Ask God's Counsel First - [Joshua 9:14]

Well this morning for a Sunday school I'm gonna gonna sidetrack a little bit, and we're gonna turn to the book of Joshua. So if you have your Bibles, and if you open them to the to the book of Joshua chapter 9 I hope that through the study today. We'll be able to To glean for this new year that is ahead of us.

It's always good to learn from our mistakes in the past. So that our future steps are More perfect before the Lord. And in first Corinthians 10 It says that the scriptures the Old Testament scriptures were written for our example as we look back on the history of the children of Israel and how God dealt with them and we look at the decisions that they made and what they did we can learn from that and Certainly we want to learn when it comes to making proper decisions.

Entering into relationships properly and just overall guidance. That's kind of the theme this morning as we look at Joshua chapter 9. I'm going to read a majority of this chapter. Please follow along with me as I as I read Joshua 9 It came to pass when all the Kings which are on this side Jordan in the hills and in the valleys and in and in all of the coasts of the Great Sea over against Lebanon.

The Hittite The Amorite and the Amorite the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite Heard thereof that they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel with one accord.

And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard that Joshua had done unto Jericho and to AI they did work willily or There's some craftiness going on here some deception and they went and made as if they had been ambassadors and Took old sacks upon their donkeys and wine bottles old and rent and bound up and old shoes Clouded upon their feet and old garments upon them and all of their the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

And they went to Joshua and to the camp of Gilgal and said unto him and to the men of Israel We become from a far country. Now therefore make ye a league with us or make peace with us. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites or Hivites.

I've said both but I think in the pronunciation I see a long so I might do both doesn't matter the Hivites Hivites perventure. Yeah, you dwell among us and how shall we make a league with you if you you live close to us here.

How can we make peace with you. And they said unto Joshua? We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them Who are you and from whence have you come. And they said unto him from a very far country. Thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God.

For we have heard the fame of him and all that he did in his in Egypt and all that he did to the two kings of the Emirates that were beyond Jordan to Sion king of Heshmon and To Og king of Bashan which is at Astaroth wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country Spake to us saying take you victuals or food with you to the journey and go to meet them and say unto them We are your servants therefore now make ye a league with us.

This our bread would we took hot for our provision out of the houses on the day We came forth to go unto you. But now behold it is dry and it is moldy and these bottles of wine which we filled were new and behold they be rent and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey and The men took of their victuals and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.

Joshua made peace with them and made a league with them and let them live. And the princes of the Congregation swear unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them that they heard that they were their neighbors and that they dwelt among them and The children of Israel journey didn't came unto their cities on the third day.

Now their cities were Gibeon and Sapphi Sapphira and be eroth and Kurth Jot Jairam and the children of Israel smote them not. Because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel and all the congregation murmured against the princes.

But all the princes said unto the congregation we have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel now. Therefore we may not touch them this we will do to them we will even let them live less wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swear unto them.

And The princes said unto them let them live but let them be ewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation as The princes had promised them. Joshua called for them and he spake unto them saying wherefore have you beguiled us saying we are very far from you when you dwelt among Us now therefore ye are cursed and there are none of you that will be free from Being bondmen and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God and the answer Joshua and said Because it was certainly told by servants how that the Lord thy God Commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you.

Therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you and have done this. And now behold we are in thine hand that as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us do. And so did he unto them and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel that they slew them not.

And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord even unto This day in the place which he should choose. Let's pray Our father as we look at this passage, we pray that you would Open up our eyes that we might be able to see more perfectly How it is that we ought to think when it comes to making decisions When it comes to putting one foot in front of the other.

How we ought to order our steps. We pray that we might have wisdom. We might have insight here from your word that that would help us So that we would not make mistakes. So that we would do that which we would be right Before you and that we might be a wise people Choosing to go in the way That would be correct.

So we pray that the Spirit of God would teach us and help us and Lord that you would use this time to profit us so that when we do live and we do decide and we do enter interrelationships and we do make promises.

That we would be a people of integrity that we would be a people who would Live in such a way that we would bring glory and honor to Christ. Please teach us in his name. Amen. I My meditations this week when it comes to this account of what had taken place as you remember the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt and God delivered them out of the hand of Pharaoh with a mighty arm and brought them through the wilderness wanderings and Then it was time to enter into the land that God had promised them the land of Canaan as they're going into Canaan.

Of course, there's the victory at Jericho. And then there is the temporary defeat at AI and then there is the repentance and the getting things right with Aiken who had stolen That which taken that which he shouldn't have taken and God gave them victory again at AI and then as they're going through the land it is city after city and what happens in this chapter here is that there is a group of people who Have heard of the greatness of what God is doing.

And they are afraid for their lives the Gibeonites and they trick Joshua and the leaders to think that they were close. I mean that they weren't close that they were from far away. And in so doing Joshua and the leaders make a league with them they they make peace with them and And And it was a trouble to them it was not the right way for them it was not the right decision for them and we're going to see why and Hopefully we'll learn from it so that we don't fall into the same trap so that we don't do the same thing.

So that we're very very careful when it comes To making decisions to knowing what to do when it comes to go to going forward. The first thing the first point that I'd like to consider here is that it is always right to obey God.

The first first and foremost it is always right to obey God now you you listen to this account and these men come and They say we come from a far country and look at our clothes. They're all worn out.

Look at look at look at our food. It's all moldy. Look at the the wineskins that we have they're they're decrepit and we've had to patch them and so make a league with us and Joshua and the men they look at this and Really when it when it comes and in verse 6 when Joshua.

And when they went to Joshua into the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel We become from a far country now therefore make ye a league with us. The first question and somebody asked me this question Friday at the home group basically say what do you do in this?

Situation and my my counsel was in any situation. Really the first thing that we must do is rely upon our own understanding right? Absolutely, not. We just look to our self-confidence. We can handle this one.

You know what happens when we do that. Usually we fall it fails. It's a flop. It's a mess until We go and do what what does God think about this situation? What is the mind of God here? What is it that the Word of God would lead us to do?

What is it that and that's what I believe what what is it that we ought to be doing to obey God in this? Situation and really it sadly that did not enter into their minds at this point. I'll kind of cover a little bit why but wouldn't the red flags have gone up?

What is what are the children of Israel supposed to be doing with this land somebody tell me? What are they doing as they're going in? There they're conquering this land and What they're supposed to do as Kyle said wiping everybody out.

There is supposed to be total annihilation of the inhabitants there's an elimination of the inhabitant inhabitants and of course we would have the. The naysayers cry out today saying you know well, that's that's unloving and that's unkind, but let us.

You know no matter what it sounds like or no matter how it feels. Or whether it feels good, or it doesn't feel good. It's always right to obey God and let us look here hold your place here and just turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 7.

Deuteronomy the second the book that is the the name having to do with the second law or The second giving of the law or the reiteration of the law you'll remember that when the children of Israel were coming out of Egypt and then they come and they're entering into the promised land again and go and they send the spies in and you remember that There were ten that were unfaithful and Joshua And Caleb were faithful and they believed that what they could do it and the ten said no the the congregation the people were.

We're gonna say no. We're not gonna go in. They were faithless to believe God and God judged them with the wanderings in the wilderness and in that wilderness wandering you'll remember the generation died off and Only Joshua and Caleb were the ones that were alive and everybody that was 20 under 20.

There were the new generation that was going to go into the land. They needed to hear the law again, and that's the book of Deuteronomy second law get second reader iteration of the law so they're gonna get the they're gonna get the word of what God commanded Moses for them to do as They enter into the land chapter 7.

Deuteronomy 7 when the Lord thy God Shall bring thee into the land with a thou goest to possess it and has cast out many nations before thee. Who are the first ones here? Look it says the the the Hittites.

Okay, and then it says the Gurgis ites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the parasites and the Hivites or the Hivites who are they? Did we just read about them in Joshua chapter 9? That's the get where the Gibeonites lived that's of the area of Gibeon where the Hivites live said these people here when these people when you go in and God has cast them out in The Jebusites seven nations greater and mighty than thou when the Lord thy God verse 2 shall deliver them before thee.

Thou shalt smite them and utterly destroy them. Thou shalt make no covenant with them nor show mercy unto them. Wow, that's a that is the God of the Old Testament as people would say he is just fire and brimstone.

There's no mercy. It's all judgment. It's hail and it's just you know, wipe them out. Why would God say this? Why was it that God would not would say to them when you go in? Eliminate the enemy. Let's read on it's always good to do that, right?

Verse 3 neither shalt thou make marriages with them. Thy daughter shalt not thou shalt not give unto his son nor his daughter shalt I'll take unto thy son for they will turn away your son from following me if you intermarry the there is going to be this influence and it's always always always the influence of.

Especially when when you try to mix in this in this way. It says it says here that they will turn your sons or your children from following me that they may serve other gods. So will be the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and destroy these suddenly.

But this shall you deal with them? You shall destroy verse 5 their altars and break down their Images and cut down their groves and burn their graven images with fire for you are a holy people unto the Lord thy God.

The Lord thy God has chosen you to be a special people unto himself above all the people that are on the face of the Earth. There's supposed to be this separation. There's supposed to be this distinction.

There is a holy people and an unholy people and God is going to use the nation Israel to judge this wicked land. He's going to use them use them to be to pour out his judgment upon the sinful nation because Their sin deserves to be punished.

There are not unholy people that will not seek after God they hate God. They have these false images they're false. They're idolaters. They're heathen. They're pagan and God is going to judge them and not only that they.

If they are not eliminated would lead Israel into idolatry and to immorality. You will notice in chapter 7 just so that I can. There's another wording here about what it is that they were supposed to do.

Look at verse 15 and the Lord will take away from all you your sicknesses as they come into the land. We'll put none of these diseases of Egypt upon you which you know and will lay them all upon Those that hate you.

Notice verse 16 and thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee thine I shall have no pity upon them neither shalt thou serve their gods for that will be a snare unto You.

I think there's maybe one more verse in this chapter. Yes. Look at verse 24. And he shall deliver their kings into your hand and thou shall destroy Their name from under heaven. There shall be no man be able to stand before thee until you have destroyed them all.

That was the command that was the marching orders from God. Back in Joshua chapter 9. When these people came to Joshua and said we're from a far country. Now therefore a make ye a league with us at least make peace with us at least the first thing that should have come to Their mind and should come to our mind when it comes to any Situation that presents itself.

We just need to take care. We need to make sure that the first thing that we are going to do is obey God. We're gonna walk in the way of God and we're gonna know what God has told us already. It's not going to change.

God doesn't change his mind as far as what he's commanded us to do and we're gonna be careful first of all that we Obey the Lord. Secondly. The point that I'd like to make here is don't believe. Everything you see in here when it comes to making decisions when it comes to entering into relationships.

Don't believe everything that you see in here. It is okay to deliberate. It is okay to wait. It is okay to examine the situation. It's alright at first to say I'm either gonna wait or just to say no. I'm not going to make a decision right now.

We're going to see that what happened here is they made a hasty decision. They didn't do that, which is right first in order to make a good decision here. But I think it's important for us to consider when we're presented with situations when people say things.

When people when we hear things. Paul warned the church at Ephesus the elders and he said as soon as I leave you be careful. Because there are going to be some wolves that are going to come in among the flock.

So there will be there could be wolves in sheep's clothing. There are tears who are sown among the wheat and we need to watch and we need to pray and we need to be careful. And not be hasty and look around and examine what it is.

That's being told us or it's being presented to us. You'll notice that when when these Gibeonites came. What they did was they showed them these things and you know, it's interesting when Joshua asked them.

He says in verse 9. They said that said to Joshua. We are thy servants and Joshua said unto them. Who are you and whence have you come from or where have you come from? He never gets an answer. They don't tell him they cover it up earlier on when he asked that we're from a far country verse 6 and notice what they Do in verse 9 and they sent unto him from a very far country.

Thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord your God. But they never get an answer. He never presses for that and I believe it's important for us to press for the answers. Don't take it at face value.

Especially when we're going to pour out our lives and try to help somebody it's okay to help and it's okay. It's okay to to or when we're going to enter into a relationship. Certainly when it comes to a marriage or a business relationship or a friendship or we promise that we're going to do something for somebody.

It's okay. Even if the person is a Christian to ask questions. To get the full story so that so that the wool isn't pull over our eyes so that we aren't abused or taken advantage of or Or used in any situation so that people won't drain the life out of us.

What we what we need to do is just to be careful. To make sure that we at first don't just rely as these people did they used their senses? Their physical senses, but they didn't use reason. They weren't really thinking in our family.

We have this saying when we do something that isn't quite right. What were you thinking? Where were you at when you made when you made that decision and and they did not do that because They really did just accept what they saw and they accepted what they heard.

But not everyone keeps their word do they and not everyone has our best interest at heart the world is full of people who are going to try to get and To try to do and to swindle and to and to abuse and we just need to be careful now we hope that within the church we of course we would act with with fidelity and integrity and Faithfulness to each other and we'd be honest to each other.

But you know when we're dealing with those that are outside of the church. Everybody doesn't think like we do and we think biblically and with a Christlike mind to try to do things that are absolutely above board and Be careful.

That's why I believe the Bible speaks much about separation. You know in 2nd Corinthians 7 where it says Where it or I think it's at the end of 6. Where it says that we're to come out from among them and be separate says the Lord.

You know, what Concord does Christ have with Belial? You know this you that has to do. Not only when it comes to marriage and when it comes to friendships, but when it comes to business relationships.

We ought to be very careful when we enter into some type of a covenant or promise with somebody. Be careful that you just don't take it at face value. It's okay to investigate ask questions and Joshua here I believe when he asked that question He should have been a he should have gotten from them first exactly where they came from.

But he didn't. Third point. That I'd like to make this morning. Wait a minute. I think I might have a couple of notes here in my margin about the second point. Some people may befriend you for selfish gain.

They might try to do that. It's it's okay. Like I said to investigate to wait to deliberate don't don't always give an answer up front. It's okay. Just to hold off and say I'll come back to you in 24 hours or 48 hours.

Even even when it comes to entering or signing a contract. Deliberate a little bit somebody is Somebody I've begun to do this more at work. I think I may have shared it with you just to think about how you're how you're coming across in relationships with other people and when I.

When I I'm gonna fire off an email at work when it comes to Some important agreement that I'm coming to or if I'm promising something. We have this little thing where you can save it as a draft. Save his draft beep it goes off to the side and I walk away and I go do a little bit of work and I Think about it, then I go back and read that and say do I really want to commit to this?

Do I really want to send this you know when you fire off that email, and you wish you never did. You Wish you could just reach out over the the data communication line and pull it back. Well, just be careful whenever you say that you're gonna do something.

First do your homework and you know and when it comes to helping other people. Like I said, there are times when they may not be up and on the up and up with you. I remember in Pastoring the church over in West Brookfield one of the most difficult things to do when it came to helping other people was the continual knock On the door or the call on the phone.

Could you please help us? We're in we're in big need. We need this bill paid. We don't have any food. And for the most part we didn't turn people away when when it came to the to getting help. But there are times you know that after a second or third time.

You know that somebody is not quite being honest with you. Or how about doing this. I really recommend and this is kind of a side note that when it comes to helping people Please please try to remember first of all to give them something tangible give them something physical.

Just don't give money people that are asking for a handout because you know there are folks that are that are so controlled by sin and by By you know drunkenness or drugs or whatever wherever it is that they're looking to get the money for but if you see somebody who is Needing food they say to you I need food.

Could you please give me some money? You know what one of the practices that I do is I say if you would just wait here I will be back in five minutes. And I'll go get you something to eat. And I'll drive over to McDonald's or whatever get whatever it is that they need something quick and come right back.

I've had people actually say no I don't want I don't want that and so you know that their motive is not for the need that they were saying that they Had they've got some other agenda, but that's a whole different subject.

Why it's right being wise Is is what I'm kind of saying in that point okay third point don't do the first thing that comes to your mind. When it comes to making decisions When it comes to putting one foot in front of the the other don't do the first thing that comes to your mind.

Here that they came. These give me nights came and they and they with this deceit With this with this guile, and they've covered up their true motives and what happens is is before he investigates before Joshua and the leaders here investigate and Really check this out.

They hear this testimony. And I'm sure because the in verse 9 when the gibbonite said be we've come from a far country. And we are your servants because of the name of the Lord your God for we have heard the fame of him and all that he Did in Egypt and all that he did to the Kings and so was on so-and-so and just kind of ingratiating them.

And it's like you know they bought it the first thing they do is is they they jump right into this thing and and they Make a league with them and what this is is this is hastiness. This is rashness, and we ought not to ever enter into any type of major decision or major Covenant or promise that we make or a relationship or a business endeavor or a marriage relationship or Whatever it might be in A rash way, I'm not going to turn there, but Proverbs 19 to says that rashness or hastiness results in sin.

It just is a place. I mean if we if we're hasty it can result in sin in Proverbs 21 5 it leaves you in want it can leave you at a loss. If you are hasty in Proverbs 29 verse 20 it makes us look worse than a fool.

Because we are to be a wise people aren't we we're to exercise wisdom and judgment and discernment When it comes to our lives in and they did not do that here. And I want you to I want you to consider this.

It wasn't because they entered into this league that that was the sin because There were provisions for the children of Israel to enter into league with some of these nations. It just wasn't the ones that were close inside of Canaan.

The ones that were in Canaan all the cities within the land that God had promised to them. Those were to be annihilated those were to be by the hand of God as God through God's command judged by because of their sin and removed from their presence so that they would not be tainted influenced and in their hearts to be taken away from God and They would themselves be caught up in idolatry.

They were to be Eliminated, but if you if you would like to hold your place here and turn back to the book of Deuteronomy again where the law was reiterated to them. Chapter 20. Deuteronomy 20. We read these words starting in verse 11.

I believe it is I'll start in verse 10. Deuteronomy 20 verse 10. When you come nigh unto a city to fight against it then proclaim peace unto it offer peace to a city. These are some of the cities that were outside on the on the outskirts the the cities that were farther away.

Verse 11. And it shall be if it make thee an answer of peace and open unto Open unto thee then it shall be that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee and they shall serve thee.

And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee then thou shalt besiege it and When the Lord thy God has delivered it into thy hands I'll shout smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword.

But the women and the little ones and the cattle they would take the spoil in verse 14. Verse 15. Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee see the difference there. There are cities that were far off that they could make a league with them.

They could offer them peace and if they would say yes, we'll be at peace with you. We'll become your servants then that was fine. If they didn't then they would kill the males and take all the spoil the women and the children and all Their animals and everything that they had in verse 16.

But of the cities of these people which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance thou shalt save alive. Nothing that breathes. That's if that's if they don't. Right if they don't enter into it, there's there's destruction, but thou shalt utterly destroy them and now he's going back and he's talking.

These are the cities that were close by inside verse 17. But thou shalt utterly destroy them namely the Hittites the Amorites the Canaanites Perizzites Hivites Jebusites as Lord God commanded thee that they teach you not to do after all their abominations.

Which they have done unto unto their gods. So should you sin against the Lord your God? Close cities inside of Canaan wipe them out far away cities. See if you can make peace with them fine go on with the peace.

And if not, so we go back to Joshua chapter 9 and we see that these from Gibeon these the Hivites. That came from there and did this. It wasn't wrong for them. It wouldn't have been wrong to settle for peace and if they had Investigated and found out who they really were they could have offered this peace To the nations that were far away, but their error was in being rash.

Not checking out the gibbonite story using their senses and not their reason and when it came to obeying the word of the Lord and Making this rash vow that was their issue. That was the problem here. That's what they should not have done Now.

So I said in this point here don't do the first thing that comes to your mind even if it seems right. How often do we do that? We just run into a decision and we're not even we're not even Engaging discernment or thinking about what this situation is all about what we're being told.

Because maybe it's just immediate. It's an immediate solution to an issue that's presented us. We might be weak and tired and not really thinking and just let something go go by and Come or we might just compromise and just say, you know, it's this is the easy way.

I just can't deal with this right now, but when it comes to living the Christian life. We need to be sober as Peter said first Peter 5 we need to be vigilant we need to be looking about because the attacks are going to come and The situations are going to present themselves to us and we need to be a people who are always as our Lord said.

And I'm just applying this verse watch and pray. That you do not enter into temptation and you look at that. You look at the coupling of those two words throughout the New Testament watch and pray. Watch and pray.

Be careful. Think and look around remember last Sunday night when I was preaching. And I used one of the the ideas in the book of Ephesians that we're to walk. Circumspectly we're to walk carefully. Looking about us always making sure that we will do the right thing and in this case here.

Just don't accept the first thing that came. The first thing that seems to make sense to him you notice that in verse 14 Joshua it says the men Joshua and the men took of their victuals. It's almost as if they sampled the bread and said yeah, this is yuck.

You know and they looked at there and handled the wine skins. They looked at their provisions and they said you know these are these and they looked at the holes in their shoes and the tattered Clothing they it's and they just they'll only use the physical senses, but they weren't spiritually minded.

They weren't engaged with what what does God think about this? And what really should we do and we're gonna get to a very very important point as I move on. But you'll see that they did the first thing you just seemed right to them.

And that's not what we ought to do. Fourthly a short point here is don't ever compromise your convictions. Don't ever compromise your convictions when you believe that God has shown you something from the Word of God and of course.

That's how it is that we are. That we are helped and it is the lamp under our feet and the light under our path. When God shows us a way that we should walk in and we believe that you know, it's biblical.

It's sound. It's healthy it is a way to go and God impresses that truth upon us by the the conviction of the Holy Spirit that it's true and then the Affirmation of the Holy Spirit that that that is exactly what we should do and we bring it into our lives and we walk that way.

Don't vacillate don't waver but be strong and stand strong. That's why I believe in the beginning of the the chapter you will see that You you know that Joshua is the one who is taking over after Moses's death and Moses always.

When he was talking to Joshua he would tell him to be strong and be of good courage and of course the Lord was telling Moses to be strong and of Good courage and do the right thing and Joshua tells the people be strong and of good courage meditate in the Word of God.

Day and night don't waver don't falter because when it comes to when it comes to living the life and of course for them Going into the promised land. It wasn't all going to be peaches and cream. It was fighting.

It was warfare. It was a vigil being vigilant. It was being sober is watching out. It was actually doing engaging yourself in battle. Sound like the Christian life. Certainly, it does we wrestle not against flesh and blood Ephesians 6 but against principalities and powers rulers of wickedness in high places.

It's a it's a daily constant struggle and we need to be on our toes. And making sure that we don't do the first thing that comes to our mind and we don't compromise. Fifthly. Don't put your own counsel before the Lord's counsel.

Don't put your own counsel before The Lord's counsel. Proverbs 28 26. I'd like to read that verse to you. I got to look it up quick here Proverbs 28 and 26. He that trusts in his own heart is a you know, if you're not even look there what do you think he that trusts in his own heart is a Fool, it's foolish and we are fools if we trust In our own thinking our own heart our own judgment, what is this this is self-confidence.

I Mean how many times I've told you I know you probably get tired of this. Maybe there's some one person new who hasn't heard this before. I've used it a couple times but there have been many many times when I have bought something at the store and it requires assembly and I open up the box and I can't be bothered with those instructions.