Okay, if you would, turn with me to Joshua chapter nine. Joshua chapter nine. It's just after Deuteronomy, I think. Joshua chapter 9, I'm going to begin reading in 22-27, for now anyway, 22-27. And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you, when ye dwell among us? Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be free from being bondmen, and hewers of wood, and drawers of water, for the house of my God.' And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants how that the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore we were We were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing. And now, behold, we are in thine hand, as it seemeth good and right unto thee, do unto us do. And so did he unto them and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel that they slew them not. And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day in the place which he should choose. I cannot help but think about when I read this passage, that supplant or Jacob. Jacob with the help of Rebekah beguiled Isaac so that he would receive the blessing. And there are some who would think of Jacob as a lowlife, and we all are lowlifes by nature. He certainly had that in him. But before this time of blessing, though, he on his own was with Esau, his brother, if you remember. And his brother ever so easily gave up the birthright. for a bowl of soup, you could say. Too many people today are willing to give up a place with God to fill their bellies. They just want to be filled with the pleasures of this life, rather than being filled with the glory of Jesus Christ. This Jacob is the one spoken of in Romans 9, where God says, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated. And that passage certainly means exactly what it says. If I tell someone, I hate you, are you going to think, well, they just love me just a little bit less? No, they are totally opposites. That is love and hate. Love is not hate and hate is not love. God is love, but God does hate. God loves because that's what he is. God hates that which he is not. This passage also reminds me of that message that Mike Walker preached, the violent take it by force from Matthew 11, 12. There are those who seize the kingdom of God. We know God is sovereign and no one's gonna take anything from him that he does not want them to take. So don't misunderstand me. If He does not want you to have it, you will not have it. But just as these from Gibeon, there are those who see their total destruction because they have heard of God and what He has done. All these other nations' people were gathered together to make war against Joshua and Israel. But these Hittites from Gibeon heard of the Lord and how He did things. They knew they had to seek blessing from the Lord. So what did they do? They put on old clothes, they took molded bread, and they took their old wine bottles, which were rent or torn, and put old shoes on their feet. But when you read this, and they went to Joshua and Israel, they told them everything they heard that the Lord did. We just read that part. They did not say, we see what all you have done. It was what the Lord had done. They dressed themselves as beggars, slaves, and they even said they were servants. Joshua and Israel did not kill them, even once they found out who they were and where they were from, because of the covenant made to them by Joshua. But what did they tell them? Let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water. And that's my title. It is said in this passage that Joshua made them hewers of wood and drawers of water. And I want to talk about today about the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. This world will join together to fight against God. Those enlightened by God will make a league with Christ, and this league will be forever. We see it here at the beginning of this chapter, verses one and two. This world will join together to fight against God. versus one and two. Sorry, I can't get my pages apart. Verse 1 and 2, And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite heard thereof, that they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua, and with Israel, with one accord. Here's what their names mean. This is their gathering together against Christ and his people. They terrorize publicly. They peddle their heresies in the open country. They are villagers without any city. They have no fortification. And their aim is to trample the name of Jesus Christ down. We see it in several different ways in this world. They will publicly say, even putting it on their signs out on front of their so-called churches, free will. They will tout and talk about man's free will. Most in some way believe in man's free will, most of those who do not know God. And these are religious people. Those who speak or say the name of Jesus, but they are speaking of another Jesus. Because the Jesus of the Bible said this, John 5, 40, and ye will not come to me that ye might have life. So you may have a will, but that will, according to Jesus Christ in scripture, he says that will will not allow you to come to him. They will scream this to try to drown out the words of the Lord Jesus Christ who says, you will not come to me that you might have life. Then there are those who will cry out publicly, Jesus Christ is the way of salvation if you do this. A part-time Jesus is who they have. He's done part of the work and now you have to finish it off. This is in agreement with those crying free will because it leads work that man must do. We heard from Joe, it's not about our works. But Paul cries out in 1 Corinthians 2 too, for I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. But their cry is that their Jesus has done all he can do and now is up to you and that is not the Jesus of the scripture. It is a different Jesus. It's not the Christ of Scripture. Because the Christ of Scripture is God, we know God needs nothing from man. Turn with me to Psalm 50 for a minute. Psalm 50. Psalm 50. I'm just going to read the first 15 verses, a little bit lengthy. Psalm 50. The mighty God, even the Lord, has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun until the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come and shall not keep silence. A fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous. round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness, for God is judge himself. Selah. Hear, O my people, and I will speak. O Israel, and I will testify against thee. I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings to have been continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the world is mine and the fullness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. But yet this worldly religionists, all of them will join together and cry out about their God who needs help from man. Sometimes it may be very subtle. And these uniters, you know what I'm talking about, uniters, these ecumenical folks, the ecumenical movement, they all join together and they'll tout this stuff. But they'll come together to try to destroy the Christ of God and his people. Most of these are very serious people. They may even be very nice. Certainly some may look before men to be very moral people. They are serious about their Jesus, but they are seriously wrong if they add anything to what Christ has done. They say they are about love, but they do not know what love is. They think that love is acceptance of any and all, either things or people. If God who is righteous says something is unrighteous, then what he says is unrighteous is unrighteous. Scripture says God is love. He is the definition of love. So if he hates something, then he hates. then the hate of that thing is right, because he is righteous, and he loves in righteousness. It does not matter how many people gather together, and there are a lot of those who gather together against Christ and his people. But that's what we see here in type, Joshua and Israel. This is typical of Jesus Christ the Lord and his people, his church. This world is full of those who would destroy and trample the name of Jesus Christ if they could. I know this because God brought me out of that. If you notice, these from Gibeon and the surrounding places are called Hittites. Hittites are some that gather together against Joshua and the people of God. We're all from the same lump. But some are made unto honor and some unto dishonor. And that's just the way it is. And I said before, God brought me out of that. And he brought you out of that if you're one of his and believe him. I had my weapons raised up against God in opposition to the Christ of God at one time. But there came a time when God of his own will begat he us unto himself. I did nothing. He caused me to see what he had done, and the result of that was me laying down my arms against God and taking sides with God against myself. It is as if I said to God, your judgment is right and it is severe. So next, those enlightened by God will make a league with Christ, verses 3 through 15. And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, they did work willily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-bottles owed, and rent, and bound up. and old shoes, and clouded upon their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua into the camp of Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We become from a far country, now therefore make ye a league with us. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us, and how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye, and from whence come ye? And they said unto him, From very far country thy servants are come, because of the name of the Lord thy God. For we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt. and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and to Og, king of Bashan, which was at Asherah. Wherefore, our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, take victuals with you for your journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, we are your servants. Therefore, now make ye a league with us. This our bread we took, hot for our provision, out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you. But now, behold, it is dry and it is moldy. And these bottles of wine which were filled were new, and behold, they be rent. And these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey. And the men took of their victuals and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made a peace with them and made a league with them to let them live, and the princes of the congregation swear unto them. The first thing here that we see is they heard. You will not move toward God, not one foot, until you hear. What you hear of will not be you have done what you can do or what you should do. What you will hear is what God has done. You will hear what Joshua has done. We know this is a picture of Jesus Christ here, Joshua. What is it that Joshua did? He destroyed his enemy, everyone that was in his way. They knew because of what they heard that there is no fight when it comes to the people of God, because it's God that fights for them. Nowhere in scripture when it talks about battles or war did anyone win on their own accord. Even when you read of the enemy winning a battle, and then taking Israel in as slaves. We read that God did all this. We know he is in absolute sovereign control, just as it happened with Joseph, so is it with everything. God meant it for good, even though men meant it for evil. What God means and what God has done is to work out salvation for men. But what happens when someone hears what God has done? They do just as God calls Adam to do. They confess where they are and what they have done. We see this here in our text. They put on these filthy rags and had no edible food or no drinkable water or wine. They knew what their place was. They did not come in pomp and circumstance. Lots of people do that today. They either want people to see what they have done for God or they want to go to a place that seems as if they have God in their back pocket. But those seeking safety and life from God throw on old rags and their food is spoiled and they have no drink. Their shoes are nothing but tatters. They're not wanting to show how they walk for the Lord. They know they need to make league with the Lord and his people. Not only do they hear of what God has done, they then proclaim or testify to what they have heard. We read that in verses 8 through 11. And they said unto Joshua, we are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, who are ye and from whence come ye? And they said unto him, from a very far country, and thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God. For we have heard of the fame of him and all that he did in Egypt. and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and to Og, king of Bashan, which was at Ashtoreth. Wherefore our elders and our inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for your journey, and go to meet them, and saying to them, We are your servants. Therefore now make ye a league with us." It says in verse four that they made as if they had been ambassadors, a herald, heralding what God has done. Turn over with me to 2 Corinthians 5, 2 Corinthians 5, and we'll see this. 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians 5, verses 16 through 21, I'm gonna read. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh. Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God, for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. All those who are his ambassadors, ambassadors of Jesus Christ, They could care less whether there's a multitude gathered up against him and his people. They could care less about that. They know whom they have believed, just as Paul said in 2 Timothy 1, 12, for the which cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. What have we committed to Him? What have God's people committed to Him? Everything. Man is not responsible. Man is irresponsible. But for those whom He calls to make a league with Him and His people, commit everything to Him because He is responsible. He said He will take care of us and never forsake us. If it were not for Him, we would forsake Him in a minute. But what He has done is forever, and we know He is able. This league will be forever, verse 27, the last verse. And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day in the place which He should choose. even unto this day. What are they? Servants. They are glad to be servants of God, servant to God's people. All of God's people are servants of God. All people, actually all people are servants of God, even though some may not know it. All do what he's pleased for them to do. Now some do evil and they do this of their own accord, but it is not outside of the purpose of God. We see them here. They are all gathered together to make war against Joshua and Israel, against Jesus Christ and his church. And that's the picture here. But at no time do we see anyone here saying something like this. We don't have time for this. There's a lot of people out there coming up against us. These from Gideon never said anything to Joshua about those who were gathered against Israel. No reason to. God is the one who's doing the fighting, and they heard of God, and they heard God was going to give them the victory. We are led by Jesus Christ, pictured here as Joshua, and we have heard what Joshua has done. We just want to be servants. We just want to be servants. Whatever you make us to do, we will do it. God will take away your pride and you will be glad to be his servant. Isn't that what the prodigal cried? Luke 15, 16 through 19. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husk that the swine did eat and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, so when you come to yourself, this is what you'll say. He said, how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare and I perish with hunger? I will arise and go to my father and will say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants. We do not read of these Gideonites bringing food that was worth eating. It was all dry and moldy. It was not edible. They did not bring any because they knew if Joshua would make a league with them, they would have plenty to eat. No matter if it was food for a servant. Because God supplies all their needs, just as the prodigal said. How many hired servants of my father's house have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger. We are perfectly glad to be a servant of the Most High God. But we are made much more than servants, as Joe has pointed out. We are made sons. We are brought into his family. We are brought in to commune with God, and we will do it forever, Revelations 22, three through five. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. And they shall see His face, and His name shall be in their foreheads, and there shall be no night there. And they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. Just as Paul did to those who heard him, I beseech those who hear these words. Even us here. But I also beseech those who may hear this message that are not here. Don't worry about all those gathered together against Christ and his people. They can do nothing. Apart from the God who controls all things, they can do nothing. Come to Jesus Christ. you will have food to spare, you will never go hungry. And I'm talking spiritually now. God will provide, but he will also provide those material things that you need. And I know many people may not think that we believe that men and women come to Christ, but we do believe that. You must come to Christ believing him. We just know because God tells us that if you do come, it's because He has grown you. So I say to all those who hear me, come to Jesus Christ. He is able to save you to the uttermost. Come to Him in your tattered clothing with no food or no drink. Make league with him. Matthew 5, 6 says, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Come to him who is able to fill your hungry soul. Men can do nothing but kill this body. But he has the power and the right to kill both body and soul in hell. Lay down your arms against him. Come to him just as you are in your rags with no food or drink, nothing to sustain you. Trust him that he will take care of you. Hearing of his works, you know he has saved a people for his name. And if you notice here, Joshua says they are cursed. Cursed to be servants to God and his people. Oh, to be cursed in such a way that he enables me to be servant to him. What did this mean to them? It means they would not die. Making league with Jesus Christ means absolute life in Jesus Christ. He will protect you. Your service will be hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Amen. Dear Lord God, All too often, do not praise you, Lord. We don't thank you, Lord, because you do all things, but dear Lord, put it in us to think of you, to praise you, give you all the thanks, all the glory, because it's all of you, dear Lord. Be with all those who are yours, dear Lord, and protect them and heal them as you see fit, dear Lord, according to your will. All these things we ask in Christ's name, amen.