And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4 They did work wilily, 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;
5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9 And they said unto him, From a very 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,
10 And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
11 Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our 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 ye a league with us.
12 This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:
13 And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.
15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
16 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 neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.
17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.
18 And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
19 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.
20 This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.
21 And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.
22 And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?
23 Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.
24 And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the Lord thy 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 sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.
26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.
27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose. Joshua 9 KJV
It is an odd approach counting upon the word of another regardless of the premise. I would have feared that my deceit would have made null the pact, but Joshua keeps his word. There was a time when I gave, what I thought was a homeless man, some money, because I felt sad for his condition. He was struggling to walk due to a limp caused by a turned in foot. It looked like he was deformed, but later that day on the way back I saw him not limping but running down the street. Praise God right, he doesn't limp anymore. I didn't ask for the money back, but it made me think, especially since there was a man working at the store with a real deformity, worse than the other's pretended to be, yet he was working. Some of the people are angry that they were deceived, and that their leaders will not now allow the destruction of this people. It's easy to forget where we come from and develop a nationalism that forgets the grace that brought it into being. There are those cultures that accept lying, and make heroes of those practiced in the art of deception. It will not be to their credit before a God that cannot be lied to, but everyone that is ever lost must be found, especially those that don't know they are lost. What's important for Israel to remember is that they should not go backward here. They need to consult God, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. For the Canaanites, they wore the ratted clothes and dressed as servants and so they became. It is in one sense a punishment, but maybe not; they are alive and the Jews hold the oracles of God, so Canaan could come to know God in the service of the priests. The prodigal son recounted the servants of his father's house, that they had it better than himself, and so he returned home with the hope of being a servant. Rahab came as an outsider, Gibeon comes in strange fashion, but what else did they know? They have pieced together the logical fear of this people because of the God that is actively with them and given them this land. Though God must be against sin, none of us are without it so if God hath been so gracious as to show us the way, should we not want to show others also? Canaan lives and I should not regret that, but rather share what I have come to know by faith.
It is an odd approach counting upon the word of another regardless of the premise. I would have feared that my deceit would have made null the pact, but Joshua keeps his word. There was a time when I gave, what I thought was a homeless man, some money, because I felt sad for his condition. He was struggling to walk due to a limp caused by a turned in foot. It looked like he was deformed, but later that day on the way back I saw him not limping but running down the street. Praise God right, he doesn't limp anymore. I didn't ask for the money back, but it made me think, especially since there was a man working at the store with a real deformity, worse than the other's pretended to be, yet he was working. Some of the people are angry that they were deceived, and that their leaders will not now allow the destruction of this people. It's easy to forget where we come from and develop a nationalism that forgets the grace that brought it into being. There are those cultures that accept lying, and make heroes of those practiced in the art of deception. It will not be to their credit before a God that cannot be lied to, but everyone that is ever lost must be found, especially those that don't know they are lost. What's important for Israel to remember is that they should not go backward here. They need to consult God, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. For the Canaanites, they wore the ratted clothes and dressed as servants and so they became. It is in one sense a punishment, but maybe not; they are alive and the Jews hold the oracles of God, so Canaan could come to know God in the service of the priests. The prodigal son recounted the servants of his father's house, that they had it better than himself, and so he returned home with the hope of being a servant. Rahab came as an outsider, Gibeon comes in strange fashion, but what else did they know? They have pieced together the logical fear of this people because of the God that is actively with them and given them this land. Though God must be against sin, none of us are without it so if God hath been so gracious as to show us the way, should we not want to show others also? Canaan lives and I should not regret that, but rather share what I have come to know by faith.
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. Matthew 18: 21-35
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