- Apr 27, 2006
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Dealing with the Gibeonites
It occurs to be today that there is a difference between what we know and what we believe.
For example, I know that I drove my car to work this morning. This is a fact and while some could dispute it I know it to be true. Now, I believe that I will drive it home this evening. My belief is based open my experience, my confidence in Honda’s ability to produce a reliable car, and my skill in avoiding other Memphis drivers.
What I believe is not the same as what I know, yet, my belief is formed based on what I know combined with faith. If I do make it home tonight I will be able to move this experience out of the “What I Believe” column into the “What I know” column.
This all came to mind because I was reading back through some old postings from a Christian friend of mine who suffered a long time with some demonic problems.
I know that most of my friends think me crazy and misguided when I say a Christian can have demonic problems. And, all I can say is that you’re entitled to your belief. In this regard however I am speaking on what I know to be true not on what I believe to be true. All I can say to you is that you were not in the car with me when I made the drive in.
Anyway, I was reading these old posts from this friend whose pain and torment were obvious and I found in some of their writing what appears to be to me an affinity for their tormentor. I found this odd since in most of my experience with those demonized the victim does not know who or what is behind their torment. The evil spirits tend to hide and appear only as bent aspects of the victim’s personality. Typically they only make their real presence known when they are pressed to do so.
In this case however my friend knew exactly who or what it was that was tormenting them and they seemed to vacillate between wanting to be free of it and wanting to be bound to it.
All this was on my heart as I drifted off to sleep last night.
I awoke this morning at 2:30 AM still pondering this when God turned the focus back on me. If you follow my adventures you know that for the past two years or so the Lord and I have been wondering around my own heart. It is a big place, a nation in fact. I have seen many wonderful things and a few troubling ones.
On one of our sojourns He and I walked down by the beach and at the water’s edge I noticed strange footprints in the sand. The Lord and I looked upon them and there was no exchange between us. I knew they were not His or Mine. I knew He knew I knew and I knew we would revisit the issue in future.
I am not alone here. Apparently there are interlopers in the land.
If I parallel my journey with the allegory aspect of the exodus story I understand why Joshua was commanded to kill everything in the Promised Land not of God. I have determined to do this and promised Him I would.
Then I remembered the Gibeonites.
Joshua 9
The Gibeonite Deception
1 Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things—those in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Great Sea [a] as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)- 2 they came together to make war against Joshua and Israel.
3 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. 5 The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. 6 Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us."
7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "But perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?"
8 "We are your servants," they said to Joshua.
But Joshua asked, "Who are you and where do you come from?"
9 They answered: "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. 11 And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with us." ' 12 This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. 13 And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey."
14 The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. 15 Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.
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.
The crux of the matter:
____________________________
It occurs to me that I too have made peace with the Gibeonites. I sampled their provisions and liked them. I want them to serve me and I have let them convince me that they can. In this very real sense I am very much like my demonized friend. I have a love/hate relationship with my Gibeonites I know who they are, but, I like what they do for me. I now fear that unless I get them out of the land I will end up the slave and they will be the Masters.
How did this all happen?
I was molested as a young child by a cousin. I do not know if this plays a part in my continuing struggle with sexuality. It was only once (as I can recall) and I really don’t know how damaging it was. If nothing else it pointed me in the wrong direction.The constant rejection I experienced growing up only added fuel to the flame.
Sex became my drug of choice in dealing with the pain an now I find that it is the specialty of my own tribe of Gibeonites.
I realize that I have loved them too much to ever completely get rid of them I want them as slaves so they can haul water to the barren ground in my heart and ease my pain.
It is however only a temporary respite. They have no power to heal and they are in no way inclined to do me good.
(So they must go.)
So, this now is the problem. Sex is God’s idea. It is a good and desirable thing. Yes, it is good, but it is not God and only Living Water can heal the barren land.
I have so abused it in the past, how do I have a normal God given expression of it without leaning on the demons who have driven me?
Thankfully I do not have to know how. I only have to know Who.
I wrote last week that I was going to take the land and destroy everything in it not of God. I knew when I wrote it I would be challenged. I’m excited about this opportunity. I know my Father and He would not bring this before me if He was not backing me up. I am about to enter into a place I’ve never known.
Dealing with the Gibeonites is going to be interesting.
John O.
It occurs to be today that there is a difference between what we know and what we believe.
For example, I know that I drove my car to work this morning. This is a fact and while some could dispute it I know it to be true. Now, I believe that I will drive it home this evening. My belief is based open my experience, my confidence in Honda’s ability to produce a reliable car, and my skill in avoiding other Memphis drivers.
What I believe is not the same as what I know, yet, my belief is formed based on what I know combined with faith. If I do make it home tonight I will be able to move this experience out of the “What I Believe” column into the “What I know” column.
This all came to mind because I was reading back through some old postings from a Christian friend of mine who suffered a long time with some demonic problems.
I know that most of my friends think me crazy and misguided when I say a Christian can have demonic problems. And, all I can say is that you’re entitled to your belief. In this regard however I am speaking on what I know to be true not on what I believe to be true. All I can say to you is that you were not in the car with me when I made the drive in.
Anyway, I was reading these old posts from this friend whose pain and torment were obvious and I found in some of their writing what appears to be to me an affinity for their tormentor. I found this odd since in most of my experience with those demonized the victim does not know who or what is behind their torment. The evil spirits tend to hide and appear only as bent aspects of the victim’s personality. Typically they only make their real presence known when they are pressed to do so.
In this case however my friend knew exactly who or what it was that was tormenting them and they seemed to vacillate between wanting to be free of it and wanting to be bound to it.
All this was on my heart as I drifted off to sleep last night.
I awoke this morning at 2:30 AM still pondering this when God turned the focus back on me. If you follow my adventures you know that for the past two years or so the Lord and I have been wondering around my own heart. It is a big place, a nation in fact. I have seen many wonderful things and a few troubling ones.
On one of our sojourns He and I walked down by the beach and at the water’s edge I noticed strange footprints in the sand. The Lord and I looked upon them and there was no exchange between us. I knew they were not His or Mine. I knew He knew I knew and I knew we would revisit the issue in future.
I am not alone here. Apparently there are interlopers in the land.
If I parallel my journey with the allegory aspect of the exodus story I understand why Joshua was commanded to kill everything in the Promised Land not of God. I have determined to do this and promised Him I would.
Then I remembered the Gibeonites.
Joshua 9
The Gibeonite Deception
1 Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things—those in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Great Sea [a] as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)- 2 they came together to make war against Joshua and Israel.
3 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. 5 The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. 6 Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us."
7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "But perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?"
8 "We are your servants," they said to Joshua.
But Joshua asked, "Who are you and where do you come from?"
9 They answered: "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. 11 And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with us." ' 12 This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. 13 And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey."
14 The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. 15 Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.
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.
The crux of the matter:
____________________________
It occurs to me that I too have made peace with the Gibeonites. I sampled their provisions and liked them. I want them to serve me and I have let them convince me that they can. In this very real sense I am very much like my demonized friend. I have a love/hate relationship with my Gibeonites I know who they are, but, I like what they do for me. I now fear that unless I get them out of the land I will end up the slave and they will be the Masters.
How did this all happen?
I was molested as a young child by a cousin. I do not know if this plays a part in my continuing struggle with sexuality. It was only once (as I can recall) and I really don’t know how damaging it was. If nothing else it pointed me in the wrong direction.The constant rejection I experienced growing up only added fuel to the flame.
Sex became my drug of choice in dealing with the pain an now I find that it is the specialty of my own tribe of Gibeonites.
I realize that I have loved them too much to ever completely get rid of them I want them as slaves so they can haul water to the barren ground in my heart and ease my pain.
It is however only a temporary respite. They have no power to heal and they are in no way inclined to do me good.
(So they must go.)
So, this now is the problem. Sex is God’s idea. It is a good and desirable thing. Yes, it is good, but it is not God and only Living Water can heal the barren land.
I have so abused it in the past, how do I have a normal God given expression of it without leaning on the demons who have driven me?
Thankfully I do not have to know how. I only have to know Who.
I wrote last week that I was going to take the land and destroy everything in it not of God. I knew when I wrote it I would be challenged. I’m excited about this opportunity. I know my Father and He would not bring this before me if He was not backing me up. I am about to enter into a place I’ve never known.
Dealing with the Gibeonites is going to be interesting.
John O.
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