Part 1: Oops, forgot to pray. Deceived by the enemy.
A group of leaders formed an alliance to fight against God's people. Joshua was God's chosen leader at the time.
Joshua and God's people had been successful in conquering the cities of Jericho and Ai, under instructions from God. The community remaining knew.
Another group, the Gibeonite-Hivites - uninvited to the alliance - were frightened of God's people and came up with a scheme to deceive them with trickery.
The Gibeonites-Hivites dressed in traveling clothes and pretended to come from a distance. They played dumb about God's people and their reputation. They proposed a treaty with God's people, under the false pretense of being immigrants.
Joshua et al did not confer with God, and therefore did not discern the ruse.
Part 2: Tricked into signing a contract with the enemy.
Joshua accepted the treaty, in the form of moldy bread, without calling on the Creator of the Universe to know what is really going on, and what to do. Ouch. Dumb move, leader of God's people dude.
After three days, God's people figured out the plot and the Gibeonite-Hivites admitted they were liars. The Gibeonite-Hivites knew that God's people would honor the treaty because they had made a promise before God.
Joshua honored the treaty, but made the Gibeonite-Hivites into woodworkers and water well workers, in service of God's people.
Hopefully, Joshua and God's people learned to prayer first, make commitments later, and only on advisement from God.
Pray first, always, about everything. Wait for God's answer.
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