The Gibeonites tricked Joshua and Israel into making a covenant with them, and it provides some powerfully important lessons for us today. First, we must remember that there are deceivers out to deceive us; second, that we are most easily deceived when we fail to seek God’s counsel and finally that we must keep our promises even if they are based on deceit.

1. Deceived!
Joshua 9, CB OT p. 342

3. “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Genesis 3.13, CB OT p. 4

4. “They on their part acted with cunning” (4)

5. “We have come from a distant country, so
make a covenant with us” (6)

6. “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we
make a covenant with you?” (7)

7. “We are your servants.” (8)

8. “Who are you? And where do you come
from?” (8)

9. “From a very distant country your servants
have come, because of the name of Jehovah
your God.” (9)

10. “We are your servants. Come now, make a
covenant with us.” (11)

11. “Here is our bread. It was still warm when we
took it from our houses as our food for the
journey on the day we set out to come to
you, but now, behold, it is dry and
crumbly” (12)

12. “These wineskins were new when we filled
them, and behold, they have burst.” (13)

13. “And these garments and sandals of ours are
worn out from the very long journey.” (13)

14. “So the men took some of their provisions,
but did not ask counsel from Jehovah.” (14)

15. “And Joshua made peace with them and
made a covenant with them, to let them live,
and the leaders of the congregation swore
to them.” (15)

16. There are deceivers out to deceive you.

17. “for even Satan disguises
himself as an angel of light”
(2 Corinthians 11.13- CB NT p. 323)
15;

18. “For such men are false
apostles, deceitful workmen,
disguising themselves as
apostles of Christ. ...
So it is no surprise if his
servants, also, disguise
themselves as servants
of righteousness.”
(2 Corinthians 11.13-15;
CB NT p. 323)

19. 2 Thessalonians 2:9- CB NT p. 362
11,

20. Appliance
healers
The Far Side
by Gary Larson

21. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in
sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous
wolves.” (Matthew 7.15, CB NT p. 12)

22. “evil people and impostors will go on from
bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
(2 Timothy 3.13, CB NT p. 374)

23. Don’t let yourself be deceived.

24. “Let no one deceive you in any way.”
(2 Thessalonians 2.3; CB NT p. 362)

25. “Little children, let no one deceive you.”
(1 John 3.7; CB NT p. )

26. “Be wise as
serpents and
innocent as
doves.”
(Matthew 10.16;
CB NT p. 18)

27. “I want you to be
wise as to what is
good and
innocent as to
what is evil.”
(Romans 16.19;
CB NT p. 287 )

28. The testimony of
Jehovah is sure,
making wise the simple
(Psalm 19.7; CB OT p. 852 )

29. “Brothers, do not
be children in your
thinking. Be
infants in evil, but
in your thinking
be mature.”
(1 Corinthians 14.20;
CB NT p. 306)

30. “until we all attain to the
unity of the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God,
to mature manhood, to the
measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ, so that we
may no longer be children.”
(Ephesians 4.13-14; CB NT p. 340)

31. How am I deceived?

32. “Let no one deceive you
with empty words.”
(Ephesians 5.6; CB NT p. 341)

33. “by smooth talk and
flattery they deceive
the hearts of the naive.”
(Romans 16.18; CB NT p. 287)

34. “They have healed the
wound of my people
lightly, saying, ‘Peace,
peace,’ when there is
no peace.”
(Jeremiah 8.11; CB OT p. 1211)

35. “having itching ears they will accumulate
for themselves teachers to suit their own
passions.”
(2 Timothy 4.3; CB NT p. 374)

36. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers
only, deceiving yourselves.”
(James 1.22; CB NT p. 401)

37. “and with all wicked deception for those who
are perishing, because they refused to love
the truth and so be saved.”
(2 Thessalonians 2.9-10; CB NT p. 362)

38. “Therefore God sends them a strong
delusion, so that they may believe what is
false, in order that all may be condemned
who did not believe the truth but had
pleasure in unrighteousness.”
(2 Thessalonians 2.11-12; CB NT p. 362)

39. I am most easily deceived when I fail to
seek God’s counsel.

40. “So the men took some of their provisions,
but did not ask counsel from Jehovah.” (14)

41. “But I am afraid that as the serpent
deceived Eve by his cunning...”
(2 Corinthians 11.3; CB NT p. 323)

42. “your thoughts will be
led astray from a sincere
and pure devotion to
Christ.”
(2 Corinthians 11.3;
CB NT p. 323)

43. “your thoughts will be
led astray from a sincere
and pure devotion to
Christ.”
(2 Corinthians 11.3;
CB NT p. 323)

44. “I know, O Jehovah, that the way of man is
not in himself, that it is not in man who
walks to direct his steps.”
(Jeremiah 10.23; CB OT p. 1217)

45. “Commit your way to Jehovah; trust in him,
and He will act.” (Psalm 37.5; CB OT p. 872 )

46. “Christ, in whom are
hidden all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge.
(Colossians 2.2b-4; CB NT p. 352)

47. “Christ, in whom are
hidden all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge. I
say this in order that no
one may delude you with
plausible arguments.
(Colossians 2.2b-4; CB NT p. 352)

48. and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God,
praying at all times in the
Spirit, with all prayer and
supplication.
(Ephesians 6.17-18; CB NT p. 343)

49. “It is written, “‘Man shall
not live by bread alone, but
by every word that comes
from the mouth of God.’ ”
(Matthew 4. ; CB NT p. 5)
4

50. “not as I will, but as you will.”
(Matthew 26.39; CB NT p. 53)

51. “All Scripture is breathed
out by God and profitable
for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training
in righteousness,
(2 Timothy 3.16; CB NT p. 374)

52. I must keep my promises, even if they
are based on deceit.

53. “But the people of Israel did not attack
them, because the leaders of the
congregation had sworn to them by
Jehovah, the God of Israel.” (18)

54. If a man vows a vow to Jehovah, or swears
an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall
not break his word. He shall do according to
all that proceeds out of his mouth.
(Numbers 30.2; CB OT p. 257)

55. Be not rash with your
mouth, nor let your
heart be hasty to
utter a word before
God, for God is in
heaven and you are on
earth. Therefore let
your words be few.
(Ecclesiastes 5.2;
CB OT p. 1052)

56. When you vow a vow
to God, do not delay
paying it, for he has no
pleasure in fools. Pay
what you vow.
(Ecclesiastes 5. ;
4
CB OT p. 1053)

57. Let not your mouth
lead you into sin, and
do not say before the
messenger that it was
a mistake.
(Ecclesiastes 5.6;
CB OT p. 1053)

58. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;
anything more than this comes from evil.
(Matthew 5.37; CB NT p. 8)

60. There are deceivers out to deceive you.
I am most easily deceived when I fail to
seek God’s counsel.
I must keep my promises, even if they
are based on deceit.

61. Will today be the
day you decide to
go to heaven?

62. Lesson slideshows (with notes)
and audio can be found at:
www.churchofchristmiranda.com

63. Photo Credits: (All photos from istockphoto.com are copyright protected. Please do not use without permission.)
Gibeonites and Joshua: http://www.eborg2.com/BibleOT/06-Joshua/800-Joshua-
B04.jpg
Eve:http://chicagoartmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Anderson-
Eve-and-the-Serpent.jpg
Magician: http://theamericanjesus.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/
magician.jpg
Lego Devil: http://www.flickr.com/photos/demonator/3594277200/sizes/m/in/
photostream/
Lego Angel: http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/10080_Angel
Hinn: http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Wolves/benny_hinn-fake.htm
Handshake man with Bible: iStock_000006009755
Salesman: http://www.medicineshowmagic.com/
The Far Side: Gary Larson, The Far Side Gallery 3, p. 134
Eyes: iStock_000005855955; iStock_000005855956
Serpent and dove: http://kingsenglish.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/
snake_dove.jpg
Child professor: http://www.virginmedia.com/homefamily/parenting/got-a-child-
genius.php

64. Photo Credits: (All photos from istockphoto.com are copyright protected. Please do not use without permission.)
Measuring girl: http://www.flickr.com/photos/uiowa/5497281152/sizes/l/in/
photostream/
Bubbles: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39580703@N02/6122020531/sizes/l/in/
photostream/
Man with Bible: iStock_000005870937
Audience: http://schipul.com/photos/3687/in/122/
Shell Game: http://www.bryanmarcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/
Processed-food-is-a-shell-game1.jpg
Guy in mirror: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oter/3104958433/sizes/l/in/
photostream/
Burning Book: http://clipart.christiansunite.com/1326541261/
Old_Testament_Clipart/Old_Testament014.jpg
Chalkboard Girl: iStock_000005164183
Jesus on Cross: iStock_000001271423
4 adults: iStock_000006933714
Hiking: iStock_000004703365
Sunset man praying: iStock_000006054287

65. Photo Credits: (All photos from istockphoto.com are copyright protected. Please do not use without permission.)
Sword and Bible: iStock_000006458439
Handshake: Keynote art
Finger to lip: iStock_000002252576
Yes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/3584172834/sizes/l/in/
photostream/
Wedding hands: http://www.flickr.com/photos/placbo/3789843412/sizes/z/in/
photostream/
Girl with Bible: iStock_000005249418

66. Compiled and Presented by:
Be Strong and Courageous Dave Stewart
15 January, 2012
#11 Las Cruces, NM
www.churchofchristmiranda.com
Deceived!
Joshua 9
Synopsis: The Gibeonites tricked Joshua and Israel into making a covenant with them, and it
provides some powerfully important lessons for us today. First, we must remember that there are
deceivers out to deceive us; second, that we are most easily deceived when we fail to seek God’s
counsel and finally that we must keep our promises even if they are based on deceit.
“Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright
© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
“Let all that you do be done with love.”