I’ve been thinking about the relationship/tension between Godly wisdom and human logic. It’s been something I have heard debated many times over the years but today I would like to look at it through the story of the Israelites as they enter the Promised Land.

For quick background, the Israelites have been on a long journey. They’d spent generations in slavery in Egypt, had experienced a miraculous delivery, had journeyed 40 years in the wilderness, wacthing a generation die and their leader pass away. They now have a new leader and have enetered the land that was going to become their home forever.

At this point they have not long entered the land and have defeated the cities of Jericho and Ai – their first conquests. Word about them is spreading, the people of the land are scared about what has happened and about what is about to happen to them. Fear can bring about some creativity and here is what one ‘clever’ group of people decided to do to try and save themselves from the impending threat of the Israelites.

However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.” Joshua 9:3-6

According to google (I know…don’t always trust the internet) Gibeon is only 13 km away from the city of Ai – even in these days that is not a long way!

Of course we are reading this with knowledge and the gift of hindsight – we have the luxury of knowing what is happening here. The people of Gibeon realise they are going to be taken over. They know the only way to avoid this is to trick the Israelites into agreeing to protect them but they know this would not happen if the Israelites knew they lived in the Promised land. The Israelites couldn’t and wouldn’t go against the Lords instructions and He had instructed them to overtake all of the Promised Land.

Joshua and the people don’t have the same knowledge and hindsight that we have and so they have to rely on Godly wisdom and/or human logic.

The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?” “We are your servants, ” they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?” They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; make a treaty with us.”’ This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.” Joshua 9:7-13

We can see at the beginning of their exchange that the Israelites were alive to the notion that these could be a people who lived close by; it’s not like they hadn’t considered that eventuality. Let’s look at what happens from here.

The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath. Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Joshua 9:14-18

I’ve underlined the key part of the passage in verse 14 – they did not inquire of the Lord. They relied on their human wisdom at this point. They had tested the food, viewed the saddle bags, and concluded that the story they were told was true. I wonder if I had been in their leadership team would I have thought any different? It’s not like Joshua and his leaders were stupid. They were intelligent people and had lead close to a million people into the land, and alreayd conquered two cities. Surely they could make a call like this on their own?

However they missed it, and the Gibeonite decision was one that cost them time and focus over the next season and beyond. They had to defend them in war and in the future they proved a distraction to the people of the land.

So, what can we learn? How do we use our human wisdom and Gods wisdom together?

We know that God has given us wisdom that we carry. There are decisions we can make because He has already given us knowledge. It has already been revealed to us. However, our wisdom and knowledge is not always, pure, it is easily contaminated. As well as that, life can be complex, things rarely are black and white.

So, when should we consult Him and when is it ok to rely on what we have? Is it ok to rely on our gut and only consult Him when it feels funny? Or does the scale of the situation dictate when we should talk with Him? Here are a few thoughts and to-do’s that I hope can help us.

What is already true? – the scriptures are filled with wisdom. Our lives in Jesus are filed with times He has spoken or directed us. It’s worth us remembering this wisdom, His direction. Often we are searching for answers and directions that He has already supplied. It’s like someone who is waiting for God to speak to them about whether they should share their faith or pray for someone in work. I would often say – Jesus says yes! It’s in the book! Whilst God may bring wisdom around timing etc. the Scriptures are clear on this one. When it comes to our lives there is a lot He has already spoken about, our job is to line up with what is already true and actually do it. In a moment of decision ask ourselves – what is already true here? What has God already spoken?

Make Jesus a friend, not a consultant – before I knew Jesus I would only pray on specific moments. I would pray when I wanted a girl to like me, when exams or big moments were coming up, and for things I was scared of. I didn’t have a regular conversation with Him, just crisis talks. Unfortunately I think that many followers of Jesus do the same. We aren’t talking and inviting Jesus into our everyday and instead reserve that for the big scary moments. Maybe we forget to talk to Him more, maybe we think He wouldn’t be bothered by the small and the seemingly mundane, but whatever our reason this is often the case. The reality is this is not smart. He loves relationship with us, He love to be involved in the everyday because He created us for those everyday moments.

I wonder if we applied the same dynamics to our everyday human interactions. As a father I want to talk to and be around my son for all his moments, not just for sports day or when he’s really sad. I love doing the ordinary, and those ordinaries are way more frequent than the highs and lows. God is like that x10000000………

The more time we spend getting to know Him in our ordinary everyday, the more we will recognise His voice when He speaks in the big moments. I might not ‘need’ God to help me with lots of the things I do day to day but by talking with Him in the midst of them I learn His voice rather than frantically searching for Him when I really do need Him. The other added benefit is by spending time chatting with Him in our everyday, though prayer, soaking, reading His word, our own wisdom begins to grow and increase because we have been schooled by the wisdom master.

Learn humility and remain flexible – if I am in a moment of decision, or indecision, I haven’t heard the Lords voice clearly, but I do have a strong sense of what the right thing is to do, I often say something like this;

“Lord, I’ve asking about this thing but I don’t think I’ve heard any new instructions from you. I think the best way forward from everything you have taught me is to do ___________. Lord, if I have missed something here, would you stop me, pivot me, or forgive me. I only want to do your will.”

At least when I go in low, even if I get it wrong, I have tried all that I know to do in seeking His revelation without ignoring what is already revealed.

The reality is that while we seek to embrace the rights and avoid the wrongs, God wants relationship with us. Of course He wants us to choose right and avoid wrong too, but more important to him is that these come from a place of relationship and love.

Let’s not igore our logic – it is God given, but it is fallable. Let’s take the best we have and submit it before Jesus. Let’s humbly walk into the calling He has given us all.