The League With the Gibeonites

The League With the Gibeonites

By Keith D. Wallace

Text: Joshua 9

I. INTRODUCTION

A. History of battles to this point

1. Jericho

2. Ai and Beth-el

a. All were killed

(1) Josh 6:21, 24

(2) Josh 8:24-25, 28

b. Israel would not stop until all inhabitants of the land were destroyed

(1) God had told them this is how it would be Ex 23:23-24

3. After Ai and Beth-el the next stop would naturally be Gibeon

a. Only about 7 miles away and in the direct path Israel was already taking

4. God told Joshua in 1:2-4 that the whole of this land was Israel ’s

a. This would include Gibeon

b. When Israel would have arrived at Gibeon there is no doubt what would have happened

II. THE GIBEONITES’ PLAN

A. What were the Gibeonites thinking? Vs. 3, 9-10, 24

1. Three major cities had just been completely destroyed

2. They knew of how God had delivered Israel from Egypt

3. They knew that God had told Moses that the land would belong to Israel and all inhabitants thereof would be killed

a. This was common knowledge Josh 2:10-11

b. God said He would send His fear before them Ex 23:27

4. They KNEW they were facing certain death

B. What were their options?

1. Sit and wait for their utter destruction

2. Attempt a far-fetched and sure-to-fail plan to save themselves

C. What was the plan?

1. They wanted to deceive the Israelites into thinking they were from a far away land

2. They would try to cause Israel to make a league of peace with them

a. They knew of Israel ’s plans to destroy all who lived in Canaan

b. They knew that the Law of Moses and Israel ’s walk with God would prevent them from making such a league

(1) The reputation of God’s people preceded them

(2) There was a certain expectation for how God’s people would act

c. It was their only hope

D. The day the plan was set into motion

1. The men who would take this journey

a. Got up from bed

b. Packed their mouldy bread

c. Packed their old wine jars

d. Put on their old and torn clothing

e. Kissed their wives and children goodbye

f. Left home knowing that they were leaving on a suicide mission

(1) They KNEW that Israel would see through their lies

(2) They KNEW God would not allow Israel to make this league

(3) They KNEW that they would never see their families again

(4) They KNEW this was a one-way trip with their deaths at the end

(5) They KNEW how God’s people would respond in the face of this temptation

(6) But it was their only chance; so they went anyway

E. The Gibeonites’ big surprise

1. When the Gibeonites presented their offer to the Israelites they received the biggest surprise of their lives

2. The Gibeonites expected Israel to seek God’s counsel and then destroy them for their lies

a. But in vs. 14 we see Israel ’s mistake

b. Just imagine the shock in the minds of the Gibeonites when they heard Joshua make peace with them and vow to let them live

3. Imagine the doubt that crept into the minds of the Gibeonites

a. These are the people we have heard to much about?

b. These are the servants of the Great God who delivered this people from mighty Egypt ?

c. These are the people who marched around Jericho and the walls came down?

d. These are the people who destroyed Ai and Beth-el?

e. Is their God really all that powerful if He cannot even cause them to see through a lie?

4. The Gibeonites were not God’s people

a. They did not really understand about God’s people

b. They only knew of the reputation

c. They had certain expectations

d. When these expectations were not met the Gibeonites must have began to doubt the stories of the Almighty God of Israel

F. Application for Christians

1. There is an expectation in the world for how God’s people will act/react

a. When we don’t act/react in this manner then our testimony can be poor and God’s image can be hurt

(1) Are we not ambassadors for Christ?

2. People around you should know you are a Christian

a. When they do know this then they will expect certain behavior from you

(1) They will expect you to not…

(a) Tell dirty jokes

(b) Speak foul language

(d) Smoke or use other forms of tobacco

(e) Gossip

(2) They will expect you to not do the things that they do

(a) In other words, they will expect you to not act like a lost person

b. So how should we act?

(1) Gal 5:22-23, 25

(2) The Fruit of the Spirit is how we should behave

(a) If we let…

i. love

ii. joy

iii. peace

iv. longsuffering

v. gentleness

vi. goodness

vii. faith

viii. meekness

ix. temperance

(b) shine through in our lives then our testimony will match what the world expects

(3) D.L. Moody said, “We cannot all be ‘apostles’, but we ought to be ‘epistles’—love letters from Jesus to the world.”

(a) We are a walking testimony for God

(b) If we do not act the way a Christian—an ambassador for Christ—should act then we mar the testimony of God and Christ

(4) When we don’t walk how we should we not only hurt God’s image but our own testimony

(a) When you get bad service at a restaurant

i. Don’t pitch a fit and give the waiter a hard time

(b) When your boss dumps on you at work

i. Smile, nod, do what he says—don’t have to like it

i. Smile, nod and realize you’re in Texas

(d) When someone asks if you want to go see the new movie that you know to have questionable content

i. Explain that you would rather not—don’t be judgmental about it

(e) If I act like the world, how will I be able to witness to the lost about how my God can change lives?

(f) If there is no difference between me and the lost then what do I have that they need?

i. Does this mean I must lead a sinless life? No! But I must make every effort to live without sin and keep my testimony.

c. Don’t be like the Israelites—let the Gibeonites in your life get the response they should expect from a Christian

III. EVIL IS NEVER JUSTIFIED – Vs. 22-25

A. Earlier I mentioned that the Gibeonites had two choices of what to do—but there was actually a third option

1. They could have gone to Joshua seeking God’s mercy and become Jewish Proselytes

a. We have no reason to believe that God would have denied their plea for mercy had their hearts been pure in asking

b. God delivered Nineveh and they didn’t even ask

c. God delivered you and you used to be an enemy of God’s

2. But they chose to pursue evil means in order to reach a good end

a. Rom 3:1-8

b. Paul says that if God can get glory by us being sinful does that mean we should sin? And if He does get glory from us sinning, then why would He judge us for our sin?

(1) Does God get glory from sinners performing sin? Yes, by contrast. The worse you are the better God looks because of His sinlessness

(2) Does that mean that we should sin as much as possible to make God look good? Absolutely not! God gets more glory by us being OBEDIENT than DISOBEDIENT! We should never sin in trying to bring good regardless of what the good is.

c. In vs. 8 Paul said that he has been wrongly accused of teaching that we should do evil that good may come

(1) He would never teach such a thing

(2) God does not want any man to sin and He certainly doesn’t tempt or cause man to sin

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

B. Doing evil so that good may come is never justified

1. Peter denied the Lord three times

a. Why did he do this?

(1) Maybe he did it purely out of fear for his life

(2) Maybe his thoughts were that his life must be spared because he was an apostle of Jesus Christ and his life was needed

(3) Peter chose evil means to reach a good end

b. What should he have done?

(1) Peter should have stood for what was right

(2) When he was accused of having been with the Lord he should have confirmed this

(a) It is very unlikely that he would have been killed anyway

(b) The Jewish leaders were after Jesus at this time

(d) Regardless, Peter should have had faith in God to protect him

(e) But he chose evil, in lying and denying the Lord, to reach the good—his life being spared

C. Many people today lie to save themselves from God’s wrath like the Gibeonites did

1. Instead of coming to God and seeking His mercy they go about trying to convince God and His people that they’re something they’re not

a. Portraying themselves as good people--serving God through good works

b. They try to deceive God’s people and even God Himself, like the Gibeonites

c. But God cannot be deceived like the Israelites were

2. Some Christians will also lie to God

a. They try to present themselves as being faithful servants so that He will bless them

b. They try to present themselves as sanctified: good, clean, living a holy life, filled with the Spirit

(1) They even try to have the fruit of the spirit

(2) You can fake some of the fruit of the spirit but you can’t fake all

c. Some are really good at this—they may fool many people—but they’re not fooling God

(1) Just like the Gibeonites were able to fool Israel but not God

IV. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON’T SEEK GOD’S GUIDANCE? – Vs. 12-14

A. Gibeonites showed up with what looked like evidence from a long journey

1. Mouldy bread

2. Old bottles of wine

3. Old garments and shoes

B. Israel looked on these physical things and took them at face value

1. It was not wrong for them to look at the evidence

a. We can look at circumstances surrounding our choices

2. Even considering the evidence was not wrong

a. We can also consider circumstances

3. Not seeking God’s counsel is where the mistake was made

a. We MUST seek God’s counsel

b. When Jesus was praying in the Garden He looked at His circumstances but still prayed for God’s Will to be done

C. Joshua 1:7

1. Ex 23:32-33

2. God’s word was clear that Joshua was not to make a covenant or to have peace with anyone in the land

3. Joshua should have known that he needed to verify the Gibeonites’ story with God

D. What keeps a man like Joshua from seeking God’s counsel?

1. I know what kind of man I am

a. I have learned many times what can come from not seeking God’s counsel

b. I know exactly what has kept me from doing so—my PRIDE

2. Pride is what keeps a man from seeking God’s counsel

a. Joshua looked at the situation and made his own decision

(1) He had just come off of several large miracles and may have been getting a bit of an ego from the situation and it caught up to him here

A minister, a Boy Scout, and a computer expert were the only passengers on a small plane. The pilot came back to the cabin and said that the plane was going down but there were only three parachutes and four people. The pilot added, “I should have one of the parachutes because I have a wife and three small children.” So he took one and jumped.

The computer whiz said, “I should have one of the parachutes because I am the smartest man in the world and everyone needs me.” So he took one and jumped.

The minister turned to the Boy Scout and with a sad smile said, “You are young and I have lived a rich life, so you take the remaining parachute, and I’ll go down with the plane.”

The Boy Scout said, “Relax, Preacher, the smartest man in the world just picked up my knapsack and jumped out!”

(2) Pride will get you into a heap of trouble! Especially when it keeps you from seeking God’s counsel

Pr 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Pr 29:23 A man's pride shall bring him low…

3. Always seek God’s counsel

a. He always knows exactly what we need to do

b. We see only in part but God sees the whole

(1) Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

(2) Ps 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

(3) Linguist retraining example

4. It wasn’t long before the truth came out about the Gibeonites

a. Joshua realized his error

b. It usually doesn’t take long to figure out when you have chosen the wrong path because you didn’t take God’s path

(1) Sometimes the consequences are minor and sometimes they are severe

5. Always seek God’s counsel in your life when faced with a decision

a. Big decisions

(1) Taking a new job and moving away from your home church

(2) Buying a home or a car

(3) Having children

(4) Getting married

b. Little decisions

(1) Taking a vacation

(2) Buying a new suit

c. God will never steer you out of His will

V. CONCLUSION

A. The Gibeonites have provided us with a great deal of lessons

1. We certainly have not exhausted this chapter

2. But the main points here can be summed up as such:

a. Christians MUST act like Christians

b. We must NEVER do evil even when we perceive that it will bring good

c. We must ALWAYS seek God’s counsel