Synopsis:
After what happened to Jericho and Ai, all the other leaders
of neighboring areas were now concerned about Joshua and the Israelites. They
all decided to band together to fight them in common cause. However, the folks
at Gibeon were too afraid to fight them. So they sent ambassadors there who
pretended to be from a land far, far away. They even took moldy bread with them
to prove how far they had come. They offered up their services and Joshua
accepted them. But then they found out they were actually from Gibeon. The
masses wanted to kill them, but Joshua and his princes had already promised not
to kill them. Long story short, they were allowed to become servants to the
people of Israel.
To put it another way:
Neighboring kingdoms were afraid, one group made peace with
Joshua by lying to him. He forgave them.
Favorite bit:
Joshua 9:5 “And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and
old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.”
Gibeonites: See, we can’t be from around these parts, our bread is moldy. Joshua: Well gosh – you must be telling the
truth.
Moral Lesson:
Lying to a homicidal dictator can save your life. It is therefore not only permissible, it is advisable under these circumstances.
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