WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE

The Book of Joshua #11

Pastor Dennis Clanton

Woodland Church

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

(Joshua 9:1–4a, NLT) “Now all the kings west of the Jordan River heard about what had happened. These were the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who lived in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far north as the Lebanon mountains. These kings combined their armies to fight as one against Joshua and the Israelites. But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves.”

GOD WILL BRING YOU OUT TO BRING YOU IN.

(Deuteronomy 6:23, NASB) “He brought us out from there in order to bring us in…”

1. GOD WILL FINISH WHAT HE BEGINS.

(Psalm 138:8, NLT) “The Lord will work out his plans for my life— for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.”

2. THE PROMISE WILL ALWAYS COME WITH PROBLEMS.

(Joshua 9:2, NLT) “These kings combined their armies to fight as one against Joshua and the Israelites.”

(Joshua 9:14–15, NLT) “But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins … So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath.”

 1. Jericho – the world

2. Ai – the flesh

3. Gibeon – the Devil

 1. Satan the father of lies.

2. If you can’t beat them join them.

(1 Peter 5:8, NLT) “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

3. Wolf in sheep’s clothing.

(2 Corinthians 11:14, NASB) “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

4. Satan will deceive by appearing to be religious.

(Joshua 9:9, NLT) “Your servants have come from a very distant country. We have heard of the might of the Lord your God and of all he did in Egypt.”

4. THE ISRAELITES FAILED TO PRAY AND DIG DEEPER.

(Matthew 12:5; 21:16; 22:31) Jesus – “have you never read?

a. Seek the Lord and His counsel.

 b. Logic isn’t always the answer.

(James 4:2, NLT) “You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.”

(Proverbs 3:5–6, NLT) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

c. God loves to hear from you and reveal Himself to you.

(Joshua 9:15, 18–21, NLT) “Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath. … But the Israelites did not attack the towns, for the Israelite leaders had made a vow to them in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. The people of Israel grumbled against their leaders because of the treaty. But the leaders replied, “Since we have sworn an oath in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them. This is what we must do. We must let them live, for divine anger would come upon us if we broke our oath. Let them live.” So they made them woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community, as the Israelite leaders directed.”

4. Your word is your bond.

(Proverbs 6:17–19, CEV) “Those who are too proud or tell lies or murder, those who make evil plans or are quick to do wrong, those who tell lies in court or stir up trouble in a family.”

“After all, we don’t want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief—we’re not oblivious to his sly ways!” (2 Corinthians 2:11, MSG)

5. You overcome demonic strategy by staying close to God.

(James 4:7, NLT) “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

6. When you make a mistake, make your mistake work for you.

(Joshua 9:27, NLT) “But that day he made the Gibeonites the woodcutters and water carriers for the community of Israel and for the altar of the Lord—wherever the Lord would choose to build it. And that is what they do to this day.”