Joshua 9:7
‘But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you are living within our land; how then are we to make a covenant with you?”’
A group of men rode into the camp of the Israelites and asked to make a truce with Joshua. They claimed to be from a far away land. As a testament to that they had worn out clothes, were dusty and dirty as if they had traveled from a great distance. Today’s verse shows the suspicion the Israelites had.
What I like about this verse is that they called the land their land. They had been there for maybe a month. The other people may have been there for centuries or longer. They didn’t like this talk and didn’t want to be displaced. However, God is the one who gave this land to the Israelites. Sure, the people of the land had their own gods. But God is the creator and the one true God. His power has been with Israel doing miracles. That power has been there to deliver and protect Israel. The marvels of Jericho is maybe three weeks old. That story is spreading throughout the inhabited world. Their deliverance from Egypt happened forty years ago and those tales are still talked about.
The Israelites had no problem claiming the land. They were confident and unapologetic. This is what caught my attention while reading. This is because the world seeks to shame believers. This happens in several categories. If a christian speaks publicly about many of God’s claims, people would call them out and cancel them.
I don’t think God wants most christians to enter these debates. Some are called to do so. They are front line warriors. Almost like prophets of old. They are gifted in speech and have platforms to have those debates. However, the average christian would be wise to hold his tongue.
There are times when it is appropriate for christians to speak these truths. I have friends who aren’t believers in whom we can bring these up and trust each other not to get bent out of shape. In these contexts I do have to be careful as some of the topics are explosive. To bring up too many at one time would be a problem.
The Holy Spirit will lead us. Walk into the brush as is necessary. Not everything is game or necessary. This is wisdom. Proverbs speaks much about this. As a young believer I would speak out as I thought God would honor my courage. Not always so.
It’s good to be confident about what we believe. However that doesn’t mean we walk out and proclaim those things. Like Mary, we can “treasure those things in our hearts.”
We can share those things more confidently with believers. Even in those contexts we are to use wisdom. In ourselves we are not to be ashamed about God’s truth. Celebrate it. Praise Him. Fear Him.
In His ways there is life. In all manners of life the bible has something to say. Obey Him, celebrate Him and His ways. Be not ashamed.
As we follow Him, He will bless us. Part of that is the natural result of following His rules. He says to do thus and a blessing will follow. He also answers our prayers for protection and blessing. Here’s what Jesus said in Mark 10:29, 30, ‘Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.”‘
Lord, thank You for the Bible and the wisdom it shares. Keep us in it. Thank You for Your blessings. Help us to walk confidently in Your ways.
