Joshua 8:8-16 - "Lean Not On Your Own Understanding"

First, I want to thank everyone for your prayers for Luke, our grandson. He has had a good couple of days now in the hospital as they prepare him for his surgery tomorrow morning to relieve the pain that is being caused by the fluid leak from his brain. We can feel your prayers and are so thankful for them. Please be praying especially for the extensive surgery that is scheduled Monday morning on his brain. Thank you, thank you, thank you!   As I was studying for today’s chat, I couldn’t help but think of Proverbs 3:5-7a; “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes…”. This is exactly what Joshua and the rulers of Israel failed to do in chapter.   Gibeon was located only twenty-five miles from the camp of Israel at Gilgal and was on Joshua's list to be destroyed. In Deuteronomy 20:10-20, God's law stated that Israel must destroy all the cities in Canaan. If after the conquest Israel was involved in other wars, they could offer peace to cities that were outside the land. Somehow the Gibeonites knew about this law and decided to use it for their own protection. Since the enemy knows how to use the Word of God for their own purposes, God's people must keep alert (Matt. 4:5-7).   The Gibeonites assembled a group of men and equipped them to look like an official delegation from a foreign city. Their clothing, food, and equipment were all designed to give the impression that they had been on a long and difficult journey from a distant city. Satan is a counterfeiter and "masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14). He has his "false apostles" and "deceitful workmen" (v. 13) at work in this world, blinding the lost and seeking to lead believers astray. It's much easier for us to identify the lion when he's roaring than to detect the serpent when he's slithering into our lives.   The Gibeonites told several lies in their attempt to get out of trouble. First, they said they were "from a very far country" (Josh. 9:6, 9) when they actually lived twenty-five miles away. Then they lied about their clothing and food. "This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is" (v. 12). They also lied about themselves and gave the impression that they were important envoys on an official peace mission from the elders of their city. They also called themselves "your servants" (vv. 8, 9, 11), when in reality they were the enemies of Israel. These four lies were bad enough; but when the visitors said they had come "because of the name of the Lord" (v. 9), it was blasphemous. Of all liars, "religious liars" are the worst.   Joshua and the princes of Israel were impetuous and didn't take time to consult the Lord. They walked by sight and not by faith. After listening to the strangers' speech and examining the evidence, Joshua and his leaders concluded that the men were telling the truth. The leaders of Israel took the "scientific approach" instead of the "spiritual approach." They depended on their own senses, examined the "facts," discussed the matter, and agreed in their conclusion. It was all very logical and convincing, but it was all wrong.   Today we are being told that we should trust “science” to make our decisions about almost everything. Or that we should “follow our hearts”. But that is not what the Bible teaches. The will of God comes from the heart of God (Ps. 33:11), and He delights to make it known to His children when He knows they are humble and willing to obey (Psalm 25). Certainly, we ought to use the mind God has given us, but we must heed the warning of Proverbs 3:5-6 and not lean on our own understanding.