“Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD.” — Joshua 9:14 (NKJV)

Joshua was having a great day. The Israelites had just defeated Jericho and Ai. Everyone was excited about their victories, and Joshua felt confident as a leader. Then a group of strangers arrived at the camp. “We’ve traveled from a very far country,” their leader said, showing Joshua their moldy bread and torn wineskins. “We heard about your mighty Creator and want to make peace with you.”

Joshua looked at their worn-out clothes and dusty sandals. They certainly looked like they had traveled a long way. “Look at our bread,” one stranger said, breaking off a moldy piece. “It was fresh when we left home, but now it’s old and moldy from our long journey.” The Israelite leaders examined their cracked wineskins and patched-up clothes. Everything looked genuine. “We want to make a peace treaty with you,” the strangers continued. “We know your Creator is powerful, and we don’t want to fight against Him.”

Joshua felt proud that word of their Creator’s power had spread to distant lands. This seemed like a good opportunity to make allies. “What do you think?” Joshua asked his advisors. “They look legitimate,” one advisor said. “Their story makes sense.” “And they’re praising our Creator,” another added. “Surely that’s a good sign.” Joshua nodded. “Alright, we’ll make a peace treaty with you.”

The agreement was signed, promises were made, and everyone seemed happy.

Three days later, Joshua got terrible news.

“Joshua!” a scout came running. “Those people who made the treaty with us – they’re not from a far country! They live right here in Canaan, just a few miles away! They tricked us!” Joshua’s heart sank. He had been completely fooled.

The scout continued, “They’re from Gibeon. They dressed up in old clothes and brought moldy bread to make us think they traveled far. But they live right next door!”

Joshua sat down heavily. How could he have been so stupid? He was supposed to be a wise leader, but he had made one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

Then Joshua realized his real mistake. It wasn’t that he was fooled by fake moldy bread. His real mistake was that he never asked the Creator what to do.

“We didn’t ask counsel of the Lord,” Joshua said sadly to his advisors. “We looked at their clothes and bread and made our own decision. But we never prayed about it.”

The advisors nodded sadly. They had all been so confident in their own wisdom that they forgot to ask for the Creator’s wisdom. Now they were stuck with a treaty they shouldn’t have made, and it was too late to change it.

Did You Know? The Gibeonites lived only about 25 miles from the Israelite camp – that’s like a one-day walk! Their trick with moldy bread and old clothes was clever, but Joshua and the leaders should have asked the Creator for wisdom before making such an important decision. King Solomon later wrote, “Don’t be hasty with your mouth, and don’t rush to make promises to the Creator” (Ecclesiastes 5:2). This mistake teaches us to always pray before making big decisions.

🔥 Personal Reflection:

• Have you ever made a serious mistake because you failed to seek counsel from the Creator first?
• What big decisions are you facing right now that you should pray about instead of just figuring out yourself?
• How can you remember to ask for the Creator’s wisdom before making important choices?

🙏 Prayer: Dear Creator, help me learn from Joshua’s mistake. When I face important decisions, remind me to ask for Your wisdom first instead of just trusting my own understanding. Help me not be in such a hurry that I forget to pray. Give me patience to wait for Your guidance, and wisdom to recognize Your voice when You answer. Help me remember that You see things I can’t see and know things I don’t know. In Jesus’ name, Amen.