Verses 1-6 - Things are not always as they appear! A group of people came to Joshua in worn out clothes and shoes, carrying moldy food. They said they were from a far country and wanted to make a covenant with Israel.
Joshua and the people were suspicious. He asked them where they came from, but they kept saying it was a country very far away and never answered him. People who are truthful will give you a specific answer.
Covenant is a 2-way agreement. There must be a benefit to both parties. Joshua and the people did not ask the Lord about what they should do.
Joshua 9:6-15 - These folks gave a great performance. In reality, they were Gibeonites and lived close by. They'd heard God had commanded the people of the land should be killed and were afraid. They devised a plan to save their own lives.
Joshua and the people would have saved themselves a lot of trouble if they'd considered several things:
1) Was this covenant necessary? God's purposes did not include making covenants with people from far away. They were distracted.
2) Was this covenant one-sided? There was no benefit to the Children of Israel.
3) Another trait of deception is to make a quick decision. You must decide now.
Application:
1) If you feel rushed, it is probably a bad direction.
2) Don't do something just to benefit others if God has not given you a direction and purpose in it. Don't get involved in a one-sided covenant.
3) Just because you now realize you shouldn't have done something doesn't mean you're released from it. Joshua and the people had to honor the covenant. The Gibeonites became their servants.
4) If you are the only one giving in any agreement, it is not a covenant. It is merely forced charity.
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If you're visiting in the area or looking for a church home, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service at 10:00 A.M. Zoe Christian Fellowship is located at 1111 Easton Rd., Warrington, PA. We look forward to meeting you!
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