Joshua Worksheet - Chapter 9

JOSHUA 9     Review: In Chapters 7 & 8, we learned about Achan and the city of Ai. Achan was an Israelite who chose to disobey God’s very clear instructions. He kept valuable things from Jericho even though he was told not to go near these things. Achan’s sin caused his death and the destruction of his family. When Joshua chose to OBEY God, God was no longer angry with His people, and once again, God blessed them. In Chapter 8, we saw that God led them to fight Ai again, and this time, as Captain of Hosts, He was with them, and they won the battle, hung the king, and had another great victory in the Name of their Lord. The kings of the area have heard of all the victories. In Chapter 9, they gather together "in one accord" to fight Joshua and Israel. One group from among the Hivites from Gibeon decide rather than die in a war they cannot win, they would deceive Israel and become their servants. How were Joshua and the Israelites deceived by them? Once again, by not asking the counsel of the Lord. We can all be so hard of learning our lessons, can't we? The kings of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites gathered together "in one accord" to fight with Joshua and Israel. (vs.1,2)  Rather than "fight" Israel, what did the inhabitants of Gibeon (from the Hivites) decide to do? vs.3-5 What was the reason they decided to do this? vs. 3 How did they deceive Joshua and the Israelites? vs. 4-5 What did they tell Joshua (who was camped at Gilgal still) concerning where they were from? vs. 6 What did they ask Joshua to do for them? vs. 6 Although the men of Israel suspected that possibly they were living within the land that was supposed to be possessed by them and thought before making a covenant (vs.7) they allowed being "flattered" about their victories and their God to relax them. (vs.8-13). What did the men of Israel do WITHOUT getting counsel from the Lord? vs. 14 What did Joshua do in the same way? vs. 15 What had the Lord told Israel 'not' to do concerning the people of the land? Comment on the following verse: Exodus 23:23-24 Deuteronomy 7:2  Note: The problem was they had been deceived to believe they were "not" from the promised land, but from a land far away. Israel was allowed to make covenants of peace with others; just not those that God was driving away from the promised land; these seven nations. If they had sought the counsel of the Lord, He would have shown them, but they went on reasoning rather than prayer. How easy is it for us to do that? As believers, what are we literally told to do to be able to walk in the wisdom of the Lord at all times? 2 Corinthians 10:5 Philippians 1:9 Philippians 4:6,7 Ephesians 6:8 Colossians 1:9 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Are we at danger of being deceived? Comment on the following verses: Colossians 2:8 Matthew 7:15 Matthew 24:11 Matthew 24:24 2 Corinthians 11:13 2 Thessalonians 2:9 2 Peter 2:1 1 John 4:1 Back to Joshua 9 ... What happened 3 days after they had made the covenant with them? vs. 16 When the sons of Israel realized they had been deceived by the Hivites from Gibeon, they went to all of their cities to confront them. What cities did they go to? vs. 17 Name 4 Why did Israel not strike them for deceiving them? vs. 18 How did the congregation feel toward their leaders because of this? vs. 18 Because the leaders had sworn to them by the name of the Lord, what were they not able to do to them? vs. 19 If Israel did not keep their covenant to the Gibeonites, what would come upon them because they had sworn by God's Name? vs. 20 What did the Law of Moses state about making a vow to another person, whether it was good or bad? Comment on the verse below: Leviticus 5:4 We are to be people of our word. Have you ever wondered what it meant to "swear to your own hurt"? No matter what the reason, we are to honor our word to one another out of fear for our Lord. Comment on the verses below: Psalm 15:1-5 Back to Joshua 9 ... The Gibeonites were allowed to live, but they became servants to Israel. What two things did they do for their service? vs. 31 What did Joshua say the Gibeonites would "always" be for the house of God because of the deception they had done to Israel? vs.22,23 The Gibeonites were pleased to serve in the house of the Lord because they feared the Lord for their lives. (vs.24,25) ... Joshua did not allow Israel to kill them, but he made them "hewers of wood" and "drawers of water" for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord from that day on in the place that the Lord would choose for His name to dwell. This was a good place to be. What did David say about being in the "courts of the Lord"? Comment on the verse below: Psalm 84:10 God expected that this covenant made with the Gibeonites always be honored. Later in the history of Israel, what was the reason for the famine given in 2 Samuel 21:1-9? Summarize and post a prayer if you would like. Prayer Father God, I pray ...