⚔️ Main Summary of Joshua 9: ๐ A Chapter That Makes Us Wonder: How Far Does God’s Salvation Reach?
AI-generated image
From Joshua chapters 1 through 8, we see Jericho and Ai being conquered, along with events through which the Israelites come to understand important lessons.
⚔️ Main Summary of Joshua 9
Joshua 9 highlights → two different groups among the peoples living in the land of Canaan as Israel continues its conquest.
1. The Canaanite peoples who unite to fight Israel
Several kings of Canaan west of the Jordan—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—form an alliance to fight against Israel.
2. The Gibeonites who use deception
On the other hand, the inhabitants of Gibeon, who belonged to the Hivites, came up with an extremely clever and ingenious plan.
They pretended to have come from a very distant land: They brought dry, moldy bread, old and torn wineskins, and worn-out clothes and sandals.
They made a covenant: They came to the camp at Gilgal and said that they had come from a very distant land because of the name of the LORD, their God. They also said that they had heard about the LORD, about everything He had done in Egypt, and about everything He had done to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan.
Because of this, Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to let them live. The leaders of the congregation also swore an oath to them.
→ Later, when Joshua asked why they had deceived Israel by claiming to have come from a very distant land, they explained:
“We were clearly told that the LORD your God commanded His servant Moses to give you this entire land and to destroy all its inhabitants before you.” (v. 24)
→ Joshua then declared that they would be under a curse and would become servants for generations, cutting wood and carrying water for the house of God. And they accepted this without resistance.
Conclusion — 1
Joshua 9 records the people who, among the seven nations that were to be destroyed, found the wisest way to preserve their lives.
The reason they had to pretend that they had come from a distant land was this:
They had heard and learned about everything God had done in Egypt. (v. 9)
They knew not only what had happened east of the Jordan, but also what had happened to Jericho and Ai. (v. 10)
They knew that God had commanded the destruction of all the inhabitants of the land. (v. 24)
By pretending to have come from a very distant land, → they apparently also knew that an agreement could be made with peoples who were not inhabitants of Canaan.
In other words, it seems that they understood God’s command quite well, and precisely because of that knowledge, they were able to devise such a clever strategy.
๐ The text itself also tells us that they came to make this covenant because of the LORD, the God of Israel.
And there is something very important about this situation:
→ God remained silent. ๐
They were one of the peoples destined for destruction;
they knew about God and feared Him;
and because they feared God, they used their wisdom to try to save their own lives.
→ We cannot know whether God’s silence meant that He approved of or permitted this situation.
→ But the result was that, through this action, they ended up preserving their own lives.
✔️ This makes us think of Rahab, who, because she feared God, was able to save herself and her family,
✔️ and now the Gibeonites, because they feared God, also ended up joining the procession of those whose lives were preserved.
✔️ Perhaps this is another moment in which we can see a great manifestation of God’s grace. ๐
๐ This may also suggest that, even among those who were destined for destruction, there were people whom God was willing to reach with His grace. ๐
Conclusion — 2
Because of the deception of the Gibeonites, Israel was placed in a situation where they risked violating God’s command.
But on the other hand, Israel also gained people who could serve and work around the sanctuary.
God remained silent, and later there is no record that He held the Gibeonites responsible for what had happened.
Furthermore, many years later, during the reign of King David, a severe famine came upon the land for three years. God revealed that it was connected to the bloodshed committed by Saul against the Gibeonites. David then had to make amends for the injustice committed against them.
→ Although the relationship began with deception, the Gibeonites were protected under a covenant made in the name of the LORD.
And God eventually required that the injustice committed against them be addressed.
This shows us that the Gibeonites came to be recognized and protected among the people of God.
(As mentioned above, this event involving David takes place later in the biblical narrative.)
AI-generated image
Conclusion — 3
While writing Conclusions 1 and 2, another insight came to me, so I would like to add it here.
✔️ I am beginning to realize that the people whom God intended to save were not limited only to the Israelites.
First, we encounter Rahab;
now we encounter the Gibeonites.
And throughout the Bible so far, we have repeatedly seen statements that God wanted all the peoples of the earth to know what He was doing.
✔️ In fact, when people who were destined for destruction ended up being preserved, there is no statement from God saying that Israel had broken His command or that the covenant had to be canceled.
God simply allowed that situation to remain.
→ In other words, it seems more natural to understand this as an even greater manifestation of God’s grace.
๐ In other words, could this be a movement that progresses from:
Israelites → + those destined for destruction (among them, those who fear God) → + all the peoples of the world (among them, those who fear God)?
This is how I am beginning to see the flow of the biblical narrative. ๐ ๐
AI-generated image
๋๊ธ
๋๊ธ ์ฐ๊ธฐ