Father Mike Schmitz hosts day 83 of the Bible in a Year podcast, reading from Joshua chapters 8-9 and Psalm 126. He uses The Great Adventure Bible from Ascension, following the Great Adventure Bible timeline to read from Genesis through Revelation.

The episode covers Israel's successful conquest of Ai through military strategy and the deceptive covenant with the Gibeonites. Father Mike explores how Israel failed to consult God before making the covenant, yet honored it despite the deception.

The discussion connects the Gibeonites' story to modern faith, examining how people often come to God initially to avoid punishment rather than seek relationship, but can grow into full family membership over time.

Israel's Strategic Victory at Ai After Previous Defeat

God commanded Joshua to take all fighting men to Ai, promising victory and allowing them to keep spoil and cattle as booty, unlike at Jericho.

Joshua deployed 30,000 men in a complex ambush strategy - main force would feign retreat while hidden troops entered the abandoned city.

The strategy worked perfectly as Ai's defenders pursued the retreating Israelites, leaving their city completely undefended.

All 12,000 inhabitants of Ai were killed, the king was hanged until evening, and the city was burned and made "forever a heap of ruins."

Joshua Renews the Covenant at Mount Ebal

Joshua built an altar of unhewn stones on Mount Ebal "as it is written in the book of refref-book-the-book-of-the-law-of-mosesrefref-book-the-book-of-the-law-of-mosesThe Law of Moses."

He wrote a copy of Moses' law on stones and read all the words - blessings and curses - before the entire assembly including women, children, and sojourners.

The people stood on opposite sides of the Ark, half facing Mount Gerizim and half facing Mount Ebal, as Moses had originally commanded.

The Gibeonites' Deceptive Covenant Strategy

While other Canaanite kings united to fight Israel, the Gibeonites chose deception over destruction, dressing as travelers from a distant land.

They brought worn-out clothes, patched sandals, and moldy bread, claiming "From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God."

"The men partook of their provisions and did not ask direction from the Lord" - Father Mike emphasizes this critical failure in Joshua 9:14.

Israel discovered the deception after three days but honored the covenant, making the Gibeonites "hewers of wood and drawers of water."

Covenant as Unbreakable Family Bond, Not Contract

Father Mike explains covenant establishes family bonds - "I am yours and you are mine" - not mere contractual agreements.

Despite being tricked, Israel honored the covenant because "the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel."

The Gibeonites accepted their reduced status, saying "Do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us" rather than face destruction.

From Deceptive Entry to Full Family Integration

Like Rahab the harlot who became part of Jesus' lineage, the Gibeonites were eventually integrated into Israel's salvation story.

Gibeon later became a priestly city where the Ark stayed during David and Solomon's reigns, and where God spoke to Solomon.

Father Mike draws parallels to modern faith: "We might have said yes to the Lord out of a mercenary heart... out of a desire to spare ourselves."

"The more and more we get to know his heart, the more and more we're drawn to be living as full members of his family" - Father Mike on spiritual growth.