DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Read it - Read chapter nine of Joshua, especially the verse below:
Joshua 9:14
“The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.”
Discover It - Become familiar with the story of the Gibeonite deception:
One day a group of travelers came into the Israelite camp at Gilgal. They said they were from a far country. They looked like they had been traveling for weeks. Their shoes were worn out, their clothes were dusty and dirty, and the bread in their sacks was dry and moldy. When this group approached the Israelites with a fabricated story, presenting themselves as travelers from a distant land, the Israelites didn’t do their homework. They didn’t seek God’s counsel or thoroughly investigate the claims. Instead, they hastily made a non-aggression pact with them. Our verse for today records that, “The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord,” (Joshua 9:14). Then, in verses 15 and 16 we read, “Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath. Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them.” And in verse 18, “But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.” They didn’t do their homework, and instead made peace with an evil, Godless, violent, and perverse people. And because of this treaty, Gibeonites lived among them for generations to come, complicating their lives, and leading them away from the God of Israel.
Ask It - Discuss with others:
1. Has there ever been a time when you overlooked a detail or didn’t do your homework? What was the effect or consequence for your life? Why is it important to pay attention to details?
2. God teaches us to pay attention to details in our spiritual lives also. What are some important details that Christians sometime overlook in their spiritual lives?
3. What do you need to do as a result of this Bible study, to be more diligent in your relationship to God and in your service to Him?
Live It - Here are some key verses to learn and follow:
1. "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)
2. "This will be my third visit to you. 'Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” (2 Corinthians 13:1)
3. "Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11)
Pray It - Commit to the Lord in prayer:
Lord, I ask that You help me to be diligent and attentive in every aspect of my spiritual life. Teach me to sweat the details, to not overlook anything, and to pursue Your truth with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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