League With the Gibeonites

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From Shechem the Israelites returned to their encampment at Gilgal. Here they were soon after visited by a strange deputation, who desired to enter into treaty with them. The ambassadors represented that they had come from a distant country, and this seemed to be confirmed by their appearance. Their clothing was old and worn, their sandals were patched, their provisions moldy, and the skins that served them for wine bottles were rent and bound up, as if hastily repaired on the journey.

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In their far-off home—professedly beyond the limits of Palestine— their fellow countrymen, they said, had heard of the wonders which God had wrought for His people, and had sent them to make a league with Israel. The Hebrews had been specially warned against entering into any league with the idolaters of Canaan, and a doubt as to the truth of the strangers’ words arose in the minds of the leaders. «Peradventure ye dwell among us,» they said. To this the ambassadors only replied, «We are thy servants.» But when Joshua directly demanded of them, «Who are ye? and from whence come ye?» they reiterated their former statement, and added, in proof of their sincerity, «This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is moldy: and these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.»

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These representations prevailed. The Hebrews «asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.» Thus the treaty was entered into. Three days afterward the truth was discovered. «They heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.» Knowing that it was impossible to resist the Hebrews, the Gibeonites had resorted to stratagem to preserve their lives.

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Great was the indignation of the Israelites as they learned the deception that had been practiced upon them. And this was heightened when, after three days’ journey, they reached the cities of the Gibeonites, near the center of the land. «All the congregation murmured against the princes;» but the latter refused to break the treaty, though secured by fraud, because they had «sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel.» «And the children of Israel smote them not.» The Gibeonites had pledged themselves to renounce idolatry, and accept the worship of Jehovah; and the preservation of their lives was not a violation of God’s command to destroy the idolatrous Canaanites. Hence the Hebrews had not by their oath pledged themselves to commit sin. And though the oath had been secured by deception, it was not to be disregarded. The obligation to which one’s word is pledged—if it do not bind him to perform a wrong act—should be held sacred. No consideration of gain, of revenge, or of self-interest can in any way affect the inviolability of an oath or pledge. «Lying lips are abomination to the Lord.» Proverbs 12:22. He that «shall ascend into the hill of the Lord,» and «stand in His holy place,» is «he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.» Psalms 24:3; 15:4.

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The Gibeonites were permitted to live, but were attached as bondmen to the sanctuary, to perform all menial services. «Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord.» These conditions they gratefully accepted, conscious that they had been at fault, and glad to purchase life on any terms. «Behold, we are in thine hand,» they said to Joshua; «as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.» For centuries their descendants were connected with the service of the sanctuary.

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The territory of the Gibeonites comprised four cities. The people were not under the rule of a king, but were governed by elders, or senators. Gibeon, the most important of their towns, «was a great city, as one of the royal cities,» «and all the men thereof were mighty.» It is a striking evidence of the terror with which the Israelites had inspired the inhabitants of Canaan, that the people of such a city should have resorted to so humiliating an expedient to save their lives.

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But it would have fared better with the Gibeonites had they dealt honestly with Israel. While their submission to Jehovah secured the preservation of their lives, their deception brought them only disgrace and servitude. God had made provision that all who would renounce heathenism, and connect themselves with Israel, should share the blessings of the covenant. They were included under the term, «the stranger that sojourneth among you,» and with few exceptions this class were to enjoy equal favors and privileges with Israel. The Lord’s direction was—

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«If a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself.» Leviticus 19:33, 34. Concerning the Passover and the offering of sacrifices it was commanded, «One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you: . . . as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord.» Numbers 15:15.

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Such was the footing on which the Gibeonites might have been received, but for the deception to which they had resorted. It was no light humiliation to those citizens of a «royal city,» «all the men whereof were mighty,» to be made hewers of wood and drawers of water throughout their generations. But they had adopted the garb of poverty for the purpose of deception, and it was fastened upon them as a badge of perpetual servitude. Thus through all their generations their servile condition would testify to God’s hatred of falsehood.

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The submission of Gibeon to the Israelites filled the kings of Canaan with dismay. Steps were at once taken for revenge upon those who had made peace with the invaders. Under the leadership of Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, five of the Canaanite kings entered into a confederacy against Gibeon. Their movements were rapid. The Gibeonites were unprepared for defense, and they sent a message to Joshua at Gilgal: «Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.» The danger threatened not the people of Gibeon alone, but also Israel. This city commanded the passes to central and southern Palestine, and it must be held if the country was to be conquered.

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Joshua prepared to go at once to the relief of Gibeon. The inhabitants of the besieged city had feared that he would reject their appeal, because of the fraud which they had practiced; but since they had submitted to the control of Israel, and had accepted the worship of God, he felt himself under obligation to protect them. He did not this time move without divine counsel, and the Lord encouraged him in the undertaking. «Fear them not,» was the divine message; «for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.» «So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.»

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By marching all night he brought his forces before Gibeon in the morning. Scarcely had the confederate princes mustered their armies about the city when Joshua was upon them. The attack resulted in the utter discomfiture of the assailants. The immense host fled before Joshua up the mountain pass to Beth-horon; and having gained the height, they rushed down the precipitous descent upon the other side. Here a fierce hailstorm burst upon them. «The Lord cast down great stones from heaven: . . . they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.»

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While the Amorites were continuing their headlong flight, intent on finding refuge in the mountain strongholds, Joshua, looking down from the ridge above, saw that the day would be too short for the accomplishment of his work. If not fully routed, their enemies would again rally, and renew the struggle. «Then spake Joshua to the Lord, . . . and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. . . . The sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.»

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Before the evening fell, God’s promise to Joshua had been fulfilled. The entire host of the enemy had been given into his hand. Long were the events of that day to remain in the memory of Israel. «There was no day like that before it or after it, that Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.» «The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of Thine arrows they went, and at the shining of Thy glittering spear. Thou didst march through the land in indignation, Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people.» Habakkuk 3:11-13.

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The Spirit of God inspired Joshua’s prayer, that evidence might again be given of the power of Israel’s God. Hence the request did not show presumption on the part of the great leader. Joshua had received the promise that God would surely overthrow these enemies of Israel, yet he put forth as earnest effort as though success depended upon the armies of Israel alone. He did all that human energy could do, and then he cried in faith for divine aid. The secret of success is the union of divine power with human effort. Those who achieve the greatest results are those who rely most implicitly upon the Almighty Arm. The man who commanded, «Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon,» is the man who for hours lay prostrate upon the earth in prayer in the camp of Gilgal. The men of prayer are the men of power.

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This mighty miracle testifies that the creation is under the control of the Creator. Satan seeks to conceal from men the divine agency in the physical world—to keep out of sight the unwearied working of the first great cause. In this miracle all who exalt nature above the God of nature stand rebuked.

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At His own will God summons the forces of nature to overthrow the might of His enemies—«fire, and hail; snow, and vapor; stormy wind fulfilling His word.» Psalm 148:8. When the heathen Amorites had set themselves to resist His purposes, God interposed, casting down «great stones from heaven» upon the enemies of Israel. We are told of a greater battle to take place in the closing scenes of earth’s history, when «Jehovah hath opened His armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of His indignation.» Jeremiah 50:25. «Hast thou,» he inquires, «entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?» Job 38:22, 23.

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The revelator describes the destruction that is to take place when the «great voice out of the temple of heaven» announces, «It is done.» He says, «There fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent.» Revelation 16:17, 21.