Shade Tree Wisdom 8/10/11

There is a picture on the front pages of the paper this morning that you probably saw on your TV news last night. It is hard to believe, but it shows a semi standing nearly erect entangled with the structure that caries the highway numbers and exits etc on the highway. No one is quite sure what happened, was it driver error, or malfunction, but the semi was one of those that has a system to lift the front for unloading, and somehow this was activated and the truck raised just in time to hit the structure crossing the highway. Traffic each way was re-routed for many hours, travel was interrupted, vacation plans changed, many were inconvenienced by the simple mistake.

Maybe this seems funny to the person watching from afar, but for the ones involved, its huge.

It strikes me life is often like that, a little mistake here and there changes into something that we can’t handle.

Turn to the Bible. Joshua chapter 9 has just such a story. Under Joshua the Israelites had complete success, destroying Jericho and Ai. The news went out, so the people of Gibeon devised a strategy. They sent a delegation claiming they were from a far country and wanted to make a treaty. As proof they offered their stained travel clothes and the dry bread they carried, which, they claimed, had been freshly baked when they left their home country.

Now listen, “Then men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not inquire of the Lord, then Joshua made a treaty with them to let them, live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it with an oath.” Joshua 9,14.15. So, when Israel reached Gibeon, they did not destroy their cities, but “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community. So the leaders’ promise was kept.” 9,v.21. That may be true, but the command of God was cast aside, for He had ordered complete destruction lest they lead Israel into imitating their false idol worship. Which happened later to her shame and suffering.

For us, the strength lies in hearing, and doing, the Word of the Lord for His blessing.

GPD 8/10/11