If you remember the context, the Israelites have just won resounding victories over the cities of Jericho and Ai, and the surrounding peoples are starting to become afraid. Which city or people will be conquered next, as these Hebrews continue their advance into the Promised Land that their God is giving them?
For this reason, a tribe of people called the Gibeonites plan an elaborate scam. Knowing that the Israelites will not make a treaty with any of the Canaanite tribes, the Gibeonites dress up in ragged clothes and worn sandals; they carry mouldy bread, weathered saddle bags and patched wineskins. " We've come from a distant land," they say, "We've heard of the power of your God, and we want to ask you to make a peace treaty with us."
Before agreeing to a treaty, the Israelites inspect the dry bread and old wineskins BUT (vs 14) they did not consult the Lord. They end up guaranteeing the safety of people that actually live nearby and should have been conquered in order for Israel to fully possess the land.
Should we feel sorry for the Israelites? Should we see them as the innocent victims of a clever deception? Or should we groan in dismay as we watch them sow problems for themselves because of their sin of presumption? They trusted in their own understanding of the situation, instead of truly hearing what God had to say about it.
It could be easy for us to make the same sort of mistake today. There are countless issues in our modern world where the enemy is seeking to deceive us and pull the wool over our eyes. Our biggest danger is that we would form our opinion based on what the media, the scientists or the politicians are telling us, instead of stopping and taking time to consult the Lord.
Whether it's a personal choice (Should I accept this new job offer?) a moral question in society (What should I think about transgenderism or same-sex marriage?) or some kind of decision facing us in the church, it is so important that we don't simply rely on what our own eyes and ears, thoughts and feelings tell us, but that we take time to check in with our Father: "What do you think about this, Lord? What's the right way forward for me?"
Joshua learned a hard lesson that day. It was the second time that he had put his leadership on "automatic pilot" instead of diligently seeking the Lord in every decision. As we read on in the following chapters, we read of the Israelites winning one victory after another... and certainly a key to their success was the heart attitude we read of in Joshua 11 vs 15: Joshua did as he was told, carefully obeying all the commands that the Lord had given.
