Joshua 9

The Canaanites were already scared of the Israelites, even before they crossed the Jordan River their hearts had melted with fear. Then, when the city/forts of Jericho and Ai fell, they must have been horrified at their prospects in battle.

This chapter begins with the kings of other cities forming a military alliance to go to war as a group against these seemingly undefeatable Israelites. But one group thought that they had a better idea. Rather than joining the others in battle, they would trick the Israelites.

Joshua 9:3, “However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse.”

Joshua 9:4, “They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded 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.’”

How did the Israelites respond? “The men of Israel said to the Hivites, ‘But perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?’”

Joshua 9:8 says, the Gibeonites replied, “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua.

But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?” They replied, “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God.”

The Israelites inspected them, and it did appear to them that they had been traveling for quite some time over quite a distance. That was all it took for the Israelites to make a peace treaty. They forgot one step before making such a big decision. Joshua 9:14, “The men of Israel sampled their provision but did not inquire of the Lord.”

This reminds me of a proverb. Prov. 11:14, “For lack of guidance a nation falls, But victory is won through many advisers.” Or, as the King James Version reads, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

Before making a weighty decision, shouldn’t we seek the counsel of others? A multitude or many counselors doesn’t mean listening to those who you have surrounded yourself with who all think alike. Any leader, whether in government, churches, or the military should create an atmosphere where dissenting opinions are welcomed.

I suspect that David had one such person in his circle of advisors. King David’s extensive list of high-ranking government officials are listed in I Chron. 27. In verse 33, there is the mention of a man named Hushai, the Arkite. What is his title? He is listed as “the king’s friend.” Every “king” needs someone in his inner circle who is a friend. A friend who doesn’t have a personal agenda, doesn’t want to advance himself, but only wants his friend to succeed. A friend would be someone who can be trusted and be a source of encouragement when things get difficult. And, perhaps most importantly, someone who can be brutally honest with the leader without fear of losing his access or position. Someone who can tell him that he is flat-out wrong, and that a considered course of action is foolishly dangerous.

Pastors sometimes place people on church boards who they can control and are little more than rubber stamps for whatever the pastor wants. The board of trustees of many organizations, churches, corporations, etc. are filled with yes men, who are well cared for by the “CEO” or Senior Pastor. This might be comforting for the leader, but it is not healthy for the organization.

Another passage that comes to my mind is in I Thess. 5:21, “Test everything, hold onto the good.” Or, as President Reagan said with regards to any treaty with the Soviet Union, “trust, but verify.” It’s an old Russian proverb that rhymes in Russian – Doveryai, no proveryai – and literally means that a responsible person always verifies everything before committing himself to a common business with anyone, even if that anyone is totally trustworthy.

Joshua and his leaders must have been naïve. They accepted what the Gibeonites said with little investigation and without consulting their most valuable advisor, God.

Joshua 9:15, “Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.”

The Israelites were NOT to make any treaty with those living in Canaan. They were to be driven OUT. But that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t import workers from other countries, those further away and not as corrupt as the Canaanites.

Deut. 29:10–12 gives instructions for foreigners brought in as servants to Israel. These foreigners would be assigned duties of chopping wood and hauling water.

Three days later the Israelites realized that the Gibeonites weren’t from a far-off country, they were Canaanites who should have been driven out of the land. But since a treaty had been made with them, they felt that they had to honor that treaty. If they had violated an oath where they had invoked the name of God, it would desecrate God’s name. Other neighboring nations, not knowing that the treaty was engaged in a fraudulent manner, might conclude that both Israel and its God are deceitful.

The assembly of Israel was not very happy with what their leaders had done. But since they swore an oath to them by the Lord, they felt that they had to honor it. So, they let the Gibeonites live, but they made them servants. They were to do the tedious work of wood cutting and water gathering.

Joshua 9:18, “The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders.” Why were they unhappy? They may have felt cheated out of the plunder they could have obtained if they had gone to battle. Or, perhaps they were disappointed in their leadership’s handling of this whole situation.

When Joshua confronted the Gibeonites concerning the deception, they replied, Joshua 9:24-25, “We feared for our lives because of you and what is why we did this. We are now in your hands.”

The story ends with the Gibeonites hauling water and cutting wood for the community and for the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose. (Joshua 9:27)

Joshua honored the treaty, even though it was fraudulent because he feared the wrath of God if they broke the oath made in his name.

The Gibeonites survived, yet they served as slaves to the Israelites for generations to come. The land of Gibeon would later be given to the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 21:17).

There is no record of the Gibeonites ever becoming a snare to Israel, as was true in the case of other nations who were not driven out of the land. The Gibeonites lived peacefully with Israel for many years. In fact, Nehemiah suggests that they ultimately became fully assimilated into Israel. When rebuilding the wall surrounding Jerusalem, Neh. 3:7 says, “Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon.” And Neh. 7:25, lists a person of Gibeon who was among the exiles who returned to Jerusalem.

What we can take away from this story is: seek wise and wide counsel before major decisions are made; pray for guidance, and don’t accept what people tell you without doing your research.