Day 83: The Gibeonite Trickery

Today's readings: Joshua 8-9 and Psalm 126.

I. Joshua 8 recounts Israel's victory over the city of Ai after their earlier defeat, now that the sin of Achan had been dealt with. The king of Ai is captured and executed, and unlike at Jericho, Israel is permitted to take the plunder from the city that was utterly destroyed. After the victory, Joshua then constructed an altar on Mount Ebal and made sacrifices to God. All of the Law of Moses was then read to Israel.

In the next chapter, the surrounding kings hear of Israel's victories at Jericho and Ai and unite in fear to fight against Israel. That is, except for the inhabitants of Gibeon. They cleverly tricked Joshua and were spared, but only by agreeing to become their servants (slaves?).

Through trickery, the Gibeonites became joined with the Israelites. As the BIY Companion, Vol I, notes:

The Gibeonites, then, are brought into the story of salvation "sideways" - in an imperfect way. Later, Gibeon becomes the place where the Ark of the Covenant stays for a time in the days of David. God does great things with the people of Gibeon as they enter more deeply into a relationship with him through Israel. (p. 178)

II. Psalm 126 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed):

A prayer for the full restoration of Israel. The Jews who returned from the Babylonian Exile celebrate that God has graciously reestablished them in the land of Israel; at the same time, the returnees pray that God will complete the work of gathering all the exiles of Israel back to their homeland, since a majority of the twelve tribes were still living in dispersion among the nations. The exiles who returned from Babylon were among those taken captive from Judah in 605, 597, and 586 B.C. (p. 942)

That's all for today!