They replied, “We did it because we -your servants- were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you this entire land and to destroy all the people living in it. So we feared greatly for our lives because of you. That is why we have done this. Now we are at your mercy – do to us whatever you think is right.” -Joshua 9: 24-25

When you first read about the Gibeonites (here), it’s easy to assume that they only tricked the Israelites to selfishly save themselves from destruction.

But if you examine a little closer, you’ll see that there was a deeper spiritual transformation taking place with them.

Tricking the Israelites was their way of submitting to God.

The Gibeonites were known across the region for being fierce warriors, so it would’ve made sense for them to arrogantly go head to head with the Israelites.

But when all the other surrounding nations decided to fight, they were the only ones who decided to abandon their gods to become servants of God through submission to the Israelites.

What a wonderful display of humility!

If all the other nations had been like the Gibeonites, the entire Old Testament would have been written differently.

By humbling themselves, the Gibeonites earned God’s favor and protection.

While we don’t have to trick anyone in order to submit to God today, we can give Him honor by actively seeking the spirit of humility that He loves so much.

We’re called to live as humble servants for God and for one another. And the best way to do that is by following the examples that Scripture lays out for us.

In fact, the main requirement for following Jesus is that we deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily.

So today, think of the Gibeonites as you ask God to free you from arrogance, self-righteousness, and pride. Ask the Holy Spirit to move through you so that you can identify ways to humble yourself on a daily basis.

Be blessed,

Alexia