Joshua 9:1-14

Joshua 9:1-14. Yesterday we ended with the Israelites getting serious about their relationship with God.  They renewed the contract or promise between them and God through a ceremony that Moses had instructed them to do (Deuteronomy 27-28).  It included writing the whole Law of Moses on two large stones and then reading it.  Joshua 8:35 ends by telling us that “there was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel.  Including the women, children, and strangers who were living with them.”

The writing on the stones would have included Deuteronomy 7:1-2 that instructed them to completely destroy the inhabitants of the land they were taking over (See also verses 3-5 of that chapter for part of an explanation).  It would have also included Deuteronomy 20.  That chapter repeated the instructions to completely destroy the people of the cities in the land but also gave rules for cities outside of the promised land.  In those cases peace and forces service were to be offered (Deuteronomy 20:10-11).  Another interesting part of Deuteronomy 20 was exemption from war for certain people.  The exemptions included, a man who had just finished a house but had not “dedicated” it to God yet (20:5), a man who had planted a vineyard but had not yet eaten any fruit from it (20:6), and a man who was engaged and not yet married (20:7).  This last part is particularly interesting because the ceremony they were holding based on Deuteronomy 27-28 included reminding the Israelites of blessings and curses that would happen to them depending on whether or not they obeyed the words on the stones.  Three of the consequences or curses for disobedience were another man taking the girl you were engaged to away from you, building a house and another man living in it (we are not talking about rent here), and planting a vineyard and another man eating all your grapes.  All of the people would have known all these rules and consequences.

Today reading sets up the story with the kings of six people groups in the land joining together to fight the Israelites.  These six are six of the specific seven named in Deuteronomy 7:1, and the exact six listed in Deuteronomy 20:17, that the Israelites were to completely destroy.  In Joshua 9:1 the kings heard about the battle of Ai and they made this alliance.  This is the same language used in Joshua 5:1 when the same kings heard about the water of the Jordan being dried up.  In that story they were very discouraged.  But now, after hearing about how the Israelites had lost the first battle with Ai, they were encouraged to fight.  Achan’s disobedience to God had far a bigger impact than he could have imagined.  Keep that in mind for the next part of the story.

In the next part of the story the people of Gibeon trick the Israelites into making a treaty with them.  This treaty appears to be based on the rules for offering peace to cities outside of the land in Deuteronomy 20.  The problem is that Gibeon was a town about 5 miles north-west of Jerusalem (Which was called Jebus, home of the Jebusites, in those days) smack dab in the middle of the land promised to Israel.  The Giboenites were probably Hivites.  Gibeon was about 15 miles west of Gilgal where the treaty was made (Some scholars think this is a different Gilgal from the one mentioned in chapters 4 and 5.  Deuteronomy 11:29-30 mentions one closer to the two mountains were the dedication ceremony happened. It doesn’t really matter but I think it’s probably the Gilgal by Jericho).

Although the treaty was made in good faith and according the rules God had given there was a problem.  Joshua 9:13 tells us that the treaty was made without talking to God first.  It takes more than rules to stay on track in our relationship with God we need to stay I touch with him each day.  Ultimately wht God is doing is about a relationship with Him not about a religion.  It’s more about heart than hands.  Of course what we do matters but we cannot just follow a bunch of rules we need to communicate with God.  Lord help me be faithful to our relationship.  Help me remember to talk to you often, every day, and especially when I have decisions to make.  Guide me so that I do not make harmful promises.  And help me remember that the things I do send messages to the world about you.  Help me honor you with all that I say and do.

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