Joshua 9 records the story of Joshua being tricked by some Gibeonites. Verse 14 explains why this happened: “So the men…did not ask counsel from the Lord.” Obviously, this decision functions as a bad example, a “go and do otherwise” goal of the narrative. Thankfully, Joshua and the rest of “the leaders of the congregation” (v. 18) followed that blunder with obedience: they made an oath and stuck by it despite pressure from the Israelites. How do we follow their faith? How do we remain humble and in need of God’s guidance? It begins by seeing our Lord Jesus Christ in this story. Three times near the end of the chapter we read of the Gibeonites becoming “cutters of wood and drawers of water” (cf. vv. 21, 23, 27). In v. 27 we read that this service was performed “for the altar of the Lord.” This was said to be a curse (cf. v. 23 “you are cursed…”). Our Savior was the Servant who suffered the curse of God (cf. Gal. 3:13). All the wood cut and water drawn by the Gibeonites was used to sacrifice sacrifices which pointed to the ultimate Sacrifice of Jesus. Seeing and savoring our Savior will slowly but surely drive independence out of us.