God's people are held to a higher standard. Even though the Gibeonites present themselves falsely and deceive Joshua and the Israelites, Joshua feels obligated to uphold the peace treaty that was made with Gibeon. He shows that he is honorable even if others surrounding him are not. We are God's people. We are called out and we should be different. It may put us at a disadvantage if we act according to a higher principle but that shouldn't matter. We shouldn't torture our prisoners of war to save lives. We should act honorably and do the right thing in order to save our souls. Of course, in the case of Israel, here, if they'd just consulted the Lord instead of making the decision by themselves, they would have made a better decision.
For the most part, this reading is just one long litany of the nation's that Joshua completely destroyed under God's direction. We have a modern problem with this. We can't help but see it through our own eyes and our time, it doesn't seem like the act of a loving God. I can only rest confident in the knowledge that we see things so influenced by culture and this present age that we can't see the truth of the matter.
This reading also suggest there are cultures who are so corrupt in their nature that they invited the wrath of God. Thirty-one nations fall in the wake of God's people. Such an incredible act is handled in a matter of a handful of versus. It's just done. Thirty-one nations and peoples gone from the face of the earth just like that. Boom. Gone. What an incredible undertaking. Surely the whole world knew of this people and their God and waited in fear.
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