Joshua 9

It has been almost a month since I last blogged! Life has been busy, crazy, and wonderful. I went house hunting, am under contract, packing to move out of the apartment but have to wait a few weeks to close, school, and soon getting seriously ready for Haiti! I have missed Joshua and started reading it again a few days ago. I had finished reading through the New Testament and decided to jump back into Joshua as my daily reading as well as for the blog.

The Israelites have destroyed Ai and everyone around them is scared of them, with good reason. So these neighbors of theirs, the people of Gibeon, decide they don't want to be wiped out by the Israelites. They come up with this plan, obviously a good one, to pretend that they are from far away and have traveled along way to make a covenant with them. They dress in rags, get out wine skins, and dry, old bread and set out for the 3 day journey to Gilgal where the Israelites are camping.

They come to Joshua and tell them they are from far away and want to be their servants. He asks them how he can know they aren't neighbors. So he was suspicious of them. They go through their whole story of their old, worn out stuff and Joshua and the leaders believe them. Here's the kicker, they don't ask God about it! They make a covenant with them!

As it turns out they find out that they've been lied to and the men go up against Gibeon and Joshua has to stay true to his word and delivers them from the Israelites. He does say they must be servants, woodcutters and water carriers for them.

So what does the chapter mean for me? I guess the first thing is that satan will do anything to deceive me, even look harmless. He wants to derail me from the plans and promises of God. The Israelites are supposed to possess all the land, that's God plan and promise, but they make this decision that means they don't get all of it.

Also, Joshua was suspicious of them. I need to be aware of when the Holy Spirit is telling me something isn't right, something is deceptive. I need to listen! And even if I think it sounds okay I NEED to ask God. I need to ask and listen!

Making decisions, good or bad ones, have long term affects. In the next chapter the Israelites have to come to Gibeon's rescue.