When we ended our study yesterday we found the Israelites asking them, "Perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?" We pick up our study today with the reply of the Gibeonites.
"'We are your servants,' they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, 'Who are you and where do you come from?' They answered: '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.' 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. 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.'" (Joshua 9:9-13)
The words of the Gibeonites are intended to sound as if they want to know and serve the God of Israel. When they say they have heard of His deeds, they make it sound as if they are in awe of Him. In truth they are shaking in their boots. Later in our passage today they will reveal that they know the Lord commanded the Israelites to wipe out all the nations living in the land of Canaan. They also know if the Israelites make a treaty with them in the name of the Lord they will be bound by that oath. It is out of fear for their lives that the men of Gibeon are seeking this treaty by any method possible.
Because the Israelites don't consult the Lord before making their decision, they make the wrong decision. "The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath." (Joshua 9:14-15) The Israelites look at the moldy food, the cracked wineskins, and the worn out clothing of their visitors and accept these things as evidence that the men are telling the truth. As a result they make a treaty with people with whom the Lord never wanted them to be in partnership. The Lord has already said that allowing the heathen nations to inhabit the promised land with them will cause them to "follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God". (Deuteronomy 20:18) Their close association with the Gibeonites likely caused some of the Israelites to fall into idolatry, just as failing to completely destroy some of the other nations of the promised land will cause them to fall into idolatry. But it's also very likely that many of the Gibeonites turned to the Lord through their close association with Israel and due to the work they will be assigned to do, which we'll discuss momentarily.
"Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim." (Joshua 9:16-17) We don't know how the Israelites heard this news but they immediately set out to see for themselves if it is true. Upon finding out it is true and reporting back to the entire assembly of Israel, the assembly is angry with the leadership for making a treaty with a nation they were supposed to destroy. But there's nothing that can be done to void the treaty. The leadership of Israel swore an oath to the Gibeonites in the name of the Lord. They cannot disrespect the Lord or tarnish His reputation in the land by going back on an oath sworn in His name. "But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, but all the leaders answered, 'We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God's wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.' They continued, 'Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.' So the leaders' promise to them was kept." (Joshua 9:18-21)
The treaty will be kept but the Gibeonites must submit to the authority of the Israelites. They become vassals of the Israelites and servants in the house of God. "Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, 'Why did you deceive us by saying, 'We live a long way from you,' while actually you live near us? You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.'" (Joshua 9:22-23) The Gibeonites obtained the peace treaty by deception but the Lord is merciful to them. If they are going to be in treaty with Israel they are going to be put to work in the very place where they will receive the most exposure to the religion of Israel. This arrangement is probably intended mainly for the good of Israel: if the Gibeonites convert to the God of Israel they won't be converting the Israelites to the heathen religion of the Hivites. I am sure many Gibeonites turned to the Lord because of this arrangement; however, as we move through the Old Testament we'll learn that the primary reason the Israelites fall into idolatry is because they do not fully obey the Lord's command to wipe out all the pagan nations of the promised land. They cannot wipe out the Gibeonites, of course, having made a treaty with them. But if they'd asked the Lord before making the treaty, they would have avoided the treaty altogether. We can safely assume that the Israelites had a good influence on many of the Gibeonites who lived and worked among them but I think we can also safely assume that the Gibeonites who did not convert from their heathen religion had a bad influence on some of the Israelites.
The Gibeonites find Joshua's words acceptable. They are willing to become subject to Israel if that means they will be spared annihilation. They know they were meant to be wiped out and that's why they were willing to try their desperate deception. They are okay with submitting to Israel's authority over them if it means their lives will be preserved. "They answered Joshua, 'Your servants were clearly told how the Lord your God 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. We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.'" (Joshua 9:24-25)
"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 this is what they are to this day." (Joshua 9:26-27) By the time the book of Joshua was written, the Gibeonites were still serving the Israelites in this same capacity.
The Israelites will become embroiled in a great battle in our next chapter due to their treaty with the Gibeonites. A coalition of kings will come against the city of Gibeon, which was a large and important city in the region, to take it for themselves so it will not be subject to the Israelites. If Joshua and the leadership of Israel had not made the treaty with the Gibeonites they would not have had to face down five Amorite kings and their armies all at the same time. But even though Joshua and the elders of Israel made a mistake in not asking the Lord before making the treaty, the Lord is going to be merciful. He is going to perform a great miracle in Chapter 10 on behalf of Israel and on behalf of their vassal people, the Gibeonites.
The Lord has been merciful to you and to me in the same way. We've messed up from time to time. We've made big decisions without consulting Him first and that has sometimes led us to making wrong decisions. But He has not cast us off as His people. We may have to deal with the consequences of poor decisions (such as Joshua having to defend the city of Gibeon because he made an unwise treaty) but that doesn't mean the Lord has turned His back on us and walked away. He hears prayers of repentance. He redeems mistakes. Though Israel made a mistake in entering into a treaty with the Gibeonites, the Lord defends Israel and defends the honor of His holy name by performing one of the most astonishing miracles of the Old Testament.
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