Joshua 9:5

“And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.”

Joshua 9:5 is part of the narrative in the book of Joshua, which describes the conquest of the Promised Land by the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua after the death of Moses. In this particular verse, Joshua and the Israelites encounter a group of people called the Gibeonites.

The Gibeonites were inhabitants of the land that the Israelites were commanded to conquer. However, they came up with a plan to deceive the Israelites and make a treaty with them. They disguised themselves as travelers from a distant land and approached Joshua with worn-out clothing and old, moldy bread. They presented themselves as messengers who had come from a faraway country to seek a covenant of peace with the Israelites.

The Gibeonites’ intention was to deceive the Israelites into making a treaty with them, in order to avoid being destroyed in battle. They were aware of the Israelites’ reputation for conquering the nations that opposed them, and they believed that if they appeared to be from a distant land, the Israelites would be more likely to enter into a peace agreement with them rather than attacking.

Joshua and the leaders of Israel were initially deceived by the Gibeonites’ ruse. They examined the evidence presented-the worn-out clothing, old shoes, and moldy bread-and did not seek the Lord’s counsel or inquire of their true identity through prayer. They made a covenant of peace with the Gibeonites without realizing they were from the nearby area.

After three days, the Israelites discovered that they had been deceived. They learned that the Gibeonites were actually inhabitants of the land they were supposed to conquer, which had been forbidden by God. However, because they had made an oath in the name of the Lord, Joshua and the leaders honored the covenant they had made with the Gibeonites, despite the deception.

This incident serves as a lesson about the importance of seeking God’s guidance and counsel in all matters. The Israelites’ failure to consult the Lord led to their making a covenant with the Gibeonites, which had consequences for future generations. It underscores the need for discernment and seeking wisdom from God before making important decisions.

In summary, Joshua 9:5 tells the story of the Gibeonites’ deception and their successful plan to make a treaty with the Israelites through the use of worn-out clothing and moldy bread. It serves as a reminder of the need to seek God’s guidance and wisdom in all decisions to avoid falling into deception.