives of the Israelites that had unfortunate consequences in later generations, as we well know from the book of Judges, Samuel and Kings.
            Joshua and the elders allowed themselves to be deceived because they looked only on the outward appearance. They trusted the physical evidence presented to them instead of trusting God. (1 Samuel 16:7) Only God can see what lies in the heart of man, and that’s why we need to rely on Him to guide us in every step of our walk with Him. Our five senses can easily fool us, and our heart is desperately wicked. (Jeremiah 17:9) Only God can keep us on the right path and away from the snares that only He can see because He knows the future, and He loves us who are His children. When He says “No” to a prayer request or changes the course of our lives in a direction that we don’t understand, we must remember that He is omniscient, and His directions are only for our good because He loves us. He wants only what’s best for us. That’s what it means to walk by faith and not by the fallacy of our own weak, sinful sight. (Romans 1:17, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38)