自堕陷阱
约书亚记九章3至15节
3基遍的居民听见约书亚向耶利哥和艾城所行的事，
4就设诡计，假充使者，拿旧口袋和破裂缝补的旧皮酒袋驮在驴上，
5将补过的旧鞋穿在脚上，把旧衣服穿在身上；他们所带的饼都是干的，长了霉了。
6他们到吉甲营中见约书亚，对他和以色列人说：我们是从远方来的，现在求你与我们立约。
7以色列人对这些希未人说：只怕你们是住在我们中间的；若是这样，怎能和你们立约呢？
8他们对约书亚说：我们是你的仆人。约书亚问他们说：你们是甚么人？是从那里来的？
9他们回答说：仆人从极远之地而来，是因听见耶和华─你神的名声和他在埃及所行的一切事，
10并他向约但河东的两个亚摩利王，就是希实本王西宏和在亚斯他录的巴珊王噩一切所行的事。
11我们的长老和我们那地的一切居民对我们说：你们手里要带着路上用的食物去迎接以色列人，对他们说：我们是你们的仆人；现在求你们与我们立约。
12我们出来要往你们这里来的日子，从家里带出来的这饼还是热的；看哪，现在都干了，长了霉了。
13这皮酒袋，我们盛酒的时候还是新的；看哪，现在已经破裂。我们这衣服和鞋，因为道路甚远，也都穿旧了。
14以色列人受了他们些食物，并没有求问耶和华。
15于是约书亚与他们讲和，与他们立约，容他们活着；会众的首领也向他们起誓。
信息分享
我们成为基督徒之后，必须认识到的其中一个事实，就是撒但会用尽各种诡计，来诱骗我们犯罪，或至少导致我们不能完全享受神的赐福。而且，撒但的伎俩往往是我们意想不到的。
以色列民已经先后攻破耶利哥和艾城，我们很容易便会以为，他们将继续节节取胜，把敌人彻底歼灭。谁知有些敌人却明知胜不过以色列人，于是，他们便想出一个诡计来保住自己的性命。同样地，当撒但知道他不能再用硬攻，他便会改变策略，用其他巧计把我们骗倒。一幢能够承受暴风吹袭的房子，却可能被白蚁侵蚀而倒塌。
基遍人的确想出了一个巧妙的诡计。他们穿上破烂的衣服和草鞋、身上携带了发霉的饼，假装从远方而来。他们在第9节甚至显示了对神的信心。他们提出的立约要求似乎是合情合理；然而，一切都全是谎话。约书亚因为没有求问神便答应他们，于是便被他们骗倒。
撒但总是想尽办法来使我们下错决定。我们若忽略祷告和寻求神的带领，至终便会像约书亚一样，一时糊涂地下错了决定。箴言第三章的总意教导我们：「不可倚靠自己的聪明，在你一切所行的事上，都要认定他[神]，他必指引你的路。」
以色列民既与基遍人起誓立约，神不会让他们背弃誓言。请看第18至19节。我们若然许下承诺，就必须守信。例如，基督徒与未信者结婚，在神眼中已经是一项错误的决定；然而，神不会要我们离婚，因为我们要尊重婚约。即使日后的生活发生多大的磨擦，他仍然要坚守自己的承诺。以色列人为了守住自己的誓言，将要付上沉重的代价；不过，约书亚在往后的日子，却再没有犯下同样的错误。因此，我们若然知错能改，长远来说，我们的基督徒生命仍会继续成长和进步的。
ACTING WITHOUT GOD'S GUIDANCE
Joshua 9: 3-15
3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
4 they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended,
5 old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.
6 And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.”
7 Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?”
8 But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”
And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”
9 So they said to him: “From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt,
10 and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
11 Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us.”’
12 This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy.
13 And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”
14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD.
15 So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.
Message
One of the first lessons we need to learn as Christians is that Satan has all kinds of tricks he will use to trap the people of God into sin or into a position where we cannot know the full blessing of God. The unexpectedness of Satan's methods are often as big as trap as the methods themselves.
The Children of Israel had been victorious at Jericho and later at Ai. It would be easy to think they could go on in the same way. In each place they had met the enemy head on, or out in the open, if you want to put it that way. But some of Israel's enemies realised that they would need to try something different if they were to remain alive. Satan also sees that when he can't defeat us by his strength, possibly he can still gain the victory by tricking us. A house may withstand the force of a cyclone only to be brought down by white ants eating their way through.
This is a most interesting story with a sad lesson in it. The Gibeonites had worked out a plan. They made themselves appear as if they had come a long way. They wore old clothes, patched old clothes, patched sandals and had old stale bread. In verse 9 they even expressed some kind of faith in God. It all sounded very good. But it was a lie and Joshua failed to ask God for guidance when these Gibeonites asked him to make an agreement with them.
Satan likes to rush us into wrong decisions. Neglect of prayer and failure to ask God for guidance will put us in the same place as Joshua---bound by an agreement with someone with whom we should never be linked. What does Proverbs 3 say? 'Lean not on your own understanding. In all, your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths.'
God would not let the Children of Israel back down on their agreement. See verses 18-19. If we make a promise we have to keep it. A Christian who marries an unbeliever is doing wrong in the sight of God. But God does not say to that Christian, 'Leave him or her'. That one is bound by the marriage vow. Although life may be very difficult, before God they have to keep the promise they have made. Israel learned their lesson the hard way. But during Joshua's lifetime that mistake was never repeated. If we learn these lessons along the way, it will all be for our lasting good as we walk with God.