Israel's Treaty with Gibeon - Joshua 9

Good morning, beloved. We are continuing again this morning, this first Lord's Day of 2026, the year of our

Lord. We're in Joshua chapter 9 this morning. I invite you to turn there with me.

If you recall, last week marked the end of the first section of conquest for Joshua and the people of God.

The nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan River and experienced their first victory in Canaan over the great city of Jericho.

And then God saw fit to humble them for there was sin in the camp and they had their first defeat there at the city of Ai.

Only after dealing with Achan's sin were they finally able to secure their victory over Ai.

And then at the end of chapter 8, as we saw last week, Joshua led the people in this significant covenant renewal ceremony.

This was according to the command of Moses. He had commanded them upon entrance into the promised land where Joshua assembled all the people together.

The men, the women, the children, and even the strangers. Those who were not

Israelites that were among them. They were all assembled together at Sechem. And up on Mount Ebal, Joshua built an altar, which

I didn't mention this last week, but I thought this was interesting. That altar has been discovered by modern archaeologists.

It still stands there on Mount Ebal to this day. There on that mountain, the whole law of Moses was read and all the people affirmed the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience to God's law.

And there on that altar, sacrifices were made. This altar that was made of uncut stones.

No instrument or tool had been used on these stones and their atonement was made.

This symbolizes for us the gospel. We saw it symbolizes that though the nation of Israel would fail to keep covenant with their

God, he, God himself, would provide the necessary atonement for his people.

That they could enjoy the blessing of communion and peace with God. This was a remarkable and beautiful picture of the gospel as the law serves to show us our need of Christ and drive us to him.

Now this didn't happen because everything was settled in the land. It wasn't that the conquest was finished. Far from it.

For immediately after this, our text begins this morning, there's this massive groundswell of opposition to Israel.

But there's one particular nation that we are going to look at this morning whose response to Israel's conquest is unique.

It will be the primary focus of our attention this morning. So I'm going to read now

Joshua chapter 9. We're going to be dealing with the chapter in its entirety this morning.

So I will read through the entire chapter of Joshua chapter 9 and then we'll consider the instruction the

Holy Spirit has laid before us. And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side of the

Jordan in the hills and in the lowland and in the all the coasts of the great sea toward Lebanon, the

Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perzite, the Hivite, and the

Jebusite heard about it they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one accord.

But then the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai.

They worked craftily and went and pretended to be ambassadors and they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves.

And all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. 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 the Hivites, 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. For 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 Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan who was at Ashteroth.

Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of the country spoke to us saying, take provisions with you for the journey and go and meet them and say to them, we are your servants now therefore make a covenant with us.

This bread of ours we took hot from our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you, but now look it is dry and moldy and these wineskins which we filled were new and see they are torn and these our 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. 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, Siphora, Bireth, and Kirjah -Jerim. But the children of Israel did not attack them because the 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 rulers 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 to them.

We will let them live lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.

And the rulers said to them, let them live but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation as the rulers had promised them.

Then Joshua called for them and he spoke to them saying, why have you deceived us? Saying, we are very far from you when you dwell near us.

Now therefore you are cursed and none of you shall be freed from being slaves, woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my

God. So they answered Joshua and said, because your servants were clearly told that the

Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you.

Therefore we were very much afraid for our lives because of you and have done this thing.

And now here we are in your hands do with us as it seems good and right to do to us.

So he did to them and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel so that they did not kill them.

And that day Joshua made 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. Our Father in heaven, we ask for your help as we consider this text.

Would you help us to rightly glean the wisdom that you have laid before us?

Would you help me to proclaim Christ from this text that he would be glorified, that we would look to him for salvation alone and serve him all of our days.

In his name we pray. Amen. So in considering this chapter, there's three parts of this that we have to work through.

First, the Canaanite nations unifying against Israel. We see that here in the very beginning of the chapter.

And then the next section is the Gibeonites deception. And then finally, the Israelites reaction.

And these first two verses stated very plainly, we see that the nations of Canaan are uniting together to fight against Joshua and all

Israel. This marks a significant shift in at least three ways.

First, these are not mere cities like Jericho and Ai were. These are nations, distinct tribes and people groups that are separate, but here they are uniting together against Israel.

Second, they are, as we said, uniting together. These distinct peoples were known for their savage and violent brutality to one another in the land of Canaan.

They were not peaceful neighbors, but warring factions. And now they're setting aside their hostility amongst each other to unite around this common enemy that they see coming into the land.

And third, we have to recognize the aggressive posture here. Up to this point, we've seen isolated battles, but now these six kings of these six nations and their peoples are gathering together, not for defense, but to fight against Joshua and Israel with one accord.

This of course is a small scale picture of a greater truth. We have the promise that Christ will return to an everlasting kingdom on earth.

When that heavenly city Jerusalem descends and all things are made new, the church, the elect of God, the bride of Christ will one day dwell with him forever on earth.

This is our promised land, and yet the nations that now possess it are opposed to the kingdom of Christ.

But like Joshua, we need not fear, for the promise is sure, and it is secured not by our efforts, but by what

Christ has done and what Christ will do upon his return. So there's this unified aggression against Joshua.

The rest of the chapter then focuses on the Gibeonites. It would seem that they are more crafty, more shrewd than the other nations here, for they take quite a different approach.

As we see in verses three and four, when they saw what had happened to Jericho and Ai, they come up with a plot to deceive.

The text tells us that they pretended to be ambassadors from a distant land.

In verse four, it says they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves, and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

This is quite an elaborate ruse. The idea here is that they want to make it look like they've been traveling for quite a long time from a distant land.

They don't want Joshua or the people of Israel to know that they are also inhabitants here, but rather they're coming from far away merely seeking a treaty with the nation of Israel.

Now for the context of this to really make sense, we have to have in our mind the command that God had already given to the people of Israel.

We've said it in previous weeks, Joshua very much follows immediately after the book of Deuteronomy.

Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 20 gave very explicit instructions for how their interactions with other nations are to be handled.

First, the people are given instruction for when they come upon a city or a people that is not in the promised land.

They are to offer peace to the people, and if the people are willing to pay tribute to Israel and to be made to serve

Israel, then Israel is to accept this. To accept this peace with this foreign nation as long as they're outside of the promised land.

Deuteronomy 20 says this, Basically, Israel was not to make a treaty with any of the nations of the land, though they could do so with a city or a nation that was outside of the land, and then that that nation or that city would be made to serve them.

One commentator notes it's almost as if it's almost as though the Gibeonites had read this text in Deuteronomy in coming up with this plan.

Then we see here in verse 6 their direct lie and their request. When you read this text carefully, you notice that there's some distinction here between the leaders of Israel and the men of Israel or the congregation of Israel.

Verse 7 of our chapter tells us that the men are immediately skeptical. Then they see these

Gibeonites before them asking for a treaty, and they're concerned that these people might actually be inhabitants of the land with whom they must not make peace.

So the people express their concern, and the

Gibeonites respond to Joshua furthering their deception. They appeal to the fact that they've seen how

God delivered the Israelites from Egypt and how he gave them victory over Sihon and Og.

We've said it before, but these particular victories over these two kings are incredibly significant.

It's not mere happenstance that these two are named, for these two kings were huge and terrible giants with terrifying power that only an act of God could have given the nation of Israel victory over.

Then there's the question here about how the Gibeonites or any of the nations really heard of the details of what

God had done out of Egypt over Sihon and Og. There's some uncertainty here, but one verse that I think is interesting at least.

In Exodus 33, God said to Moses, I will send my angel before you, and I will drive out the

Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Some commentators think that this angel that went before Israel at least announced to the nations of this land what he intended to do to displace them, to remove them from the land.

Whether the report came to them by this angel or simply by word of mouth, it's hard to say confidently, but somehow they came to know it.

Now this is interesting. As we've said in previous weeks, Joshua very much so is continuing what

God has done through the life and ministry of Moses. Joshua has taken over this office of the servant of the

Lord in leading this people, and so his actions here have implications not just for himself but for the nation as a whole.

And so as the Gibeonites make their case, verses 14 and 15 tell us the outcome.

I'll read it again. Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions. This is like a giving of offering from the the nation of the

Gibeonites to the Israelites, but they did not ask counsel of the Lord. 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.

This rebuke here that we see in verse 14 is direct. This situation could have been avoided if the rulers had sought the counsel of the

Lord. The covenant came about by the folly and foolishness and short -sightedness of Joshua and the rulers of Israel.

And so the covenant is made and the rulers swore not to attack them, and then the truth is found out.

When they come to the cities of the Gibeonites, we see here in verse 18, the children of Israel did not attack them because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the

Lord God of Israel, and all the congregation complained against the rulers. An agreement is made and the treaty will be upheld.

The Gibeonites will be allowed to remain in the land unharmed, but they are to serve

Israel. They are allowed to live, but they must serve as slaves, both as common household slaves, but as verse 23 in the end of the chapter also implies they're to provide services and supplies and water in the house of Israel's God at the altar.

And then verse 24 and 25 are very important for us if we're to rightly understand and interpret this passage.

So they answered Joshua and said, because your servants were clearly told that the

Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were very much afraid for our lives because of you and have done this thing.

And now here we are in your hands. Do with us as it seems good and right to do to us.

And then the passage ends with a summary of the last two verses. That the

Gibeonites were delivered and their lives were spared, but they are now to be from henceforth in the service of the congregation of Israel and of the altar of the

Lord. What are we to make of this account? How are we to interpret and apply this to our lives?

It seems to me that there are two primary lessons here for us, two distinct perspectives that we're supposed to see throughout this account.

These two perspectives might seem to be at conflict because they're coming from different directions, but I'm going to make the case that I think the text here wants us to see this both from the perspective of the leaders of Israel and also from the

Gibeonites. First and perhaps most obviously, the lesson here is clear in making decisions hastily without first seeking the counsel of the

Lord. Verse 14 here is the key verse for this here where the text makes it clear that this happened because they did not seek the counsel of the

Lord. For whatever reason, Joshua and the rulers took the information that was presented to them at face value and swore an oath on account of it without seeking the

Lord. And this had massive ramifications for the people of Israel both here and many generations later.

In verse 20, recall the people are not able to drive these

Gibeonites out of the land. And this failure of their leaders to seek the

Lord and to rightly discern the situation before them has long -lasting consequences.

They had an awareness that they had sworn an oath and that there would be consequences if they broke that oath, even wrath.

Wrath. The wrath of God for breaking this covenant that they made with the

Gibeonites. And sure enough, that is what we see generations later.

Over 400 years later, this is still going to be an issue. In the early days of the monarchy in 2

Samuel 21, there there was a great famine throughout all of Israel that lasted for three years.

For three years there's famine. And David, David prays to God to seek the

Lord to see why is this happening? Why is God withholding his favor and his blessings upon us?

Why has the Lord sent this famine? And the Lord says to David, it's because Saul has killed the

Gibeonites. 400 years after this treaty, 400 years after this oath was made,

Saul tries to wipe out the Gibeonites. And this brings the wrath of God upon the nation of Israel.

400 years after this treaty. And so David, David negotiates with the king of the

Gibeonites in his day to make atonement for the wrongs done to them in breaking the oath that was made.

But the lesson here is a stark one Don't make promises hastily. Always seek counsel of the

Lord. Don't walk according to your own wisdom. Walk according to God's wisdom.

Don't be a gullible fool, especially, especially as a leader. Those of you that are men that lead a household, pray to God for wisdom when you make decisions.

Seek his face. Don't trust your immediate intuition. Instead, seek him.

James tells us, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

How often do we neglect the blessings and the promises of God and rather put our own trust and confidence in our own assumptions of our situation?

You're not as wise as you think. We need guidance.

Guidance from the one who knows all things. We've got young people here in our congregation.

You've got decisions ahead of you. Don't make your decisions hastily. Seek the

Lord. Seek his wisdom wherever you are in life.

You need his help, for he knows all things. Nothing is hidden from his sight.

So seek his wisdom and he gives it to those who seek it. We could leave the text there, but I think there's another lesson here for us that we would do well to consider.

I want to remind you that throughout the book of Joshua, we're meant to recall that Joshua is a picture of Christ, the greater

Joshua, the greater leader of God's people. As Joshua is a warrior coming to conquer his enemies, we have to take a sober moment to recognize that we are by nature enemies of God.

We are by nature children of wrath. We don't deserve his kindness any more than the wicked

Canaanites did, who dwelt in the land and did these abominable practices.

And yet God is merciful, is he not? God is merciful and kind and slow to anger.

And as the message is proclaimed that God is just and righteous and the judge of all the world, we are in a sense like the nations that hear that the

Lord's armies are coming and that he has rightful dominion.

The revelation of coming judgment doesn't always produce the same response in people, does it?

Some hear of God's judgments and they lash out in rebellious hatred.

This was the response of the six kings that were in Canaan. Others respond as the

Gibeonites do here. They recognize that they will not stand before what is coming.

They see that their doom is on the horizon unless they find a way of escape.

I'm reminded of 2 Corinthians chapter 2. When the gospel message is proclaimed,

Paul tells us to one it is the aroma of death leading to death and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.

I think there's a parallel here for us with the parable that we see in Luke chapter 16 of the shrewd servant.

The shrewd servant who knows that there will be an accounting for the actions and the choices that he has made.

And so he shrewdly and in an unrighteous way but nevertheless he seeks safety for the days that are coming by making use of the resources he has at his disposal.

Because in some immature and an imperfect way he recognizes that his future state is outside of his control unless he can make a change.

Consider the clear distinction we see here in the chapter between the six kings in the opening of the chapter and then the

Gibeonites. When the Gibeonites heard that the Lord had given this land to the children of Israel, they believed it.

When they saw how mighty kings and cities had fallen before the might of an almighty

God, not the might of the Israelites but of their God, they were filled with fear and rightly so.

They responded not in denial, not in rebellion, but they recognized that they would not be able to stand when judgment came and so they sought favor instead.

Yes, their coming was done in a sinful way based on a premise of deception but I think it's meant to illustrate a gospel truth.

They recognized rightly that they were doomed unless they enter into a covenant with Joshua. Only by peace with Israel could they be spared.

Of course the way they went about this was sinful. I'm not I'm not commending this action to you and and Luke 16 doesn't either with the shrewd servant.

It's not the the manner that the thing was gone about but there's at least a recognition there that our condition is dire and something must change.

They understood that being at peace with God was better than being at war with him.

What sinner has ever come to Christ with an entirely pure motive and in a perfectly righteous manner?

We don't come righteous, we come fleeing wrath and then there we find mercy and he deals with us and he corrects our sin.

Remember it's not the manner of our coming that saves us but rather the one to whom we come. John chapter 6,

Jesus says the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out. Don't despise the immature faith of the one who comes to Christ initially simply seeking seeking protection from the wrath that comes.

Such a one shouldn't be cast off but rather needs the gospel to be carefully and clearly explained to him.

For many of us this is how God initially draws us. He draws us to himself through an awareness that unless something changes we're destined for destruction.

Now I'm not saying necessarily that I I know what the spiritual state of the Gibeonites was that's not that's not the point here but I'm saying as we consider how

Christ is the greater Joshua there's a lesson for us here in the fact that even imperfect

Joshua spared their lives and gave them peace. For how much greater is the mercy and the peace that Christ offers those who come to him.

When we come to him for salvation he does not cast us out. It's not the right posture for the new convert.

We come to Christ seeking to be spared from the wrath to come. If I can

I want to push this comparison just a little bit further. Remember how the

Gibeonites responded in verse 25. Here we are in your hands do with us as it seems good and right to do to us.

This is the posture that we ought to have when we come to Christ.

We come to Christ seeking to be spared from wrath and he grants us pardon.

He grants us peace with God and our former plans for our life are gladly forfeit.

Just like the Gibeonites were thankful that their lives were spared being put into the service of Israel seemed to be a small price to pay.

So it is with the new convert when he realizes that he has been forgiven.

Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee. Our lives are no longer our own but they're his for him to do with as he sees fit.

Gladly we become slaves of Christ. Slaves.

Our lives are not our own and praise be to God for it for we have been saved from the wrath we deserve for our own sin.

Examine your own heart beloved. Are you going about grumbling in your service to God?

Woe is me. Recall what you've been spared from beloved. What wrath you deserve.

Your sin condemns you and so he has graciously mercifully pardoned you from the judgment from the wrath that you deserve.

Thinking on this should cause us to to humble ourselves before him and lay down our our lives our our plans our aspirations the things in this world that we love we hold too far too tightly.

Surrender them to Christ. Gladly enter into his service for he is great and greatly to be praised.

Commit yourself this year to serving the Lord with gladness. Take joy in the fact that if you are his then truly your life is in his service to be poured out as a as an offering to him.

The oath that Joshua made to the Gibeonites was imperfect and would eventually be broken but if you were in Christ beloved the oath that has been made to you cannot be broken because it was sealed by the blood of the lamb.

He laid down his life to make you his own and nothing can separate you from that peace that mercy that you have received by grace through faith in Christ alone for his promise is sure.

Let us pray. Our father in heaven we thank you for the peace that you offer to all who come to Christ.

You know that all of our works are tainted with sin and yet because of what

Christ has done we are welcomed into your service. Father would you would you sanctify us would you purify our motives and our hearts and our actions even that our service to you would be rendered gladly that we would see this service that we have been put under for your great name to be a badge of honor that we are yours and not our own.

We thank you most of all for the blood of Christ and as we now turn our attention to this table would we humble ourselves as we remember

Christ's sacrifice to make us his own. In his name we pray.