283. GIBEON AND THE SOUTHERN CAMPAIGN
"The men asked not counsel at the mouth of Yahweh"
The fall of Ai caused consternation among the inhabitants of the southern part of the land of Canaan. The kings of these nations began confederating and co-ordinating their plans to attack Joshua and stop the victorious Israelites before they could advance any further into the land (Josh. 9:1-2).
However, before their plans were effected, an event took place which was to again drive home the fundamental lesson to Israel concerning the need for obedience to God's commandments and the need to avoid making superficial judgement based on a purely fleshly appraisal of a situation. This event was the visit of the Gibeonites to deceive Israel into making a peace agreement with them.
Our aim in this lesson is to see the need to consistently seek God's guidance in our warfare against the world.
Joshua 9 & 10
THE LEAGUE WITH THE GIBEONITES (Josh. 9:3-15).
Gibeon was the next important town in Joshua's advance from Ai. The Pass of Ai was situated opposite the Pass of Beth-horon which was the gateway to the south of the country. At the head of the Pass of Beth-horon was set the city of Gibeon, a great city of renown and inhabited by some of the mightiest of the Hivite peoples (10:2). Together with Chephirah, Beeroth and Kirjath-jearim it made up a group of Hivite cities set among hills, valleys, and springs of waters so typical of the land flowing with milk and honey promised to the children of Israel (Deut. 11:1-12).
The crushing defeat of Ai a few kilometres away convinced the Gibeonites that it was futile to resist the Israelites. In fact the Gibeonites had watched Israel's progress right from Egypt and their campaign east of Jordan (vv. 9, 24).
Hence with subtle strategy and elaborate preparation they clothed themselves with old garments, patched ("clouted", v.5) shoes and furnished themselves with stale mouldy bread in old sacks and wine skins, torn and mended (vv. 4-5). They claimed to be ambassadors from a far country who had heard of God's purpose with Israel and wished to make an agreement with Joshua and the people of Israel to live at peace (vv. 9-13).
God had given specific instructions to utterly put away and make no alliances with the Canaanites € the Hivites being specifically included
(Ex. 23-32; 34:10-17; Deut. 7:1-5). In Deut. 20:10-20 further details are given. The seven nations of Canaan are again listed for utter destruction, but cities "very far off from thee" (20:15), which voluntarily made peace could be spared. The Gibeonites claimed to come "from a very far country" and their carefully prepared clothes and victuals lent apparent proof. Perhaps they had heard the law recorded in Deuteronomy 20.
Joshua and the princes succumbed to the deception and agreed to make a league with them. It is obvious that they put the Gibeonites in the class of those from a "far country". They believed the sight of their eyes and the hearing of their ears, but verse 14 clearly highlights what they omitted to do, namely, they "asked not (counsel) at the mouth of Yahweh". In contrast, the second 'Joshua', Yahweh Jesus Christ "shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears", but will be guided by divine counsel and wisdom (Isa. 11:2-3).
THE DECEPTION DISCOVERED (Josh. 9:16-27).
What a shock for Israel three days later when the army of Joshua came to the cities of the Hivites and found that their visitors from a "far country" were Gibeonites from a few kilometres away who would have been next in line for destruction. The camp was divided: the people murmured against the princes because of their foolhardy action (vv. 18-21). Their word however was their bond and the Gibeonites, were spared. They were though, put to servitude, performing menial tasks such as hewing wood and drawing water (v. 27). These tasks were normally done by servants (Deut. 29:11). Thus the Gibeonites were punished and Israel was taught the lesson of the need to seek God's guidance, as well as the need to abide by an oath.
THE ATTACK ON GIBEON (Josh. 10:1-8).
The alliance with the Gibeonites lent urgency to the plans of the other Canaanites in the south to unite, not only against Israel, but against the Gibeonites as well. Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, moved to unite the five Amorite kings of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon with himself to firstly attack Gibeon (vv. 1-5).
The Gibeonites appealed to Israel for help. It would appear that this time Joshua asked counsel of Yahweh and was told to attack (v. 8). The Amorites were the most formidable and organised of the Canaanitish peoples. Their political dominance and iniquity was prophesied to Abraham when God told him of His purpose to bring his descendants into the land after their sojourn in Egypt (Gen. 15:16). They occupied the mountainous areas of the land (v. 6) and were distributed on both sides of the Jordan as far north as Mt. Hermon (Deut. 3:8).
THE BATTLE OF BETH-HOKON (Josh. 10:9-14).
In Deut. 20:1-9 we read of the instructions which were given to Israel to prepare them for battle. No doubt they would have been carried out on this occasion. Then, having received his instructions from God, Joshua made a dramatic overnight forced march from Gilgal to Gibeon of some 40 kilometres (v. 9).
With the rising sun behind them, Israel came upon the confederated armies which had besieged Gibeon with startling suddenness. The Canaanite army broke down with the onslaught and scattered with Israel in pursuit (v. 10). Opposite Gibeon was the descent of Beth-horon, which was rocky and difficult, but when traversed opened the way to the valley of Ajalon which descended down to the Plain of Sharon on which the enemy could escape with minimum losses.
Suddenly, as the enemy fled, God caused a tremendous storm to break out upon them. Trapped on the slippery descent into Ajalon, the enemy were slain by gigantic hailstones (v. 11).
By now the day was wearing on and the broken remnants of the Canaanite host were scattered as far as Makkedah and Azekah to the southwest, while the survivors of the hail were trapped in the valley of Ajalon. Joshua was anxious to complete the conquest and besought Yahweh for an extension of daylight in order to accomplish this. In a unique intervention, God, Who created and appointed the sun and moon (Gen. 1:16), stayed their courses so that for almost a further full day the men of Israel were able to complete their task (vv. 12-14). This was indeed an awe-inspiring event and one which the prophets indicate will be paralleled in the future when Yahweh will again fight against the confederated enemies of Israel when they beseige Jerusalem (Hab. 3:11; Zech. 14:3). Among the heavenly artillery which God will bring to bear against these forces will be great hailstones similar to those He rained against the enemies of Joshua in the valley of Ajalon so long ago (Ezek. 38:22).
THE SOUTHERN CAMPAIGN (Josh. 10:15-43).
The five Amorite kings had in the meantime fled to a cave in Makkedah and were discovered there (v. 16). The cave was sealed until the slaughter of the Canaanites was completed. When Joshua and the people of Israel returned, the five kings were brought forth. Joshua invited the captains of the hosts to place their feet upon the necks in a token of complete victory (v. 24; cp. Psa. 110:1; 1 Cor. 15:24-25). Joshua's words in v. 25 are those with which Moses counselled him in Deut. 31:6-7 and which were an inspiration to Joshua and became his motivation throughout life (cp. Josh. 23:6, 1:7). The kings were then executed, hanged on trees till sun-down, and afterward buried in the cave which had been their refuge previously.
In successive onslaughts against Makkedah (v. 28), Libnah (v. 29), Lachish (v. 31), Eglon (v. 34), Hebron (v. 36), and Debir (v. 38), Joshua subdued the entire southern part of Canaan so that from the centre of the land, south to Kadesh-Barnea and west to Gaza, the land was now under Israel's dominion. All organised resistance in the south had been broken and only pockets of the enemy remained.
LESSONS FOR US:
- The deception of the Gibeonites is an object lesson to heed carefully the instructions of our God (Prov. 16:9). We may feel sympathy for Israel in being duped by such a clever ruse, but the commandment was clear: "Thou shalt make no covenant with them" (Ex. 23:32).
- Likewise today the truth must be sought in the way God has appointed € belief in the gospel and baptism into Yahweh Jesus Christ (Mark 16:16; Gal. 3:27-29). We cannot offer or accept the truth on our own terms.
- Israel "asked not counsel at the mouth of Yahweh" in the incident with the Gibeonites, but Jesus continually sought his Father's counsel (Mark 1:35; John 8:28), and we should do likewise through the Word of Truth and the power of prayer.
- Like the Canaanites of old, the iniquity of the Gentiles in these perilous last days has come to its full measure and challenges us. Our zeal for Yahweh must equal that of Joshua in a spiritual sense.
- We slay the wicked by separating ourselves from the world and putting worldly thoughts, words and actions to death in ourselves (cp. 2 Cor. 6:14, 17; Rom. 6:6). As Paul shows Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:3-4, these are the basic attributes of a soldier of Christ Jesus.
REFERENCE LIBRARY:
"The Ways of Providence" (R. Roberts) € Chapter 12
"The Story of the Bible" (H. P. Mansfield) € Vol. 2, No. 10
"Joshua" (J. Ullman) € Chapters 9-10
PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:
- How were the Gibeonites punished? What lessons were Israel taught by this incident?
- It is said of Jesus that he does not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. In what way did Joshua fail to do the same?
- Why was the battle of Beth-horon important to Joshua's campaign?
ESSAY QUESTIONS:
- Describe how Israel was deceived by the Gibeonites? What lessons do we learn from this incident?
- What general principles regarding our life do we learn from Joshua's warfare against the Canaanites?
- Outline the events in the battle of Beth-horon. In what way was it typical of another conflict in the future?