Joshua 9 Devotional

When We Forget to Ask

“Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not seek the counsel of the LORD.”Joshua 9:14 (BSB)

The Gibeonites arrive with moldy bread, cracked wineskins, and worn-out sandals, claiming to come from a distant country (9:4-6, 12-13). The chapter puts its finger on why the deception works. Israel's men examined the provisions but did not seek the LORD's counsel (9:14). They trusted what they could see and taste. Three days later the truth comes out: Gibeon is a neighbor (9:16).

What happens next is striking. The congregation grumbles, but the leaders refuse to break the oath they swore in the LORD's name, even though it was obtained by a lie (9:18-20). Gibeon is spared and put to work cutting wood and carrying water for the house of God (9:21-27). The oath held because God's name was attached to it. Psalm 15 describes the one who may dwell with God as someone who keeps his word even when it costs him (Psalm 15:4). And James promises that God gives wisdom generously to anyone who asks (James 1:5). The God who keeps his word invites you to ask him before you decide.

To think about: What decision in front of you have you been weighing only by what you can see, without bringing it to God?