There’s a great deal of evidence that hell can provide to convince us of a deception. The evidence will look and sound convincing on the surface. If we fail to inquire of the Lord to discern the validity and truthfulness of the evidence provided, we will fail to see what is hidden behind a deceptive interpretation of reality.

After Israel conquered the city of Ai, a group called the Gibeonites heard of what happened. Out of fear for their safety, and because they were one of the cities to be destroyed, the Gibeonites came up with a plan to deceive the Israelites to garner their protection. They dressed in old worn-looking clothes and sandals and carried stale food to look like they had traveled from a distant land. 

The Israelites demanded proof of where they came from. The Gibeonites responded, “This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. And these wineskins that we filled were new but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey” (Joshua 9: 12-13).

But there was a problem, “The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord” (vs. 14). The Israelites sampled what evidence the Gibeonites provided and allowed their natural interpretation to determine what was true.

There is always a truth behind the obvious evidence we are being presented. When we wait for the word of the Lord to bring a deeper revelation, His interpretation can violate what many have assumed is true. This is where a rub takes place in our relationships and alliances. A deceived person does not realize they are deceived. A deeper revelation of what’s happening sounds absurd because it violates their assumptions.

Inquiring of the Lord to determine what is true and false will be critical in the coming days if we are going to be used by the Lord. Some of the evidence we are told to believe is prepared by bias and preferences for a certain agenda without a deeper inquiry. We need to inquire of the Lord before we respond to what is assumed to be the truth. If we don’t, we will form alliances like Israel did with the Gibeonites when they interpreted their reality based on false evidence.

Failing to inquire of the Lord will lead us into relationships the Lord never intended for His people, “Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath” (vs. 15). All of this happened because Israel failed to inquire of the Lord.