Joshua 9:1 "And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Havite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;"

These kings and their people had heard of the defeat of Jericho, and the complete destruction of Ai. The kings heard of the king of Ai being hung and his body buried under rocks. It didn't take long for the miracle crossing of the Jordan to reach their ears and they are anxious to bind themselves together and fight the Israelites. The Perizzites still had an influx of the offspring of the fallen angels, the Nephilim among them. As you read this chapter, remember that the Gibeonites were also Hivites; and they also have some seed of the fallen angels amongst the. These Jebusites were the ones that founded Jerusalem, and they were made up of five different peoples with heathen gods.

Joshua 9:2 "That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord."

These six nations bound themselves together as allies to go to battle against Joshua and the children of Israel, and speak with one accord, or mouth. they put themselves under one leader and they would fight as one nation. So these six different nations had build themselves a coalition, or temporary alliance for the sake of getting rid of the Israelites.

Joshua 9:3 "And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,"

These Gibeonites or Hivites heard what Joshua had done at Jericho and Ai, they wanted no part of any coalition that would fight against Joshua. Joshua and the children of Israel had a chance to get rid of these Hivites or Gibeonites back in Exodus 23:28, but they let some of them remain. So they are paying a price for that action here.

Joshua 9:4 "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:"

These Hivites from Gibeon used trickery and made their plans to bring about an agreement with Israel, and would not bind them in a permanent truce. Keep in mind that the children of Israel were out to claim the land that was given them by inheritance from God, and these men of Gibeon knew that they lived within that land. By putting on the act as if they came from a far, the Israelites were deceived into thinking that these men were not involved in the land of their inheritance. They wanted it to appear that they had been on the road for a very long time, coming from some distant land. The trickery is in presenting themselves as weary travelers. However, remember that these people of Gibeon were from next door and down the road a few miles.

Joshua 9:5 "And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy."

This old shoes were patched and almost wore out, as was the rest of the clothes that they wore. All the food that they brought with them was dry and moldy, as being brought from a long way away. This is all part of the trickery.

Joshua 9:6 "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."

The bases of their entire agreement was based on lies and trickery. These heathen Hivites of Gibeon wanted to become tied to and a part of Israel. Friend, you want to be careful when it comes to tying yourself to any one or their ways and traditions. Watch out what you are marrying into, for this covenant or league could bind you for a long time, and work against you in the long run.

Joshua 9:7 "And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, "Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?"

Joshua and the men of Israel just didn't understand why these people presenting themselves from a long way off, even wanted to make a league or covenant with Israel. It didn't make sense.

Joshua 9:8 "And they said unto Joshua, "We are thy servants." And Joshua said unto them, "Who are ye? and from whence come ye?"

Joshua knew that the Israelites had no servants, nor any people that was bound to them. He asked them; Just who are you? None of what is happening is making any sense at all. Though it appears that Joshua is being careful, we will see that he was not careful enough. So what won Joshua over to making a covenant with these men of Gibeon?

Joshua 9:9 "And they said unto him, "From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God: for we have heard the fame of Him, and all that He did in Egypt."

This sounds like they wanted to join some church, and what is said here would do that in most churches. Doesn't matter what you believe, or where you came from, but the desire to know the Lord thy God is all that matters. This would be just right for any church with a need for members and a full offering plate. These people know the right words to say, using the word "YHVH" the only true God, but anyone that uses lies and trickery and the name of God at the same time, is of Satan. These people haven't the most remote of idea of the Love of our Heavenly Father, nor do they wish to serve Him.

God gave Joshua the orders to kill all of these Hivite rift raft, and he did not do it. Now this group of heathen tramps have come to join into Joshua's religion, and bind themselves to Israel. How sharp is Joshua?

Joshua 9:10 "And all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth."

Sure these Hivites knew well of Ashtaroth for that is the location of the center of their Baal and phallic worship.

Joshua 9:11 "Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, `Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, `We are your servants:' ' " therefore now make ye a league with us.'"

Again this entire information is a lie, and once a covenant is made it become a sacred agreement. It comes down to whether you are a man of your word or not. However today, men just don't care what people think of their word, so that is why every thing must be in writing, witnessed and notarized. These Hivites word is worthless, and nothing by lies and deception. God expects us to honor our word, yet He also expects us to use intelligence before we would enter into an agreement like this. These people came from right down the road, and live on the Israelites land, and they want the agreement so they can steal the land of the Israelites.

Joshua 9:12 "This is our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:"

The smell from the bakery where the bread was made probably flowed through the Israelite camp, and it was left out and drug through the dirt to give the appearance of being old. What a bold face lie, and Joshua will buy it.

Joshua 9:13 "And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey." 

These lies are all back up with objects of deception. Sure you see things with your eyes, but these things you smell and touch can be deceiving, when they are set up for a deception. Do these people want to join Joshua's religion and serve the True God? Of course not, and you want to be careful who you attach yourself to. God doesn't like carelessness, especially when it comes to His Word.

Joshua 9:14 "And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord."

When these men sat down to eat with the men of Israel, they didn't take the time to thank the Lord for the food. Yet these are the same men that were trying to convince Joshua that they wanted to serve the God of Israel. Israel got themselves in trouble in Ai because they didn't ask counsel of the Lord, and here they go again, making agreements with people who don't respect the Lord. Sure, the men of Israel could see the old shoes, and garments, they could smell the moldy bread and old wine, and here they witnessed the disrespect that these people had for God at the dinner table, so what will they do about it? If they would have just taken the time to ask God for help, either through Joshua or the priest, they would have had God's answer to their question. They left God completely out of this decision: So what does Joshua do?

Joshua 9:15 "And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them."

How many of us run our lives this way. A matter that affects us for years to come, affects our home and family, and our relationship with God, and we close our mind to seeking advise from God, and direction from His Word. Joshua did not ask for God's blessings on the league, but relied on his own mind. Well, Joshua's decision proves that this is exactly what He did. "Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them", and let them live. Notice that even the elders of the congregation of all the tribes went along with this union made with the Devil and his people. They took an oath to live in peace and protect this pack of Hivite liars. The whole agreement is based on a lie.

Many times we decide in our minds that we want to do something, sell a house or car, make a trip, go to school or change a job and we don't stop to ask God for his guidance and direction on the matter. We should be willing to ask God to block those agreements that are not right for us, and accept it when it doesn't go through. If something is right by God, He will make it right by all parties involved. Good for the buyer and good for the seller, and good for all parties involved. If you are one of God's children, you should take the time to consult with Him on important matters; to assure Him of your love and ask His blessings on the matter. Joshua and the elders took these mob from the Hivites in, listen to their lies, fed them, and then made leagues and agreements with them. What causes this type of thinking to allow us to be taken in by lies?

First of all, most people have no idea what God says over joining ourselves to the heathen, making agreement them and giving them the valued things of our lives. Most People calling themselves Christians are biblically illiterate, and listen to some preacher preaching from the traditions of men. Many Christians have no idea what it means to have God's counsel, or what is of God or of Satan. They are willing to believe anything told them. In fact the just don't care if it is a lie that is told them.

Many Christians today have staked their soul on the lie of the fly away doctrine, and it just isn't there in the scripture. They believe that God will do it all for them and they don't have to do anything. Works are out the window they say, and they can sit back and have everything handed to them. They discard entire books like Revelation, Leviticus, and most of the Minor Prophets, as being worthless, yet they are the guidelines for those people living in the latter times like we are. Do you see why this chapter is so important? Israel turned its back on God's counsel, and now they will have to live for generation with this pack of heathen liers, and do their bidding.

If you understood the flow of God's Word, then people couldn't lie to you, and those little signs that are before your eyes would mean something. The Word of God keeps you out of trouble, and in the will of God. These Israelites didn't know any better, do you? Satan's coming very shortly and he is going to play all these tricks on you, do supernatural things before your eyes, give you things that make you feel good, and tell you stories more convincing than these Hivites told Joshua; are you going to believe his lies? If your counting on what people have told you Satan is like, and rely on the escape hatch that preachers have provided for you, you are about to join a league and peace agreement with Satan. Do you see how important it is to know the truth in these end times?

Joshua 9:16 "And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them."

Wow, what do we do now, Joshua is thinking; these boys live right down the street and they lied to me. Joshua found out within three days that these people that were playing con games with him, were his neighbours.

Joshua 9:17 "And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kerjath-jearim."

Keep in mind that the people that made the pact with them was Gibeon, yet these are people of the same nation but in cities three days journey away.

Joshua 9:18 "And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes."

Here the army of Israel, of God had marched three days to war and destroy the enemy, and then they find out that these are the people that tricked them into a protection agreement. They had swore by God, the God of Israel that they would live in peace, and with swords drawn, they could not go through with God's instructions to them. Do you see the problem here? God told them to destroy these people, and in haste they made an agreement or covenant of peace with them. They made that agreement in the name of God, and it went directly against God's Word. The people of the children of Israel were not happy with their leaders, who caused them to be in this situation set up by lies. The worst hasn't happened yet, but it will shortly.

Joshua 9:19 "But all the princes said unto all the congregation, "We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them."

Doesn't this sound like some of the dried up leaders of the different denominations that exist today. They make a stupid mistake and allow Satan's dogma and people to enter into their congregation, and then try to defend their bad judgment and those things of Satan.

Joshua 9:20 "This we will do to the; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them."

Joshua 9:21 "And the princes said unto them, "Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation;" as the princes had promised them."

Did you get that, this is the most dangerous mistake that they could ever make in their life. Now these same elders of the tribes want to bring these heathen in to cut the wood for the sacrifices to God, the duties of the Levitical priests, and bring the water unto the congregation, also a duty of the priest. Do you get what has happened here, caused by one very stupid mistake? These elders are making them servants in the temple of God, making the wood for the altar of God, and bringing the water or truth of God's Word to the congregation. Do you see where these Kenite Hivites have now got their foot into the door of God's house, and very shortly will completely take over the entire house.

In the Hebrew tongue these heathen or foreigners given to service in the house of God are called "Nethinims". Ezra 2 lists all the people that came out of Babylon captivity, and went back to build the city and temple at Jerusalem. Notice from Ezra 2:43 to 59 are naming all the people of the Kenites, or Nethinims that were mixed in with the house of Judah going back to reestablish temple worship. About half of the forty three thousand returning were not of Judah, but families of these foreigners that were given over to service to be in the place of the Levitical priests. So where are the Levitical priests, the ones God designation to be at the altar of God?

Ezra 8:15 "And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava: and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the People, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi."

Ezra was heading up this wagon train to go back to Jerusalem, from their captivity in Babylon. This distance is from St. Louis to Denver, to make it more real in your mind. When our country was established, that is exactly how our forefathers moved into the new land. Half way out on the trail, the wagon train stopped for three days and they pitched their tents, and Ezra wanted an accounting of the people and supplies that were with them. Ezra said, "I viewed the People, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi." So just who is acting as the priests, if no one of Levi is in their midst? Nathen means "given", and there were plenty of Nathen's going back to set up this temple worship.

I Chronicles 2:55 "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hamath, the father of the house of Rechab."

The elders of Israel in Joshua's day made their forefathers the woodcutters, and recordeds of the congregation, and by the time of Ezra, they had completely taken over the duties of the Priests. Ezra said, "...I viewed the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi." Why? They were all Nethinims. Kenites are not of Abraham, they are of Satan, heathen, and their traditions were being substituted for the Word of God. Is it any wonder that the Jewish Kenite Religious leaders sought to kill Jesus from the start of His ministry. They knew who Jesus was, in their minds were murder, and they wanted to kill Jesus for going against their traditions.

So here we are in the end times, and who is filling the pulpit in your church and what is he or she giving out from that pulpit? Is it the Word of God with clarity, or Nethinims, Nathens; hirelings spouting out traditions from the home office? Are you learning the plan of God, or are they stroking your head to make you feel real good? Are you asked to take what is said their by faith, or do you check out the instruction that are given from the Word of God? The Word of God use to be the very foundation of our nation, and piece by piece it is being taken away, and in its place confusion. Our population is void of God's Word, and the only thing they go by is what the traditions of these Kenite Nethinims are teaching.

Joshua 9:22 "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?"

Here again Joshua is not taking the blame for his own mistakes. Did He ask God's counsel on the matter? no, he just charged right into the agreement head on.

Joshua 9:23 "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."

The law of Israel stated that after seven years of bondage, you had to be set free. However Joshua is going to make them stay in bondage for the rest of their lives. But where are they to be sent for their bondage? This word "cursed" means that you will never be released from this duty. That's right, Jashua sent them into God's house, to do the work and eventually take over the house of God. Friend this is not bad news for the Kenites of Gibeon, but for the Israelites. These heathen are going to take over the duties of the Levitical priests in time. This is putting priest's robes on the heathen.

Joshua 9:24 "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."

There is only one little problem here; But Joshua and the elders were suckers, and fell for lies and tricks. Then they compounded one bad decision upon an other, to where only confusion would be left. Why? They did not take counsel with God on making that long term agreement with these Kenite Gibeonites. Friend any time you allow a major move to be made you yourself or within your congregation, and you do not seek the counsel of God, you are heading for trouble.

Joshua 9:25 "And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do."

So now these same Gibeonites are more than satisfied with the place they have been placed in, for they had won the battle. Instead of lying dead in a heap, they are tending duties at the tabernacle.

Joshua 9:26 "And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not."

So Joshua released these heathen from their captivity, and turned them over to the Levites to do their duties in the tabernacle.

Joshua 9:27 "And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day, in the place which He should choose."

Don't overlook this for these Nethinims are still in that position in the house of God even to this day you and I are living in, in these end times. These Nethinim, heathen given to service are filling pulpits in church houses all over our land.