Don't Be Deceived

Joshua 9-15

Friday, March 6, 2026 | Kelley Bachtel

Excuse me while I geek out for a moment. Our kids love a good “good versus evil” storyline. There’s something about the good guys winning and the bad guys losing that leaves them feeling victorious. I can recall watching the animated Transformers series with our kids. I often would find myself drawn into whatever antics the villains are up to, always hoping Optimus Prime and his troops pull out the victory.

Starscream—one of the villains—was considered the most dangerous because he held no true alliances except with himself. He was the one to keep an eye on.

That reminded me of the Gibeonites.

Joshua and the Israelites had just experienced victory at Jericho and Ai. Word spread quickly. The surrounding kings formed alliances to fight Israel. But the Gibeonites chose a different strategy. They disguised themselves in worn-out clothes, carried moldy bread and cracked wineskins, and sought a treaty with Israel. They knew the Lord’s power—and they feared what was coming. Their peace treaty wasn’t about repentance; it was about self-preservation.

And Israel was duped.

Joshua 9:14 says, “So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.” That sentence stops me every time. Israel had access to the Lord. They had the priest. They had the presence of God among them. But they didn’t ask.

What looked harmless became binding.

When Joshua discovered the deception, he honored the covenant but assigned the Gibeonites to serve—cutting wood and drawing water for the house of God. And here is the mercy: though they came in deception, they were brought near to the presence of the Lord. Day after day, they witnessed holiness. God made provision for them as sojourners despite their faults.

That’s my story too.

I can be self-seeking. I can fear the future. I can try to secure my own peace treaties instead of seeking the Lord’s counsel. But God, in His mercy, draws me near. He gives me a place to serve. He invites me to abide in Him (John 15:5). I don’t have to pretend to be something I’m not. In Christ, I am made new (2 Corinthians 5:17). My identity is not in my self-preservation—it’s in His presence.