Joshua 8

Joshua 8

After Israel got back in line with God, or more specifically, after Achan’s sin had been dealt with, God allowed Israel to destroy Ai. The same group of people who had killed 36 Israelites just days before would suffer defeat just like Jericho. God had promised Israel that He would give them the land, which meant that He would grant them victory in each battle they faced. God also required that Israel remain obedient to Him. Achan’s story showed that God was serious about their obedience and that He would punish their disobedience. Since the evil had been dealt with, God once again granted them victory.

So He told Joshua His plan for Ai. He had Joshua send 30,000 men behind the city in hiding to remain for the night. The rest of Israel would then approach the city the next morning, drawing its inhabitants out into the open. Once they thought Israel was fleeing from them, the other 30,000 men would attack and destroy the city and gain victory yet again. No one questioned Joshua. They followed his every instruction. Even though this mission was more dangerous than what they had done to Jericho, Israel followed in obedience. They camped where Joshua told them to, engaged Ai in battle as he had instructed, and fled out of “fear” to distract the inhabitants of Ai. Joshua had given them God’s instructions, and since they followed His instructions, they gained victory over Ai.

The men that were chasing them soon realized that their city had been destroyed, and they had nowhere to turn. Israel was before them and 30,000 Israelite soldiers were behind them. All of the men of Ai were then killed, and Israel had conquered their second city. This time they did as God had instructed in regards to the spoils of the city. God allowed them to take more from Ai than He had from Jericho, and the people did accordingly. The king of Ai was then hung outside the destroyed city and buried with the rest of the rubble after his death.

It would have been easy at this point for Joshua and the Israelites to praise themselves for their incredible victory. They had pulled off a very impressive battle plan. Yet instead of praising themselves, they praised God. Joshua built an altar to God and all of Israel gathered around it. They made sacrifices to God and thanked Him for what He had done for them already. Joshua then wrote the law on some stones and left them in that place so that men could read them there. Finally, he opened up the Book of Law that Moses had given them and reread all of the laws God had given. Just as Moses had done in Deuteronomy for the new generation, Joshua read all of the law to them. It was the same group of people, but it was a new chapter in their lives, and Joshua began that new chapter with God’s Word.

We face victories and defeats all of the time in life. Now obedience does not always lead to victories and defeats to do not always come from only disobedience. Knowing this we must determine why things happen. If we are in a tough time, we should check ourselves and see if we are living in obedience to God’s commands. If we are, then we should hold even tighter to Him and trust that He will eventually see us through that hard time. If we are facing victories, then we should never cease from praising God for those good times in our life. He is the only one who deserves the glory. Finally, we must stay in His Word. The Bible is His written Word to us. It can provide us with comfort and encouragement in those hard times, direction for our lives, and show us how to praise God. We must never neglect to read God’s Word.

Matt