Conversion and Service

Scripture: They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.” Joshua 9:8-10

Observation: As Israel invades the promised land, the Hivitites are afraid and seek a peace treaty with Israel. While they are clearly being deceptive in their appearance, their fear of destruction is real. However, they don't cite that they are afraid because of what has happened to Jericho and Ai, they instead cite the power of the Lord - what the Lord did in Egypt, and the trans Jordan area.

So the Hivitites are appealing to mercy due to their belief that God is, in fact, with Israel and about to destroy all the people in the land. So here is the question: Do the Hivitites believe in God? The answer is ... probably, but along with all their other gods. And this is what made them worthy for destruction - the Israelites were to destroy other people who worshiped other gods so that the land would be clean and they would not be influenced.

Application: The Hivitites are saved from destruction due to the fact that they have total faith that the Lord was going to destroy them as he had said he would. They believed in his word. However, they were "on the list" for destruction because they believed in other gods. So this is ... redemption through a profession of faith.

While their first act of redemption matters - their professed belief that the Lord was powerful and faithful to his word - so does their past behavior matter. The Hivitites must now turn away from their gods, and they will do this by becoming servants within the temples, gathering wood for the burn offerings. So it is interesting that the first act after conversion will be work in the church. They won't take time to learn more about God, or ordered to begin obeying the law - they will work in the church. This is a good model to follow:

Prayer: Lord, thank you for touching my heart yesterday and removing from me anger and hatred toward others. May I keep you in front of me so that I do not sin through my judgment or anger. I trust in your justice and your mercy, and in your judgment and your patience. Amen.