Guile of the Gibeonites (Joshua 9: 11, 14-15, 22-23)

Our leaders and everyone who lives in our country (Gibeonites) told us to meet with you and tell you that all of us are your servants. They said to ask you to make a peace treaty with our people. They told us to be sure to take along enough food for our journey. The Isrealites tried some of the food, buty they did not ask the LORD if he wanted them to make a treaty. So Joshua made a peace treaty with the messengers and promised that Israel would not kill their people. Israel's leaders swore that Israel would keep this promise. Joshua told some of his soldiers, "I want to meet with Gibeonite leaders. Bring them here." When the Gibeonites came, Joshua said, "You like close to us. Why did you lie by claiming you lived far away? Now you are under a curse, and you people will have to send workers to cut wood and carry water for the place of worship."
This is not the first, neither will it be the last time that the Israelites breach their covenant with God. Their duty is not to sample their food or to make peace treaties. Their duty is to make war with the inhabitants of the Promised Land and to destroy them completely. Failure to do this leads to syncretism which is the blending of two or more religious beliefs. God Almighty did not want the Israelites to become secular, but he wants a peculiar people to himself
Daily Prayer: Father, all too often I try to make decisions on my own. Instead of waiting on your wisdom, I carry on like the rest of the world which is regarded as being in the flesh. This is not your intent for me. Instead, wisdom comes from above, not from within. Teach me to council with you for all my decisions. In your holy name I pray Amen.