Ep 551 – Joshua 9:16-27

They say one bad decision leads to another. And most of us have learned the painful reality of that statement. Our mistakes have consequences. And when our mistakes are the result of sin, the consequences can be painful. In Joshua 9:16-27, Joshua’s decision to make an alliance with the people of Gibeon was going to lead to yet another, even more dangerous decision, that would have long-term ramifications on the nation of Israel. Joshua had failed to seek the counsel of God and it seems that he continued to make that same mistake in the days that followed. In an attempt to clean up his mess, he only made matters worse. Since he couldn’t destroy the Gibeonites, he chose to make them slaves, but assigned them to the tabernacle. He took a pagan and idolatrous people, who had knowingly deceived him, and gave them jobs that would place them in close proximity to the house of God. Everything about his decision was wrong, but when you fail to seek the counsel of God, things rarely turn out well.