V.1-2 Does the happy ending of chapter 8 lead to a comfortable, easy life? Quite the opposite, for Satan only gets more angry and even gets enemies to join together against God’s people. Satan changes his tactics. Chapter 7 was an attack of Satan from within the congregation, their desires; today his trickery from without. No wonder we have to be on guard night and day against Satan.
V.3-15 Gibeon was only a few miles from Ai and less than a day’s journey (33 miles) from Gilgal. These people were sneaky and trying to protect themselves. They had no care for the Lord, only using His Name in verse 9 to make things sound good. Joshua and the other leaders of Israel were uneasy (vvs. 7-8), but wrongly influenced by the made-up story. The decision of verse 15 is a wrong one because of verse 14. This is the cause of so many mistakes we believers make. Self-confidence and no praying.
V.16 A little waiting in the presence of the Lord would have shown them this.
V.17-21 The leaders certainly had made a mistake, but the rest of the people now add to the problem by finding fault with their leaders instead of realizing that they (the congregation) would have done just as badly if they had been the leaders.
V.27 Notice the last 18 words. Now read Deuteronomy 12:5-13. Neither Moses nor Joshua knew where this place was or what it was going to be — Jerusalem, God’s one permanent (in the Old Testament) place where He would put His name. God always has one Center only! (Read 1 Kings 11:36). We’re still directed to God’s one Center — Christ. Remember this verse, because the first verse we’ll read tomorrow, Lord willing, has the very name of that place, which wouldn’t be taken by Israel for another 400 years!