Treaty of Lies

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. 00:00:03 Speaker 2: I'm no military mind like Joshua or Caleb Yre, but I dealt with the leaders of moab Edom and the others in the time of Moses. I know people and I know politics. What are the possibilities of a Canaanite alliance between A and its neighboring cities. What would we do should the cities of Bethel and Gibbeon come to A's aid? 00:00:25 Speaker 3: Do not lose heart, brothers. The Lord has assured us of our victory over Am. When you take the city and deal with the others threats as they arise, keep the faith, but we know what tomorrow Holmes, be strong and courageous. Rock shazakh Amas, Rok shazakh Amas. Rock. 00:00:46 Speaker 1: The city was unguarded and ripe for conquest. 00:00:50 Speaker 3: Forward beat them back. 00:00:53 Speaker 4: Joshua turned his gaze toward the distant beings of Mount Oba and Mount Garrison, their rugged silhouettes etched against the horizon. He would lead his valiant men to those sacred heights and build an altar to honor the Lord, the first in the land of Canaan. There beneath the open sky and in the natural amphitheater between the two peaks, they would renew their covenant with the Law of Moses, just as the Lord had commanded. 00:01:28 Speaker 5: Click the link of the description to grow closer to God. There you'll find daily prayers, Bible plans, sleep stories, and so much more, all on the prey dot Com app. Click the link of the description to get started. 00:01:42 Speaker 2: General Joshua, General Joshua. 00:01:45 Speaker 1: Joshua whirled his hand instinctively gripping his hunting knife, while Salmon, walking beside him, reached for the hilt of his sword. The young messenger skidded to a halt in front of them, sending a spray of loose riverbank mud, lying thankfully away from Joshua and Salmon. 00:02:03 Speaker 3: Oh, he under attack. 00:02:05 Speaker 2: No, but I was sent to find you right away. 00:02:10 Speaker 1: Joshua released his knife and loosed a sigh of relief. 00:02:14 Speaker 3: He's then, my son, Calm down, breathe tell me why they sent you. 00:02:20 Speaker 1: The boy had his hands on his knees, then, breathing hard. Joshua fought back the urge to chuckle. Was this what he looked like when he came running down that hill to warn Moses of the Amalekite attack. After a moment, the boy continued with a more steady cadence. 00:02:37 Speaker 2: We have some visitors, the representatives of some foreign land. 00:02:41 Speaker 6: They look like they've been traveling for months. 00:02:43 Speaker 3: They want to meet with you. Do they come peacefully? Did they travel with armed men? 00:02:47 Speaker 2: No, it's just them, not even a guard between them. 00:02:51 Speaker 1: Joshua cocked his head, exchanged a wary look with Salmon, and wondered who these mysterious travelers could be. To travel so far without a guard or protectors was strange. Indeed, Joshua was even more intrigued. Joshua motioned for the boy to lead the way, and the three men made their way from Joshua's favorite place to walk along the Jordan to his general's tent, where the visitors were being held outside by Israelite soldiers waiting for him. There were three of them, and they were warily eyeing the long spears in the soldier's hands. They were just as bedraggled as the boy made them sound. Their clothes were worn and faded from days baking in the sun, and their cheeks were blotchy and red. They certainly seemed innocent enough and rather pathetic. As he approached, they bowed before him respectfully. A good start. They didn't seem to pose any threat at the time. 00:03:52 Speaker 3: Being rias tomy, what are your names? Where do you come from? Your peer? To travel far? 00:03:59 Speaker 1: The ones standing in the middle straightened first, though he stooped over as if his back were crooked. 00:04:05 Speaker 6: I am nikal Mahdi, your highness, and these are my companions, Tadoo Haba and Hazib Teta. If it pleases you, my king. 00:04:14 Speaker 1: This Nikoll did not fully meet Joshua's eyes as he spoke, seemingly out of respect or reverence, and he spoke with a lilt Joshua could not place. 00:04:26 Speaker 6: I am not a king, but you are a conqueror. 00:04:29 Speaker 1: Nikoll met Joshua's eyes, and for a fleeting moment, Joshua caught a glimpse of sharp cleverness he hadn't noticed before. But just as quickly the man lowered his gaze, resuming the appearance of a simple, humble traveler once more. Perhaps Nikoll was someone of greater importance than he had let on. 00:04:50 Speaker 3: Tell me Niiconnody, where are you from? And why have you sought out our camp? We come from a distant lamp. As you can see, we have traveled far. Why I don't think our sandals could take another mile. 00:05:04 Speaker 6: Could we continue our discussion inside, and perhaps when we are through we could visit your sandal maker. We we would pay. 00:05:13 Speaker 3: Of course. 00:05:14 Speaker 1: Joshua's eyes narrowed at this deflection, but they didn't seem to be posing a threat. The camp was heavily guarded, and Joshua could certainly handle himself, and Salmon hadn't taken his hand off the hilt of his sword since the river bank. He would make quick work of these men if they proved false. Joshua swept his eyes over their persons and belongings once more. Their donkeys were saddled with threadbare, worn out sacks and old wine skins, cracked and mended, with fraying stitches hung from the horn of the saddle. The men's cloaks were no better than their sandals or saddle bags, worn and weathered. It reminded Joshua of his own tattered garments in the early days of the desert. 00:06:02 Speaker 3: I will invite you inside and see that you are treated as my guests, but first you must tell me your true purpose. We are a nation at war and amid a conquest. You can imagine my need for caution. 00:06:14 Speaker 1: Nikol held up his hands in a submissive gesture and redoubled his effort to appear unassuming before Joshua and his soldiers. 00:06:22 Speaker 6: Of course, Joshua the conquer, it isn't it obvious? We have come to beg you to make a treaty with us. 00:06:29 Speaker 1: Joshua had to admit he was surprised at that. He subtly raised an eyebrow at Salmon in silent question. Salmon's eyes narrowed slightly in answer. 00:06:40 Speaker 3: What credentials do you have to prove you are who you say you are? Perhaps you are our neighbors and already live among us. 00:06:49 Speaker 6: How could we make a treaty with you? We are your servants. We have traveled here to make a treaty and swear an oath before your God. Would we go through all that trouble if you were your enemies? 00:07:03 Speaker 1: Joshua relented at that there was no ring of falseness to the man's words. They didn't appear to present any immediate danger, and if they were who they said they were, he could not deny them their customs of hospitality. Joshua had an obligation to be an example to his people in that regard. 00:07:23 Speaker 3: You may under my tent, and I will have servants wash the dust from your feet, who will then continue our discussion of bread and wine. I will not have it said that you had denied the hospitality of Israel if we had to become friends. 00:07:35 Speaker 1: As you say Joshua's words, servants sprang into action, helped the three travelers inside and began to wash their feet, while others set the low table. After the first SIPs were taken and bites were chewed, Joshua continued his line of questioning. Salmon still stood protectively beside Joshua. 00:07:57 Speaker 3: Now tell me truly who you are and where you've come from. 00:08:02 Speaker 1: Now, Nikal set down his crust of bread, and his companions looked to him to answer for them. Nikar sighed before he answered. The weariness of the road still seemed to linger. 00:08:15 Speaker 6: Corgaro, Joshua, We just, Joshua, Joshua. We have come from a far away land because of the reputation of the Lord your God. We heard of his fame and all he did to the Emirit kings beyond the Jordan River, King Sihan and King Ark. We have also heard all the miraculous and mysterious things he did in Egypt. 00:08:39 Speaker 1: Joshua noted that they omitted the recent victories of Jericho, and I surely if these men were from this country, news of such victories would have reached them by now. Salmons seemed to be following the same thread. 00:08:54 Speaker 3: And you've heard no reports of our recent victories. 00:08:57 Speaker 6: More cities have fallen. To your God, tell us which cities have fallen. We received no word than our travels. 00:09:04 Speaker 3: Jericho and Ai have fallen. The camp you've come to is our base in the region. We have taken two cities, beaten back Bethel, and now control the Ridge Root. No word of this reached you on the road. 00:09:17 Speaker 6: Remarkable, truly, praise to the God of Israel. This news makes us even more desperate to make a treaty with you. Yeah, yeah, yes, yes, Please Joshua, allow us to be your servants. We ask for no land or wealth, just to be in your midst and under your protection in exchange for service. Go outside and look in our saddle bags. The bread we carry was warm when we took it from our houses as food on the day we set out to come to you. But go look now. It is dry and crumbly, and the wineskins on the saddles were new when we filled them, but now they are cracks. And these clothes and sandles of ours are completely worn from the extremely long journey. All the evidence you need is before your very eyes. 00:10:11 Speaker 1: Joshua considered their passionate plea and finally relented. If these foreigners were so determined to seek a treaty and clearly understood the might of the Lord, what harm would come of making the treaty. Perhaps it would be good for Israel to have a friend when the conquest was over. 00:10:30 Speaker 3: I will honor your request. I will take you to the tabernacle. Well, we will establish our peace and swear the oath you seek. Once it is done, you can rest here to regain your strength before you return to your elders and tell them of our treaty. 00:10:49 Speaker 1: Three days had passed since the strange encounter with Nikol and his companions. They had left early that morning, eager to return to their country, or so Joshua had heard in the morning's report. He hadn't given them another thought since swearing the oath before the Lord. His mind had shifted back to war. Joshua sat hunched over the maps spread across his low table, squinting in the dim candlelight of his tent. The flaps were pulled shut to block out the noise of the camp, allowing him to focus on the faint markings that detailed the variety of terrain surrounding the southern cities. But his concentration was abruptly broken as the flap of his tent flew open, flooding the space with blinding daylight and scattering his thoughts. It was Salmon and. 00:11:38 Speaker 3: Rahab, Joshua, what is it we under attack? Apologies for the intrusion, General, I know you didn't want to be disturbed, but I. 00:11:46 Speaker 7: Have learned something that you will want to know. Tell me those men, the ones we just made a treaty with. Their far away country is not so far away, as it turns out. They are Heavites you met, are from the city of Gibeon. They live only twenty miles from here. 00:12:04 Speaker 1: Joshua swore under his breath, and Salmon gave him a mildly surprised look, but quickly masked it. 00:12:12 Speaker 3: You're sure, how did you learn this? 00:12:14 Speaker 7: I know you are aware of my former occupation. As you can imagine, I met a wide range of men I have an ear for accents. I overheard them speaking to one another, and if that wasn't enough, when I drew closer to confirm my guests, I heard them congratulating themselves over a lie well spun. We have been deceived, General Joshua, those men were not who they claimed to be. 00:12:41 Speaker 1: Anger surged in, Joshua, at this deception. 00:12:44 Speaker 3: Those lying snakes. You must get them back here at once. How could I have let this happen? They danced around my questions? How could I have not sought the Lord? Surely, who would have illuminated these lies? Give you in his twenty miles from here, and take an attachment of men with you. See if you can intercept them on the road. Wait, no, first, go and confirm what RAY have heard. Stay hidden, scout the cities. Yes, right away, Joshua, what had confirmed that we just made a treaty with Gibeon. I need to know exactly who we've aligned ourselves with. 00:13:24 Speaker 1: Caleb and Salmon had scouted the land of Gibeon and confirmed Rahab's discovery. Gibeon was one of a three city alliance of the Hivites. Gibeon, Chefirah, Bearroth, and kiriad Jaharim, and because of Joshua's ill informed treaty with them, they could not attack the cities without breaking the oath. Instead, Joshua sent a summons to the king and demanded that the representatives be sent back to him to answer for their deception. Joshua stood tall, the full weight of the tabernacle and his leadership behind him. With all of Israel gathered as witnesses. The three men knelt unsure before him. They knew Joshua could not harm them an oath sworn before the Lord bound him, but they also knew anger had a way of revealing terrifying loophole's entreaties. Nikhol, however, was no longer the bowing, humble servant. Though still stooped by his twisted back, he met Joshua's gaze squarely, man to man, the shrewd ambassador who was sent to deceive Israel into unknowingly sparing them from destruction. His head tilted slightly to the side, his expression a silent challenge. It seemed to say, I bested you, bowed before your guard, and ensured my people's survival. 00:14:54 Speaker 6: I came out on. 00:14:58 Speaker 1: Joshua's anger, burned but he would not let his integrity bow to emotion. 00:15:04 Speaker 3: We have sworn an oath to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot harm you. This is how it will be. You will live, so no wrath will fall on us for breaking the old whist water to you. But why did you deceive us, claiming you live far away and you were actually our neighbors. Because of this you are cursed and will always be slaves, woodcutters and water carry us for the house of my God. 00:15:31 Speaker 1: Joshua took quiet satisfaction in watching Nikoll's smug expression, falter uncertainty draining the color from his face. The man who had gambled everything for his people's freedom now a slave. Joshua mirrored Nicholl's tilted head, his eyes hard as he sent his own silent message. 00:15:53 Speaker 3: Lies may win the day. What tomorrow? See what your lies brought. You wanted to lie yourself with our God. Now you will serve him forever. 00:16:03 Speaker 1: Joshua recognized the look of one defeated immediately, the hollow eyes, the slumped shoulders. He'd seen it time and time again in opponents who knew they were beaten. 00:16:18 Speaker 6: We spoke the truth we just didn't tell you. 00:16:24 Speaker 3: Everything. 00:16:26 Speaker 6: We heard the stories of your God and all he promised to your people. We heard how we commanded Moses before you and now you, to give you this land and destroy all who lived here. He feared for our lives. That's why we deceived him. Now Here in your hands, he twus whatever you think es he is right. 00:17:02 Speaker 5: If today's reading moved you, the Prey dot Com app is where you can go deeper with daily prayers, Bible plans, and more. 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