April 9

April 9

Joshua & the Gibeonites -- Israel's gullibility & not asking for God's counsel.

Today's Readings:

Reading 1: Joshua 9

Reading 2: 2 Samuel 21:1-14

Reading 3: Isaiah 30:1

Sometimes our actions have consequences far greater than we imagine when we make the original choices. Today we read about the failure of the leaders of Israel to consult God when the Gibeonites tricked them into a treaty. The consequences of this failure were many. First (and most importantly) the Israelites were prevented from fully obeying God. That led to grumbling against the leadership, and deceptive pagans becoming servants of God's people. So now there was an ungodly influence in their midst.

Later Saul took the sin of presumption a step further by seeking to wipe out the Gibeonites (thinking that doing what God had instructed originally was more important than keeping the oath his forebears had made). This presumption caused a famine in the land as God showed His disapproval of human reasoning without Godly guidance. Religious zeal always leads to judgment, not to blessing! And more lives were lost as David had the unenviable task of disentangling all this sin, in order to see the famine lifted.

God describes the path we have followed as rebellion and says that it leads to sorrow, as sin is piled upon sin without submission or repentance.

Let's take this warning to heart: don't think you know what to do. Always ask God and wait for His answers. It will save you from a multitude of sins!

Have a great day!

Mark.