The “Win” Trap – Joshua 9:14

Wake Up Call

Joshua fought some great battles for the Lord. He was a man of courage and a strong leader after Moses had gone on. There was one deal he bungled badly however. He was snookered into believing the Gibeonites who came calling after the Israelites thumped Jericho.

The Gibeonites lived in the Promised Land and correctly analyzed they were about to be expelled along with all the other “ites” (Canaanites, Perizzites, Amorites, etc.) who also lived there. Instead of preparing for war with the other “ites” they pretended to be from a far land coming to give homage and promise service.

Flattery got them somewhere. The Gibeonites said they came “because of the fame of the Lord your God; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt.” (Joshua 9:9) They asked for a covenant with God’s people and were foolishly given it because Joshua and his men “did not ask for the counsel of the Lord.” (Verse 14) This was really a trap and caused God’s purposes for their possession of the land to be thwarted.

Well, why didn’t they seek the counsel of the Lord? What was their mistake? They were coming off some high victories and got a little too complacent and even cocky. Complacency can be a bigger snare than most outright attacks we have with the devil. This is especially true after big wins.

Watch out! Watch out particularly if you are riding high and a recent victory still tastes sweet! The results might turn sweet to sour.

 

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *