Beware Of Getting Involved With The Gibeonites Of This World CD No. -Also G-49 Time: 1/ 23/ 2011 Sun. 11 am travisleemartin@hotmail.com Text: Joshua 9: 1-27 - www.coolspringsbaptistchurch.org ------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction: In this passage we will find out about the Gibeonites that leagued up with the Israelites. We will find out about another trick of the devil. Friend, I want to tell you that the DEVIL is sharp and cunning. He is able to deceive God s children if they are not very careful. I want us to look at three major truths from this passage of scripture. 1. The Camouflage That Was Luring 2. The Counsel That Was Lacking 3. The Consequences That Was Left I. The Camouflage That Was Luring A. The Scare Of The Gibeonites V.1-And it came to pass when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hill, 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- The Gibeonites heard how Israel was destroying their enemy every time they came into contact with them. Israel was being victorious over their enemy; the Gibeonites found out about it. 1 P a g e
Did you know that the DEVIL knows when we are bold and victorious? Did you know that the Devil and his crowd get scared when God s people try to destroy and eradicate the things that hinder and oppose the work of God? Etc. The Scare of the Gibeonites B. The Strategy Of The Gibeonites The Gibeonites realized that their day was coming. In fact they were the next enemy for Israel to destroy, so they thought of a plan so they could be spared. 1. The Objective of Their Strategy Read VV. 4-7 Key Verse: V.6 Last phrase-now therefore make ye league with us. Synonyms: groups, association, unite. The Gibeonites wanted to unite or join or yoke up with the Israelites. Spiritual Reference Verse:2 Cor. 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with un-believers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with un-righteousness? And what communion hath light with dakness.17- Wherefore come out from them and be ye separate. This Includes: dating, marriage, business, and even religion. The DEVIL defeated Israel at Ai by Achan coveting and stealing; now Satan was using another method and that was uniting or being unequally yoke with the enemy. 2. The Operation of Their Strategy a) The Appearance That Was Deceptive Notice their appearance that was deceptive in VV4-6. (Read) Satan will disguise himself as an angel of light to further his cause. 2 P a g e
2 Cor. 2:11 tells us not to be ignorant of his devices. The Appearance That Was Deceptive a) The Acclamation That Was Dishonest Their sight was a lie, and their story was a lie. VV.8-13 reveals the lie in their story. Read- Listen VV.8-11- Reveals that they- lied about coming from a far country. They butter up their story by telling what they heard; telling about hearing of Israel s success. They lied by talking about their Elders telling them to come and to take food. VV. 12-13- They lied about their bread being dry because they came so far. They lied about their wine bags looking old from the long journey. They lied about their clothes and shoes looking old from the long journey. Satan is a deceiver and he is good at making things look bad and good. In their case he lied about things looking old to deceive the Israelites. In our day he still does both. However, he is a master at making something that is bad look like it is good. What about Beer: Have you noticed the enticing advertisement about how refreshing beer is on a hot day with a waterfall behind it. Satan does not show the broken homes or somebody dying from Cirrhosis of the liver with that beer or wine advertisement- What about Drugs: The good feeling deception.etc What about Sex: Pornography, or that enticing woman or man on the job that keeps flirting with you knowing that you are married. 3 P a g e
What about Gambling: Las Vegas or Lottery Tickets: Etc. Main Application: Satan knows how to get believers to unite within unbelievers by deceitfulness and dishonesty. Satan is a good liar. Etc. (He doesn t tell about the spiritual consequences) The Scare of the Gibeonites The Strategy of the Gibeonites C. The Success Of The Gibeonites Verse 14 and 15 reveals that the Gibeonites were successful with their strategy. 1. The Peace That Was Made With the Gibeonites V.15-And Joshua made peace with them- Their lying and deception caused Joshua to make peace with them. Any time you make peace with the Devil or his crowd and join up with them, you are in trouble. 2. The Promise That Was Made To the Gibeonites V.15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princess of the congregation sware unto them. So Joshua and the princes of the congregation made a promise unto them that they would not be killed and that they could live with them. The Camouflage That Was Luring II. The Counsel That Was Lacking V.14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. Question: What caused Joshua and the leaders of Israel to fall prey to the strategy of the Gibeonites? Question: What causes us to fall prey to the DEVIL S strategy and enticement from time to time? 4 P a g e
Answer: We don t seek counsel from God, just like Joshua and his leaders. We don t pray about some things, we just go by appearance or what seems to be okay, even if it is not. A lot of people have fell prey to the devil because of the lack of prayer. They failed prey to the sight and the story of the Gibeonites because they did not seek counsel from God. Israel failed prey because they trusted in their own discernment because of what they saw with their natural eyes and what they heard with their own natural eyes. James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and unbraideth not; it shall be given him. The Camouflage That Was Luring The Counsel That Was Lacking III. The Consequences That Was Left A. The Predicament Discovery Of The Israelites Read VV. 16-18. Three days after they made a league with the Gibeonites they find out that the Gibeonites had been lying. They found out that they were their neighbor. The entire congregation started murmuring at the leaders and Joshua. Trouble was starting immediately. The Israelites found out that they were out of the will of God by yoking up with their enemy, the Gibeonites. The Predicament Discovery Of The Israelites B. The Proper Decision Of The Israelites V.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 5 P a g e
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. We find ourselves in a lot of bad situations because we fall prey to the Devil. What are we to do: we are to keep our promise or vow. Marriage is one of those situations. 1 Corinthians 7: 12-15 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: if any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath a husband and believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with he, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or sister not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. Amplified & Simplified: If you are saved and married to a lost person, you are not to leave him or her, but if they want to leave because you are a Christian and you want to go to church and serve God; let them leave. You are to stay married and make the best of it if you married out of God s will, knowing or not knowing, unless your partner wants to leave because of your faith. C. The Plightful Delimea Of The Gibeonites In VV. 22 though 27 we find out that the Israelites make the Gibeonites pay for their pretense and lying. Joshua confronts them and lets them know that they are not going to get by with their deception, there were going to be consequences from their actions. Read VV.21, 22, 23 and V.27. The Godless were made to fix and make preparation for the Godly to worship. 6 P a g e
What a awful predicament to be in, considering that their heart would not be in what they were doing. Conclusion: Beware Of Getting Involved With The Gibeonites Of The World We found out that the Israelites got out of God s will by yoking up with the Gibeonites, Yes, It was from deception by the enemy, but nevertheless, it happened. Yes, the Gibeonites tricked the Israelites, but their main reason for failure was because they did not seek council from God. Last, if you have married un-equally yoke, do your best to lead your partner to the Lord not only by witnessing, but by being a good Christian example in front of him or her. If you are un-equally yoked with a business partner, don t let him or her lead you astray with some kind of crooked or illegal business practice, but be a good Christian example in front of them. You may be here today and not find yourself fitting into this categories, but there may be doubt about something that has come up in your life; you may want to use this time to talk to the Lord about it. You might need to seek God s wisdom pertaining to something that has come up in your life. 7 P a g e