Proverbs: Kingship, Household Wisdom, and Warning

False Flags, Propaganda and Deception

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2024-02-21

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver examines the biblical account of the Gibeonites' deception in Joshua 9 to illustrate the nature of false flags, propaganda, and deception. He argues that deception is a tool used by governments and individuals, and that even God uses deception. The sermon warns that rejecting truth leads to believing lies and destruction, and emphasizes that believers must seek God's counsel through Scripture and prayer to avoid being deceived. Applications include not being deceived by evil associations or the principle of sowing and reaping, and recognizing that all deception will ultimately be exposed.

[John Weaver] Joshua chapter 9 beginning there with verse 3 and the title of the message is false flags propaganda and deception a few weeks ago one gentleman asked me a question and And I thought, well, I'll answer that question in a sermon. And this sermon is a result of the question that he asked. So let's begin reading in Joshua nine, verse three. And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they did work wildly and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, took old sacks upon their asses and wine bottles old and rent and bound up and old shoes and clouded upon their feet and old garments upon them.

[John Weaver] And all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua into the camp at Gilgal and said unto him, And to the men of Israel, we become from a far country.

[John Weaver] Now, therefore, make you a league with us. And the men of Israel said in the Hivites, Peradventure, you dwell among us. How shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are you? And from whence came ye? And they said to him, From a very far country thy servant shall come, because of the name of the Lord thy God.

[John Weaver] For we have heard the fame of him and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan, which was at Ashteroth. Wherefore, our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take vittles with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants. Therefore now make you a league or a covenant with us.

[John Weaver] This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you. But now, behold, it is dry, it is moldy. These bottles of wine which we filled were new, and behold, they be rent, and these our garments and our shoes are become by reason of a very long journey and the men took of their vittles and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord and Joshua made peace with them and made a league with them to let them live and the princes of the congregation swearing to them Came to pass at the end of three days After they had made a league with them that they heard that they were their neighbors and that they dwelt among them So here's a good question.

[John Weaver] Have you ever been deceived? If so, do you remember how hurt you were when you realize the deception? At times, you blamed the other person or the people for deceiving you. And in other times, you blamed your own self for being so stupid and so gullible and to fall for such a swindle. But interestingly, at times, everybody wants to be deceived. We do not want the truth because the truth makes us uncomfortable.

[John Weaver] It holds us accountable and demands righteous action and conduct. And the truth of the matter is this. Everyone uses deception. All warfare is deception. All camouflage is deception. Smiling at folks when you're irritated with them is deception. Telling your wife that she looks lovely in an unlovely dress is deception. I Saw a cartoon years ago. I've never forgotten it And I don't believe any husband would be as brave as this man was in the cartoon The wife was looking into a mirror standing behind him He was sitting in a lounge chair reading the paper. I And as she looked in the mirror, she said this, she said, I'm old, I'm fat, I'm wrinkled, I'm sagging, and I need help. And she looked at her husband and said, say something to me that will help me. And he said, for a woman as old as you are, you have mighty good eyesight. Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help it. I don't imagine any husband's gonna be that brave, but anyhow. Deception, by the way, is not evil in and of itself.

[John Weaver] It's a tool, and it may be used for the good, or it may be used for evil. The truth of the matter is this, even God uses deception. I'm gonna show it to you from the Bible, but if you remember in the book of Job chapter 12 and verse 16 The Bible says with him is strength and wisdom and then it says this the deceived and the deceiver are his So if you will turn holding Joshua 9 to 2nd Chronicles chapter 18 2nd Chronicles 18 and let's begin reading there with verse 12 and I hope you remember this story about Ahab and Jehoshaphat and Ahab is trying to get Jehoshaphat to go with him to Ramoth Gilead and And of course, he has all of his false prophets and they come out and they are prophesying all kind of success for Ahab. And Jehoshaphat asks, is there not here a prophet of God, a servant of God? And Ahab answers, there's one, but I hate him.

[John Weaver] And so he sends for Micaiah. Micaiah is already in prison, because Micaiah is indeed a servant of God. So look, if you would, in verse 12 of 2 Chronicles 18. And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets, and of course they're false prophets, declare good to the king with one assent. Let thy word, therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good. And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak. And when he was come to the king, the king said unto Micaiah, Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up and prosper, and they shall be delivered in thy hand. Evidently he was saying this in a very sarcastic way. Because verse 15 and the king said of him how many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing? But the truth to me in the name of the Lord Then said he, You want the truth, Ahab?

[John Weaver] Here it is. I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, These have no master. Let them return, therefore, every man to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil? Again, he said therefore hear the word of the Lord I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne and all the host of heaven sitting at his right hand and on his left and the Lord said who shall entice Ahab king of Israel that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead and One spake after this manner and another saying after that manner Then there came out a spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will entice him and the Lord said in him wherewith I And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all of his prophets. And the Lord said, thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail, go out and even do so.

[John Weaver] Now, therefore, behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord had spoken evil against thee. So here Ahab is, he's been listening to his false prophets, and of course they're telling him to go up and prosper, and Micaiah comes out and tells him the truth. Look, if you go up to Ramoth Gilead, you're going to die. That's all there is to it. And of course, you know the story where he persuaded Jehoshaphat to go with him, and he disguised himself and went into battle, but Jehoshaphat had on his kingly robes. And so they fought against Josaphat, thinking he was Ahab, until he screamed and cried out to the Lord, and the Lord called him off.

[John Weaver] And then the Bible says a certain man drew a bow at adventure, and the arrow came and smote him between the shoulder blades and came out in the chest, and of course he died later on. But notice, if you would please, here his lying prophets are, telling him to go up and prosper. And here comes Micaiah, and he tells him the truth. And Ahab refuses the truth.

[John Weaver] He prefers to be deceived. He prefers to believe a lie. So let me make something exceedingly clear at this point. If you do not believe the truth, you will believe a lie. The only alternative to the truth is a lie. And Ahab believed a lie, and he was killed. Destruction and damnation always follow a lie. For instance, if you'd hold Joshua 9 still, but turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians, and look if you would at chapter 2, beginning there with verse 10. 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, and notice if you would verse 10. Look what the scripture says, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. Now, wait a minute. They're perishing. But notice it is they are deceived with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. Why are they perishing? Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. Now watch.

[John Weaver] And for this cause, what cause? Because they received not the love of the truth. And for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. So again, we need to let this sink in. If you're not believing the truth, you are believing a lie. And if you believe a lie, you will be at your own destruction. Our depraved nature loves a lie. We love to be deceived. In fact, the scripture tells us before our salvation that we were disobedient and deceived. You'll find that in Titus 3 and verse 3 for the Apostle Paul wrote for we ourselves Sometimes were foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lust and pleasures and in living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another once again, he said before our conversion we were disobedient and we were deceived and So it's only in the grace of God that God opens our eyes and we see the truth and we turn from the deception and from the lie that is why the Apostle Paul in 1st Thessalonians chapter 1 talked about how the sound of these Thessalonians who were saved their sound went out through all

[John Weaver] of Macedonia and Achaia And he says it shows what manner of entering in we had unto you Then he says on how you turn to God from idols to serve the one living God and to wait for his son Jesus Christ from heaven in other words You were once deceived you were once disobedient, but now you've been delivered. You're no longer deceived You've turned to the one true and the Living God and you're serving him So the truth of the matter is each of us before our conversion were deceived now there are two particular areas that God warns us as Christians and Anyone else as well in which we are not to be deceived I'm gonna give you those two passages. I want you to look in first Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 33 first Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 33 Look at what the Word of God says first Corinthians 15 and verse 33 The Bible says be not deceived evil communication corrupts good manners Now look at that That is so simple and straightforward.

[John Weaver] God says be not deceived Evil communications corrupt good manners now if you believe That you can associate intimately with wicked people and not be corrupted then he says you are deceived because you should not be deceived because he's telling you right now evil communications corrupt good manners. Now the word evil of course means that which is bad and wicked. The word communications is the Greek word homilia which refers to what you and I would call communication, communion, intercourse or that which refers to an intimate and close fellowship. It would not only include an individual, it would also include what you and I would call a company, or a bunch, or a multitude. For the Bible tells you in the book of Exodus chapter 23 and verse 2, thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. In other words, you associate with them, you're simply going to end up doing that which is evil. Now when he says, verse 33, Be not deceived, evil communications corrupt good manners. The word manners is the Greek word ethnos and it refers to customs, morals, or character.

[John Weaver] So it says don't be deceived, evil communications corrupt good character, good morals, and good manners. So here is the truth that God is putting forward for us. 1st Corinthians 15 in verse 33 I've heard so many Christians say this Well, I'm close friends with this wicked person and I'm close friends with these wicked people Because I want to lift them up and pull them up God says don't be deceived You're not pulling anybody up. They're gonna pull you down. I evil communications, corrupt good manners. You do not lift wicked people up by becoming intimate with them. That doesn't mean that you cannot be friends, but it does mean that you cannot be associating with them and treating them as if everything is hunky-dory when in reality it is not hunky-dory the positive side of 1st Corinthians 15 in verse 33 would be this that we are to communicate we're to associate with good men who will help us and lead us we can associate with intelligent men from which we can gain knowledge and understanding but what are you saying is you begin to mess around and become intimate and fellowshipping with the wicked and You're not going to lift them up.

[John Weaver] They are going to pull you down. They will destroy you. Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners. Here's the second one in which God tells you not to be deceived. And you can probably quote it, but it's Galatians 6, 7 and 8. Where he said, be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, and he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

[John Weaver] Now, when you and I think about mocking God, we think about someone standing bravely, quote-unquote, and cursing God and denying God and doing all kind of crazy and insane things. I remember reading about one infidel who was going to prove that God did not exist. And he stood out publicly and dared God to strike him dead in five minutes. And then he started counting down. And when five minutes passed, he's still alive. He said, See, there is no God. And this one godly woman said, Do you think that you can exhaust the patience of an eternal almighty God in five minutes? So we would call that mocking God. But you can mock God without standing up, criticizing, condemning and denying him.

[John Weaver] All you have to do is disobey him. All you have to do is live your life as if He did not exist. As if His Word was not true. In other words, God is not mocked. Whatever you sow, that's exactly what you're going to reap. You're not going to be able to sin against God and escape his judgment. You're not going to be able to sin against God and escape his condemnation.

[John Weaver] He said, don't be deceived in this area. It's impossible. You cannot do this. When we talk about deception, you have to understand deception reigns supremely today. All you have to do to be deceived is listen to the TV all the time or listen to the radio Look how Americans are so tuned in to their games their video games Their TV programs and and think about the fact that Most Americans give their lives for nothing but circuses and fun

[John Weaver] and recreation, that kind of thing. No one really studies, no one really thinks, no one ever really, really really delves into anything. So, consequently, propaganda, deception, and false flags are easily forced upon the American people.

[John Weaver] Now, let me mention something about a false flag to begin with. First of all, a false flag is usually defined as a political or military action carried out with the intention of blaming an opponent for it. Nations have often done this by staging either a real or a simulated attack on their own side and saying that an enemy did it and use it as a pretext for going to war. At times, they may actually allow an enemy to attack them so that they may retaliate with a vengeance Have what they would call the moral high ground to destroy that individual You will find that stand-down orders have been given to military to law enforcement on Many occasions I can think of occasions in this nation in America Where stand-down orders were given to cops when there was a riot going on people were killed.

[John Weaver] I I know firsthand of a situation like that. I know the people who were involved. I'm just simply saying this is a false flag. And you remember the false flag came into existence, or I'm going to say real prominence in the 16th century, where the pirates then took down their skull and bones flag and would fly the friendly flag of a neighboring nation in order to get close to a merchant ship.

[John Weaver] And once they were close enough, they would throw the ropes and pull alongside and mount them and kill everybody and steal everything they could steal. That was simply called a false flag because they were lying. They were deceiving the merchant ship, making them think they were something they were not. When I was looking at this, I looked this up on the internet, and here came one paragraph from the ADL, and I want you to listen to this. The Anti-Defamation League.

[John Weaver] This is astounding, but there's a question that's bound to be asked after listening to this. Here's what they wrote. False flag is a term used by conspiracy theorists to suggest that various world events and crises, such as terrorist attacks or mass shootings, were actually orchestrated by governments or sinister forces in furtherance of a political or social goal, such as gun control or sowing public fear. Historically, the term has been used to refer to a military or political operation carried out with the intention of blaming an opponent for it, often as a pretext for going to war. Now, here's the question that begs to be answered. What does a conspiracy theory have to do with a false flag if a false flag actually exists? What they're saying is if you believe anyhow or some way that your government would harm you or do that Which is wrong and wicked then you have to be a conspiracy theorist Wow Put in reality It's been governments all over the world.

[John Weaver] That's been guilty of what you and I would call genocide or democide Stop and ask Mr. Stalin how many millions he'd killed? Stop and ask Pol Pot how many millions of Indonesians that he'd killed? Stop and ask EDR men how many of his own company that he killed? Years ago, before he died, I saw a cartoon. It was a picture of EDR men on the back of a Jeep with a 50 cal machine gun.

[John Weaver] And it was just a smoking and dead Africans were laying all in front of him. And he was on the phone. And he said traffic control, I will report an accident, one Jeep and 50,000 Africans. Well, it was supposed to have been, I guess, Satirical but it was true. I mean he you know, he actually murdered his own people Yeah You don't think our government would harm us? Ask the Tuskegee Airmen You remember those black pilots from Tuskegee, Alabama that they purposely inoculated with syphilis Yeah Think about all the other people have been Given all kinds of vaccine, I'm just simply pointing out the fact.

[John Weaver] Governments, historically, are the main cause of genocide around the world. A false flag is deception. It's impossible to have a false flag attack without the use of deception. All war is deception. Government is deception. Things are not as they appear. And let me make a statement. I'm going to prove it before I get through. Seeing is not believing. Sun Tzu In The Art of War, the Chinese warrior wrote this, all warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable. When using our forces, we must appear inactive. When we are near, we must make the enemy believe that we are far away. When far away, we must make him believe that we are near.

[John Weaver] Again, he said, the whole secret lies in confusing the enemy so that he cannot fathom our real intent. All wars, deception. In deception, one must avoid direct answers to direct questions. Whenever you cannot get a straight answer, which I'm going to show you later, whenever you cannot get a straight answer, you've got to mark it down. Someone is hiding something and someone is trying to deceive you. So closely associated with false flags is what you and I would call deception and propaganda. Now, I hope you realize that all propaganda is deception. It doesn't matter if the propaganda is good or bad. It is still deception.

[John Weaver] Everyone should understand the usage of the word especially When it is related to political or a governmental sense, so let me give you a definition of propaganda here It is propaganda listen carefully the organized dissemination of information allegations to assist or damage the cause of a government or movement Listen now official governmental communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion hmm So notice if you would official governmental communications to the public are designed to influence opinion So the information may be true or false But it's still propaganda because it is carefully selected for its political effect.

[John Weaver] Now, here's what I want you to note first of all. Note, first of all, the definition says that propaganda is organized. It is an organized dissemination of information. Now, if it's organized, it's not an accident. If it's organized, it did not just simply happen. If it's organized, it is not innocent. If it's organized, it is purposeful and deliberate and premeditated and approved by the government. So if you understand that it is indeed an organized dissemination of information, you can now understand the latter part of the definition where it is official governmental communications to the public that are designed to influence public opinion. That's what propaganda is. Now, while propaganda can be termed either true or false, usually if it is from the government, it is false.

[John Weaver] A good, clear illustration of this is the COVID vaccine, which, of course, was touted as being safe and effective. Well, it was neither safe nor effective. It was deadly and destructive unless of course you define effective As disabling and killing now then that case it was very effective because that is basically what it is done and the cases of my myocarditis and All these other diseases are coming now from this.

[John Weaver] Yeah, I I'm just this is propaganda and it is deceptive. That is it now What about MSM the mainstream media they're closely connected with the federal government especially with the CIA and the FBI and If you continue to listen to the MSM and believe what they say well You're going to be propagandized and deceived to the degree. It's just that simple and In fact, I came to a conclusion many, many years ago. If you listen to the mainstream media, the news, if you would believe absolutely the opposite of what they're telling you, you'd probably be closer to the truth. It's kind of like one cartoon I saw where the newsman came on and says, tonight we're telling you what we want you to believe. Well, that's about the truth. It is propaganda. It is deceit. So, When you must you must remember this when it comes to war Propaganda and deception reign supremely when it comes to government Propaganda and deception reign supremely.

[John Weaver] I want to show you this from Joshua chapter 9 So I want you to go back to Joshua chapter 9 And I gave you all of that introduction to set you up for what is about to happen here So I want you to look at verses 3 through 5 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard that Joshua, what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they did work wildly, and went and made it as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old and rent, and bound up, and old shoes and clouded upon their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. Now, I want you to note you would please what the Bible says in verse 3 and when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard now when you see the word inhabitants you automatically think of people the people who live there Well, it would certainly include those people but may I remind you that Gibeon was

[John Weaver] a great city and so there were elders and possibly even a king. So if you would look in your Bibles to , the Bible says this, Now it came to pass when Adonai Zedek King of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it as he had done to Jericho and her king So he'd done to Ai and her king and how the inhabitants of Gibeon Had made peace with Israel and were among them that they feared greatly watch this because Gibeon was a great city as one of the royal cities and Because it was greater than AI and all the men thereof were mighty So gibbon was not just some little podunk town somewhere It was a great city as one of the royal cities And of course the inhabitants there would have to include their rulers So if you look in Joshua 9 and verse 11 Where they're talking to Joshua the princes. They said wherefore our elders are And all the inhabitants of our country spake to us saying, so now they're saying the people and the rulers were one in what they were doing.

[John Weaver] So you have to conclude then that this deception in Joshua chapter 9 was a governmentally organized and sponsored deception. You have here a foreign well-established government Interfering with a fledgling Government that it's not even really been set up. They're still conquering the territories But here they are interfering by deceiving and propagandizing now when the Bible says in Joshua 9 and verse 8 Four, they did work wildly.

[John Weaver] The Hebrew word is the word Orma. And it means to use guile, subtlety, wisdom, prudence, shrewdness, craftiness. In other words, they did work craftily. They worked subtly. They worked with shrewdness. In other words, everything that they did was planned premeditated and purposeful. The Gibeonites did not want to be destroyed. This is why they did that. They confessed that. They said, we knew that God had given you this land, and we knew that God had told you to eradicate us. We didn't want to die. Well, I understand that.

[John Weaver] If I had been a Gibeonite, I think I'd have probably gone along with them, with this exception. There were other nations that said, We're willing to bow to thee. We're willing to bow to the one true in the Living God. We're willing to serve him But they were not willing to come out and say that and so therefore they used deception It's just that simple now. I want you to look again beginning at verse 6 and I want to read just through verse 16 Because I want to make some very quick comments And I want you to apply what I'm going to be saying to the situation And they went to Joshua Unto the camp at Gilgal and said in him and to the men of Israel We become from a far country now therefore make you at league with us And the men of Israel said into the Hivites Perventure you dwell among us and how shall we make a league with you? And they said into Joshua. We're thy servants and Joshua said to them who are you and from whence come ye and And they say unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come, because of the name of the Lord thy God.

[John Weaver] For we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jord, Desaion, king of Hezbon, and Og, king of Bashan. Which was at Ashtoreth, wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of the country spake to us, saying, Take vittles with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants, therefore now make a league with us. This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses, on the day we came forth to go unto you.

[John Weaver] But now, behold, it is dry, it is moldy, And these bottles of wine, which we fill with new, and behold, they be red, and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey. And the men took of their vittles, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, and let them live. The princes of the congregation swear to them and it came to pass at the end of three days After they had made a league with them that they heard that they were their neighbors and that they dwelt among them Now, let me make some observations and I want you to think with me

[John Weaver] First of all, it should be understood from our text as well as from our experience the things are not as they always appear and Appearances may be deceiving. Seeing is not necessarily believing. Everything about the Gibeonites was deceiving. Their manner, their clothes, their bread, their shoes, their speech, everything was designed to deceive and to fool. It was designed to trick the Hebrews into a league or covenant with them.

[John Weaver] I'm sure that most of you have seen on the internet. Artificial intelligence productions. I've seen men and women like Donald Trump or Joe Biden or some Hollywood movie star. And you look there and you recognize those faces and they're speaking. And you recognize their voices and they're saying certain things and you can't believe what they're saying. And yet there they are. And it's not them at all. Even the lip movements. Match the words, the syllables, everything, but it's all fake.

[John Weaver] You say, well, I saw this, I heard this. But you may have seen wrongly and you may have heard wrongly. It's just that simple. Because what these people did, what Joshua and the princes did, they judged by appearances. You know what our Lord said in John 7 verse 24 judge not by appearance, but judge righteous Judgment so seeing is not believing because your eyes may be deceived as well You may believe but you may believe wrongly propaganda deception misinformation false flags Everything is designed to deceive they require all of these things require that you judge by Appearance they require that you judge by the information that you are given They do not want you to pray about anything. They do not want you to think about anything They do not want you to study. They do not want you to research. They do not want upon the information that you were given. That's exactly what the Givenites did to Joshua and to the princes. So you have to understand that just because you think you see something does not necessarily mean that you see something, because there have been men and women who were illusionists and magicians who made millions of dollars deceiving people and making them think that things disappear.

[John Weaver] I forget who is the magician that made the Great Wall of China disappear. Yeah, right in front of your eyes, he made it disappear. Not really. It was an illusion. I'm just simply saying just because you see something does not say it is absolutely true. Here's the second thing. You must beware when you cannot get a straight answer from someone. It's interesting that twice Joshua asked, Who are you? Where are you from?

[John Weaver] We be from a very far country. Really? Well, how far is far? And what country is that for country? How about the name of a city? How about the name of a town? Just tell me the country that you're from. Why would they not tell the country? Why would they not name a town or city? Because all of that could be verified. It may take a little time, but it could be verified.

[John Weaver] And they do not want verification. No, no, no. All they want is for you to act upon what you are told.

[John Weaver] Now, I would have a question. I want you to look in verse 9. After he asked them who are you and from whence came you? They said in him from a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord by God For we have heard the fame of him all that he did in Egypt And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan to Sihon king of Hegemon and Og king of Bashan Which was an asteroth now, wait a minute. I Now we live from a we came from a very very far country But now we have heard what God has done To the Egyptians.

[John Weaver] Well, I can understand that Because Israelites traveled in the wilderness of 40 years and probably you could learn something in 40 years You you know, you don't have a cell phone. You don't have telegraph. You don't have newspapers but 40 years a camel could get pretty far, you know and But when they start mentioning Sion and Og, they had just been defeated recently. How did they get the news of their defeat? Because they were defeated as they were trying to get into the promised land. And they're just now in the promised land. They've just defeated Jericho and Ai. How did these people from a very very far country get this information so quickly?

[John Weaver] It's what I'd like to know Here's another thing I want you to watch this I want you to see it again in verse 9 The third thing that you need to consider is this you must be concerned when men appear Too religious and Too quick to push positions that you hold and believe in. What are you talking about, Pastor? Well, look in verse 9, And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come. Now watch this. Because of the name of the Lord thy God. Here's my question. How did they receive The personal name of God anytime you see the word Lord in all camps It's the word Yahweh or Jehovah as it's translated sometimes If they're from a very far country, how did they get the sacred name of God? How did they know who he was?

[John Weaver] Why are they pushing The name of the Lord let me tell you something I've had bums hobos, drifters, ex-cons, and a host of other folks ply the religious theme when they wanted money or something else. And after they got what they wanted, their religion disappeared. All I'm trying to tell you is this. When people are pushy when it comes to religion, you better watch out. Someone's trying to trick you someone's trying to deceive you a true believer a true Christian knows how to communicate without being pushy and without being obnoxious It's just that simple So these people were pushing on the fact that they knew the name of God fourthly, let me point out it is possible that

[John Weaver] even the wisest and the holiest may be deceived. Joshua and the princes were deceived. You may be a leader. You may be brilliant. You may be intelligent. You may be confident, but you can also be deceived. Then truth is, even though God has given us our minds to use in our reasoning abilities, one sense of the word we cannot trust them totally or solely and completely you remember that passage in Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5 through 7 what did he say there trust in the Lord with all thine heart lean not to thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path now listen to this he said be not wise in thine own eyes listen Fear the Lord and depart from evil We're not wise in thine own eyes. So anytime we think that boy, we cannot be deceived.

[John Weaver] We're already deceived It's just that simple here's the fifth thing Deception normally takes place when we abandon and refuse to seek God's counsel look at verse 14 and the men took of their vittles and And ask not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. I know what a moldy piece of bread looks like. I know what old shoes look like. I have some of them. I probably don't know what an old wine bottle looks like, but I know some of these things and some of them are very convincing. Wow, look at that. Look at that. And we were just simply judging by appearance. And what they did is they judge by appearance and they refuse to seek the Lord.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something. There are very few Christian people today that really know the principles of the word of God. They know the precepts of the word of God and are willing to live by those principles and those precepts. You remember what our Lord told the Sadducees and the Pharisees in Matthew chapter 22 and verse 29. He said you do err Not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God and we err whenever we Refuse the counsel of God which is given us in Scripture or whenever we refuse to seek him in prayer and ask for his wisdom and his leadership in his direction That's exactly What happened in this instance?

[John Weaver] They relied upon their eyes. They relied upon their own intellect. Here's the sixth thing, and I want you to think about this one. Eventually, all deception will be exposed. In this instance, according to verse 16, it only took three days. It only took three days. And it came to pass at the end of three days, after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors and dwelt among them. know what our Lord said in Luke chapter 12 in verse 2 he said for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed neither hid that shall not be made known so God says it's going to be exposed so let me just point out to you I know we get upset and and we should be in one sense of the word But the Great Society is going to be exposed. The Great Reset is going to be exposed. The New World Order is going to be exposed. Everything that's wicked and sinful is going to ultimately be exposed.

[John Weaver] What we must do as believers is not be deceived by any of these things. And the only way we can not be deceived is by knowing the Word of God. What was it? That condemned joshua and the princes and the people they refused to seek counsel Of god They refused his word. So let me put it to you like this It's only god and it's only his word that can keep us from being deceived There are so many there are so many things going on today I don't know if you've seen the hologram the whale Jumping out of the water and going in the water It's not real but you could put it on the wall over here and it look it looks real I Mean you think that that is a huge whale on that wall and he's diving in and out of the water But it's just hologram They have what they call project blue brick blue beam and Where they can shoot a holograms up and you can see all kind of flying saucers You can see the Lord returning you can see anything that they can manufacture And the only way you're going to escape all of that deceit that that that wickedness and deceivableness Is by knowing the scripture

[John Weaver] That's it It is the scripture that's going to reveal to us the wickedness of man. It's a scripture that's going to reveal to us the wisdom of God. And it's the scriptures that are going to tell us how we should live and how we should not be deceived. When we fail to seek counsel from God, we are deceived already because we're trusting in our own understanding, our own intellect, instead of relying upon the God of the universe.

[John Weaver] What did he say again? Lean not to thine own understanding and all thy ways acknowledge him. Yes, we may use our minds. Yes, we may use our understanding. Yes, We must think and we must deduce and we must apply but we must seek God at the same time saying Lord I'm human. I'm fallible I can err I can be deceived. I want your truth. I want your leadership. I want your power.

[John Weaver] I want your direction False flags are everywhere Propaganda or the other news turn on her TV set deceit every day every minute of the hour. As our Lord, he said, you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your grace. We ask for your mercy. We ask, Lord, that you would help us not to be deceived. But, Lord, you would indeed help us to search thy word, seek thy counsel, apply thy wisdom, And Lord, we ask thee to protect us in this day and age of false flags and propaganda and deception. Give us your grace and your mercy. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] ♪

False Flags, Propaganda and Deception

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	fljAjvfDyOE
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs: Kingship, Household Wisdom, and Warning
Genre	Sermon
Date	2024-02-21
Dictation Name
Book	Book 084: Proverbs: Kingship, Household Wisdom, and Warning — Chapter 13
Source Timed Segments	60

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Question and the Text

The sermon originates from a question asked by a gentleman, leading to an examination of Joshua 9:3-16, where the Gibeonites deceive Israel.

Joshua chapter 9, beginning there with verse 3, and the title of the message is "False Flags, Propaganda and Deception." A few weeks ago one gentleman asked me a question, and I thought, well, I'll answer that question in a sermon. And this sermon is a result of the question that he asked. So let's begin reading in Joshua 9, verse 3.

Scripture Reading — Joshua 9:3-16

"And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles old and rent and bound up, and old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them." "And all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua into the camp at Gilgal and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country." "Now therefore make ye a league with us. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? And from whence come ye? And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come, because of the name of the LORD thy God." "For we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan, which was at Ashteroth. Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league, or a covenant, with us." "This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, it is moldy. These bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of a very long journey. And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them."

So here's a good question.

The Nature of Deception

Deception is universal; everyone uses it. It is a tool that can be used for good or evil, and even God uses deception, as seen in 2 Chronicles 18 and Job 12:16.

Have you ever been deceived? If so, do you remember how hurt you were when you realized the deception? At times, you blamed the other person or the people for deceiving you. And at other times, you blamed your own self for being so stupid and so gullible and to fall for such a swindle. But interestingly, at times, everybody wants to be deceived. We do not want the truth because the truth makes us uncomfortable. It holds us accountable and demands righteous action and conduct. And the truth of the matter is this: everyone uses deception. All warfare is deception. All camouflage is deception. Smiling at folks when you're irritated with them is deception. Telling your wife that she looks lovely in an unlovely dress is deception. I saw a cartoon years ago. I've never forgotten it. And I don't believe any husband would be as brave as this man was in the cartoon. The wife was looking into a mirror, standing behind him. He was sitting in a lounge chair reading the paper. And as she looked in the mirror, she said this, she said, "I'm old, I'm fat, I'm wrinkled, I'm sagging, and I need help." And she looked at her husband and said, "Say something to me that will help me." And he said, "For a woman as old as you are, you have mighty good eyesight." Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help it. I don't imagine any husband's going to be that brave, but anyhow. Deception, by the way, is not evil in and of itself.

It's a tool, and it may be used for the good, or it may be used for evil. The truth of the matter is this: even God uses deception. I'm going to show it to you from the Bible, but if you remember in the book of Job chapter 12 and verse 16, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Job 12:16

"With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his."

So if you will, holding Joshua 9, turn to 2 Chronicles chapter 18. 2 Chronicles 18, and let's begin reading there with verse 12. And I hope you remember this story about Ahab and Jehoshaphat. And Ahab is trying to get Jehoshaphat to go with him to Ramoth-gilead. And of course, he has all of his false prophets, and they come out and they are prophesying all kind of success for Ahab. And Jehoshaphat asks, "Is there not here a prophet of God, a servant of God?" And Ahab answers, "There's one, but I hate him."

Biblical Warnings Against Deception

God warns believers not to be deceived in two areas: evil communications corrupt good manners (1 Corinthians 15:33) and sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7-8).

of Macedonia and Achaia. And he says it shows what manner of entering in we had unto you. Then he says on how you turned to God from idols to serve the one living God and to wait for his Son Jesus Christ from heaven. In other words, you were once deceived, you were once disobedient, but now you've been delivered. You're no longer deceived. You've turned to the one true and the living God and you're serving him. So the truth of the matter is each of us before our conversion were deceived. Now there are two particular areas that God warns us as Christians—and anyone else as well—in which we are not to be deceived. I'm going to give you those two passages. I want you to look in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 33. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 33. Look at what the Word of God says. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 33. The Bible says, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." Now look at that. That is so simple and straightforward.

God says, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." Now if you believe that you can associate intimately with wicked people and not be corrupted, then he says you are deceived, because you should not be deceived, because he's telling you right now, evil communications corrupt good manners. Now the word "evil" of course means that which is bad and wicked. The word "communications" is the Greek word homilia, which refers to what you and I would call communication, communion, intercourse, or that which refers to an intimate and close fellowship. It would not only include an individual, it would also include what you and I would call a company, or a bunch, or a multitude. For the Bible tells you in the book of Exodus chapter 23 and verse 2, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." In other words, you associate with them, you're simply going to end up doing that which is evil. Now when he says, verse 33, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners," the word "manners" is the Greek word ethos, and it refers to customs, morals, or character.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:33

So it says don't be deceived, evil communications corrupt good character, good morals, and good manners. So here is the truth that God is putting forward for us. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 33. I've heard so many Christians say this: "Well, I'm close friends with this wicked person and I'm close friends with these wicked people because I want to lift them up and pull them up." God says don't be deceived. You're not pulling anybody up. They're going to pull you down. Evil communications corrupt good manners. You do not lift wicked people up by becoming intimate with them. That doesn't mean that you cannot be friends, but it does mean that you cannot be associating with them and treating them as if everything is hunky-dory when in reality it is not hunky-dory. The positive side of 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 33 would be this: that we are to communicate, we're to associate with good men who will help us and lead us. We can associate with intelligent men from which we can gain knowledge and understanding. But what are you saying? You begin to mess around and become intimate and fellowshipping with the wicked, and you're not going to lift them up.

They are going to pull you down. They will destroy you. Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners. Here's the second one in which God tells you not to be deceived. And you can probably quote it, but it's Galatians 6:7-8. Where he said, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

Now, when you and I think about mocking God, we think about someone standing bravely, quote-unquote, and cursing God and denying God and doing all kind of crazy and insane things. I remember reading about one infidel who was going to prove that God did not exist. And he stood out publicly and dared God to strike him dead in five minutes. And then he started counting down. And when five minutes passed, he's still alive. He said, "See, there is no God." And this one godly woman said, "Do you think that you can exhaust the patience of an eternal almighty God in five minutes?" So we would call that mocking God. But you can mock God without standing up, criticizing, condemning and denying him.

All you have to do is disobey him. All you have to do is live your life as if He did not exist. As if His Word was not true. In other words, God is not mocked. Whatever you sow, that's exactly what you're going to reap. You're not going to be able to sin against God and escape his judgment. You're not going to be able to sin against God and escape his condemnation.

He said, don't be deceived in this area. It's impossible. You cannot do this. When we talk about deception, you have to understand deception reigns supremely today. All you have to do to be deceived is listen to the TV all the time or listen to the radio. Look how Americans are so tuned in to their games, their video games, their TV programs, and think about the fact that most Americans give their lives for nothing but circuses and fun

False Flags Defined and Illustrated

A false flag is a political or military action carried out to blame an opponent. Historical examples include pirates and modern government actions, often dismissed as conspiracy theories.

Now, let me mention something about a false flag to begin with. First of all, a false flag is usually defined as a political or military action carried out with the intention of blaming an opponent for it. Nations have often done this by staging either a real or a simulated attack on their own side and saying that an enemy did it and use it as a pretext for going to war. At times, they may actually allow an enemy to attack them so that they may retaliate with a vengeance and have what they would call the moral high ground to destroy that individual. You will find that stand-down orders have been given to military, to law enforcement on many occasions. I can think of occasions in this nation, in America, where stand-down orders were given to cops when there was a riot going on, people were killed.

I know firsthand of a situation like that. I know the people who were involved. I'm just simply saying this is a false flag. And you remember the false flag came into existence, or I'm going to say real prominence, in the 16th century, where the pirates then took down their skull and bones flag and would fly the friendly flag of a neighboring nation in order to get close to a merchant ship. And once they were close enough, they would throw the ropes and pull alongside and mount them and kill everybody and steal everything they could steal. That was simply called a false flag because they were lying. They were deceiving the merchant ship, making them think they were something they were not. When I was looking at this, I looked this up on the internet, and here came one paragraph from the ADL, and I want you to listen to this. The Anti-Defamation League.

This is astounding, but there's a question that's bound to be asked after listening to this. Here's what they wrote: "False flag is a term used by conspiracy theorists to suggest that various world events and crises, such as terrorist attacks or mass shootings, were actually orchestrated by governments or sinister forces in furtherance of a political or social goal, such as gun control or sowing public fear. Historically, the term has been used to refer to a military or political operation carried out with the intention of blaming an opponent for it, often as a pretext for going to war." Now, here's the question that begs to be answered. What does a conspiracy theory have to do with a false flag if a false flag actually exists? What they're saying is if you believe anyhow or some way that your government would harm you or do that which is wrong and wicked, then you have to be a conspiracy theorist. Wow. But in reality, it's been governments all over the world

that's been guilty of what you and I would call genocide or democide. Stop and ask Mr. Stalin how many millions he killed. Stop and ask Pol Pot how many millions of Cambodians that he killed. Stop and ask Idi Amin how many of his own countrymen that he killed. Years ago, before he died, I saw a cartoon. It was a picture of Idi Amin on the back of a Jeep with a .50 cal machine gun.

And it was just a smoking and dead Africans were laying all in front of him. And he was on the phone. And he said, "Traffic control, I will report an accident, one Jeep and 50,000 Africans." Well, it was supposed to have been, I guess, satirical, but it was true. I mean he, you know, he actually murdered his own people. Yeah. You don't think our government would harm us? Ask the Tuskegee experiment. You remember those black men from Tuskegee, Alabama that they purposely inoculated with syphilis? Yeah. Think about all the other people that have been given all kinds of vaccines. I'm just simply pointing out the fact.

Governments, historically, are the main cause of genocide around the world. A false flag is deception. It's impossible to have a false flag attack without the use of deception. All war is deception. Government is deception. Things are not as they appear. And let me make a statement. I'm going to prove it before I get through. Seeing is not believing. Sun Tzu, in The Art of War, the Chinese warrior wrote this: "All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe that we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe that we are near."

Propaganda as Organized Deception

Propaganda is the organized dissemination of information to influence public opinion, often false. The COVID vaccine and mainstream media are cited as examples.

Everyone should understand the usage of the word, especially when it is related to a political or a governmental sense. So let me give you a definition of propaganda here. It is propaganda, listen carefully: the organized dissemination of information, allegations, to assist or damage the cause of a government or movement. Listen now: official governmental communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion. Hmm. So notice if you would, official governmental communications to the public are designed to influence opinion. So the information may be true or false, but it's still propaganda because it is carefully selected for its political effect.

Now, here's what I want you to note first of all. Note, first of all, the definition says that propaganda is organized. It is an organized dissemination of information. Now, if it's organized, it's not an accident. If it's organized, it did not just simply happen. If it's organized, it is not innocent. If it's organized, it is purposeful and deliberate and premeditated and approved by the government. So if you understand that it is indeed an organized dissemination of information, you can now understand the latter part of the definition where it is official governmental communications to the public that are designed to influence public opinion. That's what propaganda is. Now, while propaganda can be termed either true or false, usually if it is from the government, it is false.

A good, clear illustration of this is the COVID vaccine, which, of course, was touted as being safe and effective. Well, it was neither safe nor effective. It was deadly and destructive, unless of course you define effective as disabling and killing. Now, in that case it was very effective, because that is basically what it has done. And the cases of myocarditis and all these other diseases are coming now from this. Yeah, I'm just—this is propaganda and it is deceptive. That is it. Now, what about MSM, the mainstream media? They're closely connected with the federal government, especially with the CIA and the FBI. And if you continue to listen to the MSM and believe what they say, well, you're going to be propagandized and deceived to the degree. It's just that simple. In fact, I came to a conclusion many, many years ago. If you listen to the mainstream media, the news, if you would believe absolutely the opposite of what they're telling you, you'd probably be closer to the truth. It's kind of like one cartoon I saw where the newsman came on and says, "Tonight we're telling you what we want you to believe." Well, that's about the truth. It is propaganda. It is deceit. So, you must remember this: when it comes to war, propaganda and deception reign supremely. When it comes to government, propaganda and deception reign supremely.

I want to show you this from Joshua chapter 9. So I want you to go back to Joshua chapter 9. And I gave you all of that introduction to set you up for what is about to happen here. So I want you to look at verses 3 through 5. "And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old and rent and bound up, and old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy." Now, I want you to note, if you would please, what the Bible says in verse 3: "And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard." Now when you see the word "inhabitants" you automatically think of people, the people who live there. Well, it would certainly include those people, but may I remind you that Gibeon was

a great city, and so there were elders and possibly even a king. So if you would look in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 10 in verses 1 and 2, the Bible says this:

Scripture Reading — Joshua 10:1-2

"Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; that they feared greatly: because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty."

So Gibeon was not just some little podunk town somewhere. It was a great city, as one of the royal cities. And of course the inhabitants there would have to include their rulers. So if you look in Joshua 9 and verse 11, where they're talking to Joshua and the princes, they said, "Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying," so now they're saying the people and the rulers were one in what they were doing.

The Gibeonites' Deception Analyzed

The Gibeonites' deception was governmentally organized. They used craftiness, avoided direct answers, and pushed religious themes to trick Israel into a covenant.

a great city, and so there were elders and possibly even a king. So if you would look in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 10 in verses 1 and 2, the Bible says this:

Scripture Reading — Joshua 10:1-2

"Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; that they feared greatly: because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty."

Scripture Reading — Joshua 9:11

So you have to conclude then that this deception in Joshua chapter 9 was a governmentally organized and sponsored deception. You have here a foreign, well-established government interfering with a fledgling government that's not even really been set up. They're still conquering the territories. But here they are interfering by deceiving and propagandizing. Now when the Bible says in Joshua 9 and verse 4, "They did work wilily." The Hebrew word is the word ormah. And it means to use guile, subtlety, wisdom, prudence, shrewdness, craftiness. In other words, they did work craftily. They worked subtly. They worked with shrewdness. In other words, everything that they did was planned, premeditated, and purposeful. The Gibeonites did not want to be destroyed. This is why they did that. They confessed that. They said, "We knew that God had given you this land, and we knew that God had told you to eradicate us. We didn't want to die." Well, I understand that.

If I had been a Gibeonite, I think I'd have probably gone along with them, with this exception. There were other nations that said, "We're willing to bow to thee. We're willing to bow to the one true and the living God. We're willing to serve him." But they were not willing to come out and say that, and so therefore they used deception. It's just that simple. Now, I want you to look again beginning at verse 6, and I want to read just through verse 16, because I want to make some very quick comments. And I want you to apply what I'm going to be saying to the situation. "And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye? And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come, because of the name of the LORD thy God."

"For we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashteroth. Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of the country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us. This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses, on the day we came forth to go unto you." "But now, behold, it is dry, it is moldy. And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey. And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them." Now, let me make some observations and I want you to think with me.

First of all, it should be understood from our text as well as from our experience that things are not as they always appear, and appearances may be deceiving. Seeing is not necessarily believing. Everything about the Gibeonites was deceiving. Their manner, their clothes, their bread, their shoes, their speech, everything was designed to deceive and to fool. It was designed to trick the Hebrews into a league or covenant with them. I'm sure that most of you have seen on the internet artificial intelligence productions. I've seen men and women like Donald Trump or Joe Biden or some Hollywood movie star. And you look there and you recognize those faces and they're speaking. And you recognize their voices and they're saying certain things and you can't believe what they're saying. And yet there they are. And it's not them at all. Even the lip movements match the words, the syllables, everything, but it's all fake.

You say, "Well, I saw this, I heard this." But you may have seen wrongly and you may have heard wrongly. It's just that simple. Because what these people did, what Joshua and the princes did, they judged by appearances. You know what our Lord said in John 7:24? "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." So seeing is not believing, because your eyes may be deceived as well. You may believe, but you may believe wrongly. Propaganda, deception, misinformation, false flags—everything is designed to deceive. They require all of these things require that you judge by appearance. They require that you judge by the information that you are given. They do not want you to pray about anything. They do not want you to think about anything. They do not want you to study. They do not want you to research. They do not want you to act upon the information that you were given. That's exactly what the Gibeonites did to Joshua and to the princes. So you have to understand that just because you think you see something does not necessarily mean that you see something, because there have been men and women who were illusionists and magicians who made millions of dollars deceiving people and making them think that things disappear.

I forget who is the magician that made the Great Wall of China disappear. Yeah, right in front of your eyes, he made it disappear. Not really. It was an illusion. I'm just simply saying just because you see something does not say it is absolutely true. Here's the second thing. You must beware when you cannot get a straight answer from someone. It's interesting that twice Joshua asked, "Who are you? Where are you from?"

"We be from a very far country." Really? Well, how far is far? And what country is that far country? How about the name of a city? How about the name of a town? Just tell me the country that you're from. Why would they not tell the country? Why would they not name a town or city? Because all of that could be verified. It may take a little time, but it could be verified.

And they do not want verification. No, no, no. All they want is for you to act upon what you are told. Now, I would have a question. I want you to look in verse 9. After he asked them, "Who are you and from whence came ye?" They said unto him, "From a very far country thy servants are come, because of the name of the LORD thy God. For we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashteroth." Now, wait a minute. Now we live from a—we came from a very, very far country. But now we have heard what God has done to the Egyptians.

Well, I can understand that, because Israelites traveled in the wilderness for 40 years and probably you could learn something in 40 years. You know, you don't have a cell phone. You don't have telegraph. You don't have newspapers. But 40 years, a camel could get pretty far, you know. But when they start mentioning Sihon and Og, they had just been defeated recently. How did they get the news of their defeat? Because they were defeated as they were trying to get into the promised land. And they're just now in the promised land. They've just defeated Jericho and Ai. How did these people from a very, very far country get this information so quickly?

It's what I'd like to know. Here's another thing. I want you to watch this. I want you to see it again in verse 9. The third thing that you need to consider is this: you must be concerned when men appear too religious and too quick to push positions that you hold and believe in. What are you talking about, Pastor? Well, look in verse 9, "And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come." Now watch this. "Because of the name of the LORD thy God." Here's my question. How did they receive the personal name of God? Anytime you see the word "LORD" in all caps, it's the word Yahweh or Jehovah, as it's translated sometimes. If they're from a very far country, how did they get the sacred name of God? How did they know who he was?

Lessons from Israel's Failure

Israel was deceived because they judged by appearances and failed to seek God's counsel. Even the wisest can be deceived, and all deception will eventually be exposed.

Why are they pushing the name of the LORD? Let me tell you something. I've had bums, hobos, drifters, ex-cons, and a host of other folks ply the religious theme when they wanted money or something else. And after they got what they wanted, their religion disappeared. All I'm trying to tell you is this. When people are pushy when it comes to religion, you better watch out. Someone's trying to trick you, someone's trying to deceive you. A true believer, a true Christian knows how to communicate without being pushy and without being obnoxious. It's just that simple. So these people were pushing on the fact that they knew the name of God. Fourthly, let me point out it is possible that

even the wisest and the holiest may be deceived. Joshua and the princes were deceived. You may be a leader. You may be brilliant. You may be intelligent. You may be confident, but you can also be deceived. The truth is, even though God has given us our minds to use and our reasoning abilities, in one sense of the word we cannot trust them totally or solely and completely. You remember that passage in Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5 through 7? What did he say there? "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Now listen to this. He said, "Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." Be not wise in thine own eyes. So anytime we think that, boy, we cannot be deceived,

we're already deceived. It's just that simple. Here's the fifth thing. Deception normally takes place when we abandon and refuse to seek God's counsel. Look at verse 14: "And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD." I know what a moldy piece of bread looks like. I know what old shoes look like. I have some of them. I probably don't know what an old wine bottle looks like, but I know some of these things and some of them are very convincing. Wow, look at that. Look at that. And we were just simply judging by appearance. And what they did is they judged by appearance and they refused to seek the LORD.

Let me tell you something. There are very few Christian people today that really know the principles of the Word of God. They know the precepts of the Word of God and are willing to live by those principles and those precepts. You remember what our Lord told the Sadducees and the Pharisees in Matthew chapter 22 and verse 29? He said, "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." And we err whenever we refuse the counsel of God which is given us in Scripture, or whenever we refuse to seek him in prayer and ask for his wisdom and his leadership and his direction. That's exactly what happened in this instance. They relied upon their eyes. They relied upon their own intellect. Here's the sixth thing, and I want you to think about this one. Eventually, all deception will be exposed. In this instance, according to verse 16, it only took three days. It only took three days. "And it came to pass at the end of three days, after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them." You know what our Lord said in Luke chapter 12 in verse 2? He said,

Scripture Reading — Luke 12:2

"For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be made known."

So God says it's going to be exposed. So let me just point out to you, I know we get upset and we should be in one sense of the word, but the Great Society is going to be exposed. The Great Reset is going to be exposed. The New World Order is going to be exposed. Everything that's wicked and sinful is going to ultimately be exposed.

Conclusion: Avoiding Deception Through God's Word

Believers must rely on Scripture and prayer to avoid deception, especially in an age of advanced technology like holograms and Project Blue Beam.

What we must do as believers is not be deceived by any of these things. And the only way we can not be deceived is by knowing the Word of God. What was it that condemned Joshua and the princes and the people? They refused to seek counsel of God. They refused his Word. So let me put it to you like this: it's only God and it's only his Word that can keep us from being deceived. There are so many things going on today. I don't know if you've seen the hologram of the whale jumping out of the water and going in the water. It's not real, but you could put it on the wall over here and it looks real. I mean you think that that is a huge whale on that wall and he's diving in and out of the water, but it's just a hologram. They have what they call Project Blue Beam, where they can shoot holograms up and you can see all kind of flying saucers. You can see the Lord returning. You can see anything that they can manufacture. And the only way you're going to escape all of that deceit, that wickedness and deceivableness, is by knowing the Scripture.

That's it. It is the Scripture that's going to reveal to us the wickedness of man. It's the Scripture that's going to reveal to us the wisdom of God. And it's the Scriptures that are going to tell us how we should live and how we should not be deceived. When we fail to seek counsel from God, we are deceived already because we're trusting in our own understanding, our own intellect, instead of relying upon the God of the universe. What did he say again? "Lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him." Yes, we may use our minds. Yes, we may use our understanding. Yes, we must think and we must deduce and we must apply, but we must seek God at the same time, saying, "Lord, I'm human. I'm fallible. I can err. I can be deceived. I want your truth. I want your leadership. I want your power."

I want your direction. False flags are everywhere. Propaganda or the other news, turn on your TV set, deceit every day, every minute of the hour. As our Lord, he said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your grace. We ask for your mercy. We ask, Lord, that you would help us not to be deceived. But, Lord, you would indeed help us to search thy Word, seek thy counsel, apply thy wisdom. And Lord, we ask thee to protect us in this day and age of false flags and propaganda and deception. Give us your grace and your mercy. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Deception as a Universal Tool

Summary: Deception is used by everyone, including God, and is not inherently evil; it can serve good or evil purposes.

Evidence: Pastor Weaver states, 'Deception, by the way, is not evil in and of itself. It's a tool, and it may be used for the good, or it may be used for evil.' He cites Job 12:16 and 2 Chronicles 18 to show God's use of deception.

The Danger of Rejecting Truth

Summary: Rejecting the truth leads to believing lies, which results in destruction and damnation, as seen in Ahab's fate and 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.

Evidence: He says, 'If you do not believe the truth, you will believe a lie. The only alternative to the truth is a lie.' He references 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 about God sending strong delusion.

Biblical Warnings Against Specific Deceptions

Summary: God explicitly warns against being deceived about the corrupting influence of evil associations and the principle of sowing and reaping.

Evidence: He cites 1 Corinthians 15:33 ('Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners') and Galatians 6:7-8 ('Be not deceived; God is not mocked').

Government-Sponsored Deception

Summary: Governments historically use false flags and propaganda to deceive the public, and the Gibeonites' deception was a governmentally organized act.

Evidence: He defines false flags and propaganda, gives historical examples, and notes that the Gibeonites' deception involved elders and rulers (Joshua 9:11, 10:1-2).

The Necessity of Seeking God's Counsel

Summary: Israel's failure to seek God's counsel led to their deception; believers must rely on Scripture and prayer to avoid being deceived.

Evidence: He emphasizes Joshua 9:14 ('asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD') and Proverbs 3:5-7, and warns against leaning on one's own understanding.

The Ultimate Exposure of Deception

Summary: All deception will eventually be revealed, as seen in the Gibeonites' exposure after three days and Luke 12:2.

Evidence: He says, 'Eventually, all deception will be exposed,' citing Joshua 9:16 and Luke 12:2.

Key Arguments

Deception is a tool, not inherently evil

Summary: Deception is used by everyone, including God, and can be employed for good or evil purposes.

Evidence: He states, 'Deception, by the way, is not evil in and of itself. It's a tool, and it may be used for the good, or it may be used for evil.' He cites Job 12:16 and the story of Micaiah in 2 Chronicles 18.

Rejecting truth leads to believing lies and destruction

Summary: If one does not believe the truth, they will believe a lie, leading to damnation, as illustrated by Ahab and 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.

Evidence: He says, 'If you do not believe the truth, you will believe a lie. The only alternative to the truth is a lie.' He references 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.

Evil associations corrupt good character

Summary: Intimate fellowship with wicked people corrupts good morals, contrary to the belief that one can lift them up.

Evidence: He expounds 1 Corinthians 15:33, explaining that 'evil communications' refers to intimate fellowship and 'manners' to character.

Sowing and reaping is an unchangeable law

Summary: God is not mocked; whatever one sows, they will reap, whether to the flesh or the Spirit.

Evidence: He cites Galatians 6:7-8 and explains that disobeying God is a form of mocking Him.

Governments use false flags and propaganda to deceive

Summary: False flags are real, historically used by governments, and propaganda is organized deception to influence public opinion.

Evidence: He defines false flags, gives historical examples (pirates, Stalin, Pol Pot), and defines propaganda as 'official governmental communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion.'

The Gibeonites' deception was governmentally organized

Summary: The deception in Joshua 9 involved the elders and rulers of Gibeon, making it a state-sponsored act of craftiness.

Evidence: He notes Joshua 9:11 and 10:1-2, showing Gibeon was a great city with rulers, and the Hebrew word 'ormah' for 'work wilily' means craftiness.

Judging by appearances leads to deception

Summary: Israel was deceived because they relied on their senses and did not seek God's counsel, a warning against trusting appearances.

Evidence: He cites John 7:24 ('Judge not according to the appearance') and Joshua 9:14, and warns about AI and illusions.

All deception will be exposed

Summary: Deception is temporary; God will reveal all hidden things, as seen in the Gibeonites' exposure and Luke 12:2.

Evidence: He says, 'Eventually, all deception will be exposed,' referencing Joshua 9:16 and Luke 12:2.

Scripture References

Joshua 9:3-16

Context: The primary text of the sermon, detailing the Gibeonites' deception of Israel.

Job 12:16

Context: Cited to show that God is sovereign over both the deceived and the deceiver.

2 Chronicles 18:12-22

Context: The story of Micaiah and Ahab, illustrating God's use of a lying spirit to deceive Ahab.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

Context: Used to show that those who reject the truth are sent strong delusion to believe a lie and be damned.

Titus 3:3

Context: Cited to show that before salvation, people are deceived and disobedient.

1 Thessalonians 1:9

Context: Referenced to illustrate turning from idols (deception) to serve the living God.

1 Corinthians 15:33

Context: Warning against deception: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Exodus 23:2

Context: Cited in connection with 1 Corinthians 15:33 to warn against following a multitude to do evil.

Galatians 6:7-8

Context: Warning against deception: God is not mocked; whatever a man sows, he will reap.

Joshua 10:1-2

Context: Shows that Gibeon was a great city with mighty men, indicating the deception was governmentally organized.

Joshua 9:11

Context: The Gibeonites mention their elders and inhabitants, showing collective involvement in the deception.

John 7:24

Context: Jesus' command to judge not according to appearance, but righteous judgment, applied to avoiding deception.

Proverbs 3:5-7

Context: Admonition to trust in the Lord and not lean on one's own understanding, to avoid being wise in one's own eyes.

Matthew 22:29

Context: Jesus' rebuke to the Sadducees for erring by not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God.

Luke 12:2

Context: Promise that nothing covered will not be revealed, applied to the eventual exposure of all deception.

Historical References

Pirates' use of false flags in the 16th century

Context: Pirates flew friendly flags to deceive merchant ships before attacking, giving rise to the term 'false flag'.

Joseph Stalin's mass killings

Context: Cited as an example of government-perpetrated genocide.

Pol Pot's killings in Cambodia

Context: Cited as an example of government-perpetrated genocide.

Idi Amin's killings in Uganda

Context: Cited as an example of government-perpetrated genocide, with a satirical cartoon mentioned.

Tuskegee syphilis experiment

Context: U.S. government experiment where black men were purposely infected with syphilis, cited as evidence that governments harm their own people.

Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War'

Context: Quoted to support the idea that all warfare is based on deception.

COVID-19 vaccine

Context: Presented as an example of government propaganda, claimed to be neither safe nor effective.

Mainstream media (MSM) connection to CIA/FBI

Context: Claimed that MSM is closely connected with federal agencies and spreads propaganda.

Project Blue Beam

Context: Mentioned as a technology that can project holograms to deceive people, such as fake UFOs or the return of Christ.

Important Quotes

If you do not believe the truth, you will believe a lie. The only alternative to the truth is a lie.

Significance: Core argument that rejecting truth inevitably leads to deception and destruction.

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Significance: Key biblical warning against the corrupting influence of wicked associations.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Significance: Key biblical warning about the unchangeable law of sowing and reaping.

All warfare is based on deception.

Significance: Quote from Sun Tzu used to support the idea that deception is inherent in conflict and government.

And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

Significance: The pivotal verse (Joshua 9:14) showing Israel's failure that led to their deception.

Eventually, all deception will be exposed.

Significance: A hopeful conclusion that God will ultimately reveal all hidden things.

Discussion Questions

In what ways do we see deception used in everyday life, and how can we discern when it is being used for good versus evil?

Context: Pastor Weaver argues that deception is a tool that can be used for good or evil, citing examples like camouflage and social politeness.

How does the story of Ahab and Micaiah illustrate the danger of preferring lies over truth, and what are modern parallels?

Context: The sermon uses 2 Chronicles 18 to show Ahab's rejection of truth and preference for deception, leading to his death.

What does it mean practically to 'be not deceived' about evil communications corrupting good manners, and how should this affect our relationships?

Context: Pastor Weaver expounds 1 Corinthians 15:33, warning that intimate fellowship with the wicked corrupts character.

How can we apply the principle of sowing and reaping from Galatians 6:7-8 to avoid self-deception in our spiritual lives?

Context: The sermon warns that disobeying God is a form of mocking Him and that we will reap what we sow.

In what ways might governments or media use propaganda today, and how can Christians guard against being deceived?

Context: Pastor Weaver defines propaganda and gives examples like the COVID vaccine and mainstream media, urging reliance on Scripture.

What lessons can we learn from Israel's failure to seek God's counsel in Joshua 9, and how can we apply them to decision-making?

Context: The sermon highlights Joshua 9:14 as the critical error, emphasizing the need for prayer and Scripture in avoiding deception.

How does the promise that all deception will be exposed (Luke 12:2) give us hope and perspective in a world full of lies?

Context: Pastor Weaver assures that God will reveal all hidden things, using the Gibeonites' exposure as an example.

What role does knowing Scripture play in avoiding deception, especially with advanced technologies like AI and holograms?

Context: The conclusion warns about Project Blue Beam and emphasizes that only God's Word can keep us from being deceived.

Applications

Seek God's counsel to avoid deception

Summary: Believers must consistently seek God's guidance through prayer and Scripture rather than relying on their own understanding or appearances.

Evidence: Pastor Weaver emphasizes Joshua 9:14 and Proverbs 3:5-7, stating, 'The only way we can not be deceived is by knowing the Word of God.'

Guard against corrupting associations

Summary: Avoid intimate fellowship with wicked people, as it will corrupt good character, contrary to the belief that one can lift them up.

Evidence: He expounds 1 Corinthians 15:33, warning, 'You're not pulling anybody up. They're going to pull you down.'

Recognize the law of sowing and reaping

Summary: Live in obedience to God, knowing that sowing to the flesh reaps corruption, but sowing to the Spirit reaps life everlasting.

Evidence: He cites Galatians 6:7-8 and explains that disobeying God is mocking Him, with inevitable consequences.

Test information against Scripture

Summary: In an age of propaganda and false flags, evaluate all claims by the truth of God's Word to avoid being deceived.

Evidence: He says, 'It is the Scripture that's going to reveal to us the wickedness of man... and how we should not be deceived.'

Do not judge by appearances

Summary: Avoid making decisions based solely on what seems true; instead, seek righteous judgment through God's wisdom.

Evidence: He references John 7:24 and the Gibeonites' convincing appearance, warning that 'seeing is not believing.'

Be wary of overly religious appeals

Summary: When people push religious themes to gain trust or advantage, be cautious, as the Gibeonites did by invoking God's name.

Evidence: He notes the Gibeonites' use of 'the name of the LORD' and warns, 'When people are pushy when it comes to religion, you better watch out.'

Trust in God's ultimate justice

Summary: Take comfort that all deception will be exposed by God, so do not be discouraged by current hidden wickedness.

Evidence: He cites Luke 12:2 and says, 'The Great Society is going to be exposed. The Great Reset is going to be exposed.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:21:45Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T00:19:46Z

Clean Transcript

False Flags, Propaganda and Deception

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Joshua chapter 9, beginning there with verse 3, and the title of the message is "False Flags, Propaganda and Deception." A few weeks ago one gentleman asked me a question, and I thought, well, I'll answer that question in a sermon. And this sermon is a result of the question that he asked. So let's begin reading in Joshua 9, verse 3. "And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles old and rent and bound up, and old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them."
#1 | 0:11 to 1:03 | cleaned
"And all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua into the camp at Gilgal and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country."
#2 | 1:03 to 1:17 | cleaned
"Now therefore make ye a league with us. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? And from whence come ye? And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come, because of the name of the LORD thy God."
#3 | 1:17 to 1:41 | cleaned
"For we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan, which was at Ashteroth. Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league, or a covenant, with us."
#4 | 1:42 to 2:07 | cleaned
"This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, it is moldy. These bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of a very long journey. And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them." So here's a good question.
#5 | 2:08 to 2:50 | cleaned
Have you ever been deceived? If so, do you remember how hurt you were when you realized the deception? At times, you blamed the other person or the people for deceiving you. And at other times, you blamed your own self for being so stupid and so gullible and to fall for such a swindle. But interestingly, at times, everybody wants to be deceived. We do not want the truth because the truth makes us uncomfortable.
#6 | 2:50 to 3:23 | cleaned
It holds us accountable and demands righteous action and conduct. And the truth of the matter is this: everyone uses deception. All warfare is deception. All camouflage is deception. Smiling at folks when you're irritated with them is deception. Telling your wife that she looks lovely in an unlovely dress is deception. I saw a cartoon years ago. I've never forgotten it. And I don't believe any husband would be as brave as this man was in the cartoon. The wife was looking into a mirror, standing behind him. He was sitting in a lounge chair reading the paper. And as she looked in the mirror, she said this, she said, "I'm old, I'm fat, I'm wrinkled, I'm sagging, and I need help." And she looked at her husband and said, "Say something to me that will help me." And he said, "For a woman as old as you are, you have mighty good eyesight." Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help it. I don't imagine any husband's going to be that brave, but anyhow. Deception, by the way, is not evil in and of itself.
#7 | 3:24 to 4:46 | cleaned
It's a tool, and it may be used for the good, or it may be used for evil. The truth of the matter is this: even God uses deception. I'm going to show it to you from the Bible, but if you remember in the book of Job chapter 12 and verse 16, the Bible says, "With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his." So if you will, holding Joshua 9, turn to 2 Chronicles chapter 18. 2 Chronicles 18, and let's begin reading there with verse 12. And I hope you remember this story about Ahab and Jehoshaphat. And Ahab is trying to get Jehoshaphat to go with him to Ramoth-gilead. And of course, he has all of his false prophets, and they come out and they are prophesying all kind of success for Ahab. And Jehoshaphat asks, "Is there not here a prophet of God, a servant of God?" And Ahab answers, "There's one, but I hate him."
#8 | 4:47 to 5:53 | cleaned
And so he sends for Micaiah. Micaiah is already in prison, because Micaiah is indeed a servant of God. So look, if you would, in verse 12 of 2 Chronicles 18. "And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent: let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good. And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak. And when he was come to the king, the king said unto Micaiah, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand." Evidently he was saying this in a very sarcastic way. Because verse 15, "And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD? Then said he," You want the truth, Ahab?
#9 | 5:53 to 6:57 | cleaned
Here it is. "I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, These have no master: let them return therefore every man to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil? Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing at his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spake after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and even do so."
#10 | 6:57 to 7:57 | cleaned
"Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee." So here Ahab is, he's been listening to his false prophets, and of course they're telling him to go up and prosper, and Micaiah comes out and tells him the truth. Look, if you go up to Ramoth-gilead, you're going to die. That's all there is to it. And of course, you know the story where he persuaded Jehoshaphat to go with him, and he disguised himself and went into battle, but Jehoshaphat had on his kingly robes. And so they fought against Jehoshaphat, thinking he was Ahab, until he screamed and cried out to the LORD, and the LORD called them off.
#11 | 7:57 to 8:41 | cleaned
And then the Bible says a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and the arrow came and smote him between the shoulder blades and came out in the chest, and of course he died later on. But notice, if you would please, here his lying prophets are, telling him to go up and prosper. And here comes Micaiah, and he tells him the truth. And Ahab refuses the truth.
#12 | 8:41 to 9:05 | cleaned
He prefers to be deceived. He prefers to believe a lie. So let me make something exceedingly clear at this point. If you do not believe the truth, you will believe a lie. The only alternative to the truth is a lie. And Ahab believed a lie, and he was killed. Destruction and damnation always follow a lie. For instance, if you'd hold Joshua 9 still, but turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians, and look if you would at chapter 2, beginning there with verse 10. 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, and notice if you would verse 10. Look what the scripture says, "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish." Now, wait a minute. They're perishing. But notice it is they are deceived with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. Why are they perishing? "Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." Now watch.
#13 | 9:06 to 10:21 | cleaned
"And for this cause"—what cause? Because they received not the love of the truth—"and for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." So again, we need to let this sink in. If you're not believing the truth, you are believing a lie. And if you believe a lie, you will be at your own destruction. Our depraved nature loves a lie. We love to be deceived. In fact, the scripture tells us before our salvation that we were disobedient and deceived. You'll find that in Titus 3 and verse 3, for the Apostle Paul wrote, "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another." Once again, he said before our conversion we were disobedient and we were deceived. So it's only in the grace of God that God opens our eyes and we see the truth and we turn from the deception and from the lie. That is why the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 talked about how the sound of these Thessalonians who were saved, their sound went out through all
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of Macedonia and Achaia. And he says it shows what manner of entering in we had unto you. Then he says on how you turned to God from idols to serve the one living God and to wait for his Son Jesus Christ from heaven. In other words, you were once deceived, you were once disobedient, but now you've been delivered. You're no longer deceived. You've turned to the one true and the living God and you're serving him. So the truth of the matter is each of us before our conversion were deceived. Now there are two particular areas that God warns us as Christians—and anyone else as well—in which we are not to be deceived. I'm going to give you those two passages. I want you to look in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 33. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 33. Look at what the Word of God says. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 33. The Bible says, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." Now look at that. That is so simple and straightforward.
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God says, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." Now if you believe that you can associate intimately with wicked people and not be corrupted, then he says you are deceived, because you should not be deceived, because he's telling you right now, evil communications corrupt good manners. Now the word "evil" of course means that which is bad and wicked. The word "communications" is the Greek word homilia, which refers to what you and I would call communication, communion, intercourse, or that which refers to an intimate and close fellowship. It would not only include an individual, it would also include what you and I would call a company, or a bunch, or a multitude. For the Bible tells you in the book of Exodus chapter 23 and verse 2, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." In other words, you associate with them, you're simply going to end up doing that which is evil. Now when he says, verse 33, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners," the word "manners" is the Greek word ethos, and it refers to customs, morals, or character.
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So it says don't be deceived, evil communications corrupt good character, good morals, and good manners. So here is the truth that God is putting forward for us. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 33. I've heard so many Christians say this: "Well, I'm close friends with this wicked person and I'm close friends with these wicked people because I want to lift them up and pull them up." God says don't be deceived. You're not pulling anybody up. They're going to pull you down. Evil communications corrupt good manners. You do not lift wicked people up by becoming intimate with them. That doesn't mean that you cannot be friends, but it does mean that you cannot be associating with them and treating them as if everything is hunky-dory when in reality it is not hunky-dory. The positive side of 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 33 would be this: that we are to communicate, we're to associate with good men who will help us and lead us. We can associate with intelligent men from which we can gain knowledge and understanding. But what are you saying? You begin to mess around and become intimate and fellowshipping with the wicked, and you're not going to lift them up.
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They are going to pull you down. They will destroy you. Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners. Here's the second one in which God tells you not to be deceived. And you can probably quote it, but it's Galatians 6:7-8. Where he said, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
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Now, when you and I think about mocking God, we think about someone standing bravely, quote-unquote, and cursing God and denying God and doing all kind of crazy and insane things. I remember reading about one infidel who was going to prove that God did not exist. And he stood out publicly and dared God to strike him dead in five minutes. And then he started counting down. And when five minutes passed, he's still alive. He said, "See, there is no God." And this one godly woman said, "Do you think that you can exhaust the patience of an eternal almighty God in five minutes?" So we would call that mocking God. But you can mock God without standing up, criticizing, condemning and denying him.
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All you have to do is disobey him. All you have to do is live your life as if He did not exist. As if His Word was not true. In other words, God is not mocked. Whatever you sow, that's exactly what you're going to reap. You're not going to be able to sin against God and escape his judgment. You're not going to be able to sin against God and escape his condemnation.
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He said, don't be deceived in this area. It's impossible. You cannot do this. When we talk about deception, you have to understand deception reigns supremely today. All you have to do to be deceived is listen to the TV all the time or listen to the radio. Look how Americans are so tuned in to their games, their video games, their TV programs, and think about the fact that most Americans give their lives for nothing but circuses and fun
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and recreation, that kind of thing. No one really studies, no one really thinks, no one ever really, really, really delves into anything. So, consequently, propaganda, deception, and false flags are easily forced upon the American people.
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Now, let me mention something about a false flag to begin with. First of all, a false flag is usually defined as a political or military action carried out with the intention of blaming an opponent for it. Nations have often done this by staging either a real or a simulated attack on their own side and saying that an enemy did it and use it as a pretext for going to war. At times, they may actually allow an enemy to attack them so that they may retaliate with a vengeance and have what they would call the moral high ground to destroy that individual. You will find that stand-down orders have been given to military, to law enforcement on many occasions. I can think of occasions in this nation, in America, where stand-down orders were given to cops when there was a riot going on, people were killed.
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I know firsthand of a situation like that. I know the people who were involved. I'm just simply saying this is a false flag. And you remember the false flag came into existence, or I'm going to say real prominence, in the 16th century, where the pirates then took down their skull and bones flag and would fly the friendly flag of a neighboring nation in order to get close to a merchant ship.
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And once they were close enough, they would throw the ropes and pull alongside and mount them and kill everybody and steal everything they could steal. That was simply called a false flag because they were lying. They were deceiving the merchant ship, making them think they were something they were not. When I was looking at this, I looked this up on the internet, and here came one paragraph from the ADL, and I want you to listen to this. The Anti-Defamation League.
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This is astounding, but there's a question that's bound to be asked after listening to this. Here's what they wrote: "False flag is a term used by conspiracy theorists to suggest that various world events and crises, such as terrorist attacks or mass shootings, were actually orchestrated by governments or sinister forces in furtherance of a political or social goal, such as gun control or sowing public fear. Historically, the term has been used to refer to a military or political operation carried out with the intention of blaming an opponent for it, often as a pretext for going to war." Now, here's the question that begs to be answered. What does a conspiracy theory have to do with a false flag if a false flag actually exists? What they're saying is if you believe anyhow or some way that your government would harm you or do that which is wrong and wicked, then you have to be a conspiracy theorist. Wow. But in reality, it's been governments all over the world
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that's been guilty of what you and I would call genocide or democide. Stop and ask Mr. Stalin how many millions he killed. Stop and ask Pol Pot how many millions of Cambodians that he killed. Stop and ask Idi Amin how many of his own countrymen that he killed. Years ago, before he died, I saw a cartoon. It was a picture of Idi Amin on the back of a Jeep with a .50 cal machine gun.
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And it was just a smoking and dead Africans were laying all in front of him. And he was on the phone. And he said, "Traffic control, I will report an accident, one Jeep and 50,000 Africans." Well, it was supposed to have been, I guess, satirical, but it was true. I mean he, you know, he actually murdered his own people. Yeah. You don't think our government would harm us? Ask the Tuskegee experiment. You remember those black men from Tuskegee, Alabama that they purposely inoculated with syphilis? Yeah. Think about all the other people that have been given all kinds of vaccines. I'm just simply pointing out the fact.
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Governments, historically, are the main cause of genocide around the world. A false flag is deception. It's impossible to have a false flag attack without the use of deception. All war is deception. Government is deception. Things are not as they appear. And let me make a statement. I'm going to prove it before I get through. Seeing is not believing. Sun Tzu, in The Art of War, the Chinese warrior wrote this: "All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe that we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe that we are near."
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Again, he said, "The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy so that he cannot fathom our real intent." All war is deception. In deception, one must avoid direct answers to direct questions. Whenever you cannot get a straight answer, which I'm going to show you later, whenever you cannot get a straight answer, you've got to mark it down. Someone is hiding something and someone is trying to deceive you. So closely associated with false flags is what you and I would call deception and propaganda. Now, I hope you realize that all propaganda is deception. It doesn't matter if the propaganda is good or bad. It is still deception.
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Everyone should understand the usage of the word, especially when it is related to a political or a governmental sense. So let me give you a definition of propaganda here. It is propaganda, listen carefully: the organized dissemination of information, allegations, to assist or damage the cause of a government or movement. Listen now: official governmental communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion. Hmm. So notice if you would, official governmental communications to the public are designed to influence opinion. So the information may be true or false, but it's still propaganda because it is carefully selected for its political effect.
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Now, here's what I want you to note first of all. Note, first of all, the definition says that propaganda is organized. It is an organized dissemination of information. Now, if it's organized, it's not an accident. If it's organized, it did not just simply happen. If it's organized, it is not innocent. If it's organized, it is purposeful and deliberate and premeditated and approved by the government. So if you understand that it is indeed an organized dissemination of information, you can now understand the latter part of the definition where it is official governmental communications to the public that are designed to influence public opinion. That's what propaganda is. Now, while propaganda can be termed either true or false, usually if it is from the government, it is false.
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A good, clear illustration of this is the COVID vaccine, which, of course, was touted as being safe and effective. Well, it was neither safe nor effective. It was deadly and destructive, unless of course you define effective as disabling and killing. Now, in that case it was very effective, because that is basically what it has done. And the cases of myocarditis and all these other diseases are coming now from this.
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Yeah, I'm just—this is propaganda and it is deceptive. That is it. Now, what about MSM, the mainstream media? They're closely connected with the federal government, especially with the CIA and the FBI. And if you continue to listen to the MSM and believe what they say, well, you're going to be propagandized and deceived to the degree. It's just that simple. In fact, I came to a conclusion many, many years ago. If you listen to the mainstream media, the news, if you would believe absolutely the opposite of what they're telling you, you'd probably be closer to the truth. It's kind of like one cartoon I saw where the newsman came on and says, "Tonight we're telling you what we want you to believe." Well, that's about the truth. It is propaganda. It is deceit. So, you must remember this: when it comes to war, propaganda and deception reign supremely. When it comes to government, propaganda and deception reign supremely.
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I want to show you this from Joshua chapter 9. So I want you to go back to Joshua chapter 9. And I gave you all of that introduction to set you up for what is about to happen here. So I want you to look at verses 3 through 5. "And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old and rent and bound up, and old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy." Now, I want you to note, if you would please, what the Bible says in verse 3: "And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard." Now when you see the word "inhabitants" you automatically think of people, the people who live there. Well, it would certainly include those people, but may I remind you that Gibeon was
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a great city, and so there were elders and possibly even a king. So if you would look in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 10 in verses 1 and 2, the Bible says this: "Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; that they feared greatly: because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty." So Gibeon was not just some little podunk town somewhere. It was a great city, as one of the royal cities. And of course the inhabitants there would have to include their rulers. So if you look in Joshua 9 and verse 11, where they're talking to Joshua and the princes, they said, "Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying," so now they're saying the people and the rulers were one in what they were doing.
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So you have to conclude then that this deception in Joshua chapter 9 was a governmentally organized and sponsored deception. You have here a foreign, well-established government interfering with a fledgling government that's not even really been set up. They're still conquering the territories. But here they are interfering by deceiving and propagandizing. Now when the Bible says in Joshua 9 and verse 4, "They did work wilily."
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The Hebrew word is the word ormah. And it means to use guile, subtlety, wisdom, prudence, shrewdness, craftiness. In other words, they did work craftily. They worked subtly. They worked with shrewdness. In other words, everything that they did was planned, premeditated, and purposeful. The Gibeonites did not want to be destroyed. This is why they did that. They confessed that. They said, "We knew that God had given you this land, and we knew that God had told you to eradicate us. We didn't want to die." Well, I understand that.
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If I had been a Gibeonite, I think I'd have probably gone along with them, with this exception. There were other nations that said, "We're willing to bow to thee. We're willing to bow to the one true and the living God. We're willing to serve him." But they were not willing to come out and say that, and so therefore they used deception. It's just that simple. Now, I want you to look again beginning at verse 6, and I want to read just through verse 16, because I want to make some very quick comments. And I want you to apply what I'm going to be saying to the situation. "And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye? And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come, because of the name of the LORD thy God."
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"For we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashteroth. Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of the country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us. This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses, on the day we came forth to go unto you."
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"But now, behold, it is dry, it is moldy. And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey. And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them." Now, let me make some observations and I want you to think with me.
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First of all, it should be understood from our text as well as from our experience that things are not as they always appear, and appearances may be deceiving. Seeing is not necessarily believing. Everything about the Gibeonites was deceiving. Their manner, their clothes, their bread, their shoes, their speech, everything was designed to deceive and to fool. It was designed to trick the Hebrews into a league or covenant with them.
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I'm sure that most of you have seen on the internet artificial intelligence productions. I've seen men and women like Donald Trump or Joe Biden or some Hollywood movie star. And you look there and you recognize those faces and they're speaking. And you recognize their voices and they're saying certain things and you can't believe what they're saying. And yet there they are. And it's not them at all. Even the lip movements match the words, the syllables, everything, but it's all fake.
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You say, "Well, I saw this, I heard this." But you may have seen wrongly and you may have heard wrongly. It's just that simple. Because what these people did, what Joshua and the princes did, they judged by appearances. You know what our Lord said in John 7:24? "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." So seeing is not believing, because your eyes may be deceived as well. You may believe, but you may believe wrongly. Propaganda, deception, misinformation, false flags—everything is designed to deceive. They require all of these things require that you judge by appearance. They require that you judge by the information that you are given. They do not want you to pray about anything. They do not want you to think about anything. They do not want you to study. They do not want you to research. They do not want you to act upon the information that you were given. That's exactly what the Gibeonites did to Joshua and to the princes. So you have to understand that just because you think you see something does not necessarily mean that you see something, because there have been men and women who were illusionists and magicians who made millions of dollars deceiving people and making them think that things disappear.
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I forget who is the magician that made the Great Wall of China disappear. Yeah, right in front of your eyes, he made it disappear. Not really. It was an illusion. I'm just simply saying just because you see something does not say it is absolutely true. Here's the second thing. You must beware when you cannot get a straight answer from someone. It's interesting that twice Joshua asked, "Who are you? Where are you from?"
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"We be from a very far country." Really? Well, how far is far? And what country is that far country? How about the name of a city? How about the name of a town? Just tell me the country that you're from. Why would they not tell the country? Why would they not name a town or city? Because all of that could be verified. It may take a little time, but it could be verified.
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And they do not want verification. No, no, no. All they want is for you to act upon what you are told.
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Now, I would have a question. I want you to look in verse 9. After he asked them, "Who are you and from whence came ye?" They said unto him, "From a very far country thy servants are come, because of the name of the LORD thy God. For we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashteroth." Now, wait a minute. Now we live from a—we came from a very, very far country. But now we have heard what God has done to the Egyptians.
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Well, I can understand that, because Israelites traveled in the wilderness for 40 years and probably you could learn something in 40 years. You know, you don't have a cell phone. You don't have telegraph. You don't have newspapers. But 40 years, a camel could get pretty far, you know. But when they start mentioning Sihon and Og, they had just been defeated recently. How did they get the news of their defeat? Because they were defeated as they were trying to get into the promised land. And they're just now in the promised land. They've just defeated Jericho and Ai. How did these people from a very, very far country get this information so quickly?
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It's what I'd like to know. Here's another thing. I want you to watch this. I want you to see it again in verse 9. The third thing that you need to consider is this: you must be concerned when men appear too religious and too quick to push positions that you hold and believe in. What are you talking about, Pastor? Well, look in verse 9, "And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come." Now watch this. "Because of the name of the LORD thy God." Here's my question. How did they receive the personal name of God? Anytime you see the word "LORD" in all caps, it's the word Yahweh or Jehovah, as it's translated sometimes. If they're from a very far country, how did they get the sacred name of God? How did they know who he was?
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Why are they pushing the name of the LORD? Let me tell you something. I've had bums, hobos, drifters, ex-cons, and a host of other folks ply the religious theme when they wanted money or something else. And after they got what they wanted, their religion disappeared. All I'm trying to tell you is this. When people are pushy when it comes to religion, you better watch out. Someone's trying to trick you, someone's trying to deceive you. A true believer, a true Christian knows how to communicate without being pushy and without being obnoxious. It's just that simple. So these people were pushing on the fact that they knew the name of God. Fourthly, let me point out it is possible that
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even the wisest and the holiest may be deceived. Joshua and the princes were deceived. You may be a leader. You may be brilliant. You may be intelligent. You may be confident, but you can also be deceived. The truth is, even though God has given us our minds to use and our reasoning abilities, in one sense of the word we cannot trust them totally or solely and completely. You remember that passage in Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5 through 7? What did he say there? "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Now listen to this. He said, "Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." Be not wise in thine own eyes. So anytime we think that, boy, we cannot be deceived,
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we're already deceived. It's just that simple. Here's the fifth thing. Deception normally takes place when we abandon and refuse to seek God's counsel. Look at verse 14: "And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD." I know what a moldy piece of bread looks like. I know what old shoes look like. I have some of them. I probably don't know what an old wine bottle looks like, but I know some of these things and some of them are very convincing. Wow, look at that. Look at that. And we were just simply judging by appearance. And what they did is they judged by appearance and they refused to seek the LORD.
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Let me tell you something. There are very few Christian people today that really know the principles of the Word of God. They know the precepts of the Word of God and are willing to live by those principles and those precepts. You remember what our Lord told the Sadducees and the Pharisees in Matthew chapter 22 and verse 29? He said, "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." And we err whenever we refuse the counsel of God which is given us in Scripture, or whenever we refuse to seek him in prayer and ask for his wisdom and his leadership and his direction. That's exactly what happened in this instance.
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They relied upon their eyes. They relied upon their own intellect. Here's the sixth thing, and I want you to think about this one. Eventually, all deception will be exposed. In this instance, according to verse 16, it only took three days. It only took three days. "And it came to pass at the end of three days, after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them." You know what our Lord said in Luke chapter 12 in verse 2? He said, "For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be made known." So God says it's going to be exposed. So let me just point out to you, I know we get upset and we should be in one sense of the word, but the Great Society is going to be exposed. The Great Reset is going to be exposed. The New World Order is going to be exposed. Everything that's wicked and sinful is going to ultimately be exposed.
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What we must do as believers is not be deceived by any of these things. And the only way we can not be deceived is by knowing the Word of God. What was it that condemned Joshua and the princes and the people? They refused to seek counsel of God. They refused his Word. So let me put it to you like this: it's only God and it's only his Word that can keep us from being deceived. There are so many things going on today. I don't know if you've seen the hologram of the whale jumping out of the water and going in the water. It's not real, but you could put it on the wall over here and it looks real. I mean you think that that is a huge whale on that wall and he's diving in and out of the water, but it's just a hologram. They have what they call Project Blue Beam, where they can shoot holograms up and you can see all kind of flying saucers. You can see the Lord returning. You can see anything that they can manufacture. And the only way you're going to escape all of that deceit, that wickedness and deceivableness, is by knowing the Scripture.
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That's it. It is the Scripture that's going to reveal to us the wickedness of man. It's the Scripture that's going to reveal to us the wisdom of God. And it's the Scriptures that are going to tell us how we should live and how we should not be deceived. When we fail to seek counsel from God, we are deceived already because we're trusting in our own understanding, our own intellect, instead of relying upon the God of the universe.
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What did he say again? "Lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him." Yes, we may use our minds. Yes, we may use our understanding. Yes, we must think and we must deduce and we must apply, but we must seek God at the same time, saying, "Lord, I'm human. I'm fallible. I can err. I can be deceived. I want your truth. I want your leadership. I want your power."
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I want your direction. False flags are everywhere. Propaganda or the other news, turn on your TV set, deceit every day, every minute of the hour. As our Lord, he said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your grace. We ask for your mercy. We ask, Lord, that you would help us not to be deceived. But, Lord, you would indeed help us to search thy Word, seek thy counsel, apply thy wisdom. And Lord, we ask thee to protect us in this day and age of false flags and propaganda and deception. Give us your grace and your mercy. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:21:45Z

False Flags, Propaganda and Deception

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver examines the biblical account of the Gibeonites' deception in Joshua 9 to illustrate the nature of false flags, propaganda, and deception. He argues that deception is a tool used by governments and individuals, and that even God uses deception. The sermon warns that rejecting truth leads to believing lies and destruction, and emphasizes that believers must seek God's counsel through Scripture and prayer to avoid being deceived. Applications include not being deceived by evil associations or the principle of sowing and reaping, and recognizing that all deception will ultimately be exposed.

Introduction: The Question and the Text

The sermon originates from a question asked by a gentleman, leading to an examination of Joshua 9:3-16, where the Gibeonites deceive Israel.

Scripture Reading — Joshua 9:3-16

"And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles old and rent and bound up, and old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them." "And all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua into the camp at Gilgal and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country." "Now therefore make ye a league with us. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? And from whence come ye? And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come, because of the name of the LORD thy God." "For we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan, which was at Ashteroth. Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league, or a covenant, with us." "This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, it is moldy. These bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of a very long journey. And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them."

So here's a good question.

The Nature of Deception

Deception is universal; everyone uses it. It is a tool that can be used for good or evil, and even God uses deception, as seen in 2 Chronicles 18 and Job 12:16.

Scripture Reading — Job 12:16

"With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his."

Biblical Warnings Against Deception

God warns believers not to be deceived in two areas: evil communications corrupt good manners (1 Corinthians 15:33) and sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7-8).

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:33

So it says don't be deceived, evil communications corrupt good character, good morals, and good manners. So here is the truth that God is putting forward for us. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 33. I've heard so many Christians say this: "Well, I'm close friends with this wicked person and I'm close friends with these wicked people because I want to lift them up and pull them up." God says don't be deceived. You're not pulling anybody up. They're going to pull you down. Evil communications corrupt good manners. You do not lift wicked people up by becoming intimate with them. That doesn't mean that you cannot be friends, but it does mean that you cannot be associating with them and treating them as if everything is hunky-dory when in reality it is not hunky-dory. The positive side of 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 33 would be this: that we are to communicate, we're to associate with good men who will help us and lead us. We can associate with intelligent men from which we can gain knowledge and understanding. But what are you saying? You begin to mess around and become intimate and fellowshipping with the wicked, and you're not going to lift them up.

False Flags Defined and Illustrated

A false flag is a political or military action carried out to blame an opponent. Historical examples include pirates and modern government actions, often dismissed as conspiracy theories.

Propaganda as Organized Deception

Propaganda is the organized dissemination of information to influence public opinion, often false. The COVID vaccine and mainstream media are cited as examples.

a great city, and so there were elders and possibly even a king. So if you would look in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 10 in verses 1 and 2, the Bible says this:

Scripture Reading — Joshua 10:1-2

"Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; that they feared greatly: because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty."

The Gibeonites' Deception Analyzed

The Gibeonites' deception was governmentally organized. They used craftiness, avoided direct answers, and pushed religious themes to trick Israel into a covenant.

a great city, and so there were elders and possibly even a king. So if you would look in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 10 in verses 1 and 2, the Bible says this:

Scripture Reading — Joshua 10:1-2

"Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; that they feared greatly: because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty."

Scripture Reading — Joshua 9:11

So you have to conclude then that this deception in Joshua chapter 9 was a governmentally organized and sponsored deception. You have here a foreign, well-established government interfering with a fledgling government that's not even really been set up. They're still conquering the territories. But here they are interfering by deceiving and propagandizing. Now when the Bible says in Joshua 9 and verse 4, "They did work wilily." The Hebrew word is the word ormah. And it means to use guile, subtlety, wisdom, prudence, shrewdness, craftiness. In other words, they did work craftily. They worked subtly. They worked with shrewdness. In other words, everything that they did was planned, premeditated, and purposeful. The Gibeonites did not want to be destroyed. This is why they did that. They confessed that. They said, "We knew that God had given you this land, and we knew that God had told you to eradicate us. We didn't want to die." Well, I understand that.

Lessons from Israel's Failure

Israel was deceived because they judged by appearances and failed to seek God's counsel. Even the wisest can be deceived, and all deception will eventually be exposed.

Scripture Reading — Luke 12:2

"For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be made known."

Conclusion: Avoiding Deception Through God's Word

Believers must rely on Scripture and prayer to avoid deception, especially in an age of advanced technology like holograms and Project Blue Beam.

False Flags, Propaganda and Deception

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	fljAjvfDyOE
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs: Kingship, Household Wisdom, and Warning
Genre	Sermon
Date	2024-02-21
Dictation Name
Book	Book 084: Proverbs: Kingship, Household Wisdom, and Warning — Chapter 13
Source Timed Segments	60

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Question and the Text: The sermon originates from a question asked by a gentleman, leading to an examination of Joshua 9:3-16, where the Gibeonites deceive Israel.
The Nature of Deception: Deception is universal; everyone uses it. It is a tool that can be used for good or evil, and even God uses deception, as seen in 2 Chronicles 18 and Job 12:16.
Biblical Warnings Against Deception: God warns believers not to be deceived in two areas: evil communications corrupt good manners (1 Corinthians 15:33) and sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7-8).
False Flags Defined and Illustrated: A false flag is a political or military action carried out to blame an opponent. Historical examples include pirates and modern government actions, often dismissed as conspiracy theories.
Propaganda as Organized Deception: Propaganda is the organized dissemination of information to influence public opinion, often false. The COVID vaccine and mainstream media are cited as examples.
The Gibeonites' Deception Analyzed: The Gibeonites' deception was governmentally organized. They used craftiness, avoided direct answers, and pushed religious themes to trick Israel into a covenant.
Lessons from Israel's Failure: Israel was deceived because they judged by appearances and failed to seek God's counsel. Even the wisest can be deceived, and all deception will eventually be exposed.
Conclusion: Avoiding Deception Through God's Word: Believers must rely on Scripture and prayer to avoid deception, especially in an age of advanced technology like holograms and Project Blue Beam.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Deception is a tool, not inherently evil

Deception is used by everyone, including God, and can be employed for good or evil purposes.

He states, 'Deception, by the way, is not evil in and of itself. It's a tool, and it may be used for the good, or it may be used for evil.' He cites Job 12:16 and the story of Micaiah in 2 Chronicles 18.

Rejecting truth leads to believing lies and destruction

If one does not believe the truth, they will believe a lie, leading to damnation, as illustrated by Ahab and 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.

He says, 'If you do not believe the truth, you will believe a lie. The only alternative to the truth is a lie.' He references 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.

Evil associations corrupt good character

Intimate fellowship with wicked people corrupts good morals, contrary to the belief that one can lift them up.

He expounds 1 Corinthians 15:33, explaining that 'evil communications' refers to intimate fellowship and 'manners' to character.

Sowing and reaping is an unchangeable law

God is not mocked; whatever one sows, they will reap, whether to the flesh or the Spirit.

He cites Galatians 6:7-8 and explains that disobeying God is a form of mocking Him.

Governments use false flags and propaganda to deceive

False flags are real, historically used by governments, and propaganda is organized deception to influence public opinion.

He defines false flags, gives historical examples (pirates, Stalin, Pol Pot), and defines propaganda as 'official governmental communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion.'

The Gibeonites' deception was governmentally organized

The deception in Joshua 9 involved the elders and rulers of Gibeon, making it a state-sponsored act of craftiness.

He notes Joshua 9:11 and 10:1-2, showing Gibeon was a great city with rulers, and the Hebrew word 'ormah' for 'work wilily' means craftiness.

Judging by appearances leads to deception

Israel was deceived because they relied on their senses and did not seek God's counsel, a warning against trusting appearances.

He cites John 7:24 ('Judge not according to the appearance') and Joshua 9:14, and warns about AI and illusions.

All deception will be exposed

Deception is temporary; God will reveal all hidden things, as seen in the Gibeonites' exposure and Luke 12:2.

He says, 'Eventually, all deception will be exposed,' referencing Joshua 9:16 and Luke 12:2.

Scripture References

Joshua 9:3-16: The primary text of the sermon, detailing the Gibeonites' deception of Israel.
Job 12:16: Cited to show that God is sovereign over both the deceived and the deceiver.
2 Chronicles 18:12-22: The story of Micaiah and Ahab, illustrating God's use of a lying spirit to deceive Ahab.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12: Used to show that those who reject the truth are sent strong delusion to believe a lie and be damned.
Titus 3:3: Cited to show that before salvation, people are deceived and disobedient.
1 Thessalonians 1:9: Referenced to illustrate turning from idols (deception) to serve the living God.
1 Corinthians 15:33: Warning against deception: evil communications corrupt good manners.
Exodus 23:2: Cited in connection with 1 Corinthians 15:33 to warn against following a multitude to do evil.
Galatians 6:7-8: Warning against deception: God is not mocked; whatever a man sows, he will reap.
Joshua 10:1-2: Shows that Gibeon was a great city with mighty men, indicating the deception was governmentally organized.
Joshua 9:11: The Gibeonites mention their elders and inhabitants, showing collective involvement in the deception.
John 7:24: Jesus' command to judge not according to appearance, but righteous judgment, applied to avoiding deception.
Proverbs 3:5-7: Admonition to trust in the Lord and not lean on one's own understanding, to avoid being wise in one's own eyes.
Matthew 22:29: Jesus' rebuke to the Sadducees for erring by not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God.
Luke 12:2: Promise that nothing covered will not be revealed, applied to the eventual exposure of all deception.

Historical References

Pirates' use of false flags in the 16th century: Pirates flew friendly flags to deceive merchant ships before attacking, giving rise to the term 'false flag'.
Joseph Stalin's mass killings: Cited as an example of government-perpetrated genocide.
Pol Pot's killings in Cambodia: Cited as an example of government-perpetrated genocide.
Idi Amin's killings in Uganda: Cited as an example of government-perpetrated genocide, with a satirical cartoon mentioned.
Tuskegee syphilis experiment: U.S. government experiment where black men were purposely infected with syphilis, cited as evidence that governments harm their own people.
Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War': Quoted to support the idea that all warfare is based on deception.
COVID-19 vaccine: Presented as an example of government propaganda, claimed to be neither safe nor effective.
Mainstream media (MSM) connection to CIA/FBI: Claimed that MSM is closely connected with federal agencies and spreads propaganda.
Project Blue Beam: Mentioned as a technology that can project holograms to deceive people, such as fake UFOs or the return of Christ.

Important Quotes

If you do not believe the truth, you will believe a lie. The only alternative to the truth is a lie.

Core argument that rejecting truth inevitably leads to deception and destruction.

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Key biblical warning against the corrupting influence of wicked associations.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Key biblical warning about the unchangeable law of sowing and reaping.

All warfare is based on deception.

Quote from Sun Tzu used to support the idea that deception is inherent in conflict and government.

And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

The pivotal verse (Joshua 9:14) showing Israel's failure that led to their deception.

Eventually, all deception will be exposed.

A hopeful conclusion that God will ultimately reveal all hidden things.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways do we see deception used in everyday life, and how can we discern when it is being used for good versus evil?

[Context]

Pastor Weaver argues that deception is a tool that can be used for good or evil, citing examples like camouflage and social politeness.

[Question]

How does the story of Ahab and Micaiah illustrate the danger of preferring lies over truth, and what are modern parallels?

[Context]

The sermon uses 2 Chronicles 18 to show Ahab's rejection of truth and preference for deception, leading to his death.

[Question]

What does it mean practically to 'be not deceived' about evil communications corrupting good manners, and how should this affect our relationships?

[Context]

Pastor Weaver expounds 1 Corinthians 15:33, warning that intimate fellowship with the wicked corrupts character.

[Question]

How can we apply the principle of sowing and reaping from Galatians 6:7-8 to avoid self-deception in our spiritual lives?

[Context]

The sermon warns that disobeying God is a form of mocking Him and that we will reap what we sow.

[Question]

In what ways might governments or media use propaganda today, and how can Christians guard against being deceived?

[Context]

Pastor Weaver defines propaganda and gives examples like the COVID vaccine and mainstream media, urging reliance on Scripture.

[Question]

What lessons can we learn from Israel's failure to seek God's counsel in Joshua 9, and how can we apply them to decision-making?

[Context]

The sermon highlights Joshua 9:14 as the critical error, emphasizing the need for prayer and Scripture in avoiding deception.

[Question]

How does the promise that all deception will be exposed (Luke 12:2) give us hope and perspective in a world full of lies?

[Context]

Pastor Weaver assures that God will reveal all hidden things, using the Gibeonites' exposure as an example.

[Question]

What role does knowing Scripture play in avoiding deception, especially with advanced technologies like AI and holograms?

[Context]

The conclusion warns about Project Blue Beam and emphasizes that only God's Word can keep us from being deceived.

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