Daily Devotional · Joshua 9:14–15
When You Don't Ask God
Reflection
The Gibeonites heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai. They knew Israel's mandate was to clear the land of its current inhabitants. So they devised a deception: they took old sacks, worn-out wineskins, dry crumbly bread, worn clothing and sandals — and appeared before Joshua looking like they had traveled from a great distance. "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us." The bread they showed was warm when they left home, they said. The wineskins were new. Their clothes and sandals were worn from the long journey. Joshua and the leaders examined the provisions. And then the critical verse: "The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord." They made a peace treaty with them and swore an oath. Three days later they discovered the Gibeonites were their neighbors — living inside the very land God had told them to clear. The treaty could not be broken. The oath before God was binding. The Gibeonites survived — reduced to servants, but alive. Centuries later, when Saul broke this oath and attacked the Gibeonites, it brought judgment on Israel (2 Samuel 21). The whole problem originated in those eight words: "but did not inquire of the Lord." A decision that seemed obvious, a situation that seemed straightforward — but required asking God before acting.
Background
The Urim and Thummim were objects kept in the high priest's breastplate that were used to inquire of God in Israel. Military and major civil decisions were often preceded by this formal inquiry. The fact that Joshua and the leaders "sampled the provisions" — i.e., used their own judgment — rather than consulting God formally is the narrator's editorial point of failure.
Truth
The situations that look most obvious are sometimes the ones most requiring prayer. Deception often arrives disguised as a reasonable, uncomplicated decision. The discipline of asking God before acting is not just for the dramatic moments — it is for the ones that seem clear.
Application
Think of a current decision you are about to make that seems straightforward. Have you actually asked God about it, or have you just sampled the provisions? Take five minutes to stop and ask God specifically before you proceed.