Too Close for Comfort - Joshua 9
With me leading is, like the blind leading the blind.
If you would take your bowels and turn with me to Joshua, chapter number 9, Joshua chapter number 9 going to pick up. Where we left off last? That's probably not 34 weeks. Now, since we've looked at this,
Look at the Bible as we are making our way through it. Joshua. Chapter number 9.
and in this chapter, we're going to see just how Israel really became way too close with their enemies. That's really the the gist of this chapter and remember after some very decisive victories that Israel has had, they have defeated Jericho that defeated the town of AI and after the in a special time of worship and recommitment to the law of God, that we saw in the latter part of chapter 8, the people. Now the children of Israel are preparing to March deeper into Canaan, to claim the land that God has given to them. And so, as I said they are just refresh off of a couple of Victories, but before they can move forward to Future victories. Israel as got to learn a very valuable lesson about themselves, as well as the enemies that they will face in the battles and the stories that are related to Israel's conquest of Canaan. We can see a picture of Our Lives as children of God as we struggle to live a life of victory in Christ, Jesus on this Earth. It is not hard for us to see the parallels between the battles that Israel fought in the flesh and the ones and which we fight in the spirit today. I mean, we do realize this evening that we are in a spiritual battle. The Bible tells us that very plainly and Ephesians chapter number 6. So as we will see, in this chapter, there is a danger in letting our spiritual guards down. So, I wanted to take some time to study this chapter and to learn more bounce, how our enemy operates. The first thing I want you to notice with me this evening is our enemy is deceptive. Our enemy is very deceptive. Notice this and verses 1 and 2. It came to pass when all the kings who are on this side of the Jordan in the hills and in the lowlands and all the coasts of the great sea toward Lebanon, the hittite, the MRI the Canaanite, the Pez, right? That has, I the jebusite heard about it. And they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one Accord. So when all these Kings of Canaan, heard what it happened to a i and would have happened to Jericho. They joined forces together an effort to try to defeat Israel. It's really amazing how even the devil's crowd will join up to fight against God's people. And really Joshua, chapter 9 verses 1, & 2. Reminds me a lot of Psalm 2 verses 4 and 5 were some to says, the kings of the earth set themselves and their rulers. Take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed. Well, that's exactly what's taken place here that Kings of
Kane in here have come together to join forces in order to defeat Israel and we saw a much too much. The same thing in the Book of Mark. How even enemies one with another jorn at join forces, and the Pharisees and the herodians again. You know, they hated one another, they were enemies, but yet they join join forces. In an effort to come up with a plot to destroy Jesus. And then also, you see another
Coming together and Evil coming together with Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate. And, you know, we're still seeing the same kind of alliances formed Even in our day of groups that are at really at odds with one, another who are coming together, just to, you know, snuff out or in their minds, try to Snuff out Christianity in the things of God. Our enemy is very deceptive. In verses 3, through 5. We see just how deceptive they are. Notice? What these Kings. Plot together verses 3 through 5. It says, but when the inhabitants of gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and AI they work practically. And went and pretended to be an ambassador's, and they took old sacks on their donkeys old wineskins torn, and mended old, and patched sandals on their feet, in the old garments on themselves and all the bread of their provision was dry. And moldy and so when the gibeonites hers at the Israelites were headed to and in their Direction They devised a scheme in order to trick Israel and to making a peace treaty with an So, they dressed in old clothes. They Carried old wine and old bread and pretended that they had come from a Faraway that did everything in their power to trick Israel. And here is a tremendous picture of our enemy and how deceptive he is.
The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:11 that we fight an enemy that uses Wiles, beware the Wiles of the devil. The word wild is what we get our English word method from. It refers to deceit and trickery very cunning. Our enemy is very deceptive in our enemy, Satan would like nothing more than to trip you up and cause you to fall into one of his traps. Paul says, this and 1st Timothy, 37 tells us that Satan uses snares. To catch his prey. So, Satan uses deceptive methods, just like the people of gibeon did. And again, the gibeonites. Really their entire aim was to watch Creek Israel. The devil longs to deceive you, he longs to trick you. He will make his plan appear to be the perfect plan for your life. So this is why I that we should and must check out all of the things that come our way with the word of God. Check out everything by the word of God and listen to the Holy Spirit. And the Lord will always lead you in the right direction. so we notice the gibeonites, we notice how methodical they are in the evil way, but notice also the words they said in versus 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 Then the men of Israel said to have I have I perhaps you dwell Among Us. So how can we make a covenant with you? But they said to Joshua, we are your servants and Joshua said to them. Who are you and where do you come from? So they said to him from a very far country, your servants have come because of the name of the Lord your God but we have heard of his Fame and all that he did in Egypt and all that, he did to the two kings of the amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sian it, king of his van and August king of Bashan, who was that a straw? Therefore, take our elders and in all the inhabitants of our country, our country spoke to us saying, take Provisions with you, and for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, we are your servants. Now, therefore, make a covenant with us, this bread of ours, we took hot for our provision, from our houses, on this day. On the day, we departed to come to you but now look, it is dry and moldy. You notice how many times in these verses that the people of gibeon lied? They, they used claim that they claim to be something that they were not. And again, this is a perfect picture of how our enemy. The devil operates, he is a liar and he is the father of Lies.
He will use slick and enticing speech to get you to yield to his plan for your life. And really he practice this type of deception and trickery in the Garden of Eden when he talked to Eve in Genesis chapter 3 verses 1 through 6. He convinced Eve that she should question God's word.
He convinced Eve that God did not really mean. What he had said he convinced. He's that God was keeping his best blessing for himself that he was somehow holding out on her. In other words, the devil will give you every reason in the world to justify the things he wants you to do. And then when you have followed him and you are out of the will of God, he will get rid of you. He will discard you like a piece of trash and let you rot in your sins.
I can't help. But wonder what did the devil say? Ducane. Before he murdered his own brother Abel. What was it that convinced Kane? That that was the right thing to do. What is the devil tell David to get him to sleep with Bathsheba? What did the devil tell Judas to get him to betray the Lord. Jesus Christ for a 30 pieces of silver.
1st Peter, 5:8 houses, what the devil is up to even today he is like a lion lion seeking whom he may devour.
The devil wants. You he wants your family wants your marriage. He wants your children. He wants your testimony. He wants the church.
Notice how not only how deceptive our enemy is but notice our enemy is also very destructive. Very destructive. Verses 13 and 14 says and these wineskins would work, fieldwork, new and see, they are torn. And these are 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. We noticed that number 7 that Joshua initially was very skeptical of these so-called ambassadors. He questioned them about their origin and verse 8.
But Joshua was more than impressed. He believed their story.
Notice.
How we must also.
What Joshua failed to do, we must be building a Village Inn in doing the Bible says, the verse 14 that Israel 8 with the gibeonites and did not even take the matter to the Lord in prayer is very amazing. How the Lord puts that they're just for a purpose. Very clear picture.
Then the men of Israel took some of their Provisions to take bread with someone in that day was considered to be a sign of unalterable friendship. But what they considered to be the right thing to do, turned into a problem because they did not take that time to take the matter to the Lord in prayer. First, and as a result, they stepped out of the will of God and they had them to suffer the consequences. I wonder how many times has this been true in your life and in my life, how many times have we made decisions and done things that we just did not take the time to pray about? We do not seek counsel from the Lord and we didn't seek counsel from God's men.
Listen God's will, is that we seek his face. And that we give him time to give us an answer. Exodus 14:13 tells us to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall Mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. Psalm 27 verse 14 tells us wait on the Lord. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say on the Lord. God expects expects, his people to seek his will to wait on his answer. Notice. Because of their alliance with Israel. Israel was no longer a separated people. Vs 15. 321 says 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? Then the children of Israel, journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now, their cities were gibeon chevre, the raw and kerr. Could you ask grm But the children of Israel did not attack them because of rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel and all the congregation complained against the rulers. Then all the ruler said to all the congregation, we have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them. This we will do this, we will do to them. We will let them live last wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them, and the ruler said to them let them live but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the time rogation as of rulers had promised them.
So when these verses we see that the Israelites ability to be got separated, people was hindered by their decision to make a covenant with the gibeonites. God had told him to utterly, destroy the inhabitants of Canaan and to make no covenants with the people of Canaan at all, Deuteronomy 7:2 is with Lord tells them through Moses and when the Lord that God shall deliver them before the downtown, Smite them and utterly destroy them down, shall not. Make no Covenant with them nor show Mercy to them, but yet we see Joshua doing the exact opposite of that. I disobeyed the Lord.
I noticed. Thirdly, how our enemy can be defeated.
Notice that Joshua confronted.
these people when Joshua found out that these people had gone that what they had done, he went straight to them, you were abuse and he confronted them about their sin, verse 22 tells us then Josh book called for them and he spoke to them saying, why have you deceived us saying that we are very far from you when you dwell near us And so there is no question that Joshua in Israel made a mistake when they dealt with the gibeonites. However, mistakes do not have to spell permanent ruined us. What happens in verse 27, And that day, Joshua met them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation. And for the altar of the Lord in the place, which he would choose even to this day. And so, when Josh will realize the seriousness of what they had done, he immediately took the necessary steps then to control the situation. Now, they cannot kill them because they have given them the word, but they can control them. Notice.
How this parallel to our life and there will be times when we will step out of the Lord's will and commit sin. That's just the fact we're not perfect. We're always really time that we step out of God's will. However, the mistake we make in following the devil, do not have to be permanent. They do not have to destroy us completely. Thank the Lord. There is Promised forgiveness. There is restoration. If we would turn to him and repentance.
Now, this is not mean that we won't have to deal with the consequences of our sin. I mean, Galatians 6:7 towels is be not deceived. God is Not mocked for whatsoever. A man sows that shall he also reap? So just because we receive forgiveness and restoration does not mean that we automatically bypass the Sinful see that? We have song. But yet we can.
Receive even the consequences of sin with meekness knowing that, hey, I'm suffering because of the mistakes I made, but I'm right with God. God has forgiven me And I am restored in my relationship with Christ. And my fellowship is Christ.
It's about God's grace. We need to learn from our sins and we need to learn from our failures, even learn from other people's sins and failures. You know, when we hear someone falling into seeing and falling into a snare that the devil has set out, we should never look upon that person to say, well, I guess I was weak or that girl was a week. Now we should look at that with humility saying, you know what, that could happen to us. that could happen to us if I let my guard down, That can happen to me. We need to learn from those things. Not belittle someone else's sin.
And again, we see what Israel did with the gibeonites verse 27 says, they took them and they put them to work. For the children of Israel, carrying the water and chopping the wood for the Tabernacle of the Lord soda may I ask who this is Joshua. He took his mistake, he took his failure and he used it for the glory of God. That's what I gather out of this Joshua took his mistake and he used it for God. And how this one at each of us at our sins and mistakes. Do not have to knock this out of the Lord's work, completely. What the devil meant for your defeat can be turned into the source of your greatest victories if you will allow the Lord to have his way. Even in your failures. Now, we cannot undo the things that we have done, but we can bring them to Jesus and he can use them to help us grow in him. You have your failures, do not have to defeat you forever. And I do not have to Define you that because of God's grace is bigger is greater than your sin. As Romans 5:20 says where sin abounds Grace, much more abounds. We praise the Lord for that. Sue has a lot of things we can learn out of this chapter Joshua, chapter number 9 and the deception of the gibeonites. How most importantly Joshua did not seek counsel from the Lord.