Joshua 9, Why Did God Want To Destroy The Hivites?

[Selah7]

On 2/6/2023 at 1:53 AM, Open7 said:

But, what I don’t understand is that God originally wanted all these nations to be wiped out it seemed, but as we can see, there was a nation who ended up submitting to Israel and becoming a part of them, as far as I know then, becoming followers of the God of Israel.

So it seems that God was originally going to wipe out a nation that actually would end up knowing him. It said in verse 14 that Israel didn’t consult God about letting them join them.

From what I can see this nation was called the Hivites, it says in Deuteronomy 20:17 that the hivites should be destroyed. But why? When they ended up following God later?

Joshua 9:4 "They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up:"

These Gibeon-based Hivites devised their strategies to reach an agreement with Israel through trickery and deception. These Gibeon men were aware that the children of Israel were on their way to claim the land that was given to them as an inheritance from God. The Israelites were tricked into believing that these guys were not interested in the land of their inheritance by appearing as though they had come from afar. The Gibeonites wanted it to seem as though they had traveled for a very long period and came from a faraway place. The deception was in pretending to be worn-out travelers when they weren't.

Joshua 9:5 "And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy."

All the food the Gibeonites brought with them was dry and moldy, as though it had been brought from a great distance, and their patched shoes were almost completely worn out. All of this is a part of the deception and trickery.

Joshua 9:6 "And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, "We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us."

Their entire proposal was founded on deception and lies. These heathen Gibeon Hivites desired to be a part of Israel.

Joshua 9:7 "And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, "Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?"

Joshua and the Israelite men couldn't understand why these strangers from a great distance would even want to form a league or covenant with Israel. It didn’t make sense.

Joshua 9:8 "And they said unto Joshua, "We are thy servants." And Joshua said unto them, "Who are ye? and from whence come ye?”

Joshua was aware that the Israelites had no servants so he cautiously questioned them because what they said made absolutely no sense.  

Joshua 9:9 "And they said unto him, "From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God: for we have heard the fame of Him, and all that He did in Egypt."

These guys sounded good, but beware; anyone that uses lies and trickery and the name of God at the same time cannot be of God—they were heathen and worshiped Baal.

Joshua 9:10 "And all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth."

Joshua 9:11 "Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, `Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, `We are your servants:' ' " therefore now make ye a league with us.'"

Everything these Hivites said was a lie—deception.

Joshua 9:12 "This is our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:"

Joshua was deceived.  Did these people want to join Joshua's religion and serve the true God?  No.

[Selah7]

On 2/6/2023 at 1:53 AM, Open7 said:

From what I can see this nation was called the Hivites, it says in Deuteronomy 20:17 that the hivites should be destroyed. But why? When they ended up following God later?

Could you provide a scripture that says that the Hivites “ended up following God later?”

[Open7]

2 hours ago, Selah7 said:

Could you provide a scripture that says that the Hivites “ended up following God later?”

I @Selah7 thank you for your longer message. Actually the last line your wrote on that message might be the key to my confusion.

”Did these people want to join Joshua's religion and serve the true God?  No”

I have been under the impression the whole time that the Gibeonites ended up having a fear of the lord, based off some of the things they said in Joshua 9, in combination with a commentary I read which I’m now questioning. So if indeed what you mentioned is true, that they never loved God, then my issue is not an issue anymore, funny how they seemed to deceive me also😬. Well if that’s the case then problem solved, it was really bugging me this and sometimes I miss what might seem obvious.

You've helped me a lot @Selah7

[Selah7]

31 minutes ago, Open7 said:

I @Selah7 thank you for your longer message. Actually the last line your wrote on that message might be the key to my confusion.

”Did these people want to join Joshua's religion and serve the true God?  No”

I have been under the impression the whole time that the Gibeonites ended up having a fear of the lord, based off some of the things they said in Joshua 9, in combination with a commentary I read which I’m now questioning. So if indeed what you mentioned is true, that they never loved God, then my issue is not an issue anymore, funny how they seemed to deceive me also😬. Well if that’s the case then problem solved, it was really bugging me this and sometimes I miss what might seem obvious.

You've helped me a lot @Selah7

Thank you, friend.  May the Holy Spirit continue to guide us and instruct us in our studies. 

[com7fy8]

Possibly they feared only for the sake of their own lives.

And God knew what would happen if the Jews mixed with them. And knowing all that God knew, He ordered them to kill all.

God also knew how stupid and disobedient the Jews could be; so possibly He knew how mixing with those Gentiles could make things even much worse.

I notice how they had a covenant with Israel, but they served as slaves cutting wood; they did not share as equals like Ruth who married Boaz.

Ruth was proven to be godly and faithful in how she feared the LORD. But they were merely crafty to avoid getting killed.

So . . . their way of fearing was very inferior and only about themselves.

What should get our attention is, that the Jews did not make sure with God about what to do. Instead they judged by the appearance put on by those false ambassadors.

What perhaps we should get out of this, then, is how God wants us to make sure with Him about what He wants us to do, and do not evaluate things and people by how they are made to look.

[tim_from_pa]

On 2/6/2023 at 5:22 AM, Justin Adams said:

Do some study on the reason for pushing people out and even destroying many. The vestiges of the giant clans wer to be destroyed as an "offering" to YHWH. Read about Gen 6 and Enoch's account of the watchers (the angels that sinned).

Yes!  Nicely said!