No. 1662: We get into trouble in life and ministry as believers when we slouch and neglect to ask the Lord for advice!

No. 1662:

We get into trouble in life and ministry as believers when we slouch and neglect to ask the Lord for advice!

Here the Gibeonites came and tricked Joshua and the children of Israel into doing wrong when they did not ask the Lord God for guidance and what to do.

 

From https://www.janchristensen.net/bibel1.php?bok=jos

Joshua 9. The Canaanite kings join forces against Joshua, 1.2. The Gibeonites trick the leaders of Israel into making a covenant with them, 3-15. When the people see that they have been tricked, they become angry, but settle for imposing the Gibeonites as slave labor for the congregation, 16-27.
1 Now when all the kings who were on this side Jordan, in the hills and in the lowlands and along the entire coast of the Great Sea to the middle of Lebanon—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—heard of it,

2 they all gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

Jos 6:21-23 Jos 8:26-29

4 they acted deceitfully, going and pretending to be messengers, taking worn-out sacks on their donkeys and worn-out, cracked, and mended wineskin bottles;

5 they wore worn-out and patched sandals on their feet and wore worn-out clothes; and all the bread they had for the journey was dry and moldy.

6 So they went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now make a covenant with us!”
7 Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; how then can we make a covenant with you?” Exodus 23:32-33 Exodus 7:2 Joshua 11:19
8 Then they said to Joshua, “We will be your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”
9 And they said, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who lived at Ashtaroth. Numbers 21:24-35
11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land said to us, “Take provisions with you for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, ‘We will be your servants. Now therefore make a covenant with us.’
12 Here is our bread; it was hot when we took it from our homes as a provision for the journey on the day we set out to meet you, but now it is dry and moldy!
13 And here are our wineskin bottles; they were new when we filled them, and now they are torn! And here are our clothes and our sandals; they have worn out because of the long, long journey.
14 So the men took and tasted the provisions of their journey; but they did not inquire of the Lord. Numbers 27:21
15 Then Joshua spoke peaceably to them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore to them. 2 Sam 21:2
16 But it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they understood that they were near them, and dwelt among them.
17 For the children of Israel journeyed, and came on the third day unto their cities, which were Gibeon, and Kephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.
18 But the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And the whole congregation murmured against the princes:
19 And all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel, and now we may not lay our hand upon them. Ps 15:4
20 Thus will we do unto them; we will let them live, that wrath may not come upon us because of the oath which we sware unto them.
21 And the princes said unto them, Let them live. So they became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation, as the leaders had told them.* *to them: the congregation of Israel.
22 Then Joshua called them to him and said to them, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We live very far from you,’ while you live among us?
23 Now therefore you are cursed; there shall not remain a man of you to be a bondman, a hewer of wood and a drawer of water for the house of my God.
24 They answered Joshua and said, “Your servants certainly heard that the Lord your God had said to Moses his servant, ‘He will give you all the land and will destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you.’ But we were afraid because you would kill us; so we did this thing. Deuteronomy 7:1-5
25 But now we are in your hand; do to us as seems good and right to you.”
26 And he did so to them; he saved them from the hand of the children of Israel, that they did not kill them; Jos 9:21 ** *thus: Jos 9:21.
27 But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, in the place which he should choose; and they are there unto this day. Deuteronomy 29:11

From Wikipedia:
Gibeon (Hebrew: גבעון‎, Giv'on) was a city in Canaan north of Jerusalem that was conquered by Joshua, the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. According to the Book of Joshua and the Book of Second Samuel, the inhabitants of Gibeon at this time, sometime between 1500 and 1390 BC according to biblical chronology, or the Late Bronze Age, were not Israelites, but Amorites.
The remains of Gibeon are today located at the southern end of the Palestinian village al Jib.
(end of quote.)

The children of Israel had won two great victories before this battle!

Joshua 9. 3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai.

Jericho is a picture of the world. Which I will not go into here.

Ai is a picture of the flesh. Which we will not go into here either.

The Gibeonites are a picture of Satan, which we will try to illuminate in this article.

Meeting the Gibeonites is always the most difficult battle, but at the same time the easiest.
Satan is a defeated enemy, but it is only by his cunning and cunning methods that he wins territory and his victories.

How did these Gibeonites proceed?
Completely different from anyone else.
They did not meet the children of Israel in direct battle and conflict.
But came up with a cunning and evil plan in order not to suffer defeat.
But still inflicts a heavy and painful loss and defeat on the children of Israel.

We read what they did here in Joshua chapter 9.

“Then they went forth with cunning, and went forth, and made themselves messengers; and they took old sacks upon their asses, and old, and rent, and mended wineskins; and old and patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread which they had for the journey was dry and rotten.

So they came unto Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him and unto the men of Israel,
We come from a far country; now therefore make a covenant with us!”

Here we see how Satan operates, not as the flesh and the world.
When the children of Israel were victorious over Jericho and Ai, the tactics and the resistance were much more obvious. And they were victorious in a more open battle.
Here they encountered someone who was using tricks and a cunning method.
How to meet those who lead by deception?
And engaged in direct diversion, lies and drama?

The children of Israel and Joshua made a cardinal mistake that unfortunately we all often make.

It says about the children of Israel the following in verse 14:
“Then the men took and tasted their journey’s provisions; but they did not inquire of the Lord.”

We believers make this cardinal mistake time and time again.
We think that this must be true and right what these people say.
They brought bread that looked very old. They did not spread fresh bread on their lunch boxes, but brought what had expired when they left.
In order to pretend that they came from afar, and to deceive Joshua and the children of Israel.
The whole thing was staged, to deceive and deceive them.
We as believers are so easily led to take everything “for good fish!”
Even though it is rotten and dangerous to eat.

Here the children of Israel were deceived, even though they had the means they needed.
We read about the children of Israel being able to inquire of the Lord through the Urim and Thummim.

Numbers 27. 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, and Eleazar shall seek the judgment of the Urim for him before the Lord; at his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel and the whole congregation.

https://blog.janchristensen.net/2015/02/nr-1043-guds-ledes-gjørn-urim-og.html

If we read in the OT, the High Priest was to wear a breastplate that was square and embroidered with gold threads. On it were twelve different precious stones, in a setting of gold, with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved. Here God revealed his will by and through this breastplate. This tells us about God's presence and guidance, but we have it the same way in the NT. But then by God's indwelling Spirit who reveals God's will to the individual believer.

Joshua did not do this, and it became their downfall and defeat.
It is probably the same thing we as believers do many times today.
We do not ask the Lord for advice.
There are no situations for us believers that are obvious.
We need God's advice and guidance down to the smallest detail very often.
And not only receive revelation, but follow it to the letter.
I have several examples in my life that I have not sought advice and guidance.
And in fact, I also have examples that I have sought God for advice and guidance.
But not following it, then it is bad.
I will tell you about an example of this.

https://blog.janchristensen.net/2021/11/nr-2952-det-var-utelkende-kun-av-en.html

When I was fired from Unibuss for playing on Christian radio programs.
Then I wanted to have a trial. But Unibuss wanted to have a negotiation meeting before the trial.
I agreed to it.
Then I prayed to God, and got a clear answer what to do.
Demand 4 Million and a free pass.
What did I do? Did I follow the Lord's advice and guidance?
No, not at all.
I was given only 1/8 of what the Lord said I should demand.
It is not just hearing that is important, but following.
We must not only be hearers of the Word, but also doers of it.
James 1. 22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror.
24 For he looks at himself and goes away, and immediately he has forgotten what kind of person he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it, not becoming a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

https://blog.janchristensen.net/2023/02/nr-3180-det-som-var-ergerlig-sett-i.html
https://blog.janchristensen.net/2022/05/nr-3017-etter-et-ar-etter-rettsforliket.html

We read about Joshua the following:
“Then the men took and tasted their journey’s provisions; but they did not inquire of the Lord.”

It is these decisions we make so quickly, that it turns out that it is Satan and his demons who are either behind them. Or he manipulates and uses the decisions we make. Most often quickly, and we do not inquire of the Lord for advice.
Even in the simple and “safe” decisions, we must ask the Lord for advice.
The Scripture speaks of this in many places.

Psalm 32. 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye.
9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, which have no sense! Their ornament is a bit and a bridle to force them; they will not come near you.

We see the children of Israel had three different battles in the encounter with the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. Where they won two victories, and a partial defeat.

They took Jericho by faith. They fought Ai with cunning and warfare.
The Gibeonites deceived the children of Israel, when they forgot God and asked Him for advice.
The “easiest” battle was actually against the Gibeonites.
I think many times it is like this, we sacrifice everything.
But when we really only need to sacrifice a few minutes or hours to God.
To ask for His advice, we are not able to take the time.
We read about what Paul writes.

2 Cor. 11. 13 Such as these are false apostles! They are false workers who have dressed up as apostles of Christ.
14 And it is no wonder, for Satan himself disguises himself as a messenger of light.
15 Therefore it is no wonder that his helpers disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be in accordance with their works

We read in the original text the following about this.
Deceitfully, they declare themselves to be Apostles, even though they are not true Apostles.
Satan disguises himself as an Angel of Light.
Do not be surprised at this, for this shows Satan's true nature how he is and acts.
Satan was once the Angel of Light with God, before he fell.
https://blog.janchristensen.net/2017/05/nr-1932-jesus-avvpnet-og-beseiret-satan.html

Meeting the evil Satan is in many ways "easier" than the compliant, gentle and pleasant Satan. Who operates as an Angel of Light.
The children of Israel were victorious against the evil enemy in both Jericho and A.
But when the Gibeonites came with cunning, cunningness and twisted the truth.
Then they went on the glue stick. Isn't that what we often do too?

The children of Israel had to make a kind of peace with the Gibeonites, so that they got their way. They were not destroyed, but became slaves to the children of Israel.
We read:
"But the children of Israel did not kill them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them peace by the Lord, the God of Israel."
They were appointed to serve the children of Israel, and this was of course exactly what they wanted. Not to be destroyed as the inhabitants of Jericho and Ai were.
And he did so to them; he saved them from the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them; Jos 9:21 ** *thus: Jos 9:21.
But Joshua made them that day woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord in the place which he would choose, and they have been so to this day.”

What can this account teach us?

Much in many ways.
Not least this that we as believers are in battle.
It is never the case that we can take anything for granted.
The enemy is always there to either tear us apart, break us down or make us compromise. In the worst case, lead us to fall.

Job said the following:
Job 7. 1 Is not a man's life on earth a service of war, and his days as the days of a day laborer?

I think about my life, that in so many cases I have been far too easy-going, not being aware of the dangers and taking most things for granted.
With the results that I have suffered if not defeated. Then I have not given God the opportunity to win a great and glorious victory.
But what to do then?

There is really only one thing. Pray this prayer or a similar prayer.
“God, start over in my life!”

I think of several stories in the Bible.
Not least the one in Luke 15 about the prodigal son who came to himself.
And wanted to go home to his Father, and become like one of his Father’s servants on the farm.
His thoughts about himself and his past, present and future were not great.
Maybe he prayed that prayer?
“God, start over in my life?”
I don’t know, as this is only a parable and illustration.
But unfortunately that is where many of us are, we have to start over with God.
The children of Israel had forgotten to ask the Lord for advice.
We have all failed more or less.
Then it is good to believe and know that with God there is always forgiveness and new opportunities for all of us!
We sing the following in a Swedish song:
“Börja om än en gång i mitt liv.”
That's what we all have to pray for more or less, and rededicate ourselves to our Heavenly Father.
Listen to the song here: