We Must Have A Revelation – 9/1

In Joshua chapter 9 we have an interesting account of a major deception of the enemy perpetrated against God’s chosen people, Israel. Prior to entering the Promised Land, Israel was warned to eliminate all of the evil, heathen nations that resided there. When news of what happened at Jericho and Ai spread throughout the land, the Gibeonites came up with a deceptive plan:

Joshua 9:3–15 (CSB)

³ When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, ⁴ they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended. ⁵ They wore old, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies. Their entire provision of bread was dry and crumbly. ⁶ They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land. Please make a treaty with us.”

⁷ The men of Israel replied to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us. How can we make a treaty with you?”

⁸ They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”

Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where do you come from?”

⁹ They replied to him, “Your servants have come from a faraway land because of the reputation of the Lord your God. For we have heard of his fame, and all that he did in Egypt, ¹⁰ and all that he did to the two Amorite kings beyond the Jordan—King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land told us, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey; go and meet them and say, “We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.” ¹² This bread of ours was warm when we took it from our houses as food on the day we left to come to you; but see, it is now dry and crumbly. ¹³ These wineskins were new when we filled them; but see, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the extremely long journey.” ¹⁴ Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the Lord’s decision. ¹⁵ So Joshua established peace with them and made a treaty to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them.

The deceptive plan of the Gibeonites worked. Joshua failed to consult the Lord regarding the matter and made a league with them instead of destroying them as God had commanded.

Deception is one of the major strategies that the enemy uses.  It started in the Garden of Eden when he deceived Eve and it has continued down to the new millennium. In these final days before the return of Jesus Christ, there is going to be a  massive wave of Satanic deception that will flood the earth.  The Bible warns us that Satan is so deceptive that he can be transformed into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). If we are to experience Victory Miracle Living in the new millennium, then we must seek counsel of the Lord and prepare to face this tremendous onslaught from the enemy.

The strategic mistake which many Christians make is that they are willing to settle for a compromise with the devil. To them a compromise is a victory. There is no such thing as a stalemate with the enemy of men’s souls.  There is no negotiable truce line when you have a compromise agreement and you say to the devil, “You stay over there, and I’ll stay over here.” You either win or you lose and to compromise is to lose.  To accommodate is to lose. You are only a winner if you overcome the forces that are trying to defeat you.

Pause for just a moment and consider your present standards of Christian conduct. Line them up against what you stood for and believed ten years ago, five years ago, or even one year ago. Does the comparison show a drastic difference? Could it be that you have been deceived into a compromising position?

Satan wants you to be lulled into a false sense of security in thinking that it is not possible that you could ever be deceived. I warn you, this is one of the most dangerous spiritual positions a Christian can be in. If you fail to recognize that there is the possibility of your being deceived, you will become a sitting target for Satan.

Our devotions this month will expose some of Satan’s most diabolical strategies. Just as the Gibeonites deceived Israel, Satan is still working through deception but he is an enemy who has been defeated, stripped of his power over us, and doomed for destruction. He is a deceiver, imposter, the father of lies – and he is about to be exposed for what he is… Just keep on reading. . .