Preserving unity

 Christ in all the scriptures

Avoiding disunity   Joshua 22

Joshua prefigures Jesus Christ as the victorious leader of his people.  The name means "Jehovah is Saviour", and Jesus means "Jehovah Saviour".  There are contrasts and comparisons and this is how we can enjoy these Old Testament chapters.  Joshua 22-24 represent his farewell to the nation, following the conquest of the land.  They prefigure, specifically, Jesus' farewell teachings in the upper room (John 13-17), and in the days after His resurrection until He ascended back to heaven (as recorded in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 21, and Acts1v1-8).  Joshua led Israel to a notable victory over the Canaanites; it was not perfect, but it was decisive.  Jesus contested the powers of evil in totality, paving the way for ultimate destruction of Satan, and establishment of the kingdom of God.  In typology, the perfections of Jesus stand always in contrast to the imperfections of men.  The instructions in these chapters are a preview of Jesus' farewell words to His chosen apostles, and through them to us.

The chapter is in three parts: Commendation (v1-8); Confusion (v9-20); Commitment (v21-34).  All this brings us to one of the major issues of Christianity in the present day.  This is how Israel, in the aftermath of a great victory, avoided disastrous division.

Commendation  Joshua 22v1-8    Two and a half tribes of the twelve chose to settle on the east of Jordan, which was, technically, outside the borders of the land.  They were the tribes of Reuben, of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.  Moses, the servant of the Lord, accepted this, and the Lord did not forbid.  There are, within human societies, always those who want to do things differently, but  no issue was made of it.  The ultimate possession of Israel will be of the whole world (according to biblical revelation) so the matter was settled.  Moses, however set one condition, the the tribes on the east of Jordan would provide military assistance to all or any of the tribes on the west, when necessary,  This they did, faithfully, and the section opens with Joshua's tribute to their loyalty.  It is thought the period of assistance lasted about 7-10 years.

"Ye have kept all that Moses, the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.  Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God"-Joshua 22v2-3.

This is reminiscent of Jesus commandments to His apostles and to all of us:

Matthew 28v18-20  "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and upon earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples) of all nations...teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you...".

John 13v34  "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another".

John 14v15  "If ye love me keep my commandments".

Acts 1v1-2  "...all that Jesus began to do and to teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen".

It is noteworthy that the charge give to Moses and Joshua was described in Joshua 22 as "the charge of the Lord God".  It is to gifted and commissioned men that God has spoken His mind.  The tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, had obeyed the charge.  We will be told at the judgment seat if we have been faithful.  The apostles of Christ were very aware of a charge given to them, and they appeal to us to conform-refer 1stTimothy 1v18; 6v13-14; 6v20; 2nd Timothy 1v13-14; 4v1-2.  Paul, himself could say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith"-2nd Timothy 4v7.  What will it be for us? Will our Lord commend us for our obedience to His charge?  It was said of the Thessalonian believers that "...when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God".  When men, today, expound the holy scriptures, faithfully, and accurately, it is God who is speaking, not mere men.

They were well rewarded for their service, as it says in Joshua 22v8, "Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoils of your enemies with your brethren".

Joshua sent them home with a blessing.  He charged them to love the Lord their God, and to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cleave unto Him, and to serve Him with all their heart and with all their soul-22v5-6.  This is a reminder that all who serve the Lord will be well rewarded, as Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children and lands with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life"-Mark 10v29-30.  

 

Possessing the land

 Christ in all the scriptures

The practicalities of a privileged inheritance  Joshua 13-21

God has emancipated His people, He has also enriched them, and wants us to enjoy His blessings by "possessing the land".  It is one thing for us to have possessions, it is quite another to make the best of them, and this is the burden of the book of Joshua and the epistle to the Ephesians in the New Testament.

In Ephesians 1-3 it is about what we know of the inheritance we have been given- 

"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will"-1v11; "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye might know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power"=1v18-19; "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge" 3v17-19.

In Ephesians 4-6 it is about what we should do in light of such knowlege-

"Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye have been called"-4v1;  "Walk not as other Gentiles in the vanity of their mind"-4v17;  "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us..."-5v1;  "Walk as children of light"-5v8;  "Walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise"-5v15.

We should note that in the book of Joshua, possession of the land was defined as "Every place the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you...Joshua 1v3; see also Deuteronomy 11v24 and Joshua 14v9.  We do not possess it until we have walked on it.  Profession and possession are two different things.  Knowledge of Divine truth becomes powerful when we are living in the reality of it.  It is one thing to be enlightened by the truth (chapter 1), it is another to be empowered in it (chapter 3)

In Joshua 13-21 we find principles of godly living which are helpful in the life of faith.

1)  The infirmity of old age is no excuse to cease from Divine service   In chapter 13 Joshua was "old and stricken in years" yet the Lord reminded him there was still much to be done.  There is no concept of retirement in Divine service.  It is likely that at this point Joshua was almost 100 years old.  He died at 110, and he was serving God until his death.  We note in the next chapter Caleb, his friend, at the age of 85 took a mountain full of giants to possess it for himself and his family after him.  His famous words echo through the centuries, "Give me this mountain!"-Joshua 14v12.  This calls on all aged people to serve the Lord in their latter years.  There's always more can be done.

2)   All the tribes of Israel were given inheritance of the land for the service of God   Each tribe is named with the allocation of land as a permanent gift from the Lord.  In the same way believers in the New Testament are each given gifts, as stated in Ephesians 4v7, "Unto every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ."  In the same chapter he lists leadership gifts as apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor teachers.  In Romans 12 v4-8 he says, "Having then gifts differing according to the the grace that is given to us...".  He goes on to define examples of gifts to each of us as, "prophecy, ministry (service), teaching; exhortation, giving, ruling and shewing mercy".  In 1st Corinthians 14 focus is on the more spectacular gifts such as the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, discerning of spirits, kinds of tongues. interpretation of tongues.  These were more in evidence in the early church, and appear to have subsided with time as the church grew to maturity.  Nevertheless, all these were Divine manifestations and were used of God to establish credibility in the world.  Different gifts on a wide range of service to be used for the glory of God and the benefit of all. 

3) Balaam, the son of Beor, the soothsayer, was slain by them in the conquest   Joshua 13v22.  This is a reminder of the need to root out false doctrine.  Indeed this is a warning in the New Testament of the danger of the corruption of doctrine which can rob God's people of blessing-refer 2nd Peter 2v15-16; Jude v11; Revelation 2v14.  These scriptures reveal the way of Balaam, the error of Balaam, and more seriously, the doctrine of Balaam.  He used the people of God to make merchandise of them through false teaching.  How many are doing the same today?  We must be watchful and where possible root it out.  The doctrine of Balaam was essentially that God is so gracious it is all right to continue in sin that grace might abound, a teaching that was prevalent in the early church.  It is also prevalent today, if not in actual teaching, it is rife in practice with leading men turning a blind eye to sin in their midst.  It seems in many places we are more concerned with our reputation and thus diminishing the reputation of our God in the eyes of the world.  Paul's answer to this pernicious doctrine was "GOD FORBID"-Romans 6v2.  Peter wrote, "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness..."-1st Peter 2v24.  Jude said it was "...turning the grace of God into lasciviousness (licence to sin)-Jude v4.  The men of Israel slew Balaam, and, spiritually speaking we need to do the same, or we incur the judgment of God as Israel did.

4) Sometimes serious mistakes we make have permanent consequences   This was true of the Levites, the sons of Levi.  He was involved in that severe act of vengeance against the men of Shechem in Genesis 34.  Simeon and Levi avenged the rape of their sister Dinah, by slaying the sons of Shechem.  Simeon disappeared as a tribe in Israel, while the Levites recovered by sterling loyalty to the Lord at the time of the golden calf.  The Levites were restored to service but they were denied an inheritance of the land (Joshua 13v33;14v3; 18v7).  However, because of their continued loyalty they were given possession of 48 cities (described in Numbers 35v1-8 and fulfilled in Joshua 21) across the whole land and sovereignty over the 6 cities of refuge.  Their service was of a priestly nature and they served in a supporting role in the administration of the temple and in teaching of the law.  In spiritual life there is recovery and blessed compensation from the Lord.  They were fully supported from the temple contributions.

5) There are always outstanding servants like Caleb the son of Jephunneh   He was commissioned by Moses to spy the land at the age of 40 (Joshua 14v7) and at 85 and beyond he was doing exploits for God (Joshua 14v10 and 15v13-15).  No matter how loyal we are to the Lord we always read of outstanding examples greater.  What was his secret that enabled him to consistently achieve so much over approx. 50 years?  It is stated of him "He wholly followed the Lord"-refer Numbers 14v24; 32v11-12; Deuteronomy 1v36; Joshua v14v8-9 and 14v14.  I picked up from an anonymous source the following, "Caleb is repeatedly highlighted in scripture as a model of unwavering, lifelong, whole hearted devotion to God".  Such an example as makes us assess our own efforts.  Not only did he live for God, he inspired generations to do the same.  It is fitting that he inherited Hebron, a city which means "fellowship", and nothing describes his life any better. 

Distribution of the land

 Christ in all the scriptures

Inheritance   Joshua 13-21

Following the subjugation of the land, the tribes of Israel were given possession of their inheritance.  The word inheritance occurs over 50 times in these chapters, and is the prevalent issue throughout.  It is interesting that this word is used to describe Israel's right to the land.  This is not the spoils of war, nor is it "stolen land", as some uninformed prominent people today have said.  It is their inheritance, they have an inherent right to call it theirs.  It is their land by inherent right and will remain so for ever by Divine decree.

"Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh..."-Joshua 13v7.

The other two tribes (Reuben and Gad, plus the half tribe of Manasseh) had already settled in the east of Jordan, preferring to reside there because of the rich pasture land.  This arrangement Moses accepted, and God, graciously allowed it, but it did bring challenges in their future.

Inheritance is patrimony, the passing of possessions to rightful heirs by reason of birth.  The biblical perspective is that all lands belong to the Lord, as it says in many portions "The land is mine", and He distributes it as He will-refer Leviticus 25v23; Psalm 24v1, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof".  He had allocated this land to Israel many centuries before and now it was theirs by right (Genesis 15v18, "Unto thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river Euphrates; also Genesis 50v24").  Now it was theirs by divine covenant, it was not earned or fought for, it was given as a divine gift to a chosen people  This land, given to Israel over 3500 years ago, is described in Ezekiel as "the glory of all lands"-refer Ezekiel 20v6 and v15.  God gave to His chosen people the best real estate on earth.  It is known as "The Fertile Crescent", and the bible calls it "A good land and a large, a land flowing with milk and honey"-Exodus 3v8 and others.  Those who oppose this are on the wrong side of truth, and all efforts to the contrary are doomed to failure.

Paul speaks of the inheritance of the saints in the letter to Ephesians.  That beautiful epistle answers to the book of Joshua in the Old Testament.  The epistle could be considered as follows; The land is before you (Ephesians 1-3); Go in and possess it (Ephesians 4-6).

Ephesians 1v11-14, "In whom also (Christ) we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will...in whom also after that ye believed (literally at the point of believing), ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory".

Each tribe of Israel was given an inheritance with delineated borders.  God emancipates His people, He also enriches them.  What is true for Israel is also the blessing of the Church.  Language like, "Heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ"-Romans 8v17-, reveal what riches are ours both now and in the future.  "Blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ" is stated in Ephesians 1v3.  Together we share "the unsearchable riches of Christ".  In Ephesians 1v14, Paul says the Holy Spirit within us, which came to us at the point of new birth, is a down payment of an inheritance reserved for us.  Peter describes this inheritance as "incorruptible, and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you..."-1st Peter 1v4.  The commentators have all had their say on what this means, and it is a treasure the world does not have and cannot give.  We should be revelling in this: the three Greek words to describe it are: Aphthartos for incorruptible; Amiantos for undefiled; Amarantos for not fading away.  This is truly awesome!.  In essence Aphthartos means unable to be harmed by hostile forces; Amiantos means untarnished by sin and defilement; Amarantos means does not lose its beauty or appeal.  It is everything in contrast to the benefits of this world.  It is untouchable, untarnishable and unchangeable.

The inheritance we now have, by reason of new birth in Christ, is vastly superior to anything in this world.  We have it as a gift, and it is ours to enjoy in the present and in the future.  The question is, what will we do with it, how will we respond to such grace from above? There are forces around and within that would rob us now of this blessing.  Next we shall consider from the chapters lessons from the past to possess what is rightfully ours.

33 kings

 Christ in all the scriptures

Total victory    Joshua chapter 12

The conquest of Canaan was complete, and this chapter summarises the kings of the land who were exterminated on both sides of the Jordan.  There were 33 in all, two in the east and 31 in the west of Jordan.  It is thought this took approximately 7 years. It was a remarkable achievement indeed against armies much stronger than they.  No doubt it points to the great spiritual victories of Christ against sin and Satan on the cross, and the re-possession of earth during the seven year period yet future.  Joshua succeeded because the Lord was with him.  This is a reminder that God is a "man of war", as in the song of victory in Exodus 15v3.  Other scriptures reveal that God will fight for His honour, and for His people.  He is the Lord of hosts who commands great armies in heaven and earth, and who will prevail in every situation-refer Deuteronomy 32v41-43; Psalm 7v11-13; Isaiah 42v13-14.  

The biblical perspective is that this is Satan's world, by deception in Eden, and controlled by him in the most part, with restraining forces from above preventing global disaster.  Referring to the kingdoms of this world, and the glory of them, he said to Christ in the temptation, "That is delivered to me, and to whomsoever I will I give it", and Christ did not rebuke him-Luke 4v6.  Jesus described him as "the Prince of this world"...refer John12v31;14v20;16v11.  Paul described him as "the God of this world, who has blinded the minds of them that believe not"-2nd Corinthians 4v4; and the "Prince of the power of the air" who designs the trends of the world to control the thoughts and practices of the ungodly. It was Satan who created Canaanite idolatry and immorality.  The fight against evil found its climax in the crucifixion of Christ.  The number 33 is significant, for Jesus was 33 years old when He battled the forces of evil at Calvary.  We are all born with 33 vertebrae in our backs, which suggests strength, stability and completion, all of which could describe the issues of the death of Christ.  There are some who suggest that the Hebrew scriptures have 33 separate words for sin.  Certainly DR. Lewis Schafer, in his book on systematic theology, points out 33 riches of grace bestowed on the believer through the death of Christ.  The New Testament is explicit concerning the mission of Jesus.  "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil"-1st John 3v8.  He took part in flesh and blood (He became a man), that "through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage"-Hebrews 2v14-15.  Paul wrote in Colossians 2v15, that on the cross, Christ "spoiled principalities and powers, making a shew of them openly, and triumphing over them in it".  The victory of the battles of Moses and Joshua was a miniature of the greatest battle ever fought and the greatest victory won.  The evidence is stated in His ascension back to glory..."God raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenlies, far above every principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but in that which is to come: and has put all things under His feet..."-Ephesians 1v20-22.  What is that but total victory??  The universe awaits the formality of Christ's return in total dominion.  He says the same in Ephesians 4v8, "Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE! and gave gifts unto men".   The demon hosts that rule this world in evil, are defeated, and Christ will come to take His place.  Upon His ascension to the throne He gave His people gifts, the inheritance for every believer.  This is the subject matter that spans Joshua chapters 13-21, and we will look at the spiritual teaching there in days to come.  We have those gifts in part now, there is much more to come. 

Moses and Joshua deposed 33 kings.  Since then there have been thousands of kings and lords.  There is only one King of kings and Lord of lords, and, soon "the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever-"-Revelation 11v15.

Be strong and of a good courage

 Christ in all the scriptures

The land rested from war   Joshua 11v1-23

It is a sad fact of human history, that, from beginning to end of our existence there will always be war.  In the bible, conflict occurs as early as Genesis chapter 4, and continues to Revelation chapter 19 (a time yet future), when the battle to end all battles will take place.  We are not at peace with each other, for we are not at peace with God, and, until we are in harmony with God it will always be so.  It is interesting to note in Isaiah 9v1-7, that God's answer to all battles was a newborn baby, who will become the Prince of peace, and rule over a world of perfect and timeless justice.  What appears to be impossible to us, will be performed by the zeal of the Lord of hosts.

This narrative of Joshua's conflict and victory in Canaan, depicts, in miniature, the awesome victory of our heavenly Joshua (our Lord Jesus Christ-Joshua means Jehovah Saviour) when He brings peace and harmony to the world.  What was a local rest from war in the land of Israel, will be a universal peace that will last forever by the sovereign power of God.  Until then, there will be conflict, as Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace but a sword"-Matthew 10v34.  Until He comes again, wars will persist at all levels.  Only when God in the Highest is glorified, will there be peace on earth, and good will to men-Luke 2v14.  What is the ambition of everyone...that is a world living in harmony...will only be realised when the Prince of peace rules.  As Joshua did in Israel, so Jesus will do in the whole world.  There is coming a time when Jesus will bring global peace on earth for 1000 years...  It is written in Isaiah 2v2-4, 

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it...out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  And He shall judge among the nations and rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more".

The instruments of war will become the implements of food production; there will be no more conflicts of nations; the population will not train for war, since there will be none. This utopian period of peace will only be temporarily broken by one final rebellion, but it will be swiftly put down.  God has planned a universal and eternal harmony, as it is written-Ephesians 1v9/10

"...the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him".

This poor war torn world, ravaged by sin and lawlessness, by the grace and mercy of God, is destined for a time of peace and prosperity unimagined by the most ambitious minds.  And for those of mankind who are reconciled to God by marvellous grace, this state will continue forever.

In the meantime there will be conflict, and it will take many forms-- ideological, cultural, political, racial, doctrinal.  We are asked as Christians to stand firm for Divine truth, to expound it, to exemplify it, in the face of opposition.  Paul said that "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds"-2nd Corinthians 10v4,  Unlike Joshua we don't take up arms to fight a physical battle, but we do oppose the falsehoods, especially those which have become strongholds.  Their character is defined in the next verse, ""Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God..."-v5.  Human opinions and doctrines of men are against God, and they are to be exposed and opposed.  Their existence reveals a pride in human thoughts that exalts itself as a higher authority than God.  The way to oppose this is by obedience to Christ.  If a doctrine or practice is contrary to the teachings of Christ, they must be "cast down", that is diminished or even destroyed.  God forbid we condone strongholds of error.

A reading of Joshua chapter 11 reveals that the success of Israel on the battlefield was not due to their military prowess alone, but in their humble obedience to the Lord.

Joshua 11v9  "And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him"; 11v12, "...and he utterly destroyed them, as the Lord commanded Moses"; 11v15, "As the Lord commanded His servant Moses, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua ; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses; 11v20, no favour to the Canaanites as the Lord commanded Moses; 11v23, "So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses".  Simple obedience to the word of the Lord was the secret of success, and it is the same for us in our time.  It takes courage to stand for God in this world, and so we find sprinkled throughout the book encouragements to be bold.

Joshua 1v6, "Be strong and of a good courage"; 1v7, "Only be thou strong and very courageous"; the same in 1v9 and 1v18.  Also Joshua to his men, "Fear not, nor be dismayed; be strong and of a good courage".  11v6, "The Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver them all slain before Israel".  

 

The sun stood still upon Gibeon

 Christ in all the scriptures

The Sovereign omnipotence of God   Joshua chapter 10

News travels fast, especially in a conflict situation.  The Canaanite kings were alarmed at the capitulation of the Gibeonites to Israel, and conspired and made ready to attack their city. .  Israel were galvanized to defend them, and this led to a swift confrontation with the multiple kings of the Canaanites.  There is no doubt events were being manipulated from above.  The coalition of kingdoms comprised the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.  They encamped against Gibeon and declared war on their erstwhile countrymen.  Israel rushed to their defence, travelling through the night to surprise them, before routing them.

"The Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah"-Joshua 10v10.     More....

"And it came to pass as they fled from before Israel...that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them, and they died: and there were more that died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword"-Joshua 10v11.

Then came an astonishing miracle, which should cause all to take notice.  God stayed the sun upon Gibeon for almost a whole day until the Canaanite armies were annihilated.  Let us ponder this for a moment, in awe of the God in whom we trust.  He manipulated events on earth; He caused to gather at Gibeon the might of Canaan; He enabled Israel to rout them in battle: He rained rocks from heaven to prevent their escape; He stayed the sun in the sky when the darkness would have hampered them, and finished off the armies.  Even the sun, which is 109 times the diameter of the earth, and could hold a million earths within it, responds exactly to the call of God our creator.  Those whom God receives into His congregation, He keeps safe from all harm, and He fights their cause.  The Gibeonites who joined Israel were preserved.  He moved earth and heaven to secure victory.  This amazing story had repercussions centuries into the future.

There is no indication in scripture that the Gibeonites ever betrayed Israel's trust in them.  They remained humble servants within the nation.

1) They became one of the cities of the tribe of Benjamin   Joshua 18v20-25.

2) They became one of the 48 Levitical cities within the nation, for the support of the Levites in the settlement of the land  Joshua 21v17.

3) Some 400 years later, king Saul attempted to destroy the Gibeonites, to correct what he perceived was an historical error on the part of Joshua.  This was halted by a famine which lasted 3 years, during which time Saul was slain in battle.  David sought to put right this violation of a Dine covenant by enacting the wishes of Gibeon to slay seven sons of Saul in reparation.  David consulted the Lord on the matter (unlike what Joshua and company did in Joshua 9).  The famine was immediately stopped, and the Gibeonites were preserved....2nd Samuel 21).  What God ratifies in covenant cannot be broken.

4) It was at Gibeon the tabernacle of Moses with its altar of burnt offering was kept for a while, and Solomon offered1000 burnt offerings in worship to the Lord  1st Kings 3v4/5 and 1st Chronicles 21v29  It was there Solomon received the charge to build the temple.  The Gibeonites became assistants in the Levitical worship.

5) The men of Gibeon were involved in the rebuilding of the old gate of the city of Jerusalem, following the return from exile  Nehemiah 3v6/7.  

The lessons from this historical narrative are important.  God honours His covenants, integrity is paramount.  In mercy He allowed the Gibeonites to become part of Israel, upon whom they had no claim.  Those He accepts (and consider that we Gentiles had no claim on the mercy of God) He protects and blesses.  A people under the curse of God, by the grace and power of Almighty God, are grafted into the congregation of the Lord's people.  

How marvellous are the ways of God!  The people of Gibeon humbled themselves and devoted themselves to the service of the Lord.  Idolators became humble worshippers and servants to the living God.  It is an unalterable principle with God...

"Whosoever exalts himself shall be abased; he that humbleth himself shall be exalted!" Luke 14v11 and 18v14.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the outstanding example of this, as Philippians chapter 2v6-11 reveals.  James, the apostle writes in James 4v10 "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up".  Peter says to his readers and to us, "Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time".  Paul warns all Gentile believers in Romans 11v20, "Be not high minded, but fear!"  In these days marked by considerable spiritual arrogance, we do well to heed these words.  

From deception to devotion-the story of the Gibeonites

 Christ in all the scriptures

The intriguing story of the Gibeonites   Joshua 9-10

This unusual narrative reveals so much of the character of God in terms of His sovereign power and amazing grace.  It is a story of how God, in sovereign mercy, turned a tragic situation into an abiding union that stood the test of time, despite the failures of men..  It is a story that began with deception and ended in devotion.  As such it mirrors the situation of the whole of humanity.  Picture the scene:

Fear gripped the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, following the destruction of Jericho and Ai.  The response of the nations within the land was to arm and be ready to unite against Israel.  One group of the Hivites from Gibeon had other thoughts, assessing that they could not survive the onslaught.  Somehow they had knowledge of God's command to Israel in Deuteronomy 20v10-18, that in a time of conquest, they were to offer peace terms to distant cities, but there was to be no such offered to the Canaanites, who were to be destroyed without mercy.  The men of Gibeon approached Israel with deceit, pretending to be travellers from a far country, while also bearing the marks of an arduous journey.  They attempted to appease Israel by fraud and offered to serve them faithfully.  In fact they were near neighbours, being only 25 miles from the camp of Israel.  While all the other people were arming for battle, they sought refuge by stealth.

This is a sharp reminder that in the life of faith, when the enemy fails in open conflict, he will use wiles to infiltrate and undermine the purposes of God.  Satan appears as a roaring lion (the adversary), and as a lying serpent (the deceiver).  There are many examples of this throughout scripture and we are encouraged to be aware of his devices.  In this case the deceit did not compromise Israel, but on many other occasions the enemy has succeeded.

We must not think of the Gibeonites as an insignificant people, living in poverty; chapter 10v2 informs us that Gibeon was "...a great city, as one of the royal cities...greater than Ai, and all the men were mighty".   Their capitulation to Israel was noted as far as Jerusalem and instilled fear in the Canaanites as a whole.

They lied about where they were from; they disguised their true state; they demanded peace terms with Israel when they knew they were under no obligation to do so.  This was a real test for Israel's leaders.  They were under orders to annihilate all Canaanites, and here were a people claiming to be from a distance, seeking refuge among them.  Israel's leaders failed the test, for they acted without seeking the mind of the Lord.  In public life, in this world, there will always come unexpected challenges for which there is no easy answer.  

It says in Joshua 9v14/15 "...the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.  And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league (covenant) with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware (made an oath) unto them".

Decisions made by sight and not by faith are generally the wrong ones with consequences.  However, in this case, the Lord overlooked it and did not chide Joshua as He will use this situation to ultimate benefit for Israel (see next blog).

Finally, realising he had been deceived by the enemy, Joshua kept to his word, and gave refuge to the Gibeonites on the condition that they became servants (hewers of wood and drawers of water) in the congregation of Israel for ever.  Next time we shall see how this worked out in the long term.  Meanwhile we can tabulate the lessons from this for us today.

1)  God is merciful, even to the worst of people, even when they practice deceit.

2)  God's people need to seek the counsel of the Lord in all situations.

3)  God is greater than our failures.  He will turn dangerous situations to ultimate good.

4)  Vows made in the name of the Lord must be honoured; in the life of faith our word is our bond.

5)  The Gibeonites became the most humble and loyal people in the congregation of Israel.  God changed an idolatrous people into devoted worshippers, a proud people into humble servants.

6)  The sun, whose daily course is unstoppable, stood still upon Gibeon for almost a whole day until all their enemies were gone He moved heaven and earth to protect them.

7) "IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?"

8)  The question is are we with Him?