International Negotiations

Background to passage: After reaffirming their covenant relationship with God and drawing close to him following Achan’s sin, the Israelites stand poised to continue possessing the land of promise, then they are approached by a group of people who have heard and want to make a treaty, and alliance with them.

Joshua 9 ESV

1 As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, 2 they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel. 3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4 they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, 5 with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. 6 And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” 7 But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” 8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” 9 They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. 11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.” ’ 12 Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. 13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” 14 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. 15 And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them. 16 At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them. 17 And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18 But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. 19 But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. 20 This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” 21 And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them. 22 Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us? 23 Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” 24 They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. 25 And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” 26 So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. 27 But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place that he should choose.

Opening illustration: When Thomas Edison was asked about his many failures in his attempts to develop the light bulb, he said, “I have not failed. I’ve found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Main thought: This morning we will look at three lessons about failure in dealing with others.

I am going to talk a lot about failure today. I hope to do it in light of warning and service to avoid it. However, I just want to note up front that there are at least two things that we see that are positive. Let me make note of them before I forget. The motivation for this deception that led to failure was that God was feared by the nations. Secondly, even in their mistake, Joshua and the leaders of Israel acted with integrity.

1) Failure of Due Diligence (v. 11-14)

Joshua 9:11–14 ESV

11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.” ’ 12 Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. 13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” 14 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.

1) Failure of Due Diligence (v. 11-14)

Explanation: The men of Israel only looked at the provisions provided them, and listened to the story told them. They did not have AI or Google. They did not have experts in international relations on staff. However, they did understand espionage (Rahab). They did understand scouting parties. They had knowledge that there would be other people groups in Canaan. They only looked at the painfully obvious. The Gibeonites had set it up well, and all they had to do was play the part just right.

There could have been a week long waiting period. There could have been deeper investigation. There could have been gathering of evidence. They didn’t use the tools at hand.

Argumentation:

Illustration: I watched a medical drama last year, and in one of the seasons one of the main character doctors began to date another younger doctor. They dated a long time. They moved in together and began discussing marriage. They were discussing places and times and their families coming. Then they began to talk about children. He wanted children, she didn’t. Both were very firm. Discussion after discussion, argument after argument, neither would budge. So, they broke up. It may not have come up on the first date, but surely before you start talking about which guests to seat where at the wedding, maybe that should be discussed? Had someone that I sent an email to regarding a ministry here at WHBC. She asked if she could meet with me, and didn’t say about what. When we met, she wanted to know what exactly would be expected of her in this ministry.

Application: How often do we jump headlong into situations that turn out to our detriment? If we asked certain questions. The book of Proverbs warns against hasty decisions. It warns of evaluating people and things on appearance only. What about a job we take? Do we ask questions about what we are going to make? Do we ask what days we are going to work? Do you ask what exacted you are expected to do?

Do we join this club? Do we play with this team? When we shop on Amazon, do we read the customer reviews? When we vote do we know what policies and positions the candidates hold? When we walk through deep valleys to we seek the wisdom of those who have been there?

As a church do we do our research on out ministries? On our town? Do our theological commitments affect those whom we support? As we walk through Refocus the perspectives of others, the trends in our culture, the culture and trends of our church are all tools that must be used to avoid pitfalls. God expects us to use our brains and the resources available to us.

2) Failure to Seek God’s Direction (v. 14)

Joshua 9:14 ESV

14 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.

2) Failure to Seek God’s Direction (v. 14)

Explanation: The important part of the verse to this point, and probably to the whole passage is the second half of this verse. Even if they only looked at the trickery, God was not tricked. Even if they bought the story, God knew the truth. They did not ask. Remember the defeat at Ai? Joshua and the elders of Israel immediately fell on their faces before God and pleaded with him for the answer?

Proverbs 4:27 ESV

27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

Isaiah 30:21 ESV

21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

Illustration: Abraham was told to go to settle in Canaan. When he got there, a famine was ravishing the land, so he went to Egypt. God didn’t tell him to go to Egypt. He didn’t ask God if he could or should go to Egypt. In Egypt he lied about Sarah, and somewhere along the way picked up Hagar, then Sarah had her bright idea to help God with keeping his promise, and their descendents have been fighting among nations ever since.

Application: We are to use the resources God gives, but we are also to submit our lives unto him. Jesus said, how can you call yourselves my disciples but do not do what I say? But often we don’t even seek his way. We say that Jesus is the Lord of our lives, but we don’t seek the will of the only One who is perfect. When we say it like that, it doesn’t make any sense.

How many messes have we gotten into because we go and do our own thing? How many of you have taken a job, purchased a car, gotten married, taken a vacation, or had arguments because you didn’t ask the Lord what you should do?

1) We need to get into the scripture. It tells us who we should marry. It tells us how to foster godly relationships. It tells us what to do with our money. 2) We must spend our time in prayer. Those of you who have been born again have the Spirit of God indwelling you. He is the one who knows the mind of the Lord. Want to seek God’s will for your life? Ask the Spirit to be clear with you on how to proceed. When you want to know where to serve, ask God. When he answers, get to it. 3) Ask godly counsel. God has given us the church (and God has given you to the church) and we help guide each other.

The church as a whole is also the guidance factor in the life of the body. When the body as a whole is convinced of a particular path, we move in that direction. In Revelation, Jesus spoke to the churches, and to Philadelphia he said that he was going to open a door for them that no man could shut. The church was to see the door, and start walking. Refocus is a door that was opened to us through some conversations with specific individuals about other things, and now we walk through it as a church. We welcome up front the will of God for our church. Everything is on the table. He owns it all.

3) Results of Failures (v. 18-21)

Joshua 9:18–21 ESV

18 But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. 19 But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. 20 This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” 21 And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them.

3) Results of Failures (v. 18-21)

Explanation: 1) Discord among the people. 2) Loss of some promised land. 3) Spiritual threats from pagan peoples. 4) Required defense in the next chapter.

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

John 10:10 ESV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Illustration: Kodak was founded in 1880, and produced the Kodak camera in 1888. It ruled globally in every area of film. In 1975, it produced the first digital camera, but their lack of expansion into the digital world eventually allow competitors to take market share. Once they realized they missed the boat, they filed for bankruptcy. It cost hundreds of millions of dollars, thousands of jobs, city of Rochester a decade of economic growth, and it only continues through multiple split off companies.

Application: Satan is the great deceiver. He wants you to fall for falsehoods, bad theology, improper biblical interpretation. He wants you to adopt cultural trends, to bend moral principles, and play the hypocrite. He wants you to act unchristian toward your brothers and sisters in Christ. Assume the worst about them. Hold grudges against them. Talk about them behind their backs. Refuse to forgive. He wants you to demand your way, insist on your preferences, and offended constantly.

He wants you to buy into the status quo. He wants an apathetic church who doesn’t care about 3.2 billion people considered unreached with the gospel. He wants one who doesn’t care about 60,000 people in Troup County who live far from God. He wants a church that is inward focused. He wants a church that operates in a business as usual mentality, we come in, go through the motions, are not affected by the gospel, see no transformation in our lives, don’t serve, don’t give, don’t pray, don’t go…that’s what Satan wants.

God wants repentance and faith. God wants us to live out our purpose in life. God wants revival and revitalization in this church. God wants us to be radically committed to being a disciple of Jesus, shining brightly for the world to see the glory of Christ. The world needs to see a church that is sold out because they understand their greatest, most valuable treasure is Christ, and they are willing to do anything for Him. What do they see from us? What can they see from us? What will they see from us!

Closing illustration: During World War II, one of the most famous examples of deception was Operation Fortitude. The Allies needed to deceive the German forces about the location of the D-Day invasion to ensure the success of the actual landing in Normandy. To achieve this, they created a massive and intricate ruse.

They set up fake military camps, inflatable tanks, and false radio traffic to suggest that the invasion would occur at Pas de Calais, the narrowest point between Britain and France. Fake paratroopers were dropped in different locations, and even a phantom army group commanded by the highly respected General George Patton was staged to convince the Germans of the false invasion plan.

Through careful planning and execution, the Allies successfully deceived the German command. The Germans diverted significant forces to defend Pas de Calais, leaving Normandy less fortified. This deception was crucial to the success of the D-Day invasion and ultimately contributed to the Allied victory in Europe.

This historical example illustrates the power and importance of dealing with deception effectively. The Allies meticulously planned and executed their deception to achieve a greater goal, understanding both the immediate and long-term impacts of misleading their enemy.

Recap