Gibeons Deceive Israel Joshua 9

Joshua 9:3-5 "And when the inhabitants of Gibeon haerd what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy."

Kingdoms in Canaan were not great land masses of people. For the most part, these kingdoms were cities with some surrounding land. The cities were walled and in danger, the people would come into the city for protection. There were many of these kingdoms. I suppose we could break down the word into a king's domain.

Gibeon was one such kingdom. They did not want to go up against Israel after hearing about Jericho and Ai. They devised a plan of deceit. Pretending to be from a far country, they talked the princes of Israel into making a league with them and sware that Israel would not harm them.

The Gibeonites were spared because of the oath even after it was discovered that they had been lying to Israel. There are strict instructions concerning an oath so it was honored. Still the Gibeonites did not get off scotfree. Joshua pronounced them sentenced to the jobs of hewing wood and getting water. There was no end to this punishment.

v18 "And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes."

v22-23 "And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you when ye dwell among us? Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bond men, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."

So Israel had a trick pulled on them and the Gibeon's were allowed to live but under bondage.

Psalms 115:1 "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake."