A Covenant with Deceivers
Joshua 9:1-27; Matthew 5:33-37
July 30, 2017 ● Download this sermon (PDF)
Congregation of Christ: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 was the worst day in the U.S. Navy’s history. But its causes include faulty intelligence, ambiguous communications, and a belief that the Japanese will never attempt such a daring attack. In his speech after that “day of infamy,” President Roosevelt said:
The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
It was a deliberate deception on the part of the Japanese government. Deception, of course, is part of warfare. But our text today tells us about the Gibeonites who deceived Joshua and the Israelites to avoid a war that they believed they would not win.
The Gibeonites were the only people in Canaan who continued to fear Israel after Israel suffered a humiliating defeat the first time they attacked the small city of Ai. They suffered defeat because of sin committed by Achan when he took some of the spoil from Jericho. When the other cities heard about Israel’s defeat, they were emboldened to fight. So we read in verse 2 that the Hittites and other –ites in Canaan “gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.” They formed an alliance against God’s people, knowing that they would be much stronger as one army against Israel.
Gibeonites’ Covenant of Deception
Nevertheless, the Gibeonites feared Israel. They must have known the guidelines that God gave to Israel in their conquest of the Promised Land. We read in Deuteronomy 20:10-18 what Israel had to do after they entered Canaan. Verses 10-15 are instructions on how to treat cities outside the boundaries of the Promised Land. They were to offer a peace treaty to them, but if the city rejects the treaty and attacks, Israel must defend itself. But the Lord guarantees victory, and Israel will destroy the city and take plunder for themselves.
Verses 16-18 deal with cities within the boundaries of the land promised by God. They were to drive the inhabitants out of their cities. If they refused to leave, Israel must destroy the whole city, including all its inhabitants, livestock and possessions. Why so? Verse 18 gives us the primary reason: “that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the LORD your God.” If the Canaanite people co-existed with them, they will eventually influence Israel to practice idolatry, sexual immorality, child sacrifice, and other abominable practices.
And we know that this is what happened to Israel. They spared some of the cities, and Moabites, Canaanites and Philistines lived among them. The Israelites eventually worshiped their idol-gods, incurring God’s wrath. We read about this sad state of affairs in the Book of Judges. Nine times in Judges Chapter 1, we read that the tribes of Israel failed to drive out the inhabitants of the land, as God had commanded them, but instead made them slaves. So after Joshua died, we read in Judges 2:11-12, “the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals … They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger.”
Gibeon was about six miles northwest of Jerusalem, and about the same distance west of Ai.[1] [footnote]In 1956, James Pritchard discovered a handle from a wine jug found in the archaeological remains of el-Jib confirmed that el-Jib was the site of the ancient city of Gibeon. In the handle was the Hebrew inscription “Gibeon.” Twenty-nine more handles with this inscription were later discovered.[/footnote] They were part of the Hivite nation. So it was probably the next city on Joshua’s campaign. Knowing that Israel will not attack any of the cities outside the boundaries of the Promised Land, the Gibeonites devised a plan. They told Joshua that they had come from a distant country, and had heard about what the Lord had done to Egypt and to the two kings of the Amorites outside of Canaan. They did not mention nearby Jericho and Ai so they can deceive Israel into thinking that they really came from a faraway land. Still, Joshua and the Israelites were suspicious, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” (verse 7). But to prove that they traveled from far, the Gibeonites arrived worn out, with worn-out clothes and sandals, wineskins and sacks, and dry and crumbly bread.
In the end, Joshua and the Israelites were deceived into granting the request of the Gibeonites to make a covenant or a peace treaty with them.
Israelites’ Covenant Without God’s Counsel
Joshua and the elders of Israel investigated who the Gibeonites really were and from where they had come by looking at the evidence given by the strangers. In verse 14, we read, “So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD.” What’s striking in this comment by the writer is that the leaders of Israel looked at the evidence, “but did not ask counsel from the LORD.”
This was a huge mistake by Joshua. He relied on his own wisdom without inquiring of the LORD. He should have remembered how God confirmed his appointment as Israel’s leader after Moses died. We read in Numbers 27:21, “And [Joshua] shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD.” In critical decisions, such as what to do with the Gibeonites, he should have gone to Eleazar, who would determine what to do using the Urim and Thummim, two stones that were in Eleazar’s breastplate. These stones would give a yes or no answer to a specific question. We read this in Exodus 28:30, “And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly.”
Tragically, Joshua did not do this. He relied on his own wisdom, not on God’s wisdom, “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” (verse 15). If he sought the LORD’s counsel, Israel would not have had all the troubles concerning their treaty with the Gibeonites.
God’s Grace in Spite of Deception
It took only three days for Israel to discover they’ve been had. They heard from other people that the Gibeonites were actually next-door neighbors (as can be seen from the map). They set out to go to Gibeon and the nearby cities of the Hivites, and they reached these cities within three days. What then can Israel do to these lying people? Can they attack them? No, because they made a covenant with them, invoking the LORD’s name in the process. They can’t dishonor God’s name. So the people murmured against their leaders who made a bad decision by not inquiring of the LORD.
Joshua and the leaders again had a decision to make. So the compromise was this: they would let the Gibeonites live and become part of Israel, but they would be woodcutters and water carriers for the tabernacle and for the people. These were the most menial tasks in the ancient world.
But there are redeeming aspects in the Gibeonites deception. First, as woodcutters and water carriers for the daily sacrificial system in the tabernacle, they would be drawn closely to the “house of God.” During the days of Kings David and Solomon, Gibeon became associated with the priests, when the ark of the covenant was temporarily housed there (1 Chr 16:39-40; 21:29). They might have sung Psalm 84:10 with joy in this way, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a [woodcutter and water carrier] in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”
Second, even when their fear was not of the LORD but only for their lives, they had a measure of faith. They believed that the LORD had rescued Israel from Egypt. They believed that the LORD gave the two Amorite kings into their hands. And they believed what they heard that the LORD would give Israel all the land of Canaan and destroy all its people. Even if this was merely a small beginning of faith, it was faith nevertheless.
Third, just as Rahab and her household, inhabitants of Jericho, became a part of Israel, the Gibeonites also became a part of God’s covenant people when they made a covenant with Israel. They were saved because of the same faith that Rahab had in what she heard. We read later that at least one of David’s mighty warriors was a Gibeonite (1 Chr 12:4). At Gibeon, God told Solomon he will give him great wisdom (1 Kgs 3:5-14). And Gibeonites helped rebuild the temple in Jerusalem with the exiles who returned with Nehemiah (Neh 3:7; 7:25).
The Gibeonites are but one example of those outside of God’s covenant nation who were saved by God’s grace alone to sinners who come to him in humble faith, repentance and submission to his will.
Dear friends, what then can we learn from this obscure narrative of a successful deception more than 3,000 years ago in a distant land in the Near East?
First, the most important reason why God commanded Israel to drive out the inhabitants of the Promised Land is to prevent Israel from being influenced by the pagan beliefs and practices of the Canaanites. When Israel did not completely drive the Canaanites out, that is exactly what happened to them. They worshiped idol-gods, sacrificed their children to these gods, committing sexual immorality, violence and injustice. Is not this happening in most evangelical churches today? Instead of leading the world to Christ, the world has led them to its unbiblical beliefs and practices. They preach and teach health and wealth as the goal of Christians. They affirm homosexuality and same-sex marriage. They have turned worship into entertainment, preaching the true gospel of Christ into self-help, self-esteem, moralistic pep talks. They have mortgaged the absolute truths of the Bible for political correctness and accommodation of all kinds of unbiblical beliefs. The church has indeed become the world.
Second, if Israel had troubles because they did not seek God’s counsel, so would we. How often have we got into big problems because we depended solely on our own intuition? We will not read from the Bible what dress to wear today. But there are principles to be found there in deciding to accept a job offer in a place where there is no faithful church; or whether to marry an unbeliever; or what career is best for us. How do we discern God’s will? Seek God’s counsel, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Prv 16:9). Seek the counsel of other believers, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed” (Prv 15:22). And do you have peace with your decision? “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phl 4:7).
Fourth, Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:33-37 that vows made in the name of God must be kept, otherwise the name of God is dishonored. When we make oaths or vows, we are to keep them. And oaths are to be made only for important occasions. For other less important decisions, we are to simply say “Yes” or “No,” and not make oaths. Again, like the Israelites, vows must be kept even when it is difficult to keep.
Finally, in eternity past, our Lord Jesus Christ made a covenant with his Father that he would willingly become a Servant to him and his people, “a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isa 49:6). He will be a Suffering Servant, “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities” (Isa 53:11).
Today, we who are outsiders like Rahab and the Gibeonites, are now in God’s new covenant nation, the church. Christ our Suffering Servant has become a light for us and for the nations. Through the anguish of his soul, his sorrows, and his grief in his life and death on the cross, he has become our Savior. And in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3), so that our decisions are true and right when they are made in him and to the glory of God.
[1] In 1956, James Pritchard discovered a handle from a wine jug found in the archaeological remains of el-Jib confirmed that el-Jib was the site of the ancient city of Gibeon. In the handle was the Hebrew inscription “Gibeon.” Twenty-nine more handles with this inscription were later discovered.
