"Not so fast!" A plea for more Prayer

For someone like myself, the Old Testament Scriptures have the very best stories.  As Paul notes, “they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).

As touching the importance of prayer, one such story comes from the book of Joshua.   The setting is the early days of conquering the land of Palestine by the nation of Israel, a new generation of God’s people which had buried their parents and grandparents in the Sinai desert.  Now, with a new leader [who understood his role under the command of the Commander of the Lord’s Army, cf. 5:13-15] and a new promise of blessing from God, they had crossed the Jordan and were striking fear in the ungodly inhabitants of the land.

Conquering Mode

Jericho was conquered first, in a unique way, at the specific instruction of the Lord. “March the men of war around the city once for 6 days.  Seven times on the 7^th day.  Then shout!”  Unusual battle plan, but then again, it was the Lord who would be directing and winning the battles ahead for His people.

Then comes the defeat at Ai, caused by the greedy disobedience of Achan and his family.  When the sin was uncovered and rigorously rooted out of the nation [7:10-26], Ai was defeated in round two as, again, the instructions from the Lord were followed [8:2].

Joshua continues to lead well.  As per Deuteronomy’s instructions, he postures the nation on two sides of a valley and has God’s people rehearse God’s promises of blessing and cursing (Deut 28-29) and renew their covenant commitment of obedience to God.   How could anything go wrong going forward?

Deceived!

As the fear of Yahweh’s people coursed through Palestine, the inhabitants of the city of Gibeon desperately devised a plan to survive the impending onslaught.  Dressing and posing as distant foreigners—using intentionally old food and “doctored” evidence -- they came toward God’s people with a proposal.  “From a distant country, we have come to meet you and ask for a treaty of peace.  Let us be your servants, and let us co-exist peacefully.”

This desperate ruse by the Gibeonites is understandable, but not allowable.  God’s instructions for Israel’s conduct in the land was crystal clear – “You shall make no covenant with them (i.e., the Canaanite peoples) and show no mercy to them” (Deut 7:1-2).  Why?  For Canaanite inhabitants left meant inevitable intermarriage between peoples, and thus “they would turn away your sons from follow Me, to serve other gods” (7:4).  There was to be a complete obliteration of the peoples and their places of false worship.

 So why did the leadership  -- indeed Joshua himself -- proceed with making such a covenant (cf. Joshua 9:15), in disobedience to the Lord?  To be sure, the leadership of Israel was tricked.  They didn’t believe they were dealing with within-Palestine Canaanites.  Wasn’t this transaction with foreigners? 

Yet  there was a more fundamental reason for their tragic misstep.  So the men took some of their provisions (cf. Joshua 9:3-6), but did not ask the counsel of the Lord (9:14).  They should have consulted the Lord, through the Levitical priesthood, perhaps using the Urim and Thummim (cf. Number 27:21, Deut 33:8), to get a confirmation that any covenant (a binding promise the nation is required to honor) should be struck.   Within days the mistake is brought to light, and for the first time in Joshua’s leadership tenure, the people begin to murmur “against the leaders” (Joshua 9:18).

The lesson?  

Even when the observed factors before your assessment all point to a logical next step, the counsel of the Lord needs to be sought.  One thing is always true:  He knows things and sees things even our best observations can completely miss.  Asking the counsel of the Lord – “in everything by prayer and supplication” (Philippians 4:7-8) – is a must. 

The people of God, and especially the leaders of God’s people, must not “lean on their own understanding.  In all (their ways) acknowledge Him, and (then) He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6)