Joshua
9:14-15 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask
counsel from the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with
them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
The divine promise is at work as the inhabitants of the
land tremble in fear before God and his reputation for giving victory to His
people. Now coalitions of armies are forming against Israel. In light of this,
part of the population, the Gibeonites, execute a cunning plan to avoid
destruction.
Verse 14 is the climax of their successful plan. Joshua
and the leaders make a covenant with Gibeon to spare their lives. They do this
without following the normal pattern of seeking the will of God. Joshua and the
leader’s sin by failing to kill the foreigners as God had instructed them.
The ironic thing is that the
oath was sworn in the name of God and was therefore binding, although the
action had been carried through without consulting God. Breaking the treaty now
would not only result in human wrath, but would bring down divine wrath, too.
The theme of leadership appears again in this narrative.
Israel’s leaders have allowed themselves to be tricked into disobedience by the
Gibeonites. Here the wilderness motif has been turned upside down, for in the
wilderness the leaders were justified, while the congregation was guilty. Here
the congregation is justified, while the leaders are at fault.
Leaders are not allowed to act on their own authority
without consulting God. They cannot assume the loyalty of the people when they
act in such a godless manner. They cannot ignore divine law and commandments.
If they do, they find themselves trapped by their own actions. The leader is
required to execute justice by proper channels. Only then can the leader expect
the loyalty of those he leads and God’s protection for all His people.
