Thwarting Deception

When Christians are faced with new situations, our first line of defense should always be to pray about it every time. I know in many situations we may feel that we know enough about about a thing to make an educated decision about it, so in this instance we feel that we are exempt from praying about it. No, not true, wrong!! Even after we've surveyed it by looking at it, hearing it, touching it, and even tasting it if we can, we still have to pray about it. Although we may think we know what's good for us, only God in his infinite wisdom can make the determination of what is best for us. In Joshua chapter 9, the Gibeonites set out to deceive Joshua and the Israelites. They clearly believed that Joshua would execute the the God given instructions in Deuteronomy 7:1-2, "When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations-the Hitties, Girgashites, Amorites,Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusties, seven nations larger and stronger than you-and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy." They also knew what Joshua did to Jericho and Ai-obliterated them. Although they resorted to a plan of deception, they were not deceived about what God was doing for his people. There was no doubt in the minds of the Gibeonites that the Lord's plan was definitely going down. They obviously believed that they did not stand a chance in battle, so they didn't engage the Israelites in one as the other nations surrounding them were planning to do. Now, the Gibeonites were not believer's in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, yet they believed in the Lord's plan for his people so strongly that they devised a scheme to attempt to dodge death. The Gibeonites plan was to get the Israelites to believe they were travelers from a distant land (not their neighbors) who had traveled to meet them because of the fame of their God and to get them to agree to a treaty with them. If they could get the Israelites to agree to a treaty with them (even under false pretenses), the Israelites could not destroy them when they claimed their land. They looked the part of tired, weary travelers from their clothing to their provisions. They wore old, patched clothing, worn shoes, and shared old moldy bread. The Israelites tested the Gibeonites provisions, dried, old bread, but they didn't seek the Lord. They entered into a treaty with the Gibeonites without seeking God. The Israelites were fooled by their senses. They were fooled by what they saw-old worn shoes and clothing, tasted-old, dry bread, and heard-they had journeyed from a land afar. The Israelites, who had relied on God up to this very point for everything (food, living instructions,travel directions, plan of attack, success in battle), suddenly, relied on their own understanding. What understanding could they possibly have thought they had? Up to this point the only understanding they had came from God, because they couldn't make a move apart from him. To further prove their deception, the travelers shared their provisions in Joshua 9:12, "This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to see you. But now see how dry and moldy it is and these wine skins that were filled were new, but see how cracked they are and our clothes and shoes are worn out by the very long journey." Their appearance did look as though they had traveled from afar. Their scheme proved to be quite believable. They sounded convincing as well, "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God." That second part was true, because they believed what God had done and believed what God would do. The Israelites leaned to their own understanding and not God's. They should have inquired to the Lord about this, because it was a very serious matter. The Israelites did exactly what God told them not to do, so they would have to suffer the consequences of their actions, sooner or later. Back in Joshua chapter 3:4, Joshua instructed the Israelites to follow the ark of the covenant as they crossed the Jordan River, so they would know which way to go, because they had never been that way before. He gave specific directions as to how they should follow the ark and cross into the new land. Those same specific instructions should have been applied to this situation. Entering into a treaty was also new for them. They had never been this way before either. A group of men asked to make a treaty with them and Joshua didn't even know from which they came. But guess who knows everything about everything? God knows. Our senses can be easily fooled, because they don't know beyond what they see, hear, feel, or taste. God knows beyond these things. God knows that our senses are not accurate indicators of truth. Our senses can't go beyond what they do. They can never stand up to the wisdom of God. Our senses are not to be trusted. We shouldn't make poor choices because of what we see, hear, feel, or taste. This is an example of how our senses are not to be trusted. Christians should not make decisions apart from God. We are to seek him first then our paths will be made straight and then we will have good success.