Bible Reading: Joshua 9
Winging It On Your Own
Joshua 9 is an interesting story. The Israelites were in their Promised Land and were beginning to conquer the nations around them. The walls of Jericho fallen and they destroyed the city and took possession of the land. They conquered Ai (after losing one battle with them because someone in the Israelite camp had sinned). Their fame was spreading; all the other kings in the surrounding area heard about their exploits, and even what God had done for them in Egypt 40 years earlier.
The Gibeonites decided that it would be best to make a treaty with Israel before they were attacked. So they used deception to achieve their purposes. They were from neighboring cities but sent a delegation dressed in rags with moldy provisions in their knapsacks, and old, cracked wineskins, and told the Israelites that they had traveled from a far country to make a treaty with them. They said their provisions had been fresh when they started out and their clothes in good condition, but because of their very long journey everything had worn out.
Verse 7 sounds like some of the Israelites had a glimmer of doubt about the Gibeonites because they said, “Perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?” But the Gibeonites convinced them with their old provisions and worn out clothes that they had indeed come from a far country. Verse 14 is very revealing. “The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.” Big mistake!!!
Instead of asking the Lord what they should do, they trusted in their own observations and instincts. Things aren’t always as they seem. Joshua did make the Gibeonites into servants to serve as woodcutters and water carriers and they continued to live with the Israelites. In 2 Samuel 21 there was famine in the land for 3 years because Saul had put some Gibeonites to death. They had made this treaty with the Gibeonites on their own and God made them honor it.
Psa. 37:5 says “Commit your way to the Lord.” Prov. 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” We can make big mistakes when we take matters into our own hands and make decisions without first bringing them to the Lord in prayer and asking for his direction and guidance. God can see past the deception. He knows the end from the beginning. We might think we’re making the right decision but God knows where that decision will lead us, and sometimes that’s into detrimental situations. Choices we make now can come back to haunt us years down the road just as this decision did with the Israelites.
It doesn’t pay to wing it on our own. And why would we when we have the Holy Spirit who has been sent to be our helper? But sometimes, just as it happened with the Israelites, things seem so obvious that we feel we don’t need to bother God with it. The Israelites didn’t inquire of the Lord.
The Lord is a great counselor (that’s one of His names – Isa. 9:6). Don’t try to wing it on your own, but consult with the One who knows all things.
God is good all the time,
Naomi Brinkman
