Three days after
they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were
neighbors, living near them (Joshua
9:16).
Here is the story of
the Gibeonite deception. The Israelites, under Joshua’s leadership, were taking
Canaan city by city. Whether it was primarily a military conquest, a simple
process of assimilating into Canaanite culture, or a mixture of the two is
debated by Old Testament scholars. Nevertheless, knowing it was just a matter
of time before their number came up, and in order to spare their own lives, the
Gibeonites dressed in old clothes and disguised their belongings to make them
appear as if they had traveled a long distance. They came before Joshua,
misrepresented themselves, and negotiated a peace treaty with Israel.
Had Joshua known
they were Canaanites, he would have been compelled to destroy them. Only after
he covenanted with them to spare their lives did he find out they had deceived
him and were really neighbors. When Joshua learned the truth, it was too late. He
had given his word and refused to go back on it, but he did press the people of
Gibeon into forced servitude, in which they would perform menial and difficult
labor.
From Joshua and the
Gibeonites we learn two valuable lessons: First, another’s deception does not
legitimize dishonorable behavior on our part. Second, it’s never a good idea to
sign a contract without reading the fine print.
TODAY’S MEDITATION
Do you have an important
decision coming up? Ask God’s help in performing your due diligence. Consider
the facts as God reveals them to you.
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