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Joshua

Chapter 9
{Note: Jews are cutting across cutting the Canaanite land in two. Then in Chapter 10 there will be a Southern Campaign. And, in Chapter 11 will be the Northern Campaign.}

{Chapter 9: Jews are Tricked by the People of Gibeon}
1-2~~And it came to pass,
when all the kings
who were on this side of the Jordan {River},
in the hills, and in the valleys,
and in all the coasts of the great sea {Mediterranean Sea}
over against Lebanon,
the Hittite {listed first because this was a very powerful empire},
and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite,
the Hivite {also known as the Gibeonites - Gibeon was their capital},
and the Jebusite, heard thereof 2~~
that they gathered themselves together,
to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

{Note: The forces of Satan will try the frontal attack. But if that fails, they are much more dangerous when they use the subtle attack (usually in some self-righteous form of religion).}

{Note: These people were famous for hating each other and fighting with each other. Now they have a common enemy and work together to defeat Israel.}

{Verses 3-13: Story of the Fantastic Trickery of the Gibeonites}
3-5~~And when the inhabitants of Gibeon
  {from verse 7 and 17 below, we see these were Hivites}
heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, 4~~
they did work cunningly {`ormah},
and went and made as if they had been ambassadors,
and took old sacks upon their asses,
and wine skins - old, and torn, 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 moldy.

{Note: They know they are next on agenda for conquest. They are pretending to have traveled from a long way away to make a treaty with the Jews.}

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 you a treaty with us
  {in Exodus 23:32 they were told to make NO treaties with them or
  their gods and Deuteronomy 20:17 they are to destroy all the
  Hivites utterly}."

{Jews are Suspicious}
7~~And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites,
"Peradventure you dwell among us;
and how shall we make a treaty with you?"

8~~And they said unto Joshua,
"We are your servants."
And Joshua said unto them,
"Who are you?
And from where do you come?"

9-13~~And they said unto him,
"From a very far country
your servants are come
because of the name of Jehovah/God your 'Elohiym/Godhead
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,
who were beyond Jordan,
to Sihon king of Heshbon,
and to Og king of Bashan,
who were at Ashtaroth
  {they did NOT mention Jericho and Ai - if they had, they would
  have talked too much (because they would have known too
  much)}. 11~~
Therefore, our elders
and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying,
'Take food with you for the journey,
and go to meet them,
and say unto them,
We are your servants
therefore now make you a treaty 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 moldy
  {a lie - making it seem they came far} 13~~
and these bottles of wine,
which we filled, were new;
and, behold, they be torn
and these our garments and our shoes
are become old
by reason of the very long journey."

{Jewish Leadership Make Mistake - Make Treaty and Do not Consult with God}
14~~And the men {Jewish leadership} took of their food,
and asked not at the mouth of the Jehovah/God.

{Note: Remember in Exodus 23:32 they were told to make NO treaties with them or their gods and Deuteronomy 20:17 they are to destroy all the Hivites utterly. If they did not remember the Word of God, in this dispensation, the Jews had direct contact with God through the High Priest's Urim (the shoulder pads) and Thummim (the checkerboard design on their breast) - (see where Joshua used it above in chapter 7:17). The High Priest had a breastplate (see Exodus 28:30). It had 12 stones - one for each tribe. The Urim was a yes/no light system that they could have used for God to tell them directly.}

{All Great People Fail - Joshua Fails Here}
15~~And Joshua made peace with them,
and made a treaty with them,
to let them live.
And the princes of the congregation
made a solemn oath to them.

{Note: It is the leadership that made the mistake. The people in the camp will be complaining shortly. But Joshua will not compound his mistake by making another - violating his word and breaking the treaty - he will not do so.}

16~~And it came to pass at the end of three days
after they had made a treaty with them,
that they heard that they were their neighbors,
and that they dwelt among them.

17~~And the children of Israel journeyed,
and came unto their cities on the third day
  {Israel was marching 3 days to wipe out the rest of the middle of
  Palestine and cut the land in two when they find out the deceit}.
Now their cities were Gibeon {capital city},
and Chephirah,
and Beeroth,
and Kirjathjearim.

18~~And the children of Israel did not smite them,
because the princes of the congregation
had taken a solemn oath unto them by Jehovah/God
'Elohiym/Godhead of Israel.
And all the congregation grumbled/murmured against the princes.

{Note: Principal: Two wrongs do not make a right. Joshua did not compound his error. You can not solve the problem by doing other wrong things. Joshua will solve the problem correctly later.}

19-20~~But all the princes said unto all the congregation,
"We have sworn unto them by the Jehovah/God
'Elohiym/Godhead of Israel.
Now therefore we may not touch them
  {real leaders - NOT pressured by the majority to do WRONG
  they know they made a mistake! But two wrongs do not make a
  right}. 20~~
This we will do to them.
We will even let them live,
lest wrath be upon us,
because of the oath which we swore unto them."

21~~And the princes said unto them,
"Let them live;
but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water
  {they will live, but as slaves}
unto all the congregation;
as the princes had promised them."

22~~And Joshua called for them,
and he spoke unto them, saying,
Why have you tricked us, saying,
"We are very far from you
when you dwell among us? 23~~
Now therefore you 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 'Elohiym/Godhead."

24-25~~And they answered Joshua, and said,
"Because it was certainly told your servants,
how that the Jehovah/God your 'Elohiym/Godhead
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 terribly afraid for our lives
because of you,
and have done this thing. 25~~
And now, behold, we are in your hand
as it seems good and right unto you
all to do unto us, do."

{Note: The Gibeonites had made fools of the Jews. They saw the situation from the Jews viewpoint and this statement defused the situation. A good lesson for all of us to learn.}

{Note: Secondly, the inference of this verse is that the Gibeonites BELIEVED God's word. So it is likely that they were believers already, but we do know they would be believers soon.}

26~~And so he {Joshua} did unto them {Gibeonites},
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 Jehovah/God
  {the altar speaks of the cross - so they came in contact with the
  cross daily from now on},
even unto this day,
in the place which he should choose.