Day 98 -Joshua & the Gibeonites

The passage in 2 Samuel may be a little unfamiliar, as it drops into a different story about David and Saul, but use my notes to guide you.

• Let’s take stock of what has happened so far. Joshua and the Israelites have defeated the imposing cities Jericho and Ai, and have since been continuing their march into Canaan, the Promised Land.
• What is the reaction of the other groups of people in Canaan (and their kings) to the advancing Israelites? These groups were normally enemies of each other, so why did they join forces to plan to attack the Israelites?
• Today’s passage in Joshua focus on a plan by some of the inhabitants of a town called Gibeon. This wasn’t a plan to fight God’s people, but instead to deceive them. Gibeon was an area near Jerusalem.
• What were the Gibeonites afraid of? What did they decide to do? What preparations did they make to deceive Joshua and the Israelites? Did you enjoy reading about how they played their trick?
• What mistake did the Israelites make in verse Joshua 9:14-15? What clear clue does the author of this account give us?
• Look back at Deuteronomy 7:1-2. What does God say about the people they Israelites would meet in Canaan? Did they do right by making a covenant with the Gibeonites?
• The Gibeonites deceived Joshua and his people because they knew that they would have been killed if they didn’t. They chose to become slaves instead. In Genesis, Noah predicted that “Canaan will be the slave of Shem (one of Noah’s sons)”. This – like so many statements in the bible – is now coming true.
• The passage in 2 Samuel is interesting. As we’ve read, the Gibeonites had a pact with the Israelites that they would not be killed, but Saul – the king over Israel many years later at the time of the first book of Samuel – had tried to kill them. In response, the Gibeonites ask that seven of Saul’s be killed (a confusing request, seeing as the bible states that children shouldn’t be punished for the sins of their fathers, but nevertheless, it happened). In this passage, the new king, David, makes amends with the Gibeonite people. God doesn’t forget promises, even if Saul did! Don’t worry if you don’t fully understand the context of this situation, as we’ll study the lives of Saul and David properly later.
• Do remember the passage in Isaiah though! It’s a great verse. If we make our own plans that are not those of God, we’re described as stubborn to our own sin. Let God take control!

This passage is another example of God using people’s deception (which is not good) for His good (which IS good!). Rahab, the prostitute from Jericho, deceived her king to save the Israelites, and God is using the Gibeonites’ deception to bring Noah’s prediction in Genesis to reality. That’s not a excuse for bad behaviour though!

Joshua made a big mistake in today’s story. He’d learn from it though, and be much more God-focused with his decisions in future accounts of the conquest of the land. As we look to Joshua’s human failings, we should be reminded of his namesake Jesus, who led the perfect life that we cannot.

It is also another reminder, as we look at a group of non-Israelite people that were saved, that in Jesus the gospel is for all nations, not just a chosen one. And as gentiles ourselves, that’s rather splendid news!

I haven’t posted a video in a while, so I guess you might enjoy the one below if it helps in understanding the story!