Joshua 9:3-6
It has been said that no lie is so dangerous as the one that so closely resembles the truth. Satan is a deceiver and the father of all lies. He has a counterfeit gospel that he offers to the world, with its counterfeit savior, counterfeit church, and counterfeit religious system. That is why God’s people need discernment. Spiritual discernment is the God-given ability to discern truth from error, fact from fiction, and what is authentic from what is false. Without discernment, we become easy prey to the enemy’s lies.
Joshua and the people of Israel display a shocking lack of discernment in this passage. The Gibeonites lie and pretend to be travelers from a far country and deceive Joshua into making a covenant with them. If Joshua had sought the counsel of the Lord, their deception would have been revealed to him. The moment we start trusting flesh and blood instead of trusting the Lord, we open ourselves up to spiritual deception. Joshua and the people of Israel depended on their own senses rather than seeking God through prayer. May we never forget the truth of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Don’t make the mistake of relying on your own understanding. Instead, live by faith in Christ and trust in His Word. Seek God’s face in earnest prayer, and He will lead you in righteous paths.
For more, read Psalm 23:1-6; Philippians 1:9-10
