Try Not to Laugh
Try Not to Laugh
Joshua 9:3-6 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.”
At this juncture, we don’t yet know the motives of these Gibeonites, whether, that is, they’re putting on this elaborate rouse in hopes to quietly integrate with the LORD’s people and survive the coming deluge, or whether this is a sort of Trojan Horse-type scheme where they intend to hijack the assembly from within (spoiler alert: it’s the former); but one thing is immediately apparent from their Oscar-worthy performance here. That they’re right at home with these sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
It was Abraham after all who brought his beautiful bride, Sarah, to Egypt and pretended be her brother, even going so far as to allow Pharaoh to take her into his own palace harem, all while strutting around Egypt and making himself wealthy. Had God not confronted Pharaoh in a dream on behalf of Sarah, Abraham’s little charade might’ve gotten them both killed. Then there’s Jacob, the rabble rousing, scheming, heal-grabbing Patriarch who took his grandfather’s cunning to a whole new level. Remember when he tied goat hair to his arms, and did his best Batman impression, probably practicing for hours in front of the mirror till he got the low, raspy voice down pat, and deceived Isaac into giving him Esau’s blessing? I guess it just sort of runs in the family. Which is why these Gibeonites are in good company.
I find it fascinating that human cunning like this, though it has led at every turn to consequences for the perpetrators, has paradoxically played a major role in Israel’s advancement. Even if Joshua rightly scowls with frustration when he eventually discovers that he’s been duped by these Gibeonites, I can hear above the rumblings of his temporary fury a gentler rumbling—a more resonant one—of redeemed patriarchs chuckling overhead.