My title is Keeping My Word vs Breaking my Word.

It seems such a little thing, a minor thing, at the time. Who will know? So what if I fudge a little on my promise. “It’s just a little difference. Nothing big.” But it is amazing how just the littlest thing comes back to haunt us at the most inopportune time. Keeping my word is such a big thing. No, make that a huge thing! Case in point: today’s Scripture.

Before I discus it there is a backstory. When Joshua’s army conquered Ai they avenged the previous loss brought on my Achan’s disobedience (a whole ‘nother story of keeping a promise). Joshua 9 then presents us with the Gibeonite deception (alluded to in the March 23/Weekend Extra). The Gibeonites pretended to come from a far country and deceived Joshua into a “peace and protect” (my words) treaty. That was almost immediately tested in chapter 10 when the 5 kings of the Amorites were going to lay siege to Gibeon. Joshua remained faithful to his vow and defeated the kings.

Imagine my surprise then when reading Joshua 11 today.  Once again Joshua is at war (nothing new).  As I read I came across verse 10: “There was not a city that made with peace with the people of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took them all in battle. For it was the Lord’s doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle…” I confess my first reading thought it saw a crack in the Gibeonite people. But as I was writing this, I read closer. Then read. Then read again. Then reread it again. There wasn’t a crack in the Gibeonites; Joshua wasn’t released from his vow. No, the them and their were the kings. Two truths here:

1. Read Scripture carefully.
2. Keep being a man of my word. Follow Joshua’s lead.

I was so glad to read that Joshua kept his word. It shows me that even in the heat of battle NOTHING is worth the sacrifice of my integrity and my word (they go hand-in-glove).

“Father, I’m so glad I read it again, and again, and again. I would have misinterpreted Scripture and missed a great lesson. Let me be a man of my word because I am a man of Your Word.”

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The new look for Living in the Shadow is not intentional. An (unwanted) update by WordPress changed the theme I was using. Ryan (techgeek) got this template up and running for me to use. There is nothing wrong with your browser and computer.  I just have to ask: Why can’t they leave well enough alone?”