View source for Joshua 9; Compromise

=Objectives=
*Students will determine to consult God in every situation.
*Students will recognize the cost of compromise and evaluate their own life for compromise.

=Opening=

*What are some situations you have gotten yourself into where you ended up needing help from someone else?

*Are there any times when you waited longer than you should aha to ask for help?

=Main Body=
==Trickery (V. 1-15)==
*How does the political landscape change in verses 1 and 2?

*What tactic do the Gibeonites employ in verses 3-6?

*According to verses 7 and 8, what tactic does Joshua employee to verify the story?

Notice that Joshua 9:7 indicates there was some suspicion on the part of the Israelites.  They appear to have known that deception was a possibility.

*According to verses 9-13, what evidence did the Gibeonites produce?

*What problem does verse 14 highlight?

*Compare Exodus 23:32, Deuteronomy 7:1,2, Deuteronomy 20:11-15, and Joshua 9:15.  What went wrong?

*What did the Israelites actually gain by making a covenant with the Gibeonites? 
**They really gained nothing.  The irony is that compromise was completely unnecessary.

*How should we apply Proverbs 3:5,6 in situations like Joshua faced?

*What are some real life similar situations Christians today may find themselves in?
**Dating an unsaved person who seems interested in God
**Forming unnecessary partnerships with the unsaved that maybe are not marriage but still put our relationship with God at risk (e.g. going into business together).

*What are the risks involved in such situations?

==Consequences (V. 16-27)==
*What did Joshua learn about the Gibeonites in verses 16-18?

*What can we learn about God's standard for our covenantal obligations?
**Even though Joshua had been deceived God still expected Joshua to keep his word.  This has significant implications for our own contractual obligations.

*What vents and decisions take place in verses 18-21?

*How do the Gibeonites respond in verses 22 and 23?

*What reasons do the Gibeonites give for their deception in verses 24-27?
**The Gibeonites were afraid.  Notice that fear is not the same as repentance.  Here we see that the Gibeonites were afraid of Israel but did not desire to become proselytes.  I suspect that at times we make the mistake of assuming that because someone knows of God, we are safe to enter into a compromise with that individual.  In some way this is the same mistake that Joshua made.

*According to Judges 2:1-4, what was the end result of compromise?

=Conclusions=
*What warning does Jude 3 and 4 provide for the church today?

*What are ways that individuals may compromise today?

*What are ways that churches may compromise today?

*What is the difference between compromise and communication?
**I use the word communication because culture and language are in a constant state of change.  The gospel remains the same, but the mans of communicating the gospel may change.  After all, we do not communicate the gospel in Greek or Aramaic today.

*How can a church balance the need to accurately communicate the gospel and the need to avoid compromising?