Foreign woodcutters
Joshua 8:30 – Chapter 9 Read it here
As several of us have been watching the TV series, The Chosen, I have watched many interviews and extra features about it. In one of them Dallas Jenkins, creator of the series, referred to Chapter 9 of Joshua as shaping one of his business principles. I thought it was a good illustration of how scripture can be effectively used in a modern context far removed from its original purpose.
In Chapter 9, the Gibeonites deceive Joshua into entering into a treaty protecting them from destruction.
In spite of its dishonest origin, Joshua honors the treaty and allows the Gibeonites to live among the people, working as workers. Verse 27 says, “That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose.”
Jenkins has been criticized for employing a large number of non-Christians to work on The Chosen, including Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and non-religious persons as well as Christians who differ from his own evangelical perspective.
He responds to that by saying that, even more significant than the legal difficulties that would come from attempting to enforce a belief requirement, that God is better honored by an excellent production than by discrimination. Moreover, he points to the example of Joshua, who was prepared to let foreigners who were not of the Jewish faith work even in the service of the altar upon which sacrifices were made in worshiping God.
If nonbelievers could work in the service of God’s glorification in the day of Joshua, Jenkins said, why not in our own day.
This use of the scripture may seem like a bit of a stretch, but it sounds to me like a solid means of applying ancient precedent to a modern question.