2 “they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.
3 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. 5 They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.”
I have four daughters and all of them went to the same high school. The same time of the year in a certain class they would put on make up and mess their hair up like they had just been assaulted. Black eyes, bruises, and scraps, the make up make things look like they had just been beat up badly, but it was only make up. My oldest daughter, our first time going through this, got into the suburban and my wife had a small heart attack when she looked at her. Quickly, my daughter told her it was only make up. What do they do then? They send me a pic of her all bruised up. We still have those pics on our phones. What a crazy prank. I still don’t know why, maybe it was a class project?
After Joshua and the Israelites take Jericho and Ai, all the kings come together to wage war against the Israelites accept one, the Gibeonites. They dress up in raged clothes, worn out sandals, and bring moldy fruit and cracked wineskins all in a ruse to trick the Israelites. They tell Joshua they have come from far off and the journey was so long that the very clothes they were wearing and the food they were bringing was worn out and went bad. They ask for a treaty so the Israelites would not kill them. Satan will always mask sin and hide its end goal. Know your enemy and be watchful of his schemes.
Verse 14 tells us, “The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.” Joshua goes ahead and makes a treaty with them not to kill them and things are all good now. It is always a good idea to study the map if you are going to a place you have never been before. More than one time I found myself lost because I did study the map well enough and ended up on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere trying to find a drilling rig sticking up out of the trees. It always pays to study the map. The Israelites did not have google maps but they could have sent out someone ahead of them or the most important point, they could have inquired of the Lord. After all, He only created the earth and everything in it including you and me and He would be the best source but that day the Israelites chose not to consult with God and do things their way.
As it turns out, the Gibeonites are next door neighbors to Jericho and Gibeonites pulled a huge ruse and it worked. Now the Israelites would have to contend with an enemy, neighbors, that were originally suppose to be wiped out. Can I just say that sin in your life should be snuffed out. We should never comprise and keep sinning, we should run from sinful behavior all the time. Instead of going against the treaty, the Israelites make them water carriers and wood cutters. Carrying water and cutting wood is always better than pushing up daisies I guess. Jesus came to set us free from dealing with the sin in our lives. He died on the cross so that we don’t have to live burdened by sin but rather set free and live victorious.
Today, let us take a moment and learn from Joshua’s mistake. He did not inquire of the Lord when he should have. This mistake led to some comprises that God did not originally intend for His people to deal with. Remember free will? It is gift from God to show Him love but it can also be an avenue for poor discissions. We should always consult the Lord on things. The Bible tells us to pray always (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), in other words, talk to God about everything. If you read the Bible, you will find all kinds of direction for life, money, happiness, relationships, and so much more. So begin to read the Bible and get instruction from it, don’t just read it for the stories, let the stories and the Holy Spirit teach you about following Christ. Joshua had the law of Moses with him and the direct instructions from God and chose to not consult Him. Don’t make that same mistake.
Prayer: Father, the Bible tells us that you know number of hairs on our head and when we will go to heaven. You know it all and are interested in the small things in our lives as well. I pray that we consult you when are making decisions and ask for guidance and be ready to heed the Holy Spirit’s instructions when He gives it to us. In Jesus name, amen.
Let It Go 
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