2. 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 Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof ; 2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. January 3, 2010

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

4. 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; 5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. They didn't want to fight against Israel. They devised a plan to deceive.

5. 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. Why is this so important? Gibeon

6. Deuteronomy 7 1 When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; 2 And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

7. 3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4 For they will turn away thy son from following Me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

8. 2 Corinthians 6 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 17-18 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. We are warned against close ties with unbelievers. We are different; be different.

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? 8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye? They were suspicious and somewhat careful , But still easily deceived .

10. 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, 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.

11. 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. 12 This 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 moldy: 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.

12. 8 We are thy servants. 11 We are your servants It is one of the very effective tools of Satan. Proverbs 29 5 A man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet.

13. 14 And the men took of their victuals , and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. Be very careful about partaking of things offered by the world. James 4 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

14. First, they listened to and succumbed to flattery . Then they tasted their food and ate with them. Then they made the 14 … and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord .

15. There is never a time that we must not pray. Pray without ceasing. 1 Thes 5:17 1 Chronicles 16 (David) 11 Seek the Lord and His Strength, seek His Face continually.

16. Psalms 119 17-18 Deal bountifully with Thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy Word. Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy Law. Psalms 119 33-34 Teach me, O Lord, the Way of Thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy Law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Psalms 119 105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

17. Stay on guard against the wiles of the devil. Accept nothing which he offers. Believe nothing that he says. Choose your friends carefully. Seek God's Wisdom for all things.

18. Don't forget the concert with the Bowman's February 19. January 3, 2010 Resurrection Day is April 4.