Grace for the Gibeonites “Joshua made peace with [the Gibeonites] and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them” (v. 15). What have you learned from this passage that can help you face difficulties/challenges/trials/battles? 26 So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. Help us continue to create Bible study resources by supporting Study and Obey for as little as $1. Handed down. Verse 8 – God promises to give them victory. D. The earths rotation was slowed down, not stopped. Even though the Gibeonites were cursed to be servants of Israel, Joshua kept his covenant and spared their lives and promised them peace (Josh. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.Isaiah 45:7 – I form light and create darkness. We might face similar “aggressive peer pressure” at times too. The delegation from Gibeon went to Joshua at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We’ve come from a distant country. All of the Israelite leaders agreed and made an oath, in the name of the Lord, that all of their people could live. Rather, He wanted them expelled from the land (Exodus 23:28, 32-33). Job 6:14 – Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. VERSE 15. 23 Now therefore, you are (W)cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”. "Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live." God had commanded the Israelites not to make a covenant with any of these people. But now look, it is dry and moldy. How did the people of the land react when they heard about the treaty that the Gibeonites made with the Israelites? Are we satisfied with a little bit of progress, a little bit of a fruit, a little bit of spiritual success? This lengthened the day by almost twenty-four hours. 18 But the children of Israel did not [f]attack them, (Q)because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel. Thus, Joshua 9 reveals the need for believers in Christ to pray concerning all major decisions and to seek His will before moving forward. What is the biggest thing you have asked of God? Joshua … made a covenant with them. What affirmation did Joshua receive from the Lord before beginning the battle? 27 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. 6 And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” 7 Then the men of Israel said to the ( H ) Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so ( … New King James Version (NKJV). Please make a peace treaty with us. Not having asked for the counsel of the LORD, Joshua and Israel accepted a covenant with the Gibeonites to let them live. This philosophy is a good practice for believers. 1 Chronicles 29:11 – Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. They had just finished deceiving and lying to the Israelites. 17 Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. 8. And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?” But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Ask great things of God.”. That power is the same as the mighty strength. What do you think of Joshua’s leadership? He was a man of integrity. Therefore they wanted to make an example out of Gibeon. – Joshua 9:14-16 NASB One might think that a covenant cut with such a deceitful party might be annulled, but … They worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors : The Gibeonites will try to deceive Israel into making a peace treaty with them, though Israel was forbidden to make peace with … God caused the sun to “stand still.” Of course the language used is to meant to describe this event in human terms from our perspective. What may have that king been trying to accomplish? What can we learn from verse 19? 1. Joshua 9 The Gibeonite Deception. Yet earlier, God told them that they could offer peace to … The sun “standing still” refers to an eclipse of the sun. Because of their treaty, Joshua marched his men all night to help them. God is a covenant God. We should fight against sin just as zealously as Joshua and the people fought against the inhabitants of the land – God wants us to root out and mercilessly destroy sin in our lives like they were to completely destroy the inhabitants of the land. 1. It would seem to be better for the Israelites if the Gibeonites were destroyed. Breaking a covenant is a serious thing. Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The Gibeonites could see that the Israelites were God’s covenant people and it is worth mentioning that they acknowledged God’s sovereignty, similar to Rahab. Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free 23 lesson Bible study E-book of Hebrews. We should do our best to fully obey all of God’s commands no matter how difficult they are, how much opposition we face, or how tired we are. We want to help you study the Bible, obey the Bible, and teach the Bible to others. Posted on January 22, 2013 by kristy mapp Leave a comment. That is why Joshua came to the aid of the Gibeonites only a few days after that covenant was made. E. The sun and moon appeared to be out of their regular place by a supernaturally given mirage. Proverbs 3:27 – Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Where did their victory come from? The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 1. Joshua 9:22 Verse 13 says that the sun “did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.”. In fact, God Himself expected this covenant to be kept. And all the congregation complained against the rulers. - Joshua 9 Military strategists aim to secure the high ground because of the tactical advantage that comes when an army is positioned higher than its enemies. 15 So Joshua (O)made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them. Verses 14-21 The Israelites, having examined the provisions of the Gibeonites, hastily concluded that they confirmed their account. – Here is on of the most amazing miracles recorded in the Bible. Help us continue to create Bible study resources by supporting Study and Obey for as little as $1..fusion-button.button-3{width:auto}Support. << Joshua 9: The Covenant with the Gibeonites >> And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. He was a man of integrity. Gibeon was located only twenty-five miles from the camp of Israel at Gilgal and was on Joshua’s list to be destroyed. Let us be servants to Jesus, our blessed Joshua, and we shall live. 7:1-6), Joshua failed to consult the Lord (9:14) prior to making a treaty with the Gibeonites (9:15). Joshua and the people persevere – We see this in verse 19. 2. Josh. But they did so, and thus the Israelites were obliged to keep their covenant. Joshua E-book Study Guide Joshua 1 Joshua 2 Joshua 3 Joshua 4 Joshua 5 Joshua 6 Joshua 7 Joshua 8 Joshua 9 Joshua 10 Joshua 11-19 Joshua 20-21 Joshua 22 Joshua 23 Joshua 24. Joshua found out about the deception but spared the Gibeonites, yet cursed them by … When the deception was discovered, Joshua honored his oath - a covenant - and did not destroy the Gibeonites, but did place them under a curse (9:23-27). What did the Gibeonites do when they were attacked? 11 Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” ’ 12 This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. He made an oath that they could live. However, under Joshua, the Gibeonites, pretending to be a people from far away, tricked the Israelites into acting hastily by making a covenant with them to let them live amongst them (Joshua 9). Can you share how God has helped you overcome a big obstacle? 21:1, 2, NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NKJV, Lucado Encouraging Word Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Vines Expository Bible, Comfort Print: A Guided Journey Through the Scriptures with Pastor Jerry Vines. What did the men of Gibeon do in seeing Israel’s victories? The background for the slaying of Saul’s descendants was this: years before, King Saul had tried to eradicate the Gibeonites from Israel; however, his action violated the covenant Joshua had made with Gibeon in Joshua 9. "Make a covenant with us," they pleaded (9:11). 3. Over 60 practical applications to change your life. I make well-being and create calamity. A boss may try to make an example of an employee who is not willing to cheat or lie for the company. They put aside whatever differences they had and made a united front against Israel and Gibeon. “In the midst of the land a numerous people—the Gibeonites—renounced their heathenism and united with Israel, sharing in the blessings of the covenant.” Prophets and Kings, 369. Joshua 9:17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities--Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 16 And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them. But note: the Bible makes it clear that the Gibeonites' deftness wasn't the main reason Israel got fooled. So they used polite words like calling themselves “servants.”. Application: Here we see an extreme example of peer pressure. How seriously did Joshua take God’s command to completely destroy the inhabitants of the land? What do we learn from this about God? Isn’t the sun’s position relative to the earth always the same? What lesson did he want to teach the people? Why? B. 14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; (N)but they [e]did not ask counsel of the Lord. The Gibeonites were so frightened they sent for Joshua. The people of the land unite together against Israel – It didn’t take long before the news about the covenant between Gibeon and the Israelites spread. The shocked enemy soldiers ran away and Israel chased them down - - finishing them off with swords. The Consequences of the Gibeonite Deception Joshua 9:16-27 Joshua 9:16-27 - “And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them. 9 And it came to pass when (A)all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills and in the lowland and in all the coasts of (B)the Great Sea toward Lebanon—(C)the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—heard about it, 2 that they (D)gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one [a]accord. The passage is poetical and not to be understood literally. Ephesians 1:19 – And his incomparably great power for us who believe. The Canaanite kings were furious with the Gibeonites and brought their great army against them to teach them a lesson. Then Joshua questioned them, demanding to … What is the most amazing answer to prayer you have seen? Joshua made an example out of their leaders (24) – So will all of the enemies of the Lord be judged one day, sooner or later. This reveals that at least the Gibeonites knew of some of the covenant that God had made with Israel. Try it FREE. 25 And now, here we are, (Z)in your hands; do with us as it seems good and right to do to us.” 26 So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them. What battles are we fighting or enemies are we attacking that we should not stop? These or may nor not be evidence or refer to the same event. We should not be afraid to make big requests of God – Joshua’s faith in even thinking of asking such a thing of God is extraordinary. It seems as though the LORD God will punish Joshua. 14, 15. They wanted to teach a lesson to that city. 1) The Gibeonites lied to the Israelites, 2) Israel made a treaty with the Gibeonites. He did not believe ignorance was an excuse then, and He doesn't now. 7. Sunday A CRAFTY PLOT. And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” a. 20 This we will do to them: We will let them live, lest (R)wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.” 21 And the rulers said to them, “Let them live, but let them be (S)woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had (T)promised them.”, 22 Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, (U)‘We are very far from you,’ when (V)you dwell near us? So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them. The Gibeonites make a covenant with the people of Israel (1-16) 5. We should keep pushing forward for more. The fraud was soon found out. Joshua 9:22-23. 27 And that day Joshua made them (AA)woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, (AB)in the place which He would choose, even to this day. Joshua made a peace treaty with the men. The Gibeonites immediately turned to the Israelites for help – It is need which drove them to do so. As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, ... Come now, make a covenant with us. They expressed doubt that the Gibeonites had really come from a far place. Several years ago I preached a sermon on Joshua 9, a chapter my Bible titles, “The Gibeonite Deception.” The story tells how the Israelites, fresh from their initial victories over the … But Joshua had given his word and he intended to honor it. They had heard God’s mighty works in delivering His people out of Egypt. Used by permission. Their cunning worked. Or can you share how God has answered prayer requests of yours beyond your expectations? Joshua 9:15 And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Nothing is too difficult for the Lord, even stopping the sun (if we have faith, we can move mountains.) What does this teach us about Joshua’s character? Joshua kills the five kings of the Amorites (16-28) 3. God stated that Israel must destroy all the cities in Canaan (Deut 20). And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and [c]mended, 5 old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. Did Joshua help? And that is, C or D, that God either supernaturally stopped the rotation of the earth or slowed it down in order to lengthen the day and give the Israelite army a longer time to achieve a more full victory. 1. Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them. It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land. 3 But when the inhabitants of (E)Gibeon (F)heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they worked craftily, and went and [b]pretended to be ambassadors. 13 And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”. Three days later, the Israelites found out that the Gibeonites lived near them. 3. Joshua and the leaders realize their mistake (17-27) I. C. The earth actually stopped its rotation around the sun for almost twenty-four hours per Joshuas request. Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant (treaty) with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation [of Israel] swore an oath to them. Joshua and the people defeat many cities in the South of Israel (29-43). In contrast, the Gibeonites took a different approach and acted craftily to make a covenant (peace treaty) with Joshua and Israel. 24 So they answered Joshua and said, “Because your servants were clearly told that the Lord your God (X)commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore (Y)we were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. 17 Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. And that is what they are to this day. NKJV, Bride's Bible, Leathersoft, White, Red Letter, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word. The simplest and most obvious answer is normally the best one. This takes a lot of time and hard work. Joshua and the people were quick to help – Joshua had given his word. $3.99 a month for 40+ study tools. Jos 9:6 And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us." The princes of the congregation swore to them. We have to be ready and alert from any type of opposition. VERSE 16. This should give them confidence, not strategic or tactical superiority. But Joshua does not gets in trouble. Exodus 18 Sermon – You Are Not Able To Go It Alone, Challenges of the First Christmas – Pressing on in Obedience, Study Joshua Ebook: Into the Promised Land By Faith and Courage. The Israelites replied, “We can’t make a peace treaty with you if you live nearby.” The Gibeonites answered, “Make a peace treaty with us and we’ll be your servants.” After a victory, they didn’t get complacent and satisfied, but instead wanted to get an even bigger victory. James 5:16 – Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. As a direct result of Israel’s breaking their covenant, God sent a famine upon Israel for three years. It is very possible, that God caused the earth to stop spinning on its axis. Form is being submitted, please wait a bit. 9:22-27). While they should have been (Deut. If Gibeon was destroyed for making a covenant with Israel, other cities would certainly think twice about defecting. It angered them when someone did something differently. No matter what exactly happened, it was a tremendous one-of-a-kind miracle! NKJV, Ancient-Modern Bible, Comfort Print: One faith. In what ways did God help His people in the battle? We make more haste than good speed, when we stay not to take God with us, and do not consult him by the word and prayer. There are similar parallels in other cultures including China, Aztects, Incas, Egypt, Babylon, and Persia, which all record a legend of a long day. What can we learn about Joshua and the people in these verses? HOW SERIOUS WAS THE COVENANT BETWEEN JOSHUA AND THE GIBEONITES? Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. G. Rather than the day being prolonged, God prolonged the previous night. F. The sun stopped shining during the latter half of the day. The best value in digital Bible study. Also, the fact that the Lord held the Israelites to their covenant with the Gibeonites shows that God requires faithfulness of His people. "And it came to pass, when all the kings which [were] on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in … Joshua … Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Homework: Ask your Bible study group to preview Joshua 11-19 by reading it and writing down their observations ahead of time. 15 Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.16 It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living [g]within their land. Discussion questions to encourage interaction. The other nations around Gibeon wanted to everyone to conform to their own ways and ideas. Relevant easy to understand teaching points. 6 And they went to Joshua, (G)to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a [d]covenant with us.”, 7 Then the men of Israel said to the (H)Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so (I)how can we make a covenant with you?”, 8 But they said to Joshua, (J)“We are your servants.”, And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”, 9 So they said to him: (K)“From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God; for we have (L)heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt, 10 and (M)all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. 9:17, 22; 10:2; 21:17; 2 Sam. This news caused those kings to quickly band together. Which of these is most outstanding to you? What do we learn about the power of prayer? The kings attack Gibeon – Quite interestingly, the first target of their alliance is not to attack the Israelites, but to attack Gibeon. Many different theories have sprung up about this passage including (https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_625.cfm): “A. Sin done in ignorance is still sin, and must be repented of. Joshua and the people were quick to help – Joshua had given his word. 4. 1) This story is interesting on many fronts and leaves us with several questions (and answers). Exodus 14:14 – The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. The sun stands still (1-15) 2. 19 Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them. The Israelites should never have made such a covenant with this people. Why do you think they would assault Gibeon first rather than directly assault the Israelites? It would seem to be better for the Israelites if the Gibeonites were destroyed. God counted the treaty as wrong, despite the ignorance of the Israelites. They were afraid that other cities and other kings would also defect or refuse to fight. What does it mean that the sun stood still? 2. For all the saints. A teacher may try to make an example of a student who doesn’t follow the liberal theory of the university. Why? Joshua 9:6-13 When the Gibeonites begged Israel to make a treaty with them, the men of Israel were at first suspicious. We have therefore created a library of almost one thousand (and growing) inductive Bible studies, which are available for free. In their minds, they probably thought that their only chance to stand against Israel was a united front. He not only thought of it, but then he proceeded to actually ask that God “stop” the sun! Quickly or slowly? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Now their cities were (P)Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim. The Gibeonites make a covenant with the people of Israel (1-16) II. Whereas Jonathan cut a solemn and binding covenant with David because he loved him as himself (1Sa 18:3), Joshua was tricked by the inhabitants of Gibeon to cut covenant with them. So, using their disguise, the Gibeonites urged Joshua to become allies. What might you have been tempted to do if you were in his position? Psalms 28:7 – The Lord is my strength and my shield;  my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. What character quality can we learn from Joshua here (perseverance?). Why did Joshua do this public exhibition in verse 25? They were able to make a covenant with the Israelites and had been allowed to live with them as the woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.--Joshua ix. It is likely that the Gibeonite’s defection to Israel scared them. Not all of Israel’s enemies wanted to fight. The Gibeonites were convinced they could not defeat the children of Israel. How can we be sure to be victorious? Joshua did this without seeking the LORD. That would solve the dilemma we discussed in the last chapter. William Carey once said, “Attempt great things for God. All rights reserved. 17 Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third … But now they needed help. (This is simply terminology from our perspective similar to when people say they saw the “sunrise” or “sunset.”, He threw large stones from heaven on them, He made the sun stand still to give the Israelites more time to fight.