Handling Subtle Attacks from our Enemies and Handling the Consequences
Text Joshua 9 Time 02 08 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)
In Joshua 9 we come to what is known as the Gibeonite deception - not a battle this time but certainly a further episode in Israel's conquering of the land. What happens here is that one group of Canaanites, namely the people of the city of Gibeon, come up with a ruse to trick the Israelites into making a treaty with them. Because the Israelites fail to enquire of the Lord they are fooled and so have to live with the consequences of their mistake.
The lesson for us today as we seek to live lives of devotion to the Lord is an obvious one. We too are liable to deception. Our enemies do not fight fairly and if we are not very careful we will find that we are put in a difficult position and we will live with the consequences, perhaps for the rest of our lives. It may have implications indeed for generations to come.
Three things then this evening
1. Watch out for attacks especially those of a more subtle kind
Joshua 9 opens with these words Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things - the kings in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites) - they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.
The Israelites had already defeated Jericho, Ai and other cities but now they face opposition of a different kind.
Firstly, their enemies decide that they can oppose Israel better if they unite. And so an alliance is formed by Hittite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite and Jebusite forces. Such an amalgamation was a greater threat than if Israel was allowed simply to pick each tribe off one by one.
It is worth remembering that if our enemies should ever amalgamate we would find it much more difficult than we do. As it is, we face a very divided opposition. Those who oppose us are not all atheists - there are Muslims and Jews and Hindus and Roman Catholics and liberals and cults for that matter. Even groups like the Muslims are hopelessly divided among themselves. There are Sunnis and Shiahs, as we know, but also Kharijites and Ismailites and Alawites and Sufis and Druze and Nation of Islam and the Ahmadiyya movement and so on.
But then there are the Gibeonites. Their plan is not about unity but about subtlety. Their approach is all about deceit, using false evidence and speaking false words. It is a common enough approach.
1. Watch for the use of false evidence
We read in verses 3-5 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, instead of joining the alliance they resorted to a ruse: This is what they did They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and mouldy. It sounds like a strange thing to do but the plan was to present themselves in such a way that they gave the impression that Gibeon was a lot further away than it was. It was in fact only six miles north west of Jerusalem.
We need to watch out for false evidence. Sometimes our enemies will try and fool us with false evidence - things that are not really true.
2. Watch for the speaking of false words
Of course, the mere items were not enough. There were false words too. Verses 6-8 Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us." The Israelites said to the Hivites, "But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?" "We are your servants," they said to Joshua. They then showed the apparent evidence to back up their story about being from far away.
The lesson then is not to take all evidence at face value and not ot believe everything that people say at face value. Often the evidence is false and often people tell lies. Be ready for such antics.
3. Avoid a superficial examination that misses things
Joshua did ask "Who are you and where do you come from?" but on reflection it was rather superficial approach that he took. He was undone by their flattery and their lies.
1 Flattery 9-11 First they say Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan - Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with us."'
You see how they are buttering Joshua up. They are saying the very things he would want to hear. There is also no mention of Jericho and Ai. They deliberately miss out the thing that had led to them coming to Joshua as they did. Watch out for omissions.
From time to time I have been conned by men asking for money. I remember a Chinese man once who told me that he had been a monk and that he had fallen in love with a former nun and they were trying to run away together but the Catholic authorities were trying to stop them and were making the nun stay in her cloister. If you know anything about Protestant and Catholic differences you will see that this was just the story to arouse my sympathy and to open my wallet. But it was just a story. I know that because some while later I got chatting with a Roman Catholic Priest and we discussed this very man. When he had tried to con the Catholic priest, the story was that he knew someone who was expecting a baby and she was being forced into an abortion and he wanted to help her get away - again the very thing that a Catholic Priest would be sympathetic about.
Watch out when people seem to say the very thing you want to hear. It may just be flattery. They may just be saying what they know you want to hear.
With the flattery were straight lies, 12, 13 This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you they lied. But now see how dry and mouldy it is. And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey." Yes, very interesting and convincing but it was a lie. We have all been lied to at some time or another but we just can't get used to it. Again and again we are shocked to find actually what we were told was just a lie.
I have told you before how when I trained as a teacher I asked a class of 13 year olds how many of them believed in Father Christmas. I was surprised to see that a third of the class (about 10 or 12 kids) still said they believed. It led to a question about the old BBC Top of the Pops. How many children thought that the bands on that programme were actually performing their songs? This time about half the class put their hands up. Half of them did not realise that the bands were miming to their own music, even though if you look you can see drummers not hitting their drums and guitarists playing unplugged electric guitars. By the time I came to the question of whether the children thought the wrestling on a Saturdy afternoon was real, nearly three quarters raised their hands. Again, if you watch with a sceptical eye, it is easy to see that it is all play acting but most of these kids had been fooled.
One night my son and I watched a programme revealing the tricks of magic. Most of the reveals are pretty simple. So when sawing the woman in half for example, usually she simply scrunches her body up so that it is all in the top half of the box outside the range of the saw. Have you seen a magician making the Empire State building or some other landmark disappear? It can seem very impressive on live TV but they simply change the camera angle and hope the live audience won't tell anyone. Yes, as simple as that. A big fat lie. Like this Gibeonite one.
People lie - not just about the fact they took the money or they lost the dog or whatever but about all sorts of things. Be ready for it.
Two other things here. Firstly, you note how very well informed the Gibeonites appear to be about Israel and what they could and could not do. They knew alliances were okay if the cities were a distance away. Often enemies of the gospel are well informed about the faith. However, they deny it and oppose it.
Secondly, just a reminder that appearance of age can be deceptive. Yes, the Gibeonites bread looked old and was old and their clothes and shoes really were worn out - but it did not prove what they said. We get the same sleight of hand when scientists tell us this or that rock is so many millions of years old and they claim that they can date things accurately and speak again in terms of millions of years. These figures only work if the theory of uniformity is true - that is, that nothing has changed down the years. You are familiar with the idea that a star is so many million years away from earth. But it is then assumed that the star began to shine that number of years before. Not necessarily. I always think of Eden. If you had cut down a tree in the first week of creation, no doubt you could count the rings and you might think it was ten years, twenty years old but you would be wrong.
So watch out for attacks especially those of a more subtle kind.
2. When faced with decisions do not make the fatal mistake of failing to inquire of the LORD
The most striking verse in this chapter is verse 14 The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. Again and again this is the mistake that we make - we go on what our ears and eyes tell us, which is often the right thing to do but not if someone is seeking to deceive you or is telling lies. You see those men with the three cups and the money. Which cup is the money under? It's simple it must be that one. The first customer got it easily and he won money but he was a plant and they are seeking to deceive you and you will lose money if you try and follow.
And so in verse 15 we read that Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.
But (16) Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbours, living near them! In fact (17) the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. Just three days away. No distance at all.
We dare not trust to ourselves when weighing up whether people are speaking the truth or not. We have to enquire of the Lord.
3. Learn to live with the consequences of your own mistakes
The final thing to learn here concerns living with the consequences of our own mistakes. It is not easy but this is part of living the christian life. What happens here is that when they get to Gibeon the Israelites do not attack ..., because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The people were not happy about this and grumbled against the leaders, but all the leaders answered, quite rightly, We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. Instead they announced We will let them live, so that God's wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them. However, They continued, "Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly." By this means the leaders' promise to them was kept. Joshua explains to the Gibeonites that they are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God. Finally, the Gibeonites come clean (24) They answered Joshua, Your servants were clearly told how the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. They go on (25) We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.
So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the LORD at the place the LORD would choose. And that is what they are to this day.
Dale Ralph Davis gives the example of how his ten year old son made a bet with a friend on the national baseball play offs and lost. He was not allowed to bet but Davis felt that if he had agreed to the bet he ought to pay it off. And so he had to scrape together his pocket money and pay the debt. As it turned out the other boy's father would not allow his son to collect and so Davis's son was spared but it is a good example of how the principle might play out today in a Christian scenario.
I suppose the most obvious example for us today would be where a Christian disobeys the Lord and marries an unbeliever. What do you do in such a situation when you come to your senses? People told you not to marry an unbeliever or they told you the person you were going to marry was not a believer but you would not listen. Now it is clear the person is not converted. You do not divorce them. No, you have promised to love them and be devoted to them so you must remain married but you have to live with the consequences of that poor decision.
James Fraser of Alness (1700-1769) who wrote a praised Treatise on sanctification apparently had a wife who was very unsympathetic to him and his ministry. She refused to cook for him and at nighthe would retreat to the study to avoid a tongue lashing from her. However, she controlled the coal bin and the oil for the lamp, allowing him no fire to warm himself or oil to light his lamp. If he sat still in the dark, he would nearly freeze. Because of this, he walked back and forth from one end of his study to the other, in the dark, with his hands in front of him. After he died they examined his study and found indentations in the plaster where his hands hit the wall on his nightly beat.
It is said that oen time when the local Presbyterian pastors were gathered, a toast was offered for the wives of the pastors. The man offering the toast turned to Fraser and said, “You’ll want to offer a toast to your wife as well, James?”
“So I will and so I should,” said Fraser. “For my wife has been better to me than all of yours put together!”
“How so?” they asked.
“My wife has driven me to my knees seven times a day, and that is more than any of your wives have done for you!”
WHat an example of living with the consequences.
Or to take other examples, say you decided to get a large tattoo of your favourite football team on your arm or you went into a business partnership with an unbeliever or you joined the army on an 18 year contract or whatever it is - you have to live with yourself and with the consequences of your actions as best you can.
The other thing here is the way that because of the integrity of the Israelites, the Gibeonites were brought into a position where they became daily witnesses to God's grace to his people and no doubt some came to faith in due time. Gibeon became a priestly city and the ark was placed there at one time. Gibeonites returned from exile in later times. Again the obvious parallel is where a Christian sticks with the unbelieving spouse and in due time they are converted. There is no guarantee this will happen but sometimes it does. God is very gracious.
We live in a culture where talk is cheap and people do not keep their word. We are not to be like that. We are to keep our promises even if it hurts.
