Question 1

Why did the Gibeonites deceive Joshua and Israel?

Accepted Answer

The Gibeonites deceived Joshua and Israel because they were deeply afraid after hearing what God had done to Egypt, Jericho, Ai, and the Amorite kings. They knew God had commanded that Israel receive the land and destroy its inhabitants, so they believed open resistance would mean death. Out of fear for their lives, they pretended to come from a far country, using old clothes, worn wineskins, and moldy bread as props. Their plan mixed a kind of faith in God’s power with sinful dishonesty, choosing lies instead of open surrender and truth.

Question 2

What does it mean that they "asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD"?

Accepted Answer

When the passage says they “asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD,” it means Joshua and the leaders made their decision without seeking God’s guidance. Even though they were suspicious and asked the Gibeonites questions, they relied only on what they saw and tasted, like the old bread and wineskins. They did not go to God in prayer or use the means He had given them to hear His will. This shows how easy it is to be misled when we trust our own judgment and skip asking God for direction.

Question 3

Why did Israel keep the covenant with the Gibeonites after discovering the lie?

Accepted Answer

Israel kept the covenant with the Gibeonites because their leaders had sworn an oath by the name of the Lord. Once they realized the deception, the people wanted to act against the Gibeonites, but the princes said they could not touch them, or God’s wrath might fall on them for breaking their promise. Even though the treaty came from a foolish and misled decision, the leaders treated the oath as binding because it had been made before God. This shows how seriously God’s people are to take promises made in His name.

Question 4

Why were the Gibeonites made hewers of wood and drawers of water?

Accepted Answer

The Gibeonites were made hewers of wood and drawers of water as both a punishment and a protection. They had lied to Israel, so Joshua declared that they would never be free from being servants. Their work would support the whole congregation and especially the house of God, providing wood and water for the altar and later worship. At the same time, this spared their lives, honoring the oath Israel had made. So they were kept from destruction but placed in a lowly, ongoing service role among God’s people.

Question 5

What does this passage teach about deception and faith?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that fear of God’s power can lead people in very different directions. The Gibeonites believed God was with Israel and that His command to give them the land would stand, so they sought peace. That shows a real respect for the Lord. But they tried to gain safety through lies instead of trusting truthfully in His mercy, so their faith was mixed with sin. For Israel, the story warns that even when others speak well of God, their words may hide falsehood, and that God’s people must love truth and seek His counsel.

Question 6

What does this story show about God’s character and human failure?

Accepted Answer

The story shows that God takes truth and promises very seriously, yet He is also merciful in human failure. Joshua and the leaders made a rash covenant because they did not seek God’s counsel. They had to live with the hard results of that choice, serving as a warning. Still, God did not abandon them. He allowed their mistake to be turned into a settled arrangement where the Gibeonites served in God’s house. This shows that while God disciplines careless choices, He can weave even our errors into His larger purposes.

Question 7

How can this passage guide believers in making decisions today?

Accepted Answer

This passage encourages believers to slow down and seek God before making binding decisions, especially about alliances and commitments. The leaders of Israel used their senses and human reasoning, but they did not ask God, and they were deceived. Today, this points us toward prayer, careful listening to God’s word, and not being ruled by appearances or pressure. It also reminds us to keep our word, even when it becomes costly, because our promises reflect on God’s name when we claim to follow Him.

Question 8

What was happening historically when the Gibeonites came to Joshua?

Accepted Answer

Historically, Israel had just crossed the Jordan and defeated Jericho and Ai. Word of these victories, and of what God had done in Egypt and against Sihon and Og, spread through the region. The kings of Canaan responded by joining together to fight Israel. Gibeon, however, chose a different path. As a nearby Hivite city, they knew they were under the threat of destruction. Instead of fighting, they quickly devised a plan to appear as distant travelers so they could secure a peace treaty and be allowed to live among Israel.

Question 9

Why did the congregation murmur against the princes in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The congregation murmured against the princes because they realized the leaders’ decision had put the whole nation in a difficult spot. God had commanded that the Canaanite peoples be destroyed, yet now Israel had sworn in God’s name to spare these nearby Hivites. The people feared God’s anger for this failure and were upset that their leaders had been so easily deceived. The princes answered by saying they must still keep the oath to avoid greater wrath, showing the tension between dealing with sin and honoring a promise made before the Lord.

Joshua 9:1

And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;

The Deceit of the Gibeonites

The Deceit of the Gibeonites

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Joshua 9:1

And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;

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The Deceit of the Gibeonites

The Deceit of the Gibeonites

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