Thursday September 9, 2021

Consult it before any decision !

“The men of Israel accepted the provisions of the Gibeonites and did not inquire of the Lord.” Joshua 9. 14

On the day that Satan tempted Eve and Adam, neither of them thought of going to God to see if the serpent was telling the truth or not. Since that time, we have been inclined to listen to our instincts rather than to consult God. Sometimes with disastrous consequences. Joshua and the leaders of the Israelites made the same mistake when the inhabitants of Gibeon, a Hivite city, used a trick to escape their planned destruction by pretending to be strangers living far from Canaan. Instead of consulting God, still excited by their shattering victory at Jericho, they listened to the Gibeonites and fell into their trap. They signed a peace treaty, in the name of God, with a promise they could not later renounce. They relied on their valuation of so-called rancid bread and provisions on dates that had long expired. A lesson for us today : do not be fooled by appearances before making a decision that we will regret later. Let us ask God to enlighten us. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding ! Recognize Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). What about the Gibeonites in all of this ? Their survival also proves the extent of God's grace to them, while at the same time He hardened the hearts of other tribes and peoples of Canaan (Joshua 11:20). Having become slaves to the Israelites, they entered into the service of God : “you will not cease to be in slavery, chopping wood and drawing water for the house of my God” (Joshua 9:23) ! And we find their descendants much later alongside Nehemiah, rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3. 7). They were therefore integrated into the Jewish nation in accordance with the principle enunciated by God in Isaiah : who will keep the Sabbath instead of violating and who will remain attached to my covenant, I will bring them back to my holy mountain and I will rejoice them in my house of prayer” (Isaiah 56. 6-7).

Source (His Word for Today)