Joshua 9: The Gibeonites deceive Israel.

After Israel conquered Jericho and then Ai, the news about the strength of the Children of Israel - and their mighty God, Jehovah - spread quickly among the people of Canaan. In this chapter, the people of Gibeon came up with a plan to trick Joshua and the Israelites into granting them safety.

To preserve themselves, the Gibeonites cooked up a story that they had come from far away. They dressed in old clothing and worn-out sandals, and brought shabby wine-skins and moldy bread as proof of their long journey. After questioning these travelers, Joshua agreed to guarantee their safety, and the Israelites made a covenant to let them live. Note that the Israelites did not consult the Lord.

In the end, the Gibeonites admitted that they lived close by and were neighbors of Israel, just as the Hivites (the Gibeonites' ancestors) had been with Abraham. Joshua, unable to revoke his promise to them, made them wood-cutters and water-carriers for the altars of the Lord.

This chapter offers us several spiritual lessons. The main one is that there is a place for simple, well-intentioned goodness in our spiritual life, along with our love of God and our love for other people (See Swedenborg's exegetical work, Arcana Caelestia 3436, for details). This is what the Gibeonites stand for; they were not warlike but peaceful, content to live usefully day after day. This is an illustration of natural good, which is an important part of life in this world and in heaven (Arcana Caelestia 3167).

On a spiritual level, their story about living in a country far-away means that when we live good, well-intentioned lives, we are ‘far away’ from the evils of the Canaanites. Although the Gibeonites lived among the Canaanites, their higher values were entirely different. So while the Gibeonites deceived Israel to save themselves, they spoke truthfully when they said: “we come from a place a very long way away” (See Swedenborg's work, Heaven and Hell 481).

Their tattered and torn appearance is meant to illustrate the hard work of doing good. It can be quite wearing to continue doing good things, especially when we feel it is all up to us. Acknowledging that all good is from the Lord renews us, and keeps us from the burden of merit.

In the same vein, their worn-out appearance is also about our relationship with the Word. Little children love and delight in the stories of the Word, but as they grow up, this love dwindles (Arcana Caelestia 3690). But as adults, we have the choice to find those guiding principles from the Word, helping us to keep leading good lives.

The fact that Joshua commanded the Gibeonites to cut wood and draw water also holds spiritual significance. The beauty of wood is that it comes from living trees, and can be turned into many, many useful things. It stands for the steady, humble wish to do good each day (See Swedenborg's work, True Christian Religion 374). This must be present in our worship at the altars of the Lord.

Drawing water provides essential, life-giving refreshment for others. Water stands for truth, and our better actions draw the water of life for the sake of others. Truly, acknowledging the goodness in other people is part of our faith in God. This story shows us that we must allow others to live and to serve everything of God, just as Joshua showed mercy toward the Gibeonites.

3436. 'And he went up from there to Beersheba' means that the Divine doctrine of faith came from there. This is clear from the meaning of 'Beersheba' as the Divine doctrine of faith, dealt with in 2723, 2858, 2859. The doctrine of faith, which is meant by Beersheba here, is the literal sense itself of the Word, for the Word is doctrine itself. And although the literal sense of the Word is such that people are able to draw truths from it, it is also such that they are able to confirm from it things that are not true, as is well known from heresies. But anyone who reads the Word with the intention of being wise, that is, of doing good and understanding truth, gains instruction according to his intention and affection. In fact without his knowing it the Lord flows in and enlightens the mind, and when he cannot grasp what is said in one place in the Word the Lord imparts to him understanding from others.

[2] Furthermore anyone in whom simple good is present and who in simplicity believes the Word according to its literal sense is granted the ability to perceive truths when he is taught by angels in the next life. In the meantime the few truths that do reside with him are given life by charity and innocence. And when the latter are present in him the falsities which have also infiltrated the darkness of his ignorance do no harm. For these do not become allied to the good there but are held back from it so to speak on the boundaries and so can be removed without difficulty. But things are different in the case of those who are not leading a good life. With them the falsities which by wrong interpretation they hatched out of the Word occupy the middle or so to speak the centre, while truths are in the surrounding areas or boundaries. They are as a consequence falsities which do become allied to the evil life they are leading, and truths are scattered.