COMPROMISE IS COMPLICATED
Joshua 9.1-10.15
S: God’s will
C: blessing in keeping promises
Th: A People with Purpose
Pr: WE MAKE OUR MISTAKES WORK FOR US.
TS: We will find in our study of Joshua 9.1-10.15 how God graciously helps us even when we compromise.
Type: Narrative
I. DECEPTION (1-15)
II. REVELATION (16-27)
III. INTERVENTION (1-15)
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Inquire of God’s will
• Keep your promises
• Rejoice that God uses our mistakes to bring blessing
Version: ESV
RMBC 13 August 06 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Deceit
A young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when he noticed an older lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her and continued on. Finally he went to the checkout line, but she got in front of him.
"Pardon me," she said, "I’m sorry if my staring at you has made you feel uncomfortable. It’s just that you look just like my son, who just died recently."
"I’m very sorry," replied the young man, "is there anything I can do for you?"
"Yes," she said, "As I’m leaving, can you say ’Goodbye Mother’? It would make me feel so much better."
"Sure," answered the young man.
As the old woman was leaving, he called out, "Goodbye Mother!"
As he stepped up to the checkout counter, he saw that his total was $127.50.
"How can that be?" he asked, "I only purchased a few things!"
"Your mother said that you would pay for her," said the clerk.
Well…
1. Have you ever been conned by someone?
That certainly is the story for this young man.
He was caught in a deception.
And…
2. As we consider today’s text, the leaders of Israel are caught with their guard down.
They are going to be conned.
They are going to have to deal with a deception that is perpetrated on them.
And it should not have happened.
They are at war.
They should have been on the lookout for every kind of attack that might come their way.
But perhaps we can be understanding, for…
3. The Israelites have just experienced another great victory.
They have succeeded in defeating Jericho.
Then they lost at Ai.
Then when they got the sin out of the camp, they had a great victory at Ai, as was just read in the Scripture reading.
But, interestingly, victory can make you vulnerable.
If you are not paying attention, you may end up in a compromising position, which is the very thing that happens to Israel.
So…
4. We will find in our study of Joshua 9.1-10.15 how God graciously helps us even when we compromise.
OUR STUDY:
As we come to these first fifteen verses, I want you to notice that our historian almost seems to be speaking from a Gibeonite point of view.
Listen to the description of the…
I. DECEPTION (1-15)
(1) As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, (2) they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.
(3) But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, (4) they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, (5) with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. (6) And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us." (7) But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?" (8) They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you? And where do you come from?" (9) They said to him, "From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, (10) and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. (11) So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ’Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, "We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us."’ (12) Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. (13) These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey." (14) So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. (15) And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
The leaders of Gibeon knew they were next.
They had heard about Jericho.
They had heard about Ai.
And understandably, they were not anxious for the same fate.
You see…
5. Some would rather switch than fight.
You may remember that old commercial that said “I would rather fight than switch.”
Not so with the Gibeonites.
They were ready for the change.
They wanted to save their skin.
So they go for a different set of tactics.
6. The Gibeonites put on an elaborate scheme.
They pretend to come from a city far away.
They wear old worn out clothes.
They carry their most worn out sacks.
They put into their sacks dry, moldy bread.
They bring old, cracked and mended wineskins.
They make it look like they have traveled a great distance, just to make peace with the Israelites.
They would have agreed with a presidential hopeful of the 1950s, Adlai Stevenson when he said, “A lie is an abomination to the Lord, and a very present help in time of trouble.”
They not only walk a good game, they talk one too.
They talk about how great God is.
They talk about His great activity on behalf of Israel, but note, not on the most recent activity.
They don’t want to give away that they know about Jericho and Ai.
They just speak of the liberation from Egypt and the defeat of the Amorites on the other side of Jordan.
Yes, these guys are good.
And though Joshua and the leaders demonstrate some caution, even seem to perceive the truth that they are from nearby rather than far away, they do not look for further proof.
They are taken in.
So, the Gibeonites, interestingly, come across as clever and intellectually superior.
ILL Deceit
The movie Catch Me If You Can is based on the true-life story of Frank Abagnale, a con artist who bilked the government out of more than $5 million by the time he was 21. Raised in the home of a father who cheated the government and a mother who cheated on her husband, Frank observes the ease with which a person can lie his way through life.
At age 16, when his parents divorce, he runs away and for two years leads a life of amazing deception. Creating false documents and forging checks, he passes himself off as an airline pilot, a medical doctor, and a practicing attorney. All the while he is running, he longs for the security of his parents’ love.
While posing as a doctor, Frank meets a young nurse, Brenda, and falls in love. When he meets her father, who is a prestigious lawyer, and her mother, he scores points with them by feigning to be a graduate of the same law school the father attended. Knowing they are Lutherans, he also claims to be Lutheran. Because Frank looks ten years older than he really is, Brenda’s father hires him as an associate in his law firm.
The FBI crashes their elaborate engagement party at the parents’ mansion, but Frank sees them coming and races upstairs to pack his bags. Before the agents enter the home, Frank’s fiancée Brenda follows him into the bedroom. He wants her to escape with him. He opens his suitcases to pack for a quick getaway, and Brenda sees thousands of dollars in cash stuffed in each bag. Frank must level with her.
He confesses, "Brenda, I don’t want to lie to you anymore. I’m not a doctor. I’ve never been to medical school. I’m not a lawyer or a Harvard graduate. I’m not even a Lutheran. I ran away from home a year and a half ago when I was 16!"
With a straight face, Brenda says, "Frank? Frank? You’re not a Lutheran?"
Elapsed time: Measured from the opening credit, this scene begins at 01:39:20 and lasts approximately one minute.
Content: Catch Me If You Can is rated PG-13 for sexuality and profanity.
Catch Me If You Can (Dreamworks, 2002), rated PG-13, written by Jeff Nathanson, directed by Steven Spielberg
Well, just like in the movie, it is time to find out the truth.
For the Israelites say, “What? You’re not from far away?”
Here comes the…
II. REVELATION (16-27)
(16) At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them. (17) And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. (18) But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. (19) But all the leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. (20) This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them." (21) And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them. (22) Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, "Why did you deceive us, saying, ’We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us? (23) Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God." (24) They answered Joshua, "Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you — so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. (25) And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it." (26) So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. (27) But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place that he should choose.
So as was bound to happen…
7. The deception is discovered.
And it is bad for Israel.
For they were specifically instructed in Deuteronomy 7 to not make covenants with other nations and cities in their land of possession.
They could make treaties with those outside their borders, but not within.
The implication of the deception is that…
8. God has not been consulted.
There is no evidence of God at work here.
Israel had depended on their own human wisdom.
The story sounded plausible and they were taken in.
Naively, they did not doubt the Gibeonites honesty.
But worst of all, they did not bring the matter to God and seek His guidance.
But now…
9. The consequences will have to be lived with.
Just because the Gibeonites had been dishonest, this did not change the fact the treaty had been made.
It had been sworn and ratified before God.
Therefore, it could not be ignored.
They were going to have to make the best of a bad situation.
The arrow had left the bow, so to speak, and could not be retracted.
The Gibeonites did become servants, and were given some menial roles at the tabernacle.
I think there is a touch of grace in all of this because their service will be at the tabernacle where they will have the opportunity to learn about the true God in whom they have expressed faith.
Like Rahab, they had believed the reports.
So, they will be exposed to the worship of the one true God, who will certainly bring blessing to their lives as they serve Him.
Now as we move to the next part of the narrative, we see the consequences coming and the needed…
III. INTERVENTION (1-15)
(1) As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, (2) he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. (3) So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, (4) "Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel." (5) Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.
(6) And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us." (7) So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. (8) And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you." (9) So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. (10) And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. (11) And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword. (12) At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
"Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon."
(13) And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. (14) There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD obeyed the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.
(15) So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
10. Now it was time to keep their word.
And they will discover the practical implications that compromise is complicated.
There certainly would have been the temptation to try to get out of it.
But Joshua refused to cave in.
He would not take the holy name of God in vain.
He knew that if he did not keep their promise, it would have brought God’s judgment upon them.
Five kings have gotten together.
For years that have spent most of their time fighting each other, but they have come to the conclusion that “united we stand, divided we fall.”
They are going to punish these Gibeonites for betraying the rest them.
So when the Gibeonites ask for help, Joshua discovers that God is going to be an ever present help in time of trouble.
You see…
11. God honors promises.
Immediately, Joshua calls for his best soldiers for a surprise attack.
They hiked all night, twenty-five miles uphill, and began the attack, which was hand-to-hand combat all day.
They put the army of these five kings on the run, pursuing them to a narrow mountain pass.
They are doing a great job, but God sends reinforcements anyway.
The heavenly artillery begins, a machine gun-like fire of hailstones.
And contrary to US technology, they are the first smart bombs.
They only hit the Canaanites.
It is at this point that Joshua senses that he has his enemies right where he wants them.
There is problem, though.
There is not enough time to finish the job.
So Joshua prays boldly.
He asks God to reverse the natural order and keep the daylight hours.
And it proves that…
12. When you trust God, miracles happen.
As you note on the verse of the bulletin cover today, nothing is too hard for God.
So what happens…
Time stands frozen.
And though there are many theories about how it may have happened, it is not the point of the text.
The historian does not tell us how God did it.
What is important to our historian is that God did it.
As Israel kept its promise to the Gibeonites, God kept the promise of His presence and His promise to fight for them.
APPLICATION:
Warren Wiersbe comments
“The mistakes we make embarrass us, especially those mistakes that are caused by our running ahead of the Lord and not seeking his will. But we need to remember no mistake is final for the dedicated Christian. God can use even our blunders to accomplish his purposes.”
So remember this…
13. Through God’s help, MAKE YOUR MISTAKES WORK FOR YOU.
We should always praise God for His mercy!
For He is open to anyone who desires His mercy, forgiveness, love, and grace.
He answers those who call on Him in faith.
So, when you get it wrong, confess it.
And after you confess it, repent of it.
And in every way…
14. Keep connected with the Lord.
There is an old Jewish proverb that says:
We don’t have the time to do things right, but we find the time to do them over.
So, often, we don’t want to pray.
We don’t want to read God’s Word.
We don’t want to sit still and hear the Holy Spirit speak to our heart.
We say we do.
But we don’t, and that really means we don’t want to.
What we want to do is what we do.
We just want to jump in and do whatever it is that we think needs to be done.
We think we can figure out.
One of the neat things I have enjoyed about our leadership (I have noted this also on page 9 in the bulleting) is that it is not uncommon for a meeting to stop because we know we need to pray about certain individuals or situation.
It is the desire to keep connected with the supremacy of God.
He is in charge, not you and me.
Finally, let me encourage to…
15. Let your word be your bond.
We have all listened to the promises of the politicians.
Every season, it is the same.
There are so many promises.
Taxes are going to be cut.
Benefits are going to be provided.
And little is done.
But as believers in the Lord Jesus, let us be different.
Let us be known as those that keep promises, even when it is inconvenient or it is costly.
So when we make marriage vows, we mean what we say.
It is for better, for worse.
It breaks my heart how couples give up when it is tough, and miss the sweetness to come, because we are not keeping our word.
When we enter into membership, we are making vows to participate however God enables us, convicts us and directs us.
He calls us to community, and to keep our promise, we are to participate, support, pray and serve.
Otherwise, we are not keeping our word.
When we bring our children to be dedicated unto the Lord, we are making vows that we will train them in the ways of the Lord.
This means that we live the Word of God at home, and we also support and participate in our community’s opportunities to teach the Word.
Parents – Christian education must be a priority – at home and in the community – both places.
We got some new stuff coming in our Bible School starting September 10 – it is very exciting.
It is called Power Planet for K-6 and LifeStart for 3-4 year olds.
Make sure your children are connected – to Bible School, Pioneer Girls and Christian Service Brigade, and the teen youth groups.
Put the excuses away and keep you promise to train your children in the ways of the Lord.
In whatever area you have made a promise, and you have not kept it, let that be a mistake that works for you, and not against you.
Use that mistake to turn it around, with a determination, “I will not go that way again!”
For Further Study: Numbers 27.21; Deuteronomy 7.1-2, 20.10-18; II Samuel 21; Proverbs 3.5-6; Jeremiah 32.27; Ephesians 6.10-18; James 1.5
BENEDICTION:
Make the mistakes work for you…when you have sinned, made a mistake, that will have complicated and perhaps even dire consequences…confess and repent; get that sin out of your life and out of the community.
Make the mistakes work for you…live with a determination and a deliberation that you will not go there again; instead be connected with the Lord in your inner life so that your outer life will reflect Christlikeness.
Make the mistakes work for you…and keep your vows…to your relationships, to your community, to your children…for the glory of God.
Now may the God of peace equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral
Goins, Doug A Costly Lesson
_____ Victory at Gibeon
Hamby, John Living with a Bad Decision
_____ How Big Is Your God?
Maynard, Byron The Mistake of Joshua
Richards, Tim Things Aren’t Always What They Seem
Robb, Robert The Gibeonite Deception
Shirley, Jerry Ultimate Daylight Savings Program
Books:
Boice, James Montgomery. Joshua: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1989.
Campbell, Donald K. No Time for Neutrality. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1981.
Creach, Jerome F. D. Joshua Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, ed. James L. Mays. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2003.
Goslinga, C. J. Joshua, Judges, Ruth. Translated by Ray Togtman. Bible Student’s Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1986.
