In Joshua 9:1-27 while Israel was at Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim, reaffirming their commitment to the Lord, the kings in Canaan were reaffirming their commitment to destroy Israel. They had heard about the defeat of Jericho and Ai and were not about to give up without a fight. It was time for them to go on the offensive and attack these Jewish invaders. The city-states in Canaan were not always friendly with one another, but local rivals can often come together when they have a common enemy.
Someone once said “It’s only those who do nothing that make no mistakes.” But in Joshua’s case doing nothing was his mistake; and this chapter explains what happened. Allen Redpath gave a great exhortation, “Be strong enough and brave enough to stand and wait on God, for none of them that wait on the Lord shall ever be ashamed!” Waiting on the Lord is doing not just something it is doing the BEST.