Beware of the Modern Gibeonites!
You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you. — Exodus 23:32-33
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. — 1 Timothy 4:16
Author
Faustino de Jesús Zamora Vargas
Summary: Even when we believe we are doing God’s will, enthusiasm can lead us into misguided agreements. Like Joshua when he encountered the Gibeonites, we can be persuaded by religious appearances and promised benefits without first consulting God. Today, offers of prestige and opportunities also come to the church, concealing personal interests, false loyalties, and human doctrines. True discernment grows out of God’s counsel and our relationship with him. Before forming alliances, let us pray and seek his counsel in the Word; then we can avoid commitments that lead us away from his will.
Amid the triumphs and enthusiasm that come from believing we are, “humanly speaking,” doing God’s will, mistakes can be made. The church must be alert to the pacts and alliances we often enter into, supposedly for the benefit of congregations and the work of God.
Discernment is also a spiritual gift, but the source of true discernment is God’s counsel. Our whole life and every action in Christ depend, essentially, on our relationship with him.
To God’s Gilgal, which is the Church of Jesus Christ on earth, voices frequently come like siren songs, offering privileges and “new opportunities” in exchange for prestige, (false) loyalty, and personal benefits. They also tend to bring new songs to enrich the tradition. They believe salvation is an ointment to be rubbed on, not a remedy for the inner person. They are the friends of alliances, arriving with wineskins that appear to be broken, but in reality they come prepared to carry off a fine haul. If we do not discern rightly and uncover their real intentions, we fall into the trap. At first glance, they seem to come with religious motives and speak of God and his works as though they already lived in heaven.
Today’s Gibeonites are opportunists and liars, and their intention is to harm the church. The antidote to falling ill with irresponsible enthusiasm is to seek God’s counsel before making pacts and promises that lead to ruin.
It happened to Joshua. He made the mistake of not consulting God when the Gibeonites cunningly asked him to make a peace pact with them—a pact with dark intentions that would save them from certain death and allow them to introduce their religions and gods among the people. They were a brotherhood of pagan kings united to weaken Joshua’s resolve and divert the people of Israel from their mission to conquer the promised land. Since the Exodus, God had warned his people, saying, “Make no pact with them or with their gods.” (Exodus 23:32). Yet Joshua let his feelings guide him and did not consult God. Not even 3 days had passed since the alliance was made at the camp in Gilgal when the people discovered the truth and Joshua began to correct his grave error.
Church of Christ, beware of today’s Gibeonites! Before making alliances that seem beneficial, speak with God. The Gibeonites are subtle and malicious: they bring human doctrines disguised as religion; they appear devout, but are ruthless until they achieve their selfish aims. They are seductive because they know how to present their attractions as bait to a fish desperate to eat. Let us stay alert. We must not form alliances with those who use the Lord for barter and deals that seem good but are, at heart, dirty. Prayer and seeking God’s counsel in his Word will free us from pointless commitments and fleeting, unnecessary alliances that fall outside the bounds of his perfect will.
May God bless his Word!
Suggested reading: Joshua 9