"And the Oscar goes to..."
"So the (Hebrew) leaders partook of their provisions, and did not ask direction from the LORD."
(Joshua 9:14)
In 6th grade I caught the acting bug. Mrs. Head was the language arts teacher at Mohave Elementary School in Scottsdale, AZ. She lead choir and produced 1-2 productions each year. I got started with A Christmas Carol (as a general cast member)... then went on to The Wizard of Oz (Mayor of Munchkin City)... and eventually Robin Hood (lead). I dabbled in theatrical-type productions in high school (though was more involved in sports). When I attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa, I decided to be a theater major (knowing I was going to seminary following graduation). In seminary, I led a number of reader's theater projects, too. So yah, I enjoy a good production.
Joshua, chapter 9 has a great production. The Hebrew people have made it to the promised land and are seeking to carve out their own piece of the Middle East. Along the way, they engage in numerous battles (and subsequent victories). The people of Gibeon heard about their prowess in war, so instead of being utterly destroyed, they chose treachery & cunning. They got everyone dressed in old, worn-out clothes. They brought worn-out & moldy supplies with them... and went to meet the Hebrew people, professing they'd come from far, far away to make a treaty with them. They said they'd heard about how powerful their God was, and didn't want to be on the wrong side of that equation.
The ruse worked like a charm. The Hebrew leaders made the treaty and sent them back on their way... only to find out 3 days later that the Gibeonites were actually their neighbors! D'oh! But since they'd made a treaty, they couldn't go back on their word & destroy them (like they were doing with other neighbors). So they honored the treaty.
Despite my fondness for a good theatrical production, the reason I chose this story to journal about was verse 14: "So the leaders partook of (the Gibeonites') provisions, and did not ask direction from the LORD." Wow. Even though everything looked on the up and up, their eyes deceived them. All they needed to do was ask God and they would have known it was all a lie. But they didn't ask. They just acted on their own (limited) knowledge.
How many times are we just as guilty today? Opportunities present themselves. We get excited about new possibilities. We might consider it thoughtfully and carefully, eyes... but if we don't seek God's council & direction, we're missing out. Let us not be fooled by what our eyes (and hearts) see. Let us seek God's council and direction. Always.