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Bro. Otis Fisher
Open your Bibles. Open your
Bibles to Joshua chapter 9. Now as Joshua began to make his conquest of the promised land, he faced three formidable enemies.
First one is Jericho and Ai and the
Gibeonites. These three enemies of Joshua represent the enemies of the
Christian today. Jericho represents the world,
Ai represents the flesh, and who do you think that the Gibeonites represent?
The devil. You'll recall that Joshua's strategy was to first take
Jericho, located right in the center of the land, then to take
Ai, which stood nearest to Jericho. To the south was an alliance of Gibeonites.
Apparently they were next in the line of conquest, but the
Gibeonites were sneaky, clever, as we shall see in this chapter.
Beginning now with the reading, and it came to pass when all the kings which were on this side of Jordan, in the hills, in the valleys, and in all of the coasts of the
Great Sea over against Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the
Canaanites, the Prezites, the Hivites, Jebusites, when they heard thereof that they gathered themselves together to fight against Joshua and with Israel, and won accord.
Although they were divided, and they had divided interests, we often will go to war with each other.
They have a common enemy now, so they suspend their bad blood, and by their uniting forces they might prevent the land from falling into the hands of these foreigners.
This is a classic frontal attack. They will try to defeat
Israel on the field of battle in a head -on fighting. Undoubtedly these kings had planned to unite against the
Israelites, but it seems for some unknown reason this uniting failed to come off.
I wonder why. Why was it, Greg? All right.
David? That's exactly right.
They did not succeed in stopping the invading army of Israel. This may explain the defection of the
Gibeonites. Their thought was not to fight, but to make a pact with Israel.
They didn't want to fight. That's just like a liberal. Now, remember who do the
Gibeonites represent? The devil himself.
And how does the devil work? Slyly, craftily, cunningly, artfully, or by making a pact or compromise with you.
And when the of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and Ai, they did work wily and went and made as if they had been ambassadors and took old sacks upon their asses and wine bottles old and rent and bound up the old shoes and clouded.
What's that mean, Greg? Clouded. Joy? David?
It means to be patched upon their feet and old garments upon them and all the bread of the provision was dry and moldy.
Now, David, they haven't left out anything. They've covered all.
What? Rather poorly. Satan will use whatever you have to deceive you.
Don't forget old bread, old shoes, old clothes, and old lies.
Sixth, and they went to Joshua unto 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. Lying and hypocrisy is always defeat their own purpose.
We're in chapter nine, and at best can succeed only for a short season.
Truth and honesty will never wear out, but lies do.
A famous chief of the Indians, Chief Joseph, said a very wise thing once, it takes few words to tell the truth.
Seventh, and the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, peradventure ye dwell among us, and how shall we make a league with you?
And they said unto Joshua, we are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, who are you?
And from where whence do you come? Even the idolaters, for fear of death, will pretend to honor the true
God and accept his religion. And they said unto him, from a 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 Egypt.
Now, these Gibeonites were very clever. They were a bunch of liars.
They pretended to be envoys from a far country, when in fact they lived only a few miles from Jerusalem.
They told Joshua that they really wanted to worship the living and true
God. Then they called Joshua's attention. They pointed out all of these things.
Look, our shoes are worn out. That couldn't happen if we just lived down the street.
The bread is moldy and hard. The wine is in old bottles.
Now, since they've been on the journey, when they left their country, supposing it was a long ways off, the wine bottles wore out.
The bread is, well, acceptable, if it was from a far country.
And their shoes were old and worn. Well, it was all a hoax.
But Joshua fell for it. God had ordered the Israelites to completely wipe out all of the people in front of them.
Now, although it was Joshua's intent to obey God, he was deceived into making peace with the
Gibeonites and actually making a league with them. Now, what one thing,
David, did they overlook in making this league? I mean, several things, but the first thing, the
Israelites overlooked it. That's right.
That's right. Although he'd already told them to wipe out everybody.
No. Sure. Sure.
The next time you want to do something and the devil is coming, and he seems to agree with you, and it's all just falling in line, beware.
As you recall, Jericho represents the world. Now, how do we overcome the world?
Who is that, Brian? How do we overcome the world? You said the magic word, faith.
By faith, we overcome the world. Jesus overcome it how?
Roger. But Jesus overcame it by himself.
AI represents the flesh. And how do you overcome the flesh?
Not by fighting it, but recognizing your weaknesses, confessing to God, letting the
Spirit of God get the victory. Remember, it was God who said, I'm going to give you
AI. Now we have the third enemy, the
Gibeonites, who represent for us the devil. Since Ephesians in the
New Testament corresponds to the book of Joshua in the Old, we find an important parallel here.
Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
As the men of Israel should have been, beware the wiles of the Gibeonites.
So the believer of today should watch for the wiles of the devil. And again in Ephesians, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Our real enemy today is not a flesh and blood enemy, but a spiritual enemy.
He's the devil, Satan. Yet I wonder how many
Christians even recognize him today. What does he do?
He tries to trick you into following him. I'm not sure that he's interested in making drunkards or dope addicts.
He knows. Yes. And for one purpose, what is that one purpose with the devil?
He wants to be worshiped. Well, he went to church last
Sunday. Now, would you expect the devil to come in and sit down here? Well, he's very clever.
The devil can pull the wool over your eyes. In 2nd Corinthians 2 .11
Paul says, lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Unfortunately, you and I are ignorant sometimes. Now, how do we overcome this enemy?
James 4 says, submit yourself, therefore, to God, resist the devil, and he'll flee from you.
Very simple. We need to submit ourselves to God. That's the first thing.
We need to stay close to him in this day in which we live. Satan is out to deceive us as believers.
He works wildly. Frankly, I'm amazed at the stupidity of saints today.
They're taken in by every ruse imaginable. Now, David tell me, or Roger, let me switch to him.
Why are the cults, religious rackets, are they flourishing today?
Roger, that's so true.
How close can I come to sinning without committing sin? Well, I think it's because the
Christians are supporting these radical things, and we do it without any investigation.
You should never, just write this down, you should never send money or support an organization without investigating.
There's a danger of being linked up with him today, just as the men of Israel in their worldliness become linked with the
Gibeonites. When Israel discovered that the Gibeonites were neighbors and had tricked them, they still honored the treaty they had made with them.
Ten, and all that he did to the two kings of Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sion, king of Heshbon, and to Og, the king of Basham, which was at Ashtoth, wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of this country spake to us, saying, take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, we are your servants, therefore now make a league with us.
This our bread we took hot for our provisions out of our houses on the day that we came forth 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 are rent, and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of a very long journey.
Now, Greg, why is it that these men that come in from, quote, a far country, why is it that they are pointing out everything that they have, they look like, and so forth?
I think it's rather strange, and it shows a weakness on their part that they have to point out these things.
Now, if you had come from a far country, and if you were like this, Roger, would you have to point it out?
Yes. And the men took their victuals and asked not counsel at the mouth of the
Lord, and there they made a mistake. In every business, we should take
God along with us, and by the word and prayer, consult him.
If you cannot do this, don't go. What three things,
Greg, should be in place before we venture on a new mission?
All right, all right, that's right, you covered them all.
Many a time our affairs miscarry because we did not ask counsel.
Did we acknowledge him in all of our ways? They'd be more safe, easy, and successful.
Fifteen, and Joshua made a peace, packed peace with them, and made a league with them to let them live, and the princes of the congregation swear unto them.
Now, remember, Joshua is the leader, 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 dwelled among them.
And the children of Israel journeyed and came unto their cities on the third day.
Now, their cities were Gibeon. Well, you can read those.
I could try to pronounce them, but they sound more real if you read them.
And the children of Israel smote them not. Now, did they want to strike them,
David? Yes, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the
Lord God of Israel, and all their congregation murmured against the princes, fearing lest for their sin the plague of God would have come on them also.
But all the princes said unto all the congregation,
We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel, now therefore we may not touch them.
Roger, what are you going to do when you have publicly sworn to uphold your word, and then you find out later that you didn't ask
God's permission? Yes.
This we will do to them. We will even let them live lest wrath be upon us, because the oath which we swear unto them.
The treaty was honored in that day, although made under these circumstances, they still honored the treaty.
Now, you may think these folks in the Old Testament were backward, and they were uncivilized, and society was not what it is today, and they were just ignorant.
But I want you to notice something. Man's word was very important.
They gave their word, and that's the way God wants it today, when you give your word.
And the princes said unto them, Let them live, but let them be hewers of wood.
Brian, what is a hewer? Yes, one that cuts and forms wood.
A hewer of wood. Now, hewer means cutter, but of wood means that they work with wood.
And drawers of water unto all the congregation, as the princes had promised them.
Well, how do we know that this action was in agreement with the
Lord, David? Just that simple, because it happened.
22. And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have you beguiled us, saying,
We are from a far country, when you dwell among us?
Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondsmen, and hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the house of my
God. And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants how that the
Lord thy God commanded his servants Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all inhabitants of the land from before you.
Therefore we were soar of our lives because of you, and have done this.
Well, I imagine they were afraid. And now, behold, we are in thine hand, as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, so do it.
And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slay them not.
And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood, drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of God, even unto this day in the place which he should choose.
So, Joy, what did they become, these Gibeonites? The sins of men are sometimes overruled for their good, but this does not lessen the evil of such sins, or the guilt of those who committed them.
So, we have quite a story of Joshua and his movements.
Next week, we'll go into the 10th chapter, and I ask you to study it thoroughly before you come, because it's one long miracle.
Now, define for me a miracle. Start with Joy.
Alright, Brian, what is a miracle?
Alright, Drew, what is a miracle?
Alright, David, what is a miracle? Alright, Roger, what is a miracle?
Alright, Greg, what does your daughter think? Let me hear her answer.
Alright, now, Greg, what is a miracle? Alright, and I cannot think of your wife's name, but what is a miracle to you?
A miracle is everything that you have mentioned. To Moses, flying through the air, would that have been a miracle,
David? But today, we take it for granted, the airplane.
Roger, to Joshua, would a penicillin have been a miracle? But, so we see the things that we take as granted today as just run -of -the -mill, would have been miracles to those people.
I define a miracle like this. This world runs on cause and effect, cause and effect, cause and effect.
For every cause, there is an effect. You take one of those away, and it's a miracle.
It's the lack of cause or effect, because God intervened.
Alright, is there anything else? Yes. If, in Moses' time, if you would have landed a
B -47, he would have thought it was a miracle straight from God.
But it is the absence of the cause or the effect in any given object.