Soon after Israel’s victories over Jericho and Ai, several of Canaan’s southern city-states formed an alliance and immediately set out to fight against God’s people (cf. Gen. 9:1ff). The fearful Gibeonites, however, had a different strategy. They chose to deceive Israel into thinking they were somebody that they were not (non-Canaanite inhabitants) with hopes of a peace-treaty being struck between themselves and Israel. Their deceptive scheme worked, and it was successful because “they (Israelite leadership) did not ask counsel of the Lord” (Jos. 9:14).
Tragically, the masses still today are buying in to the falsehoods being uttered by enemies of truth because they are not asking (seeking) counsel of the Lord. Our failure, as a nation, to seek counsel of the Lord has had devastating consequences as evidenced by the rapid decline of morality, the ever-increasing number of broken and dysfunctional homes, financial woes, religious division and confusion, etc. Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6). God, through His Word, gives us everything we need in all matters pertaining to life and godliness, but the problem is we, like Israel of old, refuse to seek His counsel. The words of the wise man should suffice as we conclude:
“Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof” (Pro. 1:23-30).
Do you desire to know truth? READ GOD’S WORD!
Terry R. Townsend
Curry church of Christ
Jasper, AL