are binding.
Joshua 9:16–21
And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them. Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim. But the children of Israel did not attack them, because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation complained against the rulers.
Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them. This we will do to them: We will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.” And the rulers said to them, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them.”
Technically, Israel didn’t “make” a covenant with the Gibeonites, they “cut” (כָרַת “kha-raht”) a covenant with them. This is the same sacred ceremony that God used to give them this land in the first place.
Then He said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”
And he said, “Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”
So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. — Genesis 15:7–11
You don’t break a sacred covenant like that. That’s why the Israelite rulers said, “We will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.”
So, despite the Gibeonites’ outrageous duplicity, the covenant stands.
This is the flip side of all the brutal things that result from prioritizing God’s law over normal human rules of fairness and justice. Now these clowns get off scot-free because of God’s law. Human rules would void the covenant since it was made under false pretenses.
But God’s rules rule here. They swore an oath and that’s that.
There’s a modern-day equivalent—marriage. Our attitude toward marriage is driven by contract law. The state issues marriage licenses. Our taxes are based on whether we’re married in the eyes of the state.
And, as we’ve all seen, this is now a mess. These laws have gotten so silly I wonder what they’ll think of next. Temporary marriage (a short-term contract)? Marrying your pet goldfish?
Marriage is a covenant. If we treated it like one (took it seriously), the whole world would function better.
But that would be too “inconvenient” for most folks.
These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Weekend DEEPs are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:
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The weekly study guides, which include the Monday–Friday devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:
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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.
