(Joshua 9,10) “Reputation & Deception”

Published 3 October 2025

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Designed for Personal Bible Study or for Bible Teaching

1️⃣ Letting appearances sway discernment when reputation is at stake (Josh. 9:3–13).
2️⃣ Treating nearby risk as trivial—Gibeon was “only a few miles” away (Josh. 9:3).
3️⃣ Proceeding without prayer—“did not inquire of the LORD” (Josh. 9:14).
4️⃣ Sealing a covenant in haste—treaty and oath before discerning truth (Josh. 9:15).
5️⃣ Assuming small choices are temporary instead of long-binding (Josh. 9:16–27).

1️⃣ Leadership failed again by falling to “a well-crafted deception” (Josh. 9:3–13).
2️⃣ Due diligence without dependence—sampling provisions but not seeking God (Josh. 9:14).
3️⃣ Entering a peace treaty later binding Israel militarily (Josh. 9:15; 10:6).
4️⃣ Exposing the nation to long-term fallout—an “albatross” for generations (Josh. 9:16–27).
5️⃣ Leaders “failed the nation… miserably” by not bringing it to God first (Josh. 9:14–15).

1️⃣ Deception—the Gibeonite ruse to secure a treaty (Josh. 9:3–13).
2️⃣ Disinformation/exaggeration employed to manipulate decisions (Josh. 9:4–6).
3️⃣ Presumption—moving ahead without the LORD’s guidance (Josh. 9:14).
4️⃣ Binding oaths made without discernment of truth (Josh. 9:15).
5️⃣ Neglecting to seek God in critical negotiations (Josh. 9:14).

1️⃣ God’s reputation among the nations recognized and feared (Josh. 9:1–2).
2️⃣ In failure, God still advances His purposes (Josh. 10:6–8).
3️⃣ Miracle of prolonged daylight—“the sun stopped” (Josh. 10:12–13).
4️⃣ Assurance—“Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel” (Josh. 10:14).
5️⃣ Commitment to tell “vital stories” to future generations (Josh. 10:21–27).

1️⃣ Cultivate “a discerning spirit” in a world of spin (Josh. 9:14).
2️⃣ Inquire of the LORD before agreements and alliances (Josh. 9:14–15).
3️⃣ Don’t proceed without God’s clear guidance (Josh. 9:14).
4️⃣ Weigh the long-term implications of “minor” decisions (Josh. 9:16–27).
5️⃣ Teach your family the works of God—preserve the testimony (Josh. 10:21–27).

1️⃣ Refuse to make significant decisions without seeking and discerning God’s guidance (Josh. 9:14).
2️⃣ Test narratives—don’t let reputation stories replace truth and prayer (Josh. 9:3–13).
3️⃣ Treat oaths/covenants with gravity—once ratified, they bind (Josh. 9:15–16).
4️⃣ When failure happens, lead forward under God’s hand—He can still work (Josh. 10:6–10).
5️⃣ Institutionalize remembrance—tell the next generation the “vital stories” (Josh. 10:21–27).