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19 January Friday, 2001 My Word Is My Bond |
| ¢Ê Today's Passage / Joshua 9 : 16 - 27 |
| 16 Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the
Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. 17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. 18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, 19 but all the leaders answered, "We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. 20 This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them." 21 They continued, "Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community." So the leaders' promise to them was kept. 22 Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, "Why did you deceive us by saying, `We live a long way from you,' while actually you live near us? 23 You are now under a curse: You will never cease to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God." 24 They answered Joshua, "Your servants were clearly told how the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. 25 We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you." 26 So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. 27 That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the LORD at the place the LORD would choose. And that is what they are to this day. |
| ¢Ê Reflection |
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In the motion picture "Hook," an adaptation of the Peter Pan story, Robin Williams, plays an adult Pan, who promises his son that he won't miss his afternoon baseball game. His son is skeptical at first. Then Peter looks his son in the eye and gently states "My word is my bond." The son looks assured; believing his father will indeed keep his word. Despite his attempts to make it to the event, Peter misses the game. His son is crushed, and finds it difficult to trust his father's words again. We live in a day and age in which a person's credibility is based solely on their word. We expect people to be true to their word once they make a promise. Nevertheless, we are also in a time in which promises are broken and lies are told without remorse on a regular basis. Broken promises are dismissed with an "I tried" and lies are dismissed with an, "Oh well." While most would rather still believe in the value of one's word, it is difficult to not hold a level of cynicism, especially when promises made to us are broken and when we break promises ourselves. It might have been easy for Joshua to go back on the treaty he made with the Gibeonites. After all, they had lied to him when they claimed to be from a far off land in order to escape attack by Israel's army. So turn about is fair play, right? The Gibeonites word wasn't true, why should Israel be true to their word? The Gibeonites word was false from the start. Israel had every intention of giving them refuge in their land. Does it seem fair that Israel should have to keep its word when Gibeon had failed to keep theirs? Whether it is fair or not isn't the case. The Gibeonites did indeed pay for their deception (v.v. 21 & 27.) Yet Joshua realized that when he gave his word to the Gibeonites, he wasn't just speaking for himself and all Israel, he was speaking for the God of Israel (v.18.) Had Joshua broken the treaty, it would have resulted in a promise of God being broken. And since the covenant God made with Abraham to the present day, God's promises have never been broken. His word is His bond. |
| ¢Ê Application |
| Is your word your bond? Are your words trustworthy? Take some time in prayer and self-examination to discover whether you have yet to fulfill a promise you have made. If you haven't, go do it! Confess to God and to the person You made the promise to and then take steps to make good on Your word. |
| ¢Ê Daily Prayer |
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Lord, thank You for keeping Your promise to me to (God's promise to you.) Help me to hold on to Your promises. Forgive me for not keeping my promise to ________________________. Also, give me the strength to show grace to those who have not kept their promises to me. Amen. |
| Never forget that our capacity and capability in spiritual matters
is measured by, based on, the promises of God. Is God able to fulfill promises? Our answer depends on whether or not we have received the Holy Spirit. ~ Oswald Chambers |
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