“Come up and
help me attack Gibeon,” he said,
“because it
has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
Joshua 10:4
Yesterday’s blog was about how the
Gibeonites deceived the Israelites and convinced them to make an alliance. Those who get close to God’s people can also become a target themselves. And that’s
what happened to them.
When King Adoni-Zedek (or A-Z) of Jerusalem
heard the Gibeonites had sided with the Israelites, he got together with four
other kings of the region and presented his case. “Gibeon was an important city
and their men are good fighters. But now they’ve sided with the enemy. We’ve
got to do something about this!” They agreed to attack Gibeon and destroy
them.
Even though the Gibeonites got close
to Israel through lies, the Israelites were still willing to protect them.
They’d made a promise in God’s name and that meant something to them. So they went and fought to protect them.
Joshua and his army didn’t bail on
them when Gibeon called for help, and God gave them victory over the five kings
and their armies. I wonder how that affected the hearts of the Gibeonites. Did
some of them come to believe in God because of the Israelites’ faithfulness?
I believe some of them did. I think
they saw a difference between the hostility of their former people and the gods
they served, and the kindness of the
Israelites and the God they served.
People make friends with Christians
for all sorts of reasons: to make sales, for business contacts, to get votes,
looking for a girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife, to gain power or influence
over others, and much more. Mostly—money, sex, power, and fame.
Have you unwisely trusted a pretender? Have you already committed to a
business partnership, marriage, or promised support and want to honor your word?
The good thing is, even when we are used by others for their own gain, God can
still work it for good if we do things His
way.
Unbelievers who ally themselves with
the people of God, for whatever reason, should see a difference in the way
Christians behave. Instead of revenge—forgiveness, instead of greed—giving,
instead of hatred—love. They should see strength rooted in dependence on God, and
faith in His justice, even when people cheat and misuse us.
There’s a time when we must step away
from relationships in order to be true to God, but there’s also a time when we
need to come to their aid when they’re in trouble. If their association with
God’s people has brought them under attack, the way we respond could bring them
into an authentic relationship with Christ. That’s how God treats us, even though
we fail Him; when we cry for help, He comes.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good.
Romans 12:21
#nowtheliarneedsme #peacewithenemy #loveyourenemy
#prayerwalking #spiritualwarfare #claimingterritory #Joshua10 #Rom12:21 #halloweenandChristianity
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