Date: 03-24-2021

Title: Be Careful Of The Treaties You Make

(S) cripture:
    Joshua 9:3-16 (NLT2) But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. 5 They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy. 6 When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.” 7 The Israelites replied to these Hivites, “How do we know you don’t live nearby? For if you do, we cannot make a treaty with you.” 8 They replied, “We are your servants.” “But who are you?” Joshua demanded. “Where do you come from?” 9 They answered, “Your servants have come from a very distant country. We have heard of the might of the LORD your God and of all he did in Egypt. 10 We have also heard what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River—King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan (who lived in Ashtaroth). 11 So our elders and all our people instructed us, ‘Take supplies for a long journey. Go meet with the people of Israel and tell them, “We are your servants; please make a treaty with us.”‘ 12 “This bread was hot from the ovens when we left our homes. But now, as you can see, it is dry and moldy. 13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, but now they are old and split open. And our clothing and sandals are worn out from our very long journey.” 14 So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the LORD. 15 Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath. 16 Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby!

(O) bservation:
    The Lord had told Joshua and the people to destroy all the people living in the land He had promised to them. When the Gibeonites heard what the Israelites and done to Jericho and Ai they were afraid and made a plan to deceive the Israelites and safe themselves from destruction. It was an elaborate plan and it fooled Joshua and the leaders of Israel and so they made a treaty and a vow before God not to destroy the Gibeonites. The text notes that they did not consult with the Lord before making this treaty and then learned that the Gibeonites lived near and should have been destroyed. Joshua kept the promise not to destroy them, but he made them slaves and they remained slaves.

(A) pplication:
    We are often approached by people with their own agendas who want us to make a treaty or join them or “make peace” with them. It may sound good but often their purposes are not God’s purposes. Too often we make these alliances in the name of tolerance or diversity or some other noble cause only to find out that we were being played the fool and are now in a compromising position. As with the Israelites these decisions are made without consulting the Lord and discerning the real motives. Those kinds of decisions always lead to trouble. Today my desire is to consult the Lord before I make any commitment to a group or cause.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, make me aware when I am rushing into a decision. Remind me to seek your counsel before I commit. Grant me wisdom and discernment so that my life can honor you. Amen