First, I want to thank everyone for your prayers for Luke, our
grandson. He has had a good couple of days now in the hospital as they prepare
him for his surgery tomorrow morning to relieve the pain that is being caused
by the fluid leak from his brain. We can feel your prayers and are so thankful
for them. Please be praying especially for the extensive surgery that is
scheduled Monday morning on his brain. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
As I was studying for today’s chat, I couldn’t help but
think of Proverbs 3:5-7a; “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean
not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall
direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes…”. This is exactly what
Joshua and the rulers of Israel failed to do in chapter.
Gibeon was located only twenty-five miles from the camp of
Israel at Gilgal and was on Joshua's list to be destroyed. In Deuteronomy
20:10-20, God's law stated that Israel must destroy all the cities in Canaan.
If after the conquest Israel was involved in other wars, they could offer peace
to cities that were outside the land. Somehow the Gibeonites knew about this
law and decided to use it for their own protection. Since the enemy knows how
to use the Word of God for their own purposes, God's people must keep alert
(Matt. 4:5-7).
The Gibeonites assembled a group of men and equipped them
to look like an official delegation from a foreign city. Their clothing, food,
and equipment were all designed to give the impression that they had been on a
long and difficult journey from a distant city. Satan is a counterfeiter and "masquerades
as an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14). He has his "false
apostles" and "deceitful workmen" (v. 13) at work in this world,
blinding the lost and seeking to lead believers astray. It's much easier for us
to identify the lion when he's roaring than to detect the serpent when he's
slithering into our lives.
The Gibeonites told several lies in their attempt to get
out of trouble. First, they said they were "from a very far country"
(Josh. 9:6, 9) when they actually lived twenty-five miles away. Then they lied
about their clothing and food. "This bread of ours was warm when we
packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and
moldy it is" (v. 12). They also lied about themselves and gave the
impression that they were important envoys on an official peace mission from
the elders of their city. They also called themselves "your
servants" (vv. 8, 9, 11), when in reality they were the enemies of
Israel. These four lies were bad enough; but when the visitors said they had
come "because of the name of the Lord" (v. 9), it was
blasphemous. Of all liars, "religious liars" are the worst.
Joshua and the princes of Israel were impetuous and didn't
take time to consult the Lord. They walked by sight and not by faith. After
listening to the strangers' speech and examining the evidence, Joshua and his
leaders concluded that the men were telling the truth. The leaders of Israel
took the "scientific approach" instead of the "spiritual
approach." They depended on their own senses, examined the
"facts," discussed the matter, and agreed in their conclusion. It was
all very logical and convincing, but it was all wrong.
Today we are being told that we should trust “science” to
make our decisions about almost everything. Or that we should “follow our
hearts”. But that is not what the Bible teaches. The will of God comes from the
heart of God (Ps. 33:11), and He delights to make it known to His children when
He knows they are humble and willing to obey (Psalm 25). Certainly, we ought to
use the mind God has given us, but we must heed the warning of Proverbs 3:5-6
and not lean on our own understanding.
