Josh 9.1-27 tells us that we are in the middle of the chapters that will deal with the conquest of the land (Ch 6-12). Then we will have the distribution of the land (Ch 13-21), the separation of the peaceful tribes (Ch 22), and the parting address of Joshua (Ch 23-24). God’s purpose for Israel was not only to bring them out of Egypt, but to bring them into the promises he made with their fathers. Canaan does not picture heaven. It had giants, walled cities and opposing armies. Yehovah doesn’t just save us from sin, but he will deliver us in our lives as we are engaged in spiritual warfare and opposing forces.
This chapter begins with the story of the Gibeonites. The news of the victorious Israelites has spread, and when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard that Joshua was coming into the land and Jericho and Ai had fallen, they disguise themselves. Israel is deceived and enter a covenant with them, but their job was to destroy the inhabitants not make covenants with them. The chapter ends with what Israel was going to do with them since they entered this covenant.
How many times have we as believers hurt ourselves in obeying the Torah by having relationships that are not consistent with the Torah. We enter into covenants with people from worldly religions, worldly people and worldly designs. This will always hinder us.
v 1…Now it came about when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan (west side) in the hill country (mountainous parts) and on all the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite heard of it (the crossing of the Jordan, Jericho, Ai, etc),
v 2…that they gathered themselves together with one accord to fight Joshua and with Israel.
v 3…When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
v 4…they also acted craftily and sent out envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wine-skins, worn-out, torn and mended,
v 5…and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves, and the bread of their provisions was dry and become crumbled.
v 6…And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel (elders or princes), “We have come from a far country, now therefore make a covenant with us (Israel was to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan, not make covenants with them).”
v 7…And the men of Israel (the elders or princes) said to the Hivites (they did not know at the time, but found out later the Gibeonites were Hivites, one of the seven nations to be destroyed-Josh 3.10), “Perhaps you are living within our land, how then shall we make a covenant with you (they had a suspicion and they were not to make any covenant with any of the seven nations-Deut 7.2).”
v 8…But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Then Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”
v 9…And they said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of the Lord your God; for we have heard the report of him and all that he did in Egypt,
v 10…and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth.
v 11…So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, “Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants, now then, make a covenant with us.
v 12…This our bread was warm when we took it for our provisions out of our houses on the day that we left to come to you, but now behold, it is dry and has become crumbled (a fitting symbol for what unconverted man has for spiritual food).
v 13…And these wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are worn; and these our clothes and our sandals are worn out because of the very long journey.”
v 14…So the men of Israel (the elders or the princes) took some of their provisions (to check it out), and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord (which they should have done with the Urim and Thummim; we do the same thing many times).
v 15…And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them (a picture of our covenant with Yeshua), to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them (with the name of God in it).
v 16…And it came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land (by some deserter, or Israeli spies who were sent out to recon the land).
v 17…Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day (from making the covenant). Now their cities were Gibeon (meaning little hill and main city), and Chephira (or little lion) and Beeroth (wells), and Kiriath-jearim, (city of forests; the first three cities would be given to Benjamin, the last to Judah).’
v 18…And the sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders (princes) of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord the God of Israel (it wasn’t the oath of the princes the people regarded, but the princes by reason of their oath would not let them touch the Gibeonites). And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders (not only for taking such an oath, but also for restraining them from striking the Gibeonites and taking their cities and the spoil).
v 19…But the leaders said to the whole congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord (by Yehovah), the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.
v 20…This we will do to them, we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us for the oath which we swore to them.”
v 21…And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole congregation (very menial work and a punishment for their fraud; this would serve to the advantage of the sons of Israel), just as the leaders had spoken to them (to let them live).
v 22…Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you are living in our land?
v 23…Now therefore, you are cursed and you shall never cease being slaves (evedim), both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God (Israel was seen as the house of God/Temple; the same with the Kahal of Messiah-1 Cor 3.16. 6.19).”
v 24…So they answered Joshua and said, “Because (answering Joshua’s question in v 22) it was certainly told your servants that the Lord your God has commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you, therefore we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
v 25…And now behold, we are in your hands, to do it seems good and right in your sight to do to us (we are in Yeshua’s hands, submitted to him).”
v 26…Thus he did to them, and delivered them from the hands of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them.
v 27…But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day (a picture of how humanity must be cut down, and the drawing out of the water by the word of Yeshua must take place as slaves in order to be able to minister for the house of God), in the place which he would choose.
Josh 10.1-43 tells us about how five kings have assembled against the sons of Israel and Joshua, in particular, Adon-zedek the king of Jerusalem. He will be a picture of the False Messiah who will oppose Yeshua as he comes to take possession of Jerusalem and the land; the death of the five kings after Israel had won the battle; the fight against Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon and Hebron; Israel’s return to Gilgal after defeating southern Canaan.
v 1…Now it came about when Adoni-zedek (the Lord of righteousness, that is “of Jerusalem), king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai (nearer to Jerusalem than Jericho), and had utterly destroyed it, just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were within their land (or among them after their covenant),
v 2…that they feared greatly (what man feels when God is near), because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
v 3…Therefore Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham (who Yehovah confounds) king of Hebron and to Piram (swift) king of Jarmuth and to Japhia (enlightening) king of Lachish and to Debir (word) king of Eglon, saying,
v 4…Come up to me and help me, and let us attack Gibeon (because he thought that Joshua would come and help them), for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel (Ha Satan cannot defeat Yeshua alone).”
v 5…So the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron (communion), the king of Jarmuth (height), the king of Lachish (walk of man), and the king of Eglon (calf), gathered together (to Jerusalem) and went up, they with all their armies, and camped at Gibeon and fought against it.
v 6…Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and helps, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country (mountainous areas) have assembled against us (believers know only Yeshua can save us).”
v 7…So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war (not all but a select group, leaving the rest to guard the others at Gilgal) with him and all the valiant warriors (all of this would not even be happening if they had not made the covenant with the Gibeonites to begin with; the consequences of an ill-advised oath).
v 8…And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you (God has delivered his enemies into the hand of Yeshua).”
v 9…So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal (Yeshua will appear suddenly to deliver his people in the Natzal before the birth-pains).
v 10…And the Lord confounded them (disturbed, troubled, frightened them) before Israel (as they appeared), and he (God) slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon (cavernous house) and struck them as far as Azekah (dug over) and Makkedah (fenced in, place of shepherds; every unbeliever will enter the cavernous house, dug over and fenced in for eternity).
v 11…And it came about as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon (west side), that the Lord threw large stones from heaven (hail) on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword (God stones their idolatry and this will happen again in the birth-pains).
v 12…Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites (the five kings and their armies) before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel (in the hearing of great numbers of them), “O sun, stand still at Gibeon, and O moon in the valley of Aijalon (deer field).”
v 13…So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped (moving in their courses), until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies (the sun and moon are types of the Messiah and the Kahal who will overthrow the nations). Is it not written in the book of Jashar (meaning “upright”; the sun was in the eyes of the Amorites on the west side of the Beth-horon descent as they turned to fight Israel as they came over the ascent, giving them more time to defeat these armies; the book of Jashar is a lost book, and other books by that name are fictional)? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky (in the morning), and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day (if this was Tammuz 3, as the rabbis say, then this was about the summer solstice in our June, the longest day of the year, and this would make this day about four hours longer).
v 14…And there was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.
v 15…Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp in Gilgal.
v 16…Now these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah (in the Shephelah Valley).
v 17…And it was told Joshua (by some of his own people, or some inhabitants who saw it), saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah (fenced in, a place for shepherds; a type of “burial” in Sheol awaiting the Great White Throne judgment).”
v 18…And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and assign men by it to guard them,
v 19…but do not stay there yourselves (having placed a sufficient guard there), pursue your enemies and attack them in the rear (cutting them off). Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the Lord your God has delivered them into your hands.”
v 20…And it came about when Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished slaying them with a great slaughter, until they were destroyed, and the survivors who remained of them had entered their cities (and were afterward taken),
v 21…that all the people returned (not one missing or killed) to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. No one uttered a word (moved his tongue) against any of the sons of Israel (no harm was done to them by word or deed-like in Egypt in Exo 11.7).
v 22…Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring these five kings out to me from the cave.”
v 24…And it came about when they had brought the five kings out to Joshua (a type of the second resurrection), that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of those kings (as a token of their defeat and for their idolatry, cruelty, terror to others, and sign that the others will be subjected according to the promises of God).”
v 25…Joshua then said to them, “Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.”
v 26…So afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death (the second death at the Great White Throne judgment), and he hanged them on five trees, and they hung on the trees until evening (to show they were cursed, and taken down as to not defile the land-Deut 21.22-23).
v 27…And it came about at sunset that Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and put large stones over the mouth of the cave, to this very day.
v 28…Now Joshua captured Makkedah (in the Shephelah Valley) on that day, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it. He left no survivor. Thus he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.’
v 29…Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah (in the Shephelah Valley).
v 30…And the Lord gave it also with its king into the hands of Israel, and he struck it and every person who was in it with the edge of the sword. He left no survivor in it. Thus he did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho.
v 31…And Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish (“walk of man” and also in the Shephelah Valley), and they camped by it and fought against it.
v 32…And the Lord gave Lachish into the hands of Israel; and he captured it on the second day (of the siege), and struck it and every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah (Joshua will kill every king one at a time, just like we slay our flesh daily).
v 33…Then Horam (“progenitor” and a type of Satan-John 8.44) king of Gezer (a piece cut off) came up to help Lachish, and Joshua defeated him and his people until he left him no survivor.
v 34…And Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish (the walk of man) to Eglon and they camped by it and fought against it.
v 35…And they captured it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; and he utterly destroyed that day every person who was in it, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
v 36…Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron (communion) and they fought against it.
v 37…And they captured it and struck it and its king and all its cities (that were dependant on it) and all the persons who were in it with the edge of the sword. He left no survivor, according to all that he had done to Eglon. And he utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it.
v 38…Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to Debir (word) and they fought against it.
v 39…And he captured it and its king and all its cities (other cities depended on it), and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person who was in it. He left no survivor, just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had done to LIbnah and its king.’
v 40…Thus Joshua struck all the land, the hill (mountain) country and the Negev (to the south) and the lowland and the slopes (springs) and all their kings. He left no survivor (Joshua defeated that part of Canaan to the south), but he utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded.
v 41…And Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea (in the south) even as far as Gaza (west in the Shephelah Valley), and all the country of Goshen (near; between Gaza and Gibeon in the south of Canaan), even as far as Gibeon.
v 42…And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord (Yehovah), the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
v 43…So Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal (having cut the land in half, and defeated the southern part of Canaan).
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