Background

The story of Isreal’s relationship with the Gibeonites is an excellent example of relational theology. In this story, we see God call Joshua, command Joshua, then support Joshua in his calling. It is a fascinating story of how God works with His people in a mutual relationship of trusting decision making.

The relational Story

Joshua’s call and command

In Deuteronomy 34:9¹, Joshua’s call to lead the people is signaled through the description of Moses laying his hands on Joshua and the children of Isreal’s willingness to hearken to Joshua’s words. In Deutoronomy 20:16-18², Isreal is commanded to remove everything that breatheth and to ‘utterly destroy them’³ that dwell in the land which He had given unto them⁴.

The Lord even names the peoples that were to be destroyed when He says, ’namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites;’² There was a city among the people of the Canaanites named Gibeon that would complicate this command.

Joshua’s request of God

The Gibeonites devised a plan to save themselves from the sword of Joshua as we read in Joshua 9:3-6;

And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy. And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.

In verse 14-15, we see that Joshua then ’ made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them without asking ‘counsel at the mouth of the Lord.’

As Joshua and his people moved into the city of Gibeon they recognized the people as the ones with which Joshua and the princes had agreed not to slaughter (Joshua 9:22-24);

And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us? Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the Lord thy 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 sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

Joshua and the princes decide to keep their word to the Gibeonites, which was in contradiction to the command given to Joshua by the Lord in Deuteronomy. However, the other King’s of Israel did not like the gift given to the Gibeonites and went to kill them. Upon which Joshua and his army defended the Gibeonites. After defending them, Joshua went to the Lord in Joshua 10:12-13.

Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

Then we see God’s response in verse 14, ‘And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.’ The Lord heard Joshua’s prayer and changed his position on removing all Caananites. In fact, the Lord maintained his word with Joshua hundreds of years later.

God’s fulfillment of Joshua’s request

Hundreds of years later during the reign of Saul and David we read in 2 Samuel 21:1-2 that the Lord cursed the Israelites with a three-year famine because of ‘Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.’ which we are reminded are ’not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.’

Conclusion

This story of Joshua and the day that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: to change the command to the people of Isreal is an excellent example of relational theology. God is willing to work with us on our journey to the promised land. In this story, we see the Lord teaching how important relational contracts are to Him. He is willing to accept Joshua’s relational pact with the Gibeonites through an agreement that He makes with Joshua. Finally, God remembers this promise and helps Israel remember that covenants made by Joshua long ago. It is through relational agency that God works with us on the earth. As the Almighty Agent, God has the freedom to choose to respond to the petitions of His children. Relational agency gives both parties in the agreement a voice for the covenants that affect their futures.

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