Saturday, July 12, 2008

Fighting others' battles

In Joshua 9, the Israelites make some unwanted friends. The Gibeonites were scared about how the Israelites were taking the country, so they made a 'spiritual' lie. They said they were from far away and the God had sent them to the Israelites to make a treaty with them. They showed mouldy bread and old shoes. But really they were from close by. The Israelites did not inquire of the Lord and became friends with them, then they found out the truth. Maybe they were flattered by what the Gibeonites had said.

So they were friends on false pretences.

Then some of the other kings in the area heard about the Gibeonites becoming friends with the Israelites and they went to attack the Gibeonites. And the Israelites went to protect the Gibeonites. Even though they had been lied to by these 'friends' to become friends, the commitment of the friendship went so far. These days are we so comitted to our friends?

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