The Book Of Joshua 7 Of 9

We all have reputations, some are good and some are bad. When people hear your name, they immediately associate:

• A face

• But they also associate good or evil with your name

Illus: Two brothers were convicted of stealing sheep. As their punishment, they each were branded on the forehead with the letters ST, for "sheep thief."

One brother immediately ran away from the area and attempted to build a new life in a foreign land. Even there, people asked him about the strange letters on his forehead. He wandered restlessly, and eventually, unable to bear the stigma, took his own life.

The other brother took a different approach. He said to himself, "I can't run away from the fact that I stole sheep. But I will stay here and win back the respect of my neighbors and myself."

As the years passed, he built a reputation for integrity.

One day a stranger saw the old man with the letters branded on his forehead. He asked a citizen of the town what the letters stood for.

The townsman replied, "It happened a great while ago. I've forgotten the particulars, but I think the letters are an abbreviation for Saint."

Joshua also had a reputation, and when the people of that day heard his name, FEAR was the first thing that came to mind.

Remember Joshua 1:5, “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

What a promise! God told him four things:

• As I was with Moses, so I will be with you

• I will not fail you

• Nor forsake you

• No man will be able to stand against you

A man could not ask for any more from God than what God had promised Joshua.

God had given him:

• Victories before He crossed Jordan

• And now God gave him victories after he crossed Jordan

The enemies of Israel were talking about this great nation of Israel, whose God fought for them and no one could stand against them.

Let’s look again as Israel marches on to possess the Promised Land.

Let’s look at-

I. THE COALITION

Because his reputation was spreading, some nations were now getting together to see how collectively they could stop Israel.

Look at Joshua 9:1-2, we read, “And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof; That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.”

Notice who the Bible said was gathering together. All the kings:

• This side of Jordan

• In the Hills

• In the Valleys

• In the coastal areas

The Bible says, “They gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.”

Notice, they are now in “one accord”. Evidently, before this time they were not in “one accord”.

WHAT CAUSED THEM TO COME TOGETHER?

Their common hatred for Joshua and Israel brought them together.

It is amazing how folks can not stand each other, but when they find a common ground of hatred for someone else, it will bring them together.

Illus: Everyone who has ever been involved in a church split has been amazed by how people in the church who never socialized with each other, and hardly ever spoke to each other, all come together and become best of friends when they find something to fuss about.

WHAT BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER? Their common interest of being disgruntled church members brought them together.

This is the case here. These kings were bitter enemies, but they knew they had to lay aside their differences and come together in “one accord”.

We have looked at THE COALITION of these nations that are coming together. But there was another nation that felt that THE COALITION was not the solution. They had a different solution.

II. THE CLEVERNESS

The people of Gibeon decided the best thing they could do was to establish peace with Joshua and Israel before they were smitten.

Who are the Gibeonites? The Gibeonites are the inhabitants of Gibeon. It consisted of four towns.

Look at Joshua 9:17, we read, “And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, Beroth, and Kirjathjearim.”

God had specifically told Israel not to make a peace treaty with any nation. God’s command was to wipe them from the face of the earth. Does that make God a cruel God? No! Because to wipe out evil, you must have a DECISIVE VICTORY!