Focus Chapters:
- Joshua 7:1
- 1 Chronicles 2:7
- Joshua 7:2-26
- Joshua 8-9
Standout Verse(s):
THE ACTION
Joshua 9:3-6 NLT
But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy. When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.”
THE REACTION
Joshua 9:14-15 NLT
So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath.
Observation (s):
- The Israelites were deceived because they did not consult the Lord regarding the matter of the Gibeonites. They chose to trust in what their own senses told them; what they could see.
So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord.
Application:
Everything is not always as it seems. Sometimes, there is more than what meets the eye. Glasses wearers can relate to the stark contrast between wearing glasses and not wearing glasses. When you have poor eyesight, wearing glasses is the difference between blurred and focused vision. It causes your perception and vision to increase drastically, bringing things into focus. Making a decision without God is like trying to decipher small text without glasses. You will miss the bigger picture or the fine but important print.
The Israelites discovered this the hard way following their dealings with the Gibeonites. Trusting in what they could see; the ragged clothing, dried bread ad weathered saddlebags and wineskins; they neglected to confirm their perceptions with God. This resulted in a peace treaty that did not align with God’s directives to wipe out all the inhabitants of Canaan.
Don’t end up like the Israelites who neglected to consult God and made a decision that went against the instructions that God had given them. Wear your spiritual glasses, always. Check the fine print and ensure alignment with the big picture. In all things, consult God!
