Hoodwinked (Part A)

How we get caught by looking at what moldy bread that is a fact. But going into the story now is no truth. Truth is that there not from a country far away all land far away there from the promise land was a lesson that is for us, get confirmation get to the bottom of it on serious matters. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Joshua. Please stay with us after today's message here. More information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Joshua chapter 7 today. Pastor Rick will begin a brand-new message called hoodwinked in Joshua chapter 9 Joshua chapter 9 it's been said that Satan plays with loaded dice. The words he cheats. He cheats so he can harm, not just so that he can come out ahead arm enrich himself. This goal is to harm people little different from what's going on in the story, but what is not missing is the fact that God's people can be deceived. Satan is known in the Bible as the great deceiver and they these are some of the lessons we are going to hopefully draw from this ninth chapter, the people of God had come through two large combat campaigns in Jericho and AI with that would be Bethel also included with AI, but those were conventional engagements. They were not ready for unconventional warfare, which is what they are faced with now warfare in us. In this sense, being moved away from the commandments of God, God commanded the Jews to wipe out everybody in that land, and they're not going to be able to do it entirely because of the events in chapter 9 and Satan's kind of people. Of course, had failed to stop the Jews the those in Jericho and those that AI and Bethel face-to-face hand-to-hand combat sword to sword however you want to phrase it. It was not effective did not keep God's people from obeying God in and taking territory in this promise land so he tries something different. Satan does less dramatic on the surface, but it is deception through civility is kindness nice words but that they are lying to God's people. So Satan changes his tactics.

He adapts so he can overcome. We're supposed to do the same thing in life.

We are supposed to adapt to the situation so that we can overcome for Christ. The book of Numbers in chapter 31 we read about how Satan adapted and altered his methods of attack on the Jews through ballot was once a prophet became false prophet and of course Ballack. The king wanted Fallon to curse the people of God so that Ballack could destroy them because they were coming his way and Ballin could not do it so ballot walks away saying to Ballack could curse them.

But here's what you do.

Here's how you bring them down instead of sending your armies out against them.

Send the women Numbers 31 look these women because the children of Israel through the counselor ballot to trespass against Yahweh in the incident at PR there was a plague among the congregation of Yahweh was a consequence, so Satan changed his tactic and was successful to some degree, not entirely.

And we need to notice Jesus dealing with those.

Is it right to pay taxes and of course, is that when he says give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar give to God what belongs to God. We got one when Jesus says bring me a calling whose images on that coin.

That's when he says of course give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar well whose image is on you and me should be the image of Christ we give to Christ what belongs to him so that time Jesus says in Luke 20 perceive their craftiness and said to them why you test me always. You know the radar is always on scanning the horizon looking for the bogies coming in. That's what Jesus was doing, always ready in which to learn from that in Ephesians 4 we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro, cared about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting and yet Christians, not all of us menu name Christ, Lord, are constantly going for the latest fad who was new was to this order. Cable number that we tossed to and fro, that destabilizes strategies to witness the work. The recall to do. Second Corinthians 11, Paul wrote to them is that I fear less somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, how many people try to complicate Christianity is taken and turn it into this thing that is you who can keep up with it when that's not how it's been delivered to us in grace one more time from Ephesians 6 of the dealing with the course deception being hoodwinked, being tricked were not ignorant of Satan's devices. He appears as an angel of light.

The devil nonetheless.

So Paul says put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, that's what this ninth chapter illustrates for us instead of just coming out and saying all the things that I just said it does do it that way. It also gives to us a picture book.

I know some of you prefer picture books verse one and it came to pass, when all the kings who are on this side of Jordan in the hills and in the low land and all the coast of the great Sea toward Lebanon. The Hittite Amorite the Canaanite the peasant right here right in the Jebusite heard about it.

Verse two that they gather together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one accord, or couldn't afford to cars so just one accord height going back of the verse one remembered Jericho was represented the world in its resistance to the arrival of God's people.

AI have course represents the flesh and give beyond it. It represents in this context, the deceiver, Satan, and the people of God who would be will be in this chapter, lulled to sleep by the visible man that is spooky the things they're looking at are deceiving them and they're not getting it. Joshua, the great generalist is, his body is only mistake really. I really can't count AI against him with Aiken stealing the stuff with this one belongs to him and he does say that the best any of them. We say that to recognize the Holy Spirit has preserved the story just as it is every word for our edification, we would be better able to serve the Lord, that we would learn in the school of the Bible physical site and reason deactivated their spiritual send senses and the ability to exercise dependence on God's sight and reason that the men in this chapter. None of the moment site and reason. So long as you see, also, the Lord, and reason his word, but without those without the word without this Holy Spirit for us Christians that we are flying by the seat of our pants or get back to that little phrase later on verse two that they gather together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one accord, and so they allied themselves to defy God's people, a resistance that is practice to this very day. We got surprised matter where it comes from someone is resisting the Army of truths that are presented from Scripture.

And that's what it always comes down to it seems that that that the they don't believe the Bible don't want to believe the Bible and so long as that wall is up. That's where the fight is going to be the heaviest. Well, these inhabitants. The invites and or one of the headlights of the Amorites, the Canaanites, all the others.

They're not going down without a fight there circling the wagons and the doing it together they formed an alliance.

The resistance is adamant they're not going to give in self-willed and self-destruction which software leads to why God is so against it and out in the lives of his people, but the headlights also known as the Gibeonites, they opt out of this alliance. This heck you know there's we are make love not war had begun. But that it where it works for them. Verse nine but when the inhabitants of Gibeon. They have invites her that Joshua had what Joshua had done to Jericho and AI.

They work verse four craftily and went and pretended to be ambassadors and they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins, torn and mended old and patched verse five sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

Well, verse three says the inhabitants of Gibeon I been saying that the headlights because Joshua 10 verse two tells us that you can look there. Listen to me read it. Gibeon was a great city, like one of the Royal cities and because it was greater than AI and all its men were mighty sorry I told you that I was going to point out that they were here fights that comes actually Joshua 11 verse 19. There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel except the here fights the inhabitants of Gibeon all the others.

They took in battle and so I wanted to point out Joshua 10 to to make you make us remember our mindful of the fact that give beyond was lectured five cities and was good. There were great cities as it tells us in chapter 10. Gibeon was a great city, like one of the Royal cities and because it was greater than AI and all his mighty men, so this city hears about AI going down even though they're bigger and stronger there saying the single work. They knew the history they knew what the Jews had been doing long before they reach the promised land. They knew they were doing on the east side of the Jordan to the other kings they were formulating in their head there weighing it out how many councils they call to try to get to an agreement amongst themselves, or how they were going to deal with this juggernaut. That's what you want. Satan's armies doing being on defense, not offense, and of course when you are on offense when you're doing the attacking is he a Christian you going to get counterattacked, so it's not as always the ghost together first visible where he says in verse four, they worked craftily when pretended to be ambassadors in the took sacks on their donkeys.

Of course the old wineskins and worn out sandals distance the site that they see all the props are in place there in character because they pretending that they traveled from a distance and then not one of the inhabitants of the land while the Jews were in the Valley of Shechem worshiping God at their agrees. The men mounted T-ball honoring him for their victory at Bethel and AI Gibeonites were putting together a survival plan. And while the other inhabitants scramble to fortify their cities against the approaching Jews. Gibeon reasoned, if you can't beat them join them in his exactly what they go to pull it off. Remember now this in Gibeon is is one story being deceived by the Gibeonites because the people of God to disobey God. That's bad enough, but here's the rest of the story.

Satan is trying to get us to do more than just disobey God, he is trying to destroy us through temptation. He continues in verse five and they took old sacks, old wineskins, torn and mended, and it is interesting that Israel part of their strategy in defeating AI was a faint retreat.

They faked out the AI. You know those of AI to pull them out of their cities and and then they turned back and destroyed them well here now they're there, falling to a faint in their working work to obey the Lord, they become victims of the same things these chaps and in Gibeon where they were sick they were thorough, but what they gave the Jews in these wineskins and sandals and such were facts without truth how we get caught by looking at all the factors of moldy bread that is a fact. But join it to the story now is no truth.

The truth is that they are not from a country far away are land far away there from the promised land was a lesson that is for us, get confirmation get to the bottom of it on serious matters.

You can pull this off in the morning would woo blue socks and black socks. I mean, that's if you don't go and try to get on your knees and figure that one out. But the serious matters in life, you bet we take these to the Lord. Have you ever noticed you say to someone willing to pray about it… A little frustrated.

They want the answer now, I know you can't pray about it. I don't want to wait.

I want you say yes and that is an indication to say no, not right now. I'll get back to you and then you can kind of been you know. Enjoy them writhing in impatience all well know you shouldn't do that. Verse six. Thank you Lord is always another verse to get out of something and they went to Joshua to the camp of Ed Gill gal. Remember, that's with the Shane was rolled away how profound a thought that is and said to him, and to the men of Israel, we have come from a far country. Now therefore make a covenant with us. Well the lying we know that we can anybody blame them, they can stand and fight go down like a iron Jericho or they can come up with planking like they did Jesus eat eat told the story said no, the sons of this world they craftily think they use their noggin.

Christians come along that all think not all of us, but many of us, we get emotional was God's going to provide one because Gabe given no indication is going to provide. We take a step out, we shouldn't take a step out and you learn your forms and know that didn't work. I don't do that again next time I'm going to be pretty deep careful.

Then the steward said within himself when his master caught him up to no good but fire him. What shall I do for my Masters taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig.

I am ashamed to bag I have resolved what to do that when I am put out of the stewardship. They may receive me into their houses so he called every one of his master's debtors to him and said to the first, how much do you all my master and he said 100 measures of oil so he said take your bill sit down quickly and right 50. They said to another, how much do you all reset 100 measures of wheat, and he said take your bill right 80, so the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly for the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light's. Certainly Jesus not condoning stealing a line when he was doing, is how much your my master hundred bucks right down 50 and the person that writes down 57 like this guy. I like looking out for me so that when he gets fired he got a leg. I think I have a job care see that the crafting that I can beg I can dig ditches all I am a zillion like the box and cook until and Jesus said to see what they did under pressure receive that mandate uses noggin and he tells a story in such a way that disdaining us makes us remember the story. Our Lord sharp sharp. That's what where to get out of the story here in the book of Joshua that we are to use our noggins and not take things for granted. To see it through to apply ourselves in verse seven Joshua nine. Then the men of Israel said to the Hittites. Perhaps you dwell among us. So how can we make a covenant with you as worded as though Joshua knows they understand this and they do understand this, we get to verse 24 comes out the day they knew all about this at this time. At this moment. As Josh was talking to them. He doesn't know that he writes that state the narrator of the story is, is giving us that Jerusalem is not Jerusalem, yet is JBoss at this time and at the end of this chapter. Of course going to say it's Jerusalem, but that they will serve and into Jerusalem.

I want to get too far ahead of myself. My point is Joshua records the story for us, but it is put in this format by editors and is nothing wrong with that whatsoever is not any corruption there, but just so you know Joshua doesn't know that these are Gibeonites and now these Jews, of course, would be the hammer of God just like we are to be the hammer of God on lives they were to be at on whole peoples because of their lies. We are to be the hammer of God on lies that come up against Christ, hammer them out. That's not true with the tell them believe what you hear that about Jesus Christ. Jesus was married know it was not wood but did you get that one other dumb things you got that's how you go about purging the devil's influence is out of souls by confronting them with the truth that they would otherwise not be confronted with. Anyway, the Jews were to purchase the land through the sword, exterminate the land. Deuteronomy 20 verse 16 but of the cities of these people, which Yahweh your God gives you as an inheritance you inheritance, you shall let nothing that breeds remain alive other than he is pretty clear, but you shall utterly destroy them.

Hittite Amorite Canaanite in the peasant right and the headlight. That's these people.

That's the commandment right therefrom from Moses handed on to Joshua.

He goes on in the Jebusite inhabitants of Jerusalem, just as Yahweh your God has commanded you not suggested commended less they teach you. You give the reasons is less they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods and you sin against Yahweh your God sent 11 you if you have begun up to convert you, you lose souls before forget is that I have this well this before forget him getting on talking.

He says here in verse seven. Perhaps you dwell among us. So how can we make a covenant with you is a valid concern of course we don't want to violate the Lord by making a covenant with you if you in fact are in the U tricking us. You know what I noticed thieves will do while I worked one time in a very bad neighborhood for a long time and I were at the pool lift so I could see the street level action from higher and there were times we could see thieves in action and they would walk and someone would look at them and they that Michael Cabot caught walk away and they turn right back around and steal what they were trying to get because they knew the other person felt he chase them away with the look he looked at them they made eye contact and okay I'm leaving good.

I scared them away walks back in his shop because backgrounds were to be goals and he's gone. Well, here we have a case of Joshua thinking that he is giving a thorough investigation and chasing away any thoughts of these people are deceiving them him but he is wrong is a valid concern, but is not going to see it through to the satisfaction of the spirit failed to investigate it all the way has the idea, but that's all he does. He doesn't go the rest of the way and I think that individuals, households, and whole churches are still doing this it overall susceptible to it.

We link up with spiritual contraband, something that doesn't belong inside creep sailors brought in and win is not dealt with with the congregation or household or an individual understands the basics of this and you have a chance better chance of them pushing it out someone coming to the church with false ideas about price up there in the lobby and it did after service of fellowship and they bring these things. Let me start hammer and by now wait a minute will believe that that's the day that's what has to happen. Somebody some child comes home and says hey look what I found out about Jesus and he shares it in parents of the other siblings. It is not biblical. That's wrong and it is dealt with but it's when it's tolerated, excused or permitted that it becomes a problem and that's what is going on here. So the lesson that we would would say to believers the Lord does not say so that it must go.

Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Joshua cross reference is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. If you're interested in more information about this ministry, please visit our website cross reference radio.com find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. Just search for cross reference radio in iTunes Google play music or your favorite podcast.

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