Joshua was born as Hoshea, but Moses renamed him Joshua, which means “the Lord is salvation.” He was chosen by God to lead the Israelites after Moses’ death. History knows Joshua for his courage, faithfulness, and obedience to God. One of the most significant events associated with Joshua is the conquest of Canaan, the land God had promised to the descendants of Abraham. Under Joshua’s leadership, the Israelites miraculously crossed the Jordan River. They marched around Jerrico once with all the armed men and did this for six days. Priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, they all march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. With a long blast on the trumpets, the entire army gave a loud shout, and the city walls collapsed. Quickly, the reputation of both the Israelites and their God spread throughout the promised land that Joshua was about to enter.
The specific instructions for Joshua’s leadership in conquering Canaan are outlined in various passages throughout the Book of Joshua. One notable instance is in Joshua 1:1-9, where God speaks to Joshua and encourages him to be strong and courageous. The instructions include the command to meditate on the Book of the Law, day and night, to follow God’s commands, and to lead the Israelites in the conquest of their promised land. This story allows us to see how God deals with the leaders of nations.
According to the biblical account in (Joshua 9), the Gibeonites were inhabitants of the city of Gibeon, which was one of the Hivite cities in the land of Canaan. Gibeon was approximately 6 miles (10 kilometers) northwest of Jerusalem. The archaeological ruins of Gibeon have been identified at a site called El-Jib. The people were descendants of the Amorites (2 Samuel 21:2). When the Israelites, led by Joshua, were conquering the promised land, the Gibeonites decided to use a ruse to avoid being destroyed by the Israelites. They sent a delegation to Joshua, pretending to be travelers from a distant land, and asked to make a treaty with the Israelites. However, Israel was forbidden to make peace with any of the tribes of Canaan (Exodus 23:23-24). God’s specific commands were to destroy them.
(Joshua 9:3-6)1NIV New International Version Translations – “However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread in their food supply was dry and moldy. Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.’”
This story is important to history because it shows three things: (1) Peace through strength works–Joshua’s reputation along with God’s reputation brought fear to their enemies; (2) The extent to which an enemy will use deceit to survive—the history of wars are filled with deceit; and (3) the risks of implementing strategies without our God are very real! The Israelites soon discovered they had been tricked by the Gibeonites and discussed among themselves how to respond. The leaders of Israel decided:
(Joshua 9:19–21) – “‘We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.’ They continued, ‘Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.’ So the leaders’ promise to them was kept.”
Despite being entrapped by deception, the Israelites did the right thing, upholding their oath, and did not harm the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites were made into servants for the service of the Tabernacle. The Gibeonites, through their cunning, managed to secure a covenant with the Israelites that spared them from destruction. No harm, no foul, right? Let’s take a closer look at how a nation’s leaders were forced into an ethical corner and, with God’s help this time, found a way out.
No one likes to be deceived. We teach our children not to lie and administer punishment if they do. Yet, lying and disobedience are part of humanity. The big mistake was that Joshua had not sought the counsel of the LORD before making a covenant with the Gibeonites. Today, we might relate that to forgetting to do a careful review of God’s Truth and pray before making decisions that affect a nation. Joshua made peace with them, making a covenant with Gibeon. The ruse by Gibeon was working perfectly. In Joshua 16-20, Israel’s leaders discovered that they had been deceived. The Israelites responded appropriately by keeping their sworn oath to the Gibeonites. Later, King Saul would break this vow and his sin would bring famine for three years upon Israel (2 Samuel 21:1-9). The Gibeonites were enslaved, but their hearts were in the right place.
(Psalm 84:10) – “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”
The people of Gibeon had decided to embrace the God of Israel. What we have here is an example of Godly leadership. Joshua did what was right under the circumstances. He was caught in an ethical dilemma between his obligation to the Gibeonites and his obligation to God. Once Joshua perceived the problem, he acted with the wisdom that came from above. First, Joshua rescued (the Gibeonites) from the Israelites, and the Israelites did not kill them (Joshua 9:26). Joshua lived up to the meaning of his name: “Salvation.” Joshua became their redeemer and protector from the wrath of Israel. This is a demonstration of God’s mercy.
We are commissioned by God to save our enemies if we can and only destroy them if we must. Our leaders must always remember that deceit in world affairs is common. Relying on God’s Truth, trusting in His Wisdom, and seeking His counsel is not a weakness of leadership; it is a necessity of leadership. The solution to Joshua’s mistake was redemptive (Joshua 9:26-27). Though the Gibeonites were enemies of the Israelites, the eventual incorporation of the Gibeonites into Israel showed them the mercy and grace of God available to all people. Thus, Joshua 9 reveals the need for believers in Christ to pray concerning all major decisions and to seek His will before moving forward. The fact that the Lord held the Israelites to their covenant with the Gibeonites shows that God requires the faithfulness of His people. Breaking a covenant, no matter who it is with, is serious. The Gibeonites went on to become part of the new Jewish nation. Did it matter? Gibeon is mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:7) as one of the towns resettled by the Jewish exiles returning from the Babylonian captivity. The population there would help rebuild the walls of Jerusalem during the reign of Artaxerxes.
Contemplations
- Do you think our enemies still fear our God?
- Ideas to Explore: What in today’s world would make our enemies fear us? Do you think our enemies see us as Godly people? Do you think we choose leaders who strike fear into our enemies? Do our leaders fear our God?
- What benefits do you see in leadership that keeps its word and honors its covenants with its people and other nations?
- Ideas to Explore: Is it easier to make peace? Is it easier to create national unity?
- What signs (behavior) would you expect to see in a nation’s leaders if they honored God?
- Ideas to Explore: If we do not hold our own nation’s leaders accountable to God, what risks do you see?
- 1NIV New International Version Translations