Bible Illiteracy

Unfortunately, too many Christians are not very familiar with the Bible, even though it is THE book upon which we should base our lives, both here and in eternity. While most recognize that this is a real problem, too few are actually willing to do anything about it. This is truly unfortunate – mainly because our enemy does not have the same problem.

This is my fourth post in a series of lessons from one story in the book of Joshua that we can take and apply in Christian business. The story is about the experience Joshua and the Israelites had with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:1-10:15).

Lessons From Joshua

We have already learned the following lessons from this story:

1. Don’t relax after a victory; be prepared to face the enemy. (Read here)

2. The enemy sometimes comes as roaring lion, sometimes as slithering serpent. (Read here)

Now I want to give you the third lesson we can learn from this story:

The enemy knows the Bible (better than you) and will use it to his advantage.

God’s Commands

Let’s look at how this lesson is illustrated in the story of the Gibeonites and their deception of Joshua and the Israelites. If you read Deuteronomy 7:1-6, you will see that God intended ALL of the nations of the Promised Land to be destroyed. Not a one of them was to be left alive. This is very clear.

However, if you read further in Deuteronomy 20:10-20 (especially v.15), you will notice that God allows for peace with other nations – those OUTSIDE the land that He is giving them as an inheritance.

Joshua knows this Scripture and is fully aware that he and the Israelite army must destroy all of the cities in the Promised Land. He is also aware that he must first offer peace with those outside of this area.

Gibeonites’ Knowledge

What Joshua did not know is that somehow, the Gibeonites also knew of this law. As a result, they used it to their advantage to achieve protection. Had they simply come in peace without a disguise, they knew they would be destroyed. Had they attempted to fight the Israelites, they figured they would end up destroyed like the other cities Joshua’s army had faced. Their only hope was to convince the Israelites that they were from outside of the land of inheritance, and were therefore eligible for peace.

Our Application

How does this apply to us today, as Christians in business?

If you are in business as a Christian, you already know that there are obvious ways to ignore the Bible and make more money. You probably know many ways you could bend a rule here or there and see quick results on the financial statement. You don’t do these things because you know they are wrong and the decisions are clear.

Unfortunately, there are times when the decisions are not so clear, when the enemy sneaks up on us and we are presented with decisions we are not prepared to make. Decisions made when unprepared are rarely the right ones. Too much is left to chance.

Jesus’ Example

When Jesus faced direct temptation in the wilderness, He answered with Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). He was obviously prepared. If He is our model (1 John 2:6), then shouldn’t we be prepared in the same way?

In Deuteronomy 6:1-9, we are told to remember God’s commands, teach them to our children, and repeat them wherever we go. These commands are not to leave our hearts or minds. If that is the case, shouldn’t we take more time to learn them?

Our Responsibility

Having a ready word from the Bible can give clarity to an otherwise murky situation. On the other hand, if we are not familiar with Scripture, the enemy can use it against us. He tried this with Jesus, but was unsuccessful because Jesus was prepared. If the enemy were to come at you today in your business with a twist on God’s Word, how would you fare? Would you feel confident in your response?

Determine today that you are going to take action steps to improve in this area. If this is a strength of yours, turn to someone else and encourage them to join you!