Joshua Chapter 9
Word was spreading quickly about the conquests of the Israelites. All of the other little kingdoms of the region formed an alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel. The people of the land were very afraid. When you read this in the Bible you see exactly what God had done. The number of people of Israel had grown even larger since leaving Egypt. Bible scholars believe the population was somewhere between one and two million people. A direct fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. This large population coupled with the power of the LORD God caused the inhabitants of the land to be afraid.
One group thought that they’re best chance of survival was to trick the people of Israel and hope that they could be taken in as their servants. That is exactly what the people of Gibeon did as they pretended to journey from a distant country rather than being of the region as they were. Unfortunately, the Israelites did not seek God when confronted by this group from Gibeon and believed a lie.
Let's Reflect
1. How many different groups or kingdoms formed an alliance to fight against Israel?
2. To what extreme measures did the people of Gibeon go to give the illusion that they had travelled from a distant country?
3. According to verse 7 what question was asked that shows the Israelites did entertain the thought that this could be a trick?
4. In verses 6 and 11 what did the strangers request? According to verse 15 how did Joshua respond?
5. What was the problem with the decisions that were made? See verse 14.
6. It wasn’t long before the people of Israel learned they had been tricked. How long did it take before they heard this news?
7. At a time when the conquest of Israel should have been to take out the cities of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim, the leaders of Israel would not let the men cause these cities any harm. Why?
8. What reason did the people of Gibeon give to Joshua for their lies and trickery?
