Getting Duped

Dec.4

Read: Joshua 9

Getting Duped

“So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.” (v.14,15)

What would God have told Joshua to do if he had “sought counsel from the Lord”? Would he have told him to strike these people down right then and their? Would he have told Joshua and the elders to welcome them in to the people of Israel? Should we see this treaty as a good thing… or as a bad thing?

We all have answers to these questions whether we realize it or not. Whatever part of us that is hungry for “justice” is uneasy with their deception and lying … as we should be. Then there is the dogmatic part of us that might see the honoring of a treaty formed on the basis of lies as some sort of noble act… “well keeping a promise is most important, even if it means doing something God does not want you to do” !? I would hope there was yet another sentiment left within us: as twisted as their actions were, these Gibeonites are spared and experience mercy and forgiveness from the Lord; there ought to be a part within us that celebrates the grace and mercy of God towards others.

I am not sure why it is, but the last one is the hardest for me. I resent these Gibeonites for their deception. I think Joshua seems foolish for honoring a commitment that was formed under false pretense and deception. I have a hard time celebrating God’s mercy and grace for them… yet it is God’s mercy and grace that shines most brightly in this passage to me.

God is merciful and gracious to Joshua and the leaders of Israel despite their not seeking his counsel. We have no record of the Lord sitting Joshua down and scolding him… or rubbing it in his face that he did not seek his wisdom. God does not give Joshua the silent treatment because he didn’t initially consult him about Gibeon: In the very next chapter, God is going to give Joshua instructions concerning protecting Gibeon from attackers. God displays - once again - how patient, merciful, and loving he is towards his people.

God shows a great deal of grace, mercy , and forgiveness towards Gibeon as well. They were motivated by fear to come to Joshua and the people of Israel. This fear was not unfounded - the Lord was truly destroying everything and everyone in the land that was unrepentant and set against him. The Gibeonites responded  by seeking to make themselves servants of Israel and in doing so also servants of the God of Israel. (v.11) They came to the Lord in fear and presumed deception was the only way they could find “salvation”.

What Joshua missed out on was the opportunity to teach the Gibeonites about the character of God. Had he sought the counsel of the Lord, I think he would have told him to teach these people that coming in humble repentance to YHWH and laying yourself down as servants before him will be met with forgiveness, mercy, and grace. I think the Lord would have told Joshua to instruct the people of Gibeon that you need not seek to lie and deceive because lying and deceiving doesn’t wok with the Lord anyways… he knows all things… he knows the truth. The people of Gibeon - motivated by fear - sought to deceive. Joshua and the elders - well they got duped. What was squandered was a chance for radical forgiveness, grace, and mercy to be displayed… but another moment was coming in the near future.

Although the motives of Gibeon were muddled and misguided… I think they were sincere. I don’t think God was seeking their destruction. If God wanted their eradication  even though they were now seeing to be servants of Israel, then I don’t think he would have sent Israel in to protect them. It would have been easy for the Lord to let them be destroyed by the coalition of enemy kings coming in chapter 10. Likewise - when the Gibeonites are found out - they say to Joshua, "And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” (v.25) Joshua’s response was, “So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them.” (v.26) Even after finding out they were liars, and after THEY say to him, “do whatever you want to us” Joshua does not destroy them. Had God’s goal been the destruction of Gibeon, there were multiple opportunities to do it. Gibeon was not spared because of their lies… their ruse. Gibeon was not spared because Joshua and Israel remained duped. They were spared because God is gracious, merciful, and forgiving to ALL who turn to him and serve him… even if their initial journey is motivated by fear and they start out life as hypocrites! I can’t help but wonder, if the people of Gibeon had known how merciful and gracious God truly was, maybe they would not have resorted to deception the first place.

Eventually Gibeon becomes fully folded in to the people of God. The story of Gibeon has many parallels to the story of Rehab and her faith in the Lord. I believe that the Gibeonites were displaying a ill-informed sort of faith just like she was. Maybe the case is that, what begins in fear ends in faith. Later on, God has their back after Saul lashes out at them and kills some of the Gibeonites. (cf. 2 Sam. 21) Eventually, Gibeon is given to the tribe of Benjamin and the Gibeonites are even found amongst those rebuilding Jerusalem with Nehemiah. (cf. Joshua 21, Neh. 3:7) What a tremendous story of mercy, grace, forgiveness, and salvation. Gibeon is truly saved by falling down before the Lord and becoming his servants. There are consequences for their deception (servitude for one), yet they serve as yet another example of God doing the unexpected and calling a people to himself. There is no point in approaching God with deception. We need not function out go fear… thinking the only way we can be saved is to try and “trick” the Lord and his people. When we turn in humble repentance, seeking to serve, we will be met with God’s grace and mercy. Amen to this! Love you guys. - JDP