Joshua Makes Them Slaves To The LORD
Then Joshua called for the Gibeonites, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell near us? Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves; woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.” So they answered Joshua and said, “Because your servants were clearly told that the LORD your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. And now, here we are, in your hands; do with us as it seems good and right to do to us.” So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them. And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, in the place which He would choose, even to this day. (vv.22-27)
Joshua could not kill the Gibeonites (because he and the leaders of Israel had accepted the deception of the Gibeonites, and made a covenant with them to let them live;), but he could control them by making them perpetual workmen for the tabernacle service. They would serve in menial ways such as cutting wood for the sacrificial fires of the tabernacle and carrying water used in its service.
What is interesting here is that there seems to be no complaint from the Gibeonites. They simply say, “here we are, in your hands; do with us as it seems good and right to do to us.” Essentially, they were happy with the prospect of being incorporated into Israel, and being made servants of the LORD, even if it was in menial service. In this, the Gibeonites express the same heart David did in Psalm 84:10: For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
It is essential to see that they did this out of a love for the God of Israel, not out of weakness. Indeed, it was said of Gibeon that all its men were mighty (Joshua 10:2). The Gibeonites were not thrilled so much at being woodcutters and water carriers, but in knowing they could be those things for the LORD – and in knowing where they would be if they were not serving the LORD. Interesting. Do we have the same heart? Can we rejoice in any kind of service, if we see we are in the presence of the LORD as we do it?
Later, Gibeon becomes a priestly city; the ark of the covenant stayed at Gibeon often in the days of David and Solomon (1 Chronicles 16:39-40 and 21:29). At least one of David’s mighty men was a Gibeonite (1 Chronicles 12:4). God appeared and spoke to Solomon at Gibeon (1 Kings 3:4-5). The Gibeonites were among those who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem with Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:7 and 7:25). And finally prophets such as Hananiah the son of Azur came from Gibeon (Jeremiah 28:1).
The Truth: These are examples of the great things God can do with people who are sinners but come to Him in humility and love.
