Have you ever given your word to help someone with a need on a specific day and time, only to be invited later to some incredible event at the same time? Have you ever agreed to sell something at a price BEFORE you found out you had additional costs you had not considered? These situations can come up regularly in life and business. The question is whether making a mistake is a valid excuse for breaking your word.
Joshua’s Mistake
As we continue our study of the story of the Gibeonite deception, this same issue occurs for Joshua. In fact, it really occurs twice in a very short period of time. Let’s take a look at what happened to him and how we can apply it to our own Christian business leadership.
As we read in Joshua 9:1-10:15, the Gibeonites deceived Joshua and the Israelites into agreeing to a peace treaty with them. The Gibeonites actually lived within the boundaries of the Promised Land and were therefore sentenced by God to be destroyed by the Israelite army. Because they tricked Joshua into thinking they were from a distant land, they were given the peace treaty they sought. Joshua’s mistake was in not seeking God’s guidance first.
But They Lied!
The problem is that three days later, the Israelites somehow found out that they had been tricked. It became crystal clear that the Gibeonites had lied about where they lived. They even admitted it to the Israelites when confronted about it.
So, if that is the case, what stopped Joshua from ordering the Israelite army to attack the Gibeonite city? Why did Joshua and the other Israelite leaders decide to let them live? Wasn’t it still true that God had ordered them to destroy all people groups inside the Promised Land boundaries?
Sworn Oath
While that was still true, Joshua and the Israelite leaders knew that they were now bound by their oath. Mistake or not – they had sworn an oath, by the Lord, that there would be peace between them and the Gibeonites. These leaders knew a truth that we need to remember and apply in our own businesses.
Mistakes do not give you the right to break your word!
If you continue to read, you will see that the whole community of Israelites grumbled against the leaders for this decision. If left up to the crowd, they would have attacked and claimed that the oath of peace was based on deceit and was therefore invalid.
God’s Perspective
Unfortunately, God does not see it the same way as the Israelite community. Take a look at 2 Samuel 21:1-14 and see what happens many years later when David was king. There had been a famine for three years and David inquired of God as to why.
God answered that it was because King Saul had killed some Gibeonites and violated the oath made by the Israelites. Generations later, God still remembered the oath to the Gibeonites and was holding Israel accountable to that oath!
Joshua Understood God
Fortunately for the Israelites following Joshua, he understood this about God. He knew that his oath was valid, regardless of his mistake and the circumstances leading up to it. As a result he and the Israelite leaders honored their word to the Gibeonites and did not allow the Israelites to attack.
Another Level!
If the story ended here, it would be noteworthy. Instead, Joshua showed us another level of leadership that we can aspire to imitate. At the beginning of Joshua 10, we read that five kings and their armies went to attack the Gibeonites. Quickly, the Gibeonites sent word to Joshua, asking for help based on their treaty!
Surely, the deceptive Gibeonites did not actually expect Joshua to put the lives of his men at risk by coming to their defense against the five armies. Isn’t that asking a little much?
Evidently, Joshua did not see it that way. He immediately gathered the Israelite army to come to their defense. Not only that, but he also had his army march all night in order to catch the other armies by surprise!
God’s Reaction
What did God think of his actions? Well, we read that God reassured Joshua, telling him that He had already handed the other armies over to him. Then, during the actual battle, we read that God threw hailstones on the five armies as they fled! More soldiers died from the hailstones than from the Israelite swords!
If that is not confirmation that Joshua made the right decision, then I do not know what is!
Our Application
Folks, this lesson has direct application in our businesses. Whether we have given our word to a customer, an employee, or even a vendor, we are bound by that word. If we later find out that we made a mistake or were deceived, we are not excused from our word.
The lesson here is that we need to do our best to move slowly when it comes to giving our word to someone. We need to buck the trend in society today that says your word is only good as long as it is convenient for you to keep it. Look at failed marriages, businesses, mortgages, etc. and see that too many people simply see their word to be more a matter of convenience rather than binding.
Higher Standard
As Christian business owners and leaders, we are called to a higher standard. Before you give your word to someone, make sure you have prayed for wisdom and guidance in the decision. Then, once you have given your word, live by it. Keep your word even when you have made a mistake and it causes you loss. Follow Joshua’s example.
Have you experienced something similar to this before?
What was your decision and why did you make it?
What were the results of that decision?
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