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 help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.” So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. 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.”
To fully understand the above passage you have to note what is actually happening in Joshua 10. The city/region of Gibeon had made a fool of Joshua and tricked him and the nation of Israel into believing they were from a country a large distance away. Thinking in this manner, Joshua made a covenant with the people of Gibeon and, hence, became their allies. When the surrounding five kings saw that Joshua had defeated Jericho and Ai and were now allies with Gibeon, they decided to form a coalition and attacked Gibeon. It would have been easy for Joshua to simply let Gibeon get what they deserved. They made Joshua look foolish in front of the nation of Israel by disguising themselves as though they were from a long distance away and, yet, were actually their new neighbors. Any military advisor, trained in combat, would have tried to convince Joshua to let the five kings destroy Gibeon. We also have to remember that Joshua, in pride, had never consulted with God about the deal he struck with Gibeon. He not only made this bad deal, but his pride, like the first attack on Ai, led the nation into a bad situation. However, God can take the mistakes we make and turn them to His glory and to fulfill His purpose. God would use the disobedience and pride of Joshua, in making a treaty with Gibeon, to bring five kings together so Joshua and the army could defeat all of them at once. It might have taken years to destroy five kings from five separate and fortified cities. But, Joshua's mistake in leadership was used to God's advantage in bringing the five kings into a coalition, typically unheard of during those days. God took Joshua's mistake and turned it the good of His will. Romans 8:28 tells us that this is the truth about God's character and His plan:
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
We have to remember that God is not pleased when we make deals with the world and don't consult Him first. But, we can also be assured that God can make Godly lemonade out of our prideful lemon life. God used this mistake to quicken the battle and hasten the victory over the land. God can use the mistakes we make in life for His glory if we are willing to see our mistakes as sin against Him. God puts the pieces together after we fall off the wall and crack. God can use it to accomplish His will and His purpose. Rejoice in God's sovereign rule in our lives to turn a bad day into an eternal victory.
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