Daily Lesson for Thursday 9th of October 2025
Read Joshua 9:21-27. How did Joshua’s solution combine justice with grace?
Even if the people of Israel had wanted to attack the Gibeonites, they would not have been allowed to pursue it because of the oath sworn by the rulers of the congregation. The Israelite leaders acted according to the principle that an oath, as long as it does not involve wrongdoing or criminal intent (Judges 11:29-40), is binding, even if it leads to one’s personal hurt.
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In the Old Testament, being prudent before making an oath and the keeping of one’s oath are seen as virtues of the pious (Psalms 15:4; Psalms 24:4; Eccl. 5:2, 6). Because the oath was made in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, the leaders could not change it.
With the solemn oath taken by the leaders of Israel, the destiny of Israel was indissolubly linked to that of the Gibeonites. In fact, through their designation as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of God (Joshua 9:23), the Gibeonites became part and parcel of Israel’s worshiping community. Joshua’s answer, in contrast to the verdict of the rulers of Israel, which decreed servitude for “all the congregation” (Joshua 9:21, NKJV), transformed the curse into a potential blessing for the Gibeonites (compare with 2 Samuel 6:11).
The subsequent history of Gibeon testifies to the high religious privileges the city enjoyed, as well as to their loyalty to God’s people. The vow taken by Israel remained in place down through generations, so that when the Israelites returned from the Babylonian captivity, the Gibeonites were among those who helped rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 7:25). Their actions will have eternally positive consequences but only because of God’s grace.
What might have happened had the Gibeonites disclosed their identity and requested mercy as Rahab did? We don’t know, but we cannot rule out the possibility that even a consultation of God’s will could have resulted in an exemption of the Gibeonites from destruction. God’s ultimate purpose is not to punish sinners but to see them repent and to grant them His mercy (compare with Ezekiel 18:23 and Ezekiel 33:11). The subterfuge of the Gibeonites has to be perceived as an appeal to God’s mercy, to His kind and just character. It was the Canaanites’ refusal to repent and their defiance of God’s purposes that led to the decision for their annihilation (Genesis 15:16). God honored the recognition of His supremacy by the Gibeonites, as well as their desire for peace rather than rebellion, and their willingness to give up idolatry and to worship the only true God.
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