Joshua 9:13-14 | “‘Look at our wineskins. When we left home, they were new and filled with wine. But now you can see that they are cracked and old. Look at our clothes and sandals. You can see that the long journey has almost destroyed the things we wear.’ The men of Israel looked them over and accepted the evidence and did not ask counsel from the mouth of the Lord.“

Joshua and the Israelites conquered different cities as they took possession of the Promised Land. In the above passage, the Gibeonites, who were among the remaining nations to be conquered, decided to trick the Israelites into entering a peace agreement with them by pretending to have come from a very far land.

They succeeded in getting the Israelites to believe that they were not among the nearby territories to be conquered by showing them old provisions and worn out clothing. The Israelites fell into their trap simply because they didn’t ask the Lord for counsel. Gibeon won Israel not because they were smarter, but because Israel did not seek to hear the voice of God on the matter.

Enemies will come at you with tricks. People will try to take advantage of you if they can. The voice of God protects and preserves you. Because you have access to the Holy Spirit who sees what is cooked in secret, no trap set for you will succeed!