Joshua 9
If acting faithfully, to every step of faithfulness the Lord will surely add more light; only we must be careful to take counsel of the Lord at every step. Peace with Gibeon only deprives us of victory and brings upon us other wars and troubles, for the presence of what is not of God always opens the door to Satan. This, perhaps, is not so much felt when all is in vigor in the soul, but when there is decline, then the evil and consequence is felt. In the days of David, there was a famine three years; it was for Saul and for his bloody house, because he had slain the Gibeonites. All this arose from the little act of not taking counsel with God. When all was war, it appeared a convenient thing — a blessing, to find some peace and recognition from those who said, “The Lord your God.” It sounded like Rahab’s believing voice, and in appearance with these far distant travelers, there was nothing wrong in peace — they were supposedly not of the forbidden and accursed race. But they did not ask counsel of the Lord, and it turned out that they were of the accursed race. It almost caused a separation between Joshua and the people. So cunning is the enemy that it is almost as bad or worse to lean on one’s own wisdom in the ways of God as on one’s own strength for the battles of God. Peace with Gibeon and war with Ai in self-confidence end in confusion and shame or in defeat.
The Christian Friend, 1:124