Joshua 9:16

“And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.”

Joshua 9:16 is part of the narrative found in the book of Joshua, which describes the conquest of the Promised Land by the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua, following the death of Moses. In this particular verse, we encounter a situation where the Israelites were deceived by the inhabitants of Gibeon, a nearby city.

To provide some context, the Israelites had been commanded by God to completely destroy the Canaanite nations inhabiting the land (Joshua 1:1-6). However, upon hearing about the impending arrival of the Israelites, the people of Gibeon devised a plan to save themselves from destruction. They sent a delegation dressed in worn-out clothing, with old wine skins and stale bread, to deceive the Israelites into thinking they were from a distant land seeking to make a treaty (Joshua 9:3-13).

Verse 16 states that after three days of entering into a covenant with the Gibeonites, the Israelites discovered that they were actually their neighbors and lived nearby. The Israelites had initially been led to believe that the Gibeonites were from a distant land, but now they realized they had been deceived.

This verse highlights an important lesson about the importance of seeking God’s guidance and discernment in all matters. The Israelites made a mistake in not consulting God before entering into the treaty with the Gibeonites. In the previous chapter, we see that Joshua and the Israelite leaders had sought God’s guidance when dealing with other Canaanite cities, such as Jericho and Ai (Joshua 6-8). However, in the case of the Gibeonites, they relied solely on their own judgment and were deceived.

This incident teaches us that appearances can be deceptive, and it emphasizes the significance of seeking God’s wisdom and guidance in all our decisions. The Israelites’ failure to consult God in this instance led to a long-term consequence. They were unable to destroy the Gibeonites as they had intended due to the treaty they had made, and the Gibeonites became servants to the Israelites (Joshua 9:23-27).

In summary, Joshua 9:16 serves as a reminder for believers to seek God’s wisdom and guidance in every decision we make, and to not be swayed by appearances or rely solely on our own understanding. It also demonstrates the importance of honesty and integrity in our dealings with others.