Keeping Our Word

Joshua 9-11; 1 Corinthians 6 

“’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.’”

Joshua 9:20

The leaders of Israel understood that God kept his Word to them and he required his people to keep their word to others. The Gibeonite ruse succeeded because Israel’s leaders failed to seek the Lord for his guidance in response to the Gibeonites’ offer of a treaty. The consequence of this lack of judgment was that Israel was required to keep their word, regardless of the cost. Later, when Saul sought to wipe out the Gibeonites, God brought three years of famine. However, the famine in Israel was not during the reign of Saul, but rather, his successor David.

Why the delay in God’s judgment?

Perhaps God was giving his people time to repent. Keeping our word is important because in this world we are Christ’s ambassadors. Our character either points people to the Gospel, or turns them away. We serve a gracious and merciful God who doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve; however, he doesn’t leave sin unpunished. The reason God sent his Son was to pay the punishment for our sin so we could be restored into relationship with him. The Gibeonites were the woodcutters and water carriers for the temple; but, during the reign of David, Ishmaiah the Gibeonite (1 Chronicles 12:4), was the leader of David’s mighty men (the Thirty), indicating they had been given other opportunities to serve in Israel. God upholds his Word and he expects us to keep ours. He is merciful when we fail and seek his forgiveness.

Will we keep our word and God’s Word?

“Lord Jesus, you are the Living Word. I pray for the grace to live truthfully and with integrity in all my commitments, just as you are with me, for your glory.”