(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Joshua 9:15–21, “And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them. And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim. And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes. But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them. And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.”
This was the biggest mistake in Joshua’s career as Israel’s leader. He was a good man and trusted that everyone else was good as well. (see Titus 1:15, “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”) However, these people weren’t as good as Joshua and they wanted to trick him and survive. Joshua didn’t ask the Lord but went ahead a made the decision by himself. He made a firm treaty with the people from Gibeon, even though they were part of the Amorites. Even though they had made a treaty, the Gibeonites became second class citizens in Israel because they weren’t part of promises that the Lord had made to Israel. There have been some people over the ages who have used this section to justify slavery. They say that the Lord gave this command for to make slaves of any nation at any time. However, this verse doesn’t justify slavery. This command was specific to the people of the city state of Gibeon because they lied to Joshua and didn’t inherit the promises that the Lord made to Abraham and his descendants. It is certain that these people had no African heritage.
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