23 You are now under a curse: You will never cease to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.
Joshua had every reason not to honor his word. The Gibeonites had deceived them in order to gain their lives. The contract was null and void because of this deception. Joshua had made an agreement with a people who lived far away, not with a people who lived near. And yet, Joshua kept his word. They had lied, he would not. Their lying would have been a perfect excuse to say that the deal was off. They had broken their part of the bargain. But Joshua reflected the character of the Lord. He kept his word. He spared their lives. But notice that they now become a manual labor force. They serve the ministry of the Tabernacle. They may now be slaves, but their work goes to support the highest service in the land. They do not become personal slaves of the Israelites. They are in the service of the Lord. I might have been tempted to force them to do all the dirty work of the people, but Joshua does not. He does not take advantage of the situation. He acts as the Lord would have acted. He keeps his word. Their lives are spared. They don’t get off without any punishment, but they are not whipped out. When someone deceives there should be punishment. But we must be people of integrity. We must keep our word even when others lie.
The Arnold Journey 