Josué 9

Josué 9

Henry - The Israelites, having examined the provisions of the Gibeonites, hastily concluded that they confirmed their account. We make more haste than good speed, when we stay not to take God with us, and do not consult him by the word and prayer. The fraud was soon found out. A lying tongue is but for a moment. Had the oath been in itself unlawful, it would not have been binding; for no obligation can render it our duty to commit a sin. But it was not unlawful to spare the Canaanites who submitted, and left idolatry, desiring only that their lives might be spared. A citizen of Zion swears to his own hurt, and changes not, Psalm 15:4. Joshua and the princes, when they found that they had been deceived, did not apply to Eleazar the high priest to be freed from their engagement, much less did they pretend that no faith is to be kept with those to whom they had sworn. Let this convince us how we ought to keep our promises, and make good our bargains; and what conscience we ought to make of our words. David Holwick: Human wisdom has its limits. The Jews are suspicious. a) They suspect the Gibeonites might live nearby. Joshua 9:7 b) They ask for more details. Joshua 9:8 c) They check out the moldy provisions. Joshua 9:14 Our wisdom is superficial. a) We tend to look on outward appearances. b) Do you look at life that way? "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Prov 14:12 They should have sought God. Joshua 9:14 George Bush - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 9 14. And the men took of their victuals. Chal. ‘And the men assented to their words, and consulted not the oracle of God.’ By the ‘men’ are meant those who are elsewhere termed the princes of the congregation, v. 18, 19. They took the victuals into their hands not to eat of them, but to satisfy themselves of the truth of their statement. Some suppose the meaning to be that they ate together with the Gibeonites in token of friendship, as is still common in the East, but this is less likely, especially as the words may be rendered, ‘they received the men by reason of their victuals.’ And asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. That is, instead of asking as they ought to have done at the lips of the high priest, whose duty it was to inquire through the medium of the Urim and Thummim, Ex. 28:30; Num. 27:21; 1 Sam. 30:7, 8. It is by no means certain, if they had sought the Divine direction, that they would have been commanded to reject the suit of the Gibeonites and show them no mercy. The probability is, that upon any of the devoted nations voluntarily coming forward, professing repentance, renouncing idolatry, and embracing the true religion, the Israelites would have been authorized by God to spare their lives. See on ch. 11:19. But the circumstance is mentioned here as a severe reflection upon the princes of Israel for neglect of duty, for rashness, credulity, and impolicy. They rushed precipitately into an alliance which they had no right to form without the express sanction of Jehovah, and their ‘lips became a snare to their souls.’ In like manner how often do men now involve themselves in dangers and difficulties, and hedge up their own way with troubles, because they ask not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. They listen with a yielding ear to plausible representations, hurry forward in their chosen schemes, and enter heedlessly into doubtful connexions without weighing the consequences. But sooner or later we shall find that no business or interest truly prospers in which we engage without the counsel and approbation of Heaven, and with shame and sorrow shall seek to him to retrieve the evils which our rashness has procured. Let it then be engraven upon the tablets of our hearts, that no proposed course of conduct can be so clear to a Christian as to excuse him from the duty of seeking direction from above. Joshua 9:14-15 Moldy Bread They did not ask counsel of the Lord. So Joshua made peace with them. — Joshua 9:14-15 Today's Scripture: Joshua 9:1-16 Joshua had just won two astounding victories, destroying both Jericho and Ai through the power of the Lord. The Gibeonites knew they would be next, so in fear they resorted to trickery to save their lives. They put on old clothes, took moldy bread with them, and made their way to the camp of Israel. Joshua and the elders were completely taken in by the ruse. Without consulting the Lord, they entered into a covenant with the enemies of Israel whom God had told them to destroy. I see several spiritual lessons in this account. If we put human reasoning before divine guidance, walking by sight rather than by faith, we are sure to err! We should dread the “moldy bread” of Satan’s deceptive strategies much more than the “lion’s roar” of his frontal attacks. Even though we have met the more obvious assaults of the enemy with victories like those of Jericho and Ai, overconfidence can lead us into a trap. If we are governed by the authority of the Word and put our total dependence in the power of the Spirit, we will not be easily caught in Satan’s web. Leave no unguarded place, No weakness of the soul, Take every virtue, every grace, And fortify the whole. —Wesley To avoid sin's tragedy learn Satan's strategy. Related Resource: Why is a multitude of counselors valuable (Proverbs 15:22)? Joshua 9:15 Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them. made peace: Jos 2:12-19 6:22-25 11:19 De 20:10,11 2Sa 21:2 Jer 18:7,8 and the: 2Sa 21:2 Joshua 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 2 Corinthians 6:14+ Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? JOSHUA "SIGNS" A PEACE TREATY Joshua made peace with them - God did sanction this act in Dt 20:10-11+, but the stipulation (which Joshua missed) was that the nation had to be distant from the Israelites. Obviously God's reasoning was that distance would serve as a buffer between the practices of the pagans which otherwise would defile the Israelites if they were living nearby. The command regarding covenant with the pagans was clear “You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. (Ex 23:32+) And made (karath) a covenant (berit/berith/beriyth) with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them - Remember that in the ancient world they did not have notaries to notarize and authenticate agreements but had to rely on "cutting covenant." While the details are not stated, it is likely they cut an animal into two halves and the parties entering the covenant walked between the two pieces of the animal symbolizing that their fate would be the same as the animal should they fail to keep their part of the covenant. In short, cutting covenant was the most solemn and binding transaction one could carry out. Sadly Joshua is duped into this solemn arrangement. In this case the leaders of Israel "sealed" the deal with an oath to the Gibeonites. They could not renege for they believed such agreements were irreversible much like Isaac's agreement with Jacob which Isaac kept despite Esau's protests and Jacob's clear deceitfulness (Ge 27:34–37). THOUGHT - Leaders is a keyword in this section (6x in 4v - Josh 9:15 Josh 9:18 Josh 9:19 Josh 9:21). What is the clear lesson, when leaders do not pray, "look out" because very likely trouble is not far behind their prayerlessness! Woe! Utley “swore an oath to them” For the Israelites to swear an oath in YHWH’s name, even if under false pretenses, was a binding obligation (cf. vv. 19, 20; Gen. 25:27–34; 27:30–40; Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2; Deut. 23:21–23). Notice that Joshua’s covenant had to be ratified by the leaders of the congregation. Stephen Grant - On this occasion the agreement was entered into unwittingly, as a result of deception. It is a lesson to all believers to be on their guard, lest they be permanently weakened in their spiritual conflict with the devil, through a compromising agreement that cannot be undone. (What the Bible Teaches - Joshua Judges Ruth) ILLUSTRATION - After the rest of his team was killed in a fierce battle in Afghanistan, Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell was rescued and protected by a small group of Pashtun villagers in Afghanistan, who protected him until he could be brought to safety by friendly forces. Luttrell’s story is found both in his eyewitness account of the battle, Lone Survivor, and in a movie of the same name. Because of their choice to help Luttrell, the people of this village have been the target of reprisals by the Taliban. The villagers saved and protected Luttrell out of obedience to the ethnic-Pashtun tradition known as Pashtunwali, an ancient code that obliges Pashtuns to help and protect anyone in need, friend or enemy. They recognized the danger this decision would bring to their village, but they have never regretted their decision.9 Do we take our obligations and oaths as seriously? Are we living faithfully to the oaths we took on our wedding day? Are we living faithfully to the oaths with which we joined our church? Are we willing to lay our lives and possessions on the line in order to stand firm for our obligations and for the Lord? (Joshua Teach the Text Commentary) George Bush - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 9 15. Joshua made peace with them, &c. Agreed to receive them into a friendly connexion with the Israelites, and to respect their lives and property. It has been doubted by some whether the Israelites were bound by an oath that had been obtained from them by means of a gross imposition. But it is plain that they thought themselves solemnly bound by it, and were apprehensive that the wrath of God would fall upon them if they broke it. That they were right in this, and that their adherence to their oath was acceptable to God, is to be inferred, (1) From his expressing no displeasure at the time, and from the subsequent tenor of his dealings towards them, which was kind, and favorable, not implying rebuke, nor savoring of disapprobation. (2) From the fact that he long afterwards severely avenged the wrong done by Saul to the Gibeonites in violation of this treaty. Let us learn from this the binding nature of an oath. It lays a bond upon the soul from which we cannot be released. Even when an oath has been taken which it is unlawful to keep, still we are not to consider that it is a light matter to dispense with it, or that we stand in the sight of God just where we did before it was taken. We have in fact laid upon ourselves a load of obligation which he only can take off. It is he only who, in view of our unfeigned repentance for having taken it, can relieve the conscience of the awful burden which rests upon it. How much more then ought we to feel the force of those compacts and promises which are wholly lawful and right! How religiously and scrupulously should every promise be performed! Joshua 9:16 It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land. that they heard: Pr 12:19 Joshua 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries TOO LITTLE TOO LATE! It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard (shama‘) that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land - They heard, but it was as we often say "too little, too late!" The text does not say how Israel heard (shama‘) this shocking news that they were actually neighbors with the deceivers with whom they had entered into a binding covenant. THOUGHT - There are times we must live with our mistakes, accepting the fact that we cannot correct something we did wrong by making another wrong decision. Two wrongs never make a right! Rod Mattoon - Three days pass and the deception is discovered. Sooner or later our lies come out into the open. You can’t cover up or hide sin. The person who covers his sin will not prosper. God wants us to confess them, forsake them, and go forward. Joshua’s error was discovered in three days but he would have to live with his mistake for the rest of his life and also future generations of Israel. Their mistake drove them to prayer. The Gibeonites were a constant reminder to them of their failure to pray. Joshua does not make this mistake again. Israel still went forward. God is able to overrule our sin and turn our curses into blessings. This is what He did with Gibeon and Israel. (Treasures From Joshua ) Hubbard quips "The treaty is only three days old, and Israel learns that their new “foreign” partners are in fact Gibeonites, a people on the ḥerem (charam) hit-list" (Joshua NIV Application Commentary) Grant - It is ironic that the Gibeonites had come to the children of Israel because of what they had heard; it was now the turn of the children of Israel to approach the Gibeonites on the same basis. (What the Bible Teaches - Joshua Judges Ruth)