Word of Encouragement (06/21/2023)
At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. (Josh. 10:12-13)
How could Joshua keep his treaty with the Gibeonites when the LORD devoted all the Canaanites to destruction? If it was sinful to break a treaty with the Gibeonites, who deceived Joshua to make the treaty, wasn’t it more sinful to keep the treaty against God’s command? And how could God allow this to happen?
It seems that the issue here is more complicated than simply asking whether promise-keeping is more important than any other law. Promise-keeping is one of the most important, foundational ingredients in our relationships. Few things harm our relationships more than deceitful words and broken promises. But we are not to conclude from this incident that we should keep our promise no matter what. There is no honor in keeping our promise when what we promised to do is sinful. The key here is "sinful," not just "inconvenient"! It is better to back out of such a promise and pay the consequences than to commit the wrong. Of course, there is shame and cost involved in backing out of any promise, even a sinful one. So we must be careful not to make rash promises and, once we make any promise, we should keep it even to our own hurt (Ps. 15:4) as long as it is not sinful.
Israel's treaty with the Gibeonites was not just any promise, was it? It was made in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel (v. 18). But more importantly for our purpose, it was made with those who desperately desired to align themselves with the LORD and His people (9:9-11). We can wonder whether this was a genuine faith or not. But God allowing this incident to take place shows that He does not reject anyone who comes to Him for deliverance (John 6:37). As someone said, "No one goes to hell against his will." As shocking as it may sound, it is also true. I'm sure nobody wants to suffer the miseries of hell. But sadly, many choose to suffer in hell than to serve God in heaven. The Gibeonites must be commended for aligning themselves with God and His people.
From our passage, we see how sin complicates things and makes everything messy. But that's not all we see, is it? As those who were Gentiles in the flesh, we cannot help but feel relieved that the Gibeonites were spared from the destruction. And though God seems to be silent throughout this incident, God is far from being absent or uninvolved. He was present in His commands. God was present when the leaders of Israel ratified a treaty with the Gibeonites in His name. And like the director of a play, who may not be present on the stage but has his hand in everything that goes on there, God is orchestrating everything that is going on in this incident to cause all things to work together for the glorious accomplishment of His redemptive plan, which is to redeem all His elect from every tongue, tribe, nation, and people.
If God heard the petition of the Gibeonites, who deceived Joshua, how much more willing He would be to listen to our prayers, who are His beloved people in Jesus Christ! His grace is more powerful than all our sins; His love is greater than our frailty and failures. No matter how low you have fallen or how far you have gone astray, come to God and He will receive you for the sake of Jesus Christ. And let us strive to be people of integrity and truthfulness in the likeness of Christ!