January 6th
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. 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.” This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy. 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.” Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD. 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. 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. Joshua 9:3-16 NKJV
This story shows how Joshua and the rest of Israel’s leadership learned another painful lesson about the value of meeting with God on a daily basis. Previously, Joshua neglected meeting with God following the Jericho victory. Instead of seeking God’s counsel, Joshua relied on his scout’s estimation of Ai’s strength and was defeated. He missed the critical revelation that God had withdrawn from Israel because of Achan’s sin. In this new situation, Joshua makes another major mistake because he had not sought the Lord.
God’s best plan for the Israelites was for them to totally annihilate the inhabitants of the promised land, so no possible footholds of idolatry and other sin would be left to corrupt the Israelites. The Gibeonites were crafty and sought to deceive Israel. They knew there was little chance they would be spared otherwise. The leaders of Israel did not seek God’s counsel (14) concerning the peace covenant, and they fell to the Gibeonite deception. They discovered their mistake 3 days after making the covenant. The peace covenant prevented the Israelites from removing the Gibeonites, therefore leaving a future foothold for the corruption of Israel. Israel would eventually engage in the idolatry of the land and be expelled from the land.
We can learn from Joshua’s mistake and make it our top priority to meet with God each day. We need his counsel and revelation to avoid the deception the enemy may use against us. A revelation from scripture, a prompting regarding a situation, a burden during prayer, or a word from God could be vehicles God may use to help keep us from disaster.
We face a skilled adversary, the devil, who is the “Father of Lies” (John 8:44). He has been studying man since the day he was created. His evil minions watch our every move, looking for opportunities to lead us away from God’s best for our life. Only with God’s counsel, wisdom and protection can we best ensure we will stay on his path of victory. As the Psalmist wrote, “The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations” (Psalm 33:11 NKJV).
Questions for further thought:
Can you think of time in your life when you were deceived by someone? What results did that deception bring into your life?
How does meeting with God for a quiet time help protect you against deception?
How does studying the Bible help you improve your discernment skills? (hint: Hebrews 4:12)
What is one of the Holy Spirit’s key roles that can help you uncover deception? (hint: John 14:17; John 16:13)
For more information about having quiet times, see our Quiet Times page.
Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, I praise and exalt Your name! You alone are worthy of all praise and honor. There is no God but You. There is none like you! I thank you for sending your Spirit to live in me and be with me. Thank you that Your Spirit guides me in all truth. Please help me make it top priority each day to meet with You. Please give me Your counsel, O God, so that I will walk in Your ways and wisdom. Please protect me from deception. Thank you, Father, that your counsel stands forever! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”