A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
THE Ninth Chapter of Joſhua conſiſts of two parts. The 1ſt is the Enmity or Conſpiracy of the Canaanitiſh Kings againſt Joſhua, ver. 1, 2. and the 2d is the Amity or Friendly Covenant that the Gibeonites made fraudulently with Joſhua, the fraudulency whereof is deſcribed in a three fold deſcription, (1.) by its Cauſes, (2.) by its Effects, and (3.) by its Adjuncts: The Remarks upon the firſt part are theſe,
The Firſt is, whereas ſeven Nations are reckon'd up by all their Names, Deut. 7.1. to be deſtroyed by Iſrael, ſix only are named here in ver. 1. The Girgaſhites are not here mention'd to make them up ſeven; hereupon ſome ſuppoſe that thoſe Girgaſhites took hold of the Covenant of peace with Iſrael, and their cutting a Covenant (as the word Deut. 7.2. ſignifies) with them was the reaſon they were not cut off by them as the other ſix Nations were; but this ſeems to be wiſe above that which is written, ſeeing St. Paul ſaith expreſly that ſeven Nations were deſtroyed, and their Lands divided among the Tribes of Iſrael, Acts 13.19. And in rehearſing the number of thoſe Nations, the Scripture reckoneth them ſometime more, and ſometime fewer, as in Gen. 15.19. they are reckoned to be Ten, but in Exod. 23.23. & 33.2. & Deut. 20.17. they are reckon'd only Six: The reaſon of this difference is, one part of this People might have ſeveral Names, and ſeveral parts of them might be comprehended under one Name, or ſometime General Names, and ſometimes particular might be mentioned: However the Number Seven was the moſt current Number, as Joſh. 24.11. &c. becauſe 'tis the full and perfect Number, as above, Gen. 2.2. and ſignifies the many Enemies of the Church God will ſubdue, tho' they be mightier than we, Deut. 7. i. e. be got up (in their own Sentiments) to a number of fulneſs, and perfections, &c.
The Second Remark from the Firſt part is, when thoſe Kings of the Canaanites (which was the general name of all the ſeven Nations) heard that Iſrael had Sacked and Burned the two main Bulwarks of Canaan, their Frontier Cities, and of great ſtrength, Jericho and Ai, then were they awakned out of that ſtupifaction and ſlumbering which God had caſt upon them, they could not but hear long before this, that their Country was Invaded, yet ſuch a ſupine ſecurity had lull'd them aſleep, that we read not of any forces they raiſed to obſtruct the torrent of this Invaſion, and even now they only deliberate upon it, and entred into a Confederacy about it, but did not actually do it, as the ſequel of the Hiſtory demonſtrates, for we read not that they took any advantage (tho' ſometimes they had ſome, as when Iſrael fled before Ai, and when they marched ſo far into the Country as Mount Ebal and Gerizzim) to aſſault Joſhua's Army, but both in the beginning of the War, and to the end thereof, we ſhall always find them aſſaulted by Iſrael. They all ſtood out in this ſtupidity, and were deſtroyed. If Men harden their hearts, God will harden his hand, and haſten their utter deſtruction, ſave only the Gibeonites, who were ſaved from Ruine by their League, Joſh. 11.19, 20.
The Second Part concerning the Gibeonites (who were of the Hivites, ver. 7. here, and Joſh. 11.19.) affordeth many Remarks on their League.
The Firſt Remark is the Cauſes of their ſo ſubtily and fraudulently procuring a Covenant of Peace with Joſhua, &c. are (1.) The Final Cauſe was that they might be allowed to live and not be deſtroyed with the Curſed Canaanites, ver. 15.20, 21. the League was to let them live. (2.) The Efficient Cauſe was their Elders of Gibeon their Royal City, and the Embaſſadors ſent by the Elders, ver. 3, 4, 11. (3.) The Material Cauſe by which the Cheat was managed, was Victus & Amictus, Mouldy Bread, and Clouted Cloathing, &c. ver. 4, 5.12, 13. &c. (4.) The Formal Cauſe was the ſmooth Oration which thoſe Embaſſadors made before Iſrael to decoy them into the bonds of a Covenant with them, ver. 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Thus thoſe poor Gibeonites made a better uſe of what they heard, to wit, the Ruine of Jericho and Ai, than the other Canaanites did, therefore they work wilily, ver. 3, 4. and wickedly too, in laying one lye upon another. ver. 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13. thus Mendacium Mendacio Aſſuunt, they ſtitch one Lye to another, they ſtrain hard to ſave their lives, and taught their Tongues to ſpeak Lies, Jer. 9.5. and took faſt hold of Deceit, Jer. 8.5. Satan knew what he ſaid, [All a Man hath will he give for his Life,] Job. 2.4. whereas we ſhould rather Die than Lye.
The Embaſſador is call'd an Hivite, ver. 7. which name hath the ſignification of a Serpent in it. This Hivite told his Tale fairly, but not a word of truth in his whole Tale: He had more of the Serpent than of the Dove, here was Serpentine Subtilty, but no Columbine Simplicity: Do not the least evil, tho' it would procure the greateſt good, Rom. 3.8. And thus our Modern Gibeonites the Romaniſts would cheat the Proteſtants with a pretence of Antiquity. Indeed the Romiſh Religion is no better than Clouted Shooes, and Moulded Bread, yet non erat ſic ab initio, our Religion is found in the Bible (long before Luther) where their muſty ſtuff never was found. Their Old Religion (as they call it) deſerveth no more Reverence than an old Fornicator, who, becauſe Old, is ſo much the more odious: Antiquity without Verity is but filthy Hoarineſs; the old things mentioned, 1 Chron. 4.23. were never better for being Ancient.
The Second Remark upon the Second Part is, the Strange Effect which the Cauſes afore-mention'd did produce, namely a League and Confederacy procured by the overmuch craftineſs of the Gibeonites, and contracted by the over-much Credulity of the Iſraelties, ver. 15.
The Grand Enquiry here is, whether this League was Lawful or not?
Anſwer the Firſt, ſome have theſe Sentiments, that it was unlawful upon thoſe grounds, becauſe (1.) God forbad Iſrael to make any League with the Canaanites, and bad to deſtroy them all. Exod. 23.32. & 34.15. & Deut. 7.2. without making any Exceptions, &c.
Secondly, the People murmured at this League, ver. 18. which they ought not to have done, had it been Lawful. (3.) Joſhua denounces thoſe Gibeonites accurſed for deceiving him, ver. 23. which he would not have done, had nothing been done but what was juſt and equal. (4.) He Charged them with Circumventing him by diſſimulation, ver. 21.
Anſwer the Second, but others affirm it was a Lawful League, as Auguſtin and all the Rabbies, &c. upon thoſe grounds.
Firſt, It was lawful for Iſrael to offer Peace to other Nations before they beſieged any of their Cities, Deut. 20.10. which ſhews this League was lawful as to the ſubſtantial part of it.
Secondly, This Sanguinary Law of Killing all the Canaanites was not abſolute and Univerſal, but admitted of an exception of Penitents, and True Converts, as appeareth from Jerem. 18.7, 8. & Jon. 3.4.
Thirdly, That this Law was thus limitted (being only a poſitive Law, and ſo might be qualified with a Natural and Moral Equity) appears in Iſrael's ſparing Rahab and her Relations.
Fourthly, The Reaſon of that Sanguinary Law was (leaſt thoſe Canaanites that were not killed▪ might entire the Iſraelites to their Idolatry.) Now that Reaſon ceaſed at their turning from Idolatry, and becoming Proſelites to Iſrael, &c.
Fifthly, That the Gibeonites were Converts appears, for their Hearts were not hardned, as the other Canaanites were, Joſh. 11.19, 20. They came to Joſhua here in the Name of the Lord, ver. 9. and they had this bleſſing, to have a near approach unto God in their Service of the Sanctuary, ver. 27. where David could have been content to be a Poor Door-Keeper, Pſal. 84.10.
Sixthly, Had this League been unlawful, it had been better broken than kept: If it had been a Sin to make it, the Sin would have been double to keep it: but Joſhua and all the Princes upon the review of it did conſcientiouſly keep it, verſe 19, 20.22, 23.
Seventhly, God ſeverely puniſh'd the Violaters of this League, long, even 400 years after, as 2 Sam. 21.3. Saul's raſh zeal coſt the ſeven of his Sons Lives, and ſo almoſt rooted out his whole Poſterity.
Eighthly, The utter Deſtruction of all the other Curſed Canaanites came not ſo much, or ſo neceſſarily upon them by vertue of any abſolute or peremptory precept for deſtroying them, as it did from their own obſtinacy and obduration of their hearts, whereby they did not only neglect, but alſo ſcorned to make peace, Joſhua 11.19.20.
The Third Remark is the Admirable Adjuncts of this League, which be two: The firſt is the Diſcovery of the Decit: And Secondly, The Puniſhment upon the Deceivers.
Firſt, The Diſcovery of the Cheat was not till Three days after the League was made, ver. 16. who was the Diſcoverer is not expreſs'd, 'tis not at all improbable that ſome Iſraelites making Excurſions out of the Camp into the Country, either for Forage and Food, or out of Curioſity to view Canaan, might come to Gibeon (which, ſome ſay, was but 26 Miles from Gilgal, where Joſhua incamp'd) and there hear, and bring the News. Now when Joſhua underſtood by thoſe Foragers, &c. that thoſe Deceivers were neighbouring Canaanites, ſtill he ſtood to the Covenant he had contracted with them, which may make up the Ninth Evidence (to the Eighth aforeſaid) concerning the lawfulneſs of the League, for had Joſhua known it had been contrary to the Law of Moſes, he would not now upon better Information have confirm'd it, ſeeing the Holy Scripture doth teſtifie that Joſhua left not any thing undone, which the Lord had commanded by Moſes, Joſh. 11.23. Unto which may be added a Tenth Evidence: How can any Man believe, that ſo Wiſe, ſo Rich, and ſo Potent a King as Solomon was, would have ſpared thoſe Remnants of the Canaanites (whom he reduced into Subjection and Servitude) nay, would he not rather have deſtroyed them, if indeed he had underſtood that God had commanded it to be done?
Secondly, The Puniſhment upon the Deceivers, though they were ſpared as to their Lives, yet ſhall they be puniſhed in their Perſons, ver. 20, 21, 27. The Gibeonites had indeed gulled the Iſraelites, and had beguiled them (by the means of this League) of the rich Spoils of their great Cities named, ver. 17. therefore their Doom was, they ſhall have Slavery inſtead of Slaughter. Hewers of Wood, and Drawers of Water, ſhall they be to Iſrael: 'Tis a Scripture Phraſe of the loweſt Rank of Mankind, Deut. 29.11. as employed in the meaneſt and moſt ſordid Drudgery: The Magiſtrates ſtill'd the Murmurers with this plauſible Motion, ver. 21, &c. Though they be freed from a Natural Death, becauſe of the Prince's Oath, yet ſhall they be damned to a Civil Death by the Prince's Sentence: Their Slavery is a ſort of Death, which will both ſufficiently puniſh them for their fraud, and bring conſiderable benefit to Iſrael, not only in exempting every Iſraelite from all Drudgery Work, but alſo in getting Gain by the Service of thoſe Slaves; and this was the Curſe which Noah prophetically pronounced againſt Cham, the Father of thoſe Canaanites, that he ſhould be a Servant of Servants unto his Brethren, Gen. 9.25. which now was verified in his Poſterity: Yet ſuch was the tranſcendent Mercy of God towards them ſo, as to turn this Curſe into a Bleſſing, for their Service was to Miniſter unto the Levites, as the Levites did to the Prieſts in the Sanctuary (both in the Tabernacle and in the Temple) whereby they had a nearer approach unto God for the good of their Souls, this gave them Opportunities to partake of the things of God, and to behold his face in Righteouſneſs, Pſal. 17.15. Hence, 'tis ſuppoſed, they are call'd Nethinims (which ſignifies Deo dati, Men given to God) 1 Chron. 9.2. and Ezra 2.43. In the former of which Scriptures they are Ranked with the Priests and Levites: A free Grace to thoſe who had ſaved their Lives by a Lie, their being Door-keepers (which David deſired, Pſal. 84.10.) their ſordid Services was the leſs damage to them by being thus ſweetly qualified: For the nearer they were to the Church, the nearer they were to God.