Day 17 – 40 Days of Daily Devotions – Joshua 9
Day 17
Devotional Reading:
Joshua 9 (KJV)
1 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.
After the battle of Jericho and Ai one would think that the battles were over. However, they were just beginning their assignment of taking dominion and authority. God told Joshua that, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.” When God speaks to us, sometimes we think that we don’t have to do anything. One thing I have come to understand that believing, trusting, relying and having faith in God requires work. Faith without works is dead.
A defeat or a fall does not constitute that you lose the battle. I remember when my dad (Larry Holmes) was defending his WBC Heavyweight Boxing title like it was yesterday. Earnie Shavers hit him so hard that he hit the canvas in the 7th round, and I didn’t think my dad was going to get up. However, I remember the chants that came out of the fans mouth saying Larry, Larry, Laaaaary and my dad got up and won the fight and retained his WBC Heavyweight Boxing title. What I am saying to you is that you can get up. There were more fights that he had to take on, and he did just that.
What I am saying to you there is a lot more that you must do for the Kingdom of God, and you have come to far to quit. The devil is not excited at all that you have the ability to move on and to do all that God is asking you to do. He does not like the idea that you have already defeated him and that victory belongs to God’s children. He is jealous and will bring all kinds of deceptive ways to get you off the way that God has established for you. He is a liar and the father of lies. Do not be deceived.
1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Do not allow the enemy to catch you off guard because of what he presents to you when we come. When you start walking in your purpose, and your calling news will get out to the community and surrounding areas. Just as the news traveled it reached the inhabitants of Gibeon and what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai.
While the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and the Jebusites heard what Joshua had done they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
The people of Gibeon knew what the children of Israel had done they saw no way of possible winning a war with Joshua. So they masqueraded themselves to have Joshua and princes think they were strangers from a far land. You cannot and must not be deceived by anyone when God gives you instructions you must follow it out completely. Not only did God speak to Joshua, Moses spoke to Joshua and the children of Israel concerning the Word of the Lord. Remember when God tells you something you must keep the Word of the Lord before you. He told Joshua to meditate on it day and night. David said the Word that I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2 (KJV)
1 When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
2 And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:
God had told Joshua not to make an alliance with anyone. They were not to join themselves with no one in the land, but to take the land and to destroy all. Today we think twice before we do with God said. Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan and got thrown out of the garden. Don’t come this far and forfeit what is on your life because someone(s) disguised themselves, and you chose not to seek on concerning the matter.
2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (KJV)
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
We must not compromise the things of God by allowing the enemy to entice us. We must pray about everything even when it sounds good. One of the gifts that the Body of Christ is lacking and don’t seem to seek anymore is discernment. We seek other gifts without discernment you have the possibilities of abusing all the other gifts. Discernment will not only let you see what’s operating in the lives of others it will cause you to see what is in you. In this day and time, we must discern what is of God and what is not.
The men of Israel took their victuals and never once inquired of the Lord. Joshua made peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of Israel established a covenant with them. Joshua never once in this situation sought the counsel of the Lord, and did not remember the command of the Lord. Do not allow the enemy to blind us from seeing the Gospel. Whatever, you do know that what every state you find yourself in know that you cannot move forward without prayer, praise, worship and the Word of God. Be aware of the devil and his tactics. They made an oath with them in the Lord’s name and, therefore, they had to honor it.
Pray:
Father in the name of Jesus Christ, I thank you for being God and Savior of my life. Thank you that your mercy endures forever and ever. I ask you in the name of Jesus for the gift of discernment or sharpen the gift and teach me how to walk in this gift with character and integrity. I pray that the Word of God will be in my heart that I might sin against your will and your purpose. Please lead and guide me and let the spirit of wisdom to rest upon me. Keep my eyes fixed upon you and let me not forsake your counsel. Show me your ways and teach me how to walk in them completely. I pray this prayer in Jesus name I pray, Amen!
Copyright © 2015 by Pastor Misty Holmes-Dorsey