ENEMY DECEPTION (JOSH.9)
THIS CHAPTER FOCUSES ON AN ENCOUNTER THE YISHARALITES HAD WITH A NATION OF PEOPLE CALLED THE GIBEONITES, WHICH WOULD FORM AN UNEASY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS FOR CENTURIES; BECAUSE IT WAS FOUNDED ON DECEPTION (BY ONE PARTY) AND DISOBEDIENCE (BY THE OTHER). AND NOW A NEW SITUATION IS HAPPENING; BECAUSE UP UNTIL NOW, YAHUSHA HAD TOLD YISHARAL THAT THEIR ENEMIES WOULD FLEE BEFORE THEM, AND THAT THE HEARTS OF THE MANY CANAANITE KINGS AND THEIR PEOPLE WOULD MELT IN FEAR OF YISHARAL. BUT HERE WE FIND SEVERAL CANAANITE CITY-STATES UNITING TOGETHER AS A FORMIDABLE MILITARY ALLIANCE, TO FIGHT AGAINST YISHARAL. THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE WORD HAD SPREAD ABOUT YISHARAL’S DEFEAT AT AI (BEFORE THEY REGROUPED AND THEN CONQUERED AI) BECAUSE THIS GROUP OF SIX NATIONS DETERMINED THAT IF THEY FOUGHT AGAINST YISHARAL AS A SINGLE ARMY, VICTORY WAS POSSIBLE.
AND EVEN THOUGH YAHUSHA HAD FORGIVEN HIS PEOPLE AND RESTORED THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AFTER ACHAN, THAT DOESN’T MEAN THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR ACTIONS HAD ENDED. YISHARAL HAD UNWITTINGLY SET INTO MOTION A WHOLE SERIES OF EVENTS THAT WOULD TROUBLE THEM AS A NATION THROUGHOUT THEIR HISTORY. THERE WAS NO ERASING THE REALITY OF YISHARAL’S INITIAL DEFEAT AT AI; THERE WAS NO STOPPING THE SURROUNDING TRIBES AND PEOPLE FROM HEARING OF IT. AND IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THAT DEFEAT WOULD CAUSE SOME OF THOSE NATIONS TO GAIN COURAGE AND ASSUME THAT YISHARAL WAS VULNERABLE AND COULD BE DRIVEN BACK. IT MADE THEM ASSUME THAT THE ALAHIM WHO LED YISHARAL WAS PERHAPS NOT AS INVINCIBLE AND ALL-POWERFUL AS THEY HAD FEARED.
The Kings west of the Jordan River heard about Joshua’s victories, and so they united their forces and decided to attack Joshua and Yisharal. These Kings were from the hill country and from the foothills to the west, as well as from the Mediterranean seacoast as far north as the Lebanon Mountains. Some of them were Hittites, others were Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites or Jebusites.
CANAANITE TRIBES AND NATIONS
WE ARE GOING TO START ENCOUNTERING THE NAMES OF MANY OF THE PRIMARY TRIBES AND NATIONS THAT LIVED IN THE LAND OF CANAAN. THE "LAND OF CANAAN (KENAN)" WAS JUST THE NAME FOR A REGION, NOT AN ACTUAL SOVEREIGN NATION. SAYING, “LAND OF CANAAN” IS JUST LIKE SAYING "THE MIDDLE EAST" OR "EUROPE". THERE IS NO NATION OF EUROPE, NOR IS THERE A SINGLE PEOPLE GROUP, RACE, TRIBE, OR NATIONALITY OF EUROPE. WHEN WE SPEAK OF A EUROPEAN PERSON WE MEAN ANYONE WHO LIVES IN THAT REGION. BUT EUROPEANS IDENTIFY THEMSELVES ACCORDING TO SPECIFIC NATIONALITIES, LIKE FRENCH, BRITISH, IRISH, GERMAN, POLISH, ETC.
THEREFORE IN OUR LIST OF THE 6 NATIONS OR CITY/STATES THAT DECIDED TO WORK TOGETHER AND GANG-UP ON YISHARAL, WE SEE ONE OF THEM IDENTIFIED AS “THE CANAANITES (KENANITES)”. (AREN'T THEY ALL CANAANITES LIVING IN CANAAN?) NO, THE SCRIPTURE LOOSELY REFERS TO ANY AND ALL RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE GENERAL REGION OF THE LAND OF CANAAN AS 'CANAANITES'. BUT THAT’S NOT HOW THEY SPOKE OF THEMSELVES. THOSE WHO ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS CANAANITES WERE FROM THE TRIBE OF CANAAN (NOAH'S GRANDSON) WHO (ALONG WITH HIS FATHER HAM) WAS CURSED FOR THEIR DEPRAVED BEHAVIOUR REGARDING NOAH AND HIS WIFE. AND WHILE THE LAND OF CANAAN WAS NAMED FOR THIS TRIBE THEY ONLY HELD SOME OF THE VILLAGES AND CITIES. STACKS OF OTHER TRIBES AND PEOPLES POPULATED THE LAND THE CANAAN TOO.
THE HITTITES (KITTITES) WERE AN ENORMOUS AND ADVANCED SOCIETY THAT CENTERED IN WHAT IS MODERN DAY TURKEY. THEY ALSO ESTABLISHED CITIES IN THE REGION OF THE LAND OF CANAAN. BUT THE HITTITES WERE NOT DESCENDED FROM CANAAN; THEY WERE FROM JAPHETH.
THE AMORITES WE’VE HEARD OF BEFORE AND THEY WERE PERPETUAL ENEMIES OF THE HEBREWS, ORIGINALLY FROM MESOPOTAMIA AND ABRAHAM WAS MORE THAN LIKELY ONE OF THEM.
THE JEBUSITES (YEBUSIS) WERE THE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM LONG BEFORE IT WAS CALLED JERUSALEM.
THE PERIZZITES WEREN'T ACTUALLY THE NAME OF A TRIBE OR A CITY-STATE BUT RATHER A KIND OF NICKNAME FOR VARIOUS PEOPLES WHO LIVED IN THE NORTHERN HILL COUNTRY OF CANAAN.
THE HIVITES' (KUIS) IDENTITY IS MORE DIFFICULT AS THERE IS NO EXTRA-SCRIPTURAL MENTION OF SUCH A PEOPLE OR GROUP, SO INFORMATION ABOUT THEM IS LIMITED TO THE SCRIPTURES. THEY APPARENTLY WERE HEADQUARTERED NEAR SHECHEM AND THEIR INFLUENCE WAS PROBABLY LIMITED TO THAT SURROUNDING AREA. THE KING OF SHECHEM (THAT JACOB’S SONS KILLED AS REVENGE FOR DINAH) WAS CALLED A HIVITE. SO IT MAY HAVE BEEN A DESCRIPTION MORE THAN THE FORMAL NAME OF A PEOPLE GROUP.
IT IS MORE THAN A COINCIDENCE THAT IN JOSHUA 9 WE HEAR OF THIS CANAANITE MILITARY ALLIANCE OF THOSE PARTICULAR 6 NATIONS. YAHUSHA REVEALED TO MOSES (MANY YEARS EARLIER) THESE EXACT NATIONS BY NAME (IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS) INSTRUCTING THAT YISHARAL DRIVE THEM OUT OF THE LAND OR KILL THEM ALL WITHOUT MERCY:
Guard what I command you today, for I am going ahead of you and driving out the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Kittites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. But be very careful to never make a Covenant-Treaty with any of these people who live in the land where you are going, for if you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped.
INSTEAD BREAK DOWN THEIR ALTARS, AND SMASH THEIR PILLARS OF JEALOUSLY, AND CUT DOWN THEIR ASHERIM TREES FOR YOU DO NOT BOW YOURSELVES TO ANOTHER MIGHTY ONE, FOR I YAHUAH, EVEN MY NAME IS PASSIONATELY JEALOUS, SO DON’T DARE MAKE A COVENANT WITH THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND, FOR THEY WHORE AFTER THEIR MIGHTY ONES, AND SLAUGHTER TO THEIR FALSE DEITIES.
SOMETIMES WE THINK (AND ARE TAUGHT) THAT ANCIENT CULTURES WERE IGNORANT, UNSOPHISTICATED, ISOLATED AND SHORT ON COMMUNICATION. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. THESE PEOPLE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON AROUND THEM, AND NEWS SPREAD QUICKLY. NATIONS HAD SPY NETWORKS AND SOME HAD FAR FLUNG MILITARY OUTPOSTS TO KEEP AN EYE ON THEIR NEIGHBOURS. TRADE-CARAVANS WERE THE EQUIVALENT OF THE POST OFFICE AND PONY EXPRESS. THESE 6 NATIONS BANDED TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY WERE TARGETED FOR ELIMINATION AND IT WAS JUST COMMON KNOWLEDGE. SO FOR THEM (BECAUSE OF YAHUSHA’S DECREE) SURRENDER WASN’T EVEN AN OPTION. EITHER THEY LEFT THE REGION…….HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THEM….OR THEY FOUGHT.
( So 6 Kings have banded together )
The people of Gibeon had also heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, so they decided that some of their men should pretend to be messengers from a faraway country and slyly approach Yisharal. The men put worn-out bags on their donkeys and found some old wineskins that had cracked and had been sewn back together. Their sandals were old and patched, and their clothes were worn out. They even took along some old dry and crumbly bread.
GIBEON WAS A SMALL CONFEDERACY OF CITIES AND VILLAGES WHO WANTED NO PART OF WAR WITH JOSHUA’S ARMY. SO THEY CAME UP WITH A CLEVER PLAN; THEY WOULD DECEIVE JOSHUA AND THE LEADERS OF YISHARAL INTO THINKING THAT THEY HAD COME FROM FAR AWAY TO MAKE PEACE.
WHY DID IT MATTER WHETHER THEY CAME FROM NEARBY OR FROM A LONG DISTANCE? BECAUSE THE GIBEONITES APPARENTLY KNEW THAT YISHARAL’S ORDERS FROM THEIR ALAHIM WAS THAT THEY WERE TO DESTROY ALL THE CITIES AND PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN CANAAN, AND THAT YAHUSHA PROHIBITED YISHARAL FROM MAKING PEACE TREATIES WITH ANY OF THE RESIDENTS OF CANAAN. AND SINCE GIBEON WAS LOCATED IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, THEY BASICALLY HAD THE SAME OPTIONS BEFORE THEM AS THE 6-NATION NORTHERN ALLIANCE: FIGHT OR MOVE AWAY. BUT THE LEADERS OF GIBEON CAME UP WITH AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION: TRICK YISHARAL INTO BELIEVING THEY WERE FROM A REGION OUTSIDE OF THE LAND OF CANAAN, MAKE A TREATY WITH THEM, AND PRESTO! IT WOULD BE TOO LATE FOR YISHARAL TO BACK OUT AND GIBEON WOULD BE IN THE CLEAR.
The Gibianite messengers travelled to the Yisharalite camp at Gilgal and said to Joshua and the leaders, “We’ve journeyed a helluva long way guys to make a peace treaty with you all. We are your servants, so please enter into Covenant with us”.
But the Yisharalite leaders replied, “You’re dream’in mate! What if you’re pull’in our leg? Maybe you live around the corner nearby. We can’t just be cosy’in up to every Tom, Dick and Harry who drops by you know!”
But the Gibeonites said, “Nah it’s all good mate, we’re fair-dinkum, honest truth, please make Covenant with us, we are your servants.” "WE ARE YOUR SERVANTS" WAS SIMPLY FLATTERY. IT WAS MIDDLE-EASTERN COURTESY. WHEN A WEAKER FORCE ASKS SOMETHING OF A STRONGER FORCE THE PROTOCOL IS FOR THE WEAKER FORCE TO BE GREATLY HUMBLE TOWARDS THE STRONGER FORCE. THERE IS NO WAY THEY WERE ACTUALLY SAYING, “WE’VE COME TO SUBMIT AND BE SLAVES FOR YOU.”
“Who are you fellas?” Joshua asked, “Where’dya come from?”
“We are your servants, and we live way out woop woop mate. We came walkabout to find you all because Yahuah your Alahim is so bloody famous. We heard what He did in Egypt and to those two Kings on the other side of the Jordan: Og and Sihon. So our leaders told us to come shake your hand and make peace as your servants. They said to ask you to make Covenant with our people and to make sure we took enough tucker for the trip. Look, check out this dry, crumbly bread of ours! All the Vegemite’s melted off and it’s disgusting now. It was hot and fresh outta the oven just before we left our homes. And these cracked wineskins were brand-spank’in new when we filled them too, and our clothes and sandals are worn out because we’ve traveled so far!”
THE GIBEONITE REPRESENTATIVES CONTINUE THEIR CUNNING STRATEGY BY HEAPING MORE FLATTERY ON YISHARAL. THEY EXPLAIN THAT THEY HEARD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE PEOPLE OVER ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE JORDAN RIVER; KING SIHON AND OG. THEY HEARD ABOUT THE POWERFUL ALAHIM WHO DEALT WITH THE EGYPTIANS ON YISHARAL’S BEHALF. INTERESTINGLY (AND WISELY) THEY SAY NOTHING ABOUT JERICHO AND AI, BECAUSE THESE BATTLES HAPPENED IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, AND THE GIBEONITES ARE PRETENDING TO COME FROM THE FAR NORTH OR EAST, SO IT'S BETTER TO PRETEND THEY HAD NOT YET HEARD ABOUT AI AND JERICHO, WHICH WERE ACTUALLY BUT A FEW MILES FROM THEIR TERRITORY. THE GIBEONITES UNDOUBTEDLY HAD OBSERVERS ON THE SCENE AS YISHARAL DESTROYED JERICHO AND THEN AI.
So the Yisharalites sampled some of the Gibeonite's food, but they never asked Yahusha if He wanted them to make a Covenant with these people or not. So Joshua made a peace-treaty with the messengers and promised them that Yisharal would allow their people to live in the land. And all the Tribal Leaders swore that Yisharal would keep this promise.
SOUND FAMILIAR? YISHARAL HAD JUST MADE THE SAME MISTAKE AT AI, ATTACKING WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING YAHUSHA AND IT WAS TERRIBLY COSTLY. AND OOPS!! THEY DID IT AGAIN !
CONSULTING YAHUSHA?
HOW EXACTLY WOULD THE LEADERS OF YISHARAL GO ABOUT CONSULTING YAHUSHA ON THIS MATTER, HAD THEY CHOSEN TO? JOSHUA WAS NOT A MEDIATOR AND SO HE COULDN'T JUST ENTER THE TABERNACLE AND DIRECTLY CONFRONT YAHUSHA AS MOSES DID FOR ALL THOSE YEARS. RATHER THIS STATEMENT ABOUT SEEKING YAHUSHA IS MAKING AN INDIRECT REFERENCE TO THE METHOD YISHARAL WOULD USE FOR CENTURIES TO COME, WHEN THEY WANTED TO “SEEK THE ADVICE OF YAHUSHA”: USING THE URIM AND THUMMIM, THE TWO STONES THAT THE HIGH PRIEST OF YISHARAL CARRIED IN A SPECIAL POUCH ATTACHED TO HIS EPHOD. THE LEADERS OF YISHARAL WOULD BRING A MATTER OF IMPORTANCE THAT NEEDED A DECISION FROM YAHUSHA TO THE HIGH PRIEST, AND THE HIGH PRIEST WOULD USE THE URIM AND THUMMIM TO DISCERN YAHUSHA’S ANSWER.
WITHOUT SPECIFIC DETAILS, IT WAS JUST COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THE ONLY TYPE OF RESULT THESE TWO STONES COULD GIVE WERE A YES OR NO (ALLOWING ONLY A CHOICE BETWEEN TWO OPTIONS).
CASTING LOTS WERE THE OTHER WAY YAHUSHA WAS CONSULTED AND THE DECISIONS OF YAHUSHA WERE HANDED DOWN TO YISHARAL, BUT THE LOTS DID NOT HAVE TO BE DRAWN BY THE HIGH PRIEST. ANY AUTHORISED LEADER COULD CAST LOTS. A DISTINCTION BETWEEN LOTS AND THE URIM AND THUMMIM IS THAT CASTING LOTS ALLOWED FOR MULTIPLE OPTIONS, PROVIDING MORE THAN A SIMPLE EITHER/OR, (YES OR NO) TYPE OF RESPONSE.
PEACE-TREATIES
APPARENTLY JOSHUA AND THE LEADERS OF YISHARAL USED THEIR OWN WISDOM AND DECIDED TO MAKE THE TREATY. SUCH A TREATY, OF COURSE, SPARED THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF GIBEON. A TREATY OR COVENANT WAS ESTABLISHED BY MAKING A VOW, AND A VOW (BY DEFINITION) IS THE INVOKING OF THE NAME OF THE TRIBE OR NATION’S ALAHIM AS WITNESS AND OVERSEER OF THE TERMS. WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT THE GIBEONITES AGREED TO BE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF YISHARAL, AND THAT YISHARAL’S RULE EXTENDED TO THEM. HOWEVER IT DID NOT MEAN THAT YISHARAL WOULD ABSORB GIBEON, OR THAT THE PEOPLE OF GIBEON WERE LIKE SLAVES TAKEN AS SPOILS OF WAR. THE MESSENGERS OF GIBEON ACCOMPLISHED THEIR MISSION AND WENT HOME WITH EXACTLY WHAT THEY SOUGHT: A GUARANTEE OF CONTINUATION OF THEIR PEOPLE. BUT IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR YISHARAL TO FIND OUT THEY HAD BEEN DUPED.
But after three days, the Yisharalites found out that they’d been tricked, and that these messengers actually lived in the nearby towns of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-Jearim. So the Yisharalites left the place where they had camped and arrived at these four towns two days later. But they did not attack the towns, because the Yisharalite leaders had sworn in the ‘Name of Yahuah’ that they wouldn’t wipe them out.
AT THIS POINT YISHARAL WAS `DAMNED IF THEY DO, DAMNED IF THEY DON’T' DESTROY THE GIBEONITES. IF THEY DID ATTACK GIBEON THEY WOULD BE BREAKING THEIR VOW BASED ON YAHUSHA’S SET-APART NAME. IF THEY DIDN’T ATTACK GIBEON THEY WOULD BE COMMITTING A DIRECT AND KNOWN VIOLATION OF DISOBEDIENCE BY REFUSING TO DESTROY A TOWN THAT YAHUSHA SAID TO DESTROY. SO THEY WEIGHED OUT WHICH WAS THE LESSER OF THE TWO EVILS AND DECIDED THAT KEEPING THEIR VOW TO YAHUSHA WAS MORE IMPORTANT SO AS TO NOT OFFEND HIM BY BREAKING AN OATH IN HIS NAME (VOWS WERE A VERY SERIOUS CUSTOM OF THE ERA).
So the Yisharalites complained about their leaders' decision not to attack, but the leaders reminded them, “OY, we promised these people in the Name of Yahuah the Alahim of Yisharal that we would let them live, so we can't ruffle them up or harm them in any way, for if we break our promise, Yahuah will punish us. But don’t worry guys, we’ll let them live, but we’ll put them to work for us, cutting wood and carrying all the water for our people.”
Then Joshua told some of his soldiers, “I want to meet with the Gibeonite leaders immediately. Bring them to me.”
And when they arrived, Joshua said, “You live just a stone-throw away from us, very close. Why’d you lie and say you live way our woop woop? Where’d it get’ya, you’re all under a curse now mate, and all your people will have to send workers to cut wood and carry water for our tabernacle”
And the Gibeonites answered, “Yahuah your Alahim told His servant Moses that you had to kill everyone who lives here and take their land for yourselves so we were afraid that you’d wipe us all out, and so we tricked you into making a peace-treaty. Yes, we agreed to be your servants, because you’re strong enough to do anything you want to us. Please our Master, we just ask that you do what seems right.”
So Joshua didn’t let the Yisharalites kill the Gibeonites, instead he made them servants of the nation of Yisharal. They would have to cut firewood and bring it for the priests to use for burning sacrifices on Yahusha’s altar, wherever He decided to rest His Name. The Gibeonites would also have to carry water for the priests. And that is still the work of the Gibeonites today.
INSTEAD OF KILLING THE GIBEONITES JOSHUA MADE THEM CHOPPERS OF WOOD AND DRAWERS OF WATER (THE LOWLIEST OF DUTIES). OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS NOT THE ONLY TWO TASKS ASSIGNED TO THEM, RATHER IT'S JUST A WAY TO SHOW THAT BOTH MALES AND FEMALES WERE UNDER YISHARAL’S THUMB NOW. CHOPPING WOOD WAS TRADITIONALLY A MAN’S JOB AND DRAWING WATER WAS A WOMAN’S. JOSHUA DID SOMETHING THAT THE GIBEONITES REALLY DIDN’T EXPECT; HE ENSLAVED THEM TO A DEGREE. BUT AS WE’LL FIND LATER IN THE SCRIPTURES, THE HEBREWS WERE NOT CRUEL TO GIBEON, AND GIBEON AND YISHARAL GOT ALONG FAIRLY WELL.
BUT LET'S LOOK AT HOW SLOPPY JOSHUA AND THE LEADERS OF YISHARAL WERE, IN FOLLOWING YAHUSHA’S INSTRUCTIONS. WE FIND THAT SOME OF THE GIBEONITES WERE USED TO CHOP WOOD AND DRAW WATER TO USE AT “THE ALTAR OF YAHUSHA”. IN OTHER WORDS HERE WE HAVE FOREIGNERS WHO WORSHIP OTHER DEITIES BEING ASSIGNED TO SUPPLY WOOD FOR THE SET-APART FIRE ON YISHARAL’S SACRIFICIAL ALTAR, AND TO BRING WATER FOR THE MANY SET-APART TABERNACLE RITUALS THAT INVOLVED RITUAL HAND-WASHING, BATHING, AND EVEN CLEANING UP THE BLOOD. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE SOLE DUTY OF THE LEVITES! SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS SOME OF THESE GIBEONITE SLAVES BEING GIVEN TO THE LEVITES AND THE LEVITES HAVING THEM DO WHAT YAHUSHA SAID ONLY THE LEVITES WERE AUTHORISED TO DO: ALL OF THE MENIAL TASKS NECESSARY FOR SANCTUARY SERVICE TO YAHUSHA.
IN SOME WAYS THIS CHAPTER CONTRASTS WITH THE STORY OF RAHAB, WHO ALSO SOUGHT TO SAVE HER AND HER FAMILY’S LIFE, BUT SHE DID SO BY BEING TRUTHFUL WITH YISHARAL AND DECEIVING HER OWN PEOPLE. HOWEVER GIBEON SOUGHT TO SAVE THEMSELVES BUT DID SO BY BEING DISHONEST WITH YISHARAL (AND TRUTHFUL TO THEIR OWN PEOPLE). THEY KEPT THEIR DEITIES, BUT SHOWED JUST ENOUGH RESPECT FOR THE ALAHIM OF YISHARAL TO BE ALLOWED TO LIVE NEARBY. THEY DIDN’T PROVE THEIR LOYALTY TO YISHARAL IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP, THEY SIMPLY USED LIES TO TRAP YISHARAL INTO A TREATY THAT PLAYED ON YISHARAL’S OUT-OF-BALANCE VIEW ON `THE VALUE OF A VOW' IN COMPARISON WITH THE BASIC VALUE OF FOLLOWING YAHUSHA’S INSTRUCTIONS TO BEGIN WITH.
QUOTE FROM MESSIANIC TEACHER
“Because of the mindset that Israel adopted over 3000 years ago (as illustrated in the story of Gibeon) we find the consequences playing out over and over again in Israel’s history. In modern Israel they would do well to take the message of Joshua to heart and change course. Modern governments would also do well to read Joshua and see that our incessant threatening, bullying and pushing Israel to do something they should NOT do is to join our fate with theirs. The so-called Roadmap to Peace is exactly as it was between Gibeon and Israel. It may well be a roadmap to peace between Israel and her neighbors (for a brief time), but it is also a roadmap to war between Israel and God. Israel is NOT to give God’s enemies a foothold in the Promised Land. Israel is to drive out those who do not join Israel, give up allegiance to false gods, and become a friend of Jehovah. If those enemies who will not leave Israel will also not join Israel; if those who insist on remaining loyal to Allah and to foreign governments decide to resist being driven out by fighting to the death, they are to be destroyed. That is the direct command of God as given to Moses, and Moses made Joshua swear to carry it out. That directive has NEVER been abolished. Obviously when Israel’s disobedience and rebelliousness led to their exile, and they didn’t inhabit or govern the Holy Lands during those times, then such a directive was in suspended animation. But Israel is back as a sovereign nation, in the God-given place it inhabited 3000 years ago, and that divine directive is once again active. That fact that the world doesn’t recognise this is completely understandable. They know nothing of the God of Israel or the Word of the Lord. But too much of the church does not recognise this either because it says Messiah abolished every directive and command of God that came before His advent. Therefore God’s mandate to rid the Holy Lands of false gods and their places of worship, and of the people who would rather die than either leave the area or abandon such abominable worship practices is also abolished and everyone should be allowed their piece of the pie that is called Israel. After all that is the peaceful and merciful thing to do. That’s what Messiah would want. Gibeon came to Israel on false pretences, just as the various factions of the Palestinians come to Israel on false pretences. They say that with just a little more of the Holy Land placed in their hands, with a least part of Jerusalem given over to them, with Israel agreeing to let back into Israel a few thousands of Palestinian refugees who want nothing to do with the God of Israel, that there will be peace. It is a lie, and just as Joshua suspected and confirmed as concerned the confederation of Gibeon, there were ulterior motives for this false peace treaty. And even more appalling is that once Joshua found out that little of what the ambassadors of Gideon said was true, he went ahead with the agreement anyway! And we see Israel doing precisely the same thing as we live and walk today. The government and people of Israel know full well that the Palestinian leadership doesn’t want peace; they want Israel! And yet they seek more agreements and more promises that go directly against God’s commands and intents. And in further parallel with modern Israel we see Joshua and the leaders of Israel say that it would be wrong and evil to break the vow and the stupid agreement they made with Gibeon, even though it was entirely based on lies and deceit. And here we have, today, the government of Israel going ahead with making agreements to give away sovereignty over portions of the Holy Land to their enemy knowing from experience that the enemy has no intent of honouring any agreement, and that whatever weak promises the Palestinian leadership makes are simply based on more lies and deception. And they do this crazy thing in the name of the God of Israel; they say that the long-held Jewish values of mercy and kindness and humanitarianism compel them to seek peace with God’s enemies. And upon Israel’s back, like a jockey on a thoroughbred as he races towards the finish line, is the United States government applying the whip to hurry and make it happen! We are living today as if in a time warp, back in the days of Joshua and the primary participants are utterly blind to it. Israel may be deceived, the US government may be deceived, but we don’t have to be deceived. Believe the Word of God and let the chips fall where they may”.
THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW RELIGION (OF ALL SORTS) VIEWS SCRIPTURAL PROPHECIES REGARDING THE LAND OF ISRAEL TODAY. BUT HOW HOW DOES THIS ALL SOUND THROUGH THE EYES (CONTEXT) OF YAHUSHA’S PORTAL EXPERIENCE IN YOU BROTHERS & SISTERS?
CAN YOU SEE JUST HOW CUNNING AND SNEAKY YAHUSHA IS, SHIFTING THE PLACE OF WORSHIP, THE POINT OF CONTACT, THE INTER-DIMENSIONAL DOORWAY FROM THE PROMISED LAND IN THE MIDDLE-EAST TO THE LIVING HEARTS OF HIS CHOSEN BRIDE? IT’S LIKE HE CAME BY NIGHT (LIKE A THIEF) WHILE NO ONE WAS WATCHING AND MOVED-HOUSE, VACATING THE MAN-MADE DWELLINGS FOREVER.
AND WHAT ABOUT HOW EXTREMELY PREJUDICE HE IS, CHOOSING WHOEVER HE PLEASES, THE SCUM AND USELESS, THE DOWN-TRODDEN AND BASE PEOPLE OF SOCIETY TO RESURRECT, BREATHE HIS BREATH OF LIFE IN AND CONNECT TO HIMSELF THROUGH HIS PORTAL.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR CALLING NOW? HE’S BYPASSED ALL THOSE POWERFUL, INFLUENTIAL, KNOWLEDGABLE, ACCREDITED PEOPLE (TEACHERS/ PREACHERS/ PASTORS/ RABBIS) JUST TO BE WITH YOU AND ME. HIS WAY, HIS TIME, HIS PLACE, HIS LOVE !!!
Just as Gibeon deceived Yisharal, our Enemy plans to deceive the whole world today in the 21st Century . . .
Beastly Pattern:
HEBREW UNDERSTANDING: BEAST: a howler, any solitary wild creature; wild beast of the islands, a dumb beast, the firstling of man or beast, birthright, firstborn, fulness of the breast, abundance, wild beast, alive, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, quick, raw, running, springing, troop, a carcase or carrion, an idol, lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, to seek greedily, have appetite, justle one against another, long, range, run (to and fro).
THE BEAST WILL IMITATE YAHUSHA'S PATTERN:
"Now the summary of what we are saying is: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right-hand at the throne of greatness in the shamayim, and Who serves in the Set-Apart Place and of the true Tent, which Yahuah set up, and not man. For every High-Priest is appointed to offer both gifts and slaughters. So it was also necessary for this One to have something to offer. For if indeed He were on earth, He would be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the Turah, who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly, as Moses was warned when he was about to make the tent, For He said, 'see that you make all according to the "PATTERN" shown to you on the mountain'. But now He has obtained a more excellent service inasmuch as He is also mediator of a better Covenant, which was constituted on better promises". HEB 8 BYNV
Yahuah showed us a pattern in the building of the Tabernacle in the wilderness and if Moses wanted His presence among the people, he had to build according to the Instructions. Anything Moses would add to the building of himself, would stop the presence of Yahuah descending from the Shamayim to dwell amongst His people. When built (to the exact instructions from Yahuah), Yisharal watched Him descend from Shamayim in the form of a cloud to rest on the Tabernacle over the Ark. At night it ignited into a fire and Yisharal was so proud and excited at this manifestation.
THIS IS THE PATTERN OF WORSHIP, THE SIGN THAT SATAN IS GOING TO COPY AND MANIFEST THROUGH THE 2ND BEAST, A TALKING IMAGE THROUGH THE FLAMES, TO DECEIVE THE WORLD :
"And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had 2 horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he does great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from the heavens before men. And he leads astray those dwelling on the earth because of those signs which he was given to do before the beast, saying to those dwelling on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword, yet lived. And there was given to him, to give a ruach to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause to be killed as many as would not worship the image of the beast. And he caused all, both small and great, and rich and poor, and free and slave, to be given a mark upon their right hand or upon their foreheads, and that no-one should be able to buy or sell except he that has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name". REV 13 BYNV
There are many descriptions of what a beast is in the inspired Hebrew and the Scriptures tell us much about the character of the Two Beasts, which shows us that IT CAN BE A SPIRITUAL, OR A POLITICAL SYSTEM.
The 1st beast-system is a chimera (a mixture) and is referred to by many as the Catholic System (A RE-BIRTH OF NIMROD'S MAZZAROTH SYSTEM) while the 2nd beast-system reveals itself in Rev 13 as the Jewish-System rising up out of humanity. The reason being is that the Jews have plans to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem and start animal sacrifices again, to bring down `the fire from heaven'. Once they've aligned their political, religious, global affiliations, television will broadcast this phenomena all over the world. This time though there is going to be an image within that fire to give orders and destroy people (just like the wizard of OZ all over again).
The Scriptures describe this situation as miracles, but we know today that man has the power to create fantastic apparitions, and this particular one will be so amazing it will make people worship this political/ religious system. The Two Beast-Systems (Catholic and Jewish) will be working together through politics, media etc, to have the world dominion of people's worship.
This is the `mark' talked about, the Sunday Worship or the Shabath Rest (REMEMBER THE JEWS HAVE THEIR OWN RELIGIOUS SHABBAT TRADITION TOO). It is nothing to do with a virus injection or a micro-chip implanted in our right-hand or forehead. It all speaks of behaviour (REST OR BUY & SELL) and Yahusha has revealed these truths to us around 2,000 years ago, but we have not been able to understand them until these last days.
REMEMBER THE BEASTS ARE A POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS SYSTEM AND YAHUSHA HAS ALREADY BROADSIDED THIS EVENT WITH HIS TRUTH OF TELLING US NOT TO BE DECEIVED.
The pattern of the Dwelling Place started on the Mount and progressed to the Tabernacle, then to the Ark, then to the Tabernacle of David, then to the Temple of Jerusalem where Yahuah took His presence away, and divorced Yisharal. Messiah appeared 400 yrs after the divorce, and renewed the Blood-Covenant again. YAHUSHA TOLD US THAT HE'D NEVER DWELL IN TEMPLES THAT MEN HAVE BUILT AND THAT OUR BODIES ARE NOW THE TEMPLE THAT HE WANTS TO LIVE IN.
The shadowy signs of Temple-Worship and slaughterings have been disqualified through transformation, by our Mediator Messiah's blood and we have a much better Blood-Covenant which constituted much better promises to not worship the shadows but the whole-man Yahusha Messiah . . . halleluyah !
THE PATTERN FOR THE NEW TEMPLE OF YOUR BODY IS THIS: YAHUSHA SAID REPENT, BE IMMERSED AND RECEIVE HIS SPIRIT... AND YOU WILL HAVE EYES THAT SEE AND EARS THAT HEAR ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HIDDEN FROM THIS WORLD.
