Israel wins the battle of Ai

Joshua Chapter 8

After the defeat at Ai, the Lord told Joshua to not be afraid or discouraged. He told him to take his entire army and attack Ai, and they would destroy Ai as they destroyed Jericho. But this time, they would be entitled to keep the captured goods and cattle for themselves.

Joshua and his army of Israel set out to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand men and sent them out at night to hide in ambush behind the city. When the main army attacks, said Joshua, the men of Ai will come out to fight as they did before and we will run away as before. Then it is your time to jump from your ambush and take possession of the city, for the Lord your God will give it to you. Set the city on fire as the Lord commanded.

That night Joshua's camp was on the west side of Ai. Early the next morning, he send five thousand men to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai on the west and the rest of his army was stationed on the north side of the city. The king of Ai saw the Israelites in the distance and came out to attack. Joshua and his army fled as they had planned and the army of Ai chased them; the city was left wide open. The men in ambush quickly captured the city and set it on fire.When the men of Ai looked behind them, smoke from the city filled the sky and they had nowhere to go. Not a single person survived except the King of Ai was taken to Joshua.The entire population was destroyed; only the cattle and treasures were saved. Joshua had the king of Ai hung on a tree and left there until evening, then his body was thrown in front of the city gate and a huge pile of stones covered his body.

Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord on Mount Ebal. He followed instructions that Moses had written in the book of Law; using uncut stones not shaped with any tool. According to the instructions of Moses, the Israelites were divided into two groups. One stood at the foot of Mount Gerizim, the other at the foot of Mount Ebal. Each group faced each other and in between them stood the Levitical priests with the Ark of the Lord's covenant. Joshua then read all the blessings and curses Moses had written in the book of Law. Every command Moses was given, was read to the entire assembly including women, children, and the foreigners who lived among them.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: God wanted Joshua to learn from his first defeat, that there is a cycle of sin, repentance, and forgiveness which strengthens, not weakens us. Lessons learned from failure should make us better able to handle the same situation the second time.
Why were the Israelites able to keep the plunder this time? 1. cities like Jericho which were under God's ban (for idolatry) could not be looted (Deuteronomy 20: 16-18). 2. The distribution of plunder from cities not under the ban was a normal part of warfare. It provided the army and nation with food, flocks and weapons. The city of Ai was not under the ban and the plunder was an incentive and reward to the army for going to war.
The altar built out of uncut stones so it was holy came from Exodus 20:25, it would prevent the people from worshipping idols or the craftsmanship of the workers rather than the great works of God.

How does this Chapter relate to us today? We have all failed at something, at sometime whether it be at a job search, or a relationship. How we handle the failure and rebound tells us alot about ourselves and our relationship with God. Most of us gain strength and are eager to try again. That confidence and strength comes from none other than our God. And when we win the battle of wits, or climb that corporate ladder higher, we must stop and build our own altar to our God through prayer. Humble yourself by getting on your knees and thanking God for a second chance.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
Health: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, Teli’s family, Logan and the newly born Stella who is taking mother’s milk now and Lori (who suffered a terrible accident)and her family.
Spiritual Uplifting: Gail, Mary
Restoration of faith: Al, John
Love and support for: Claire, Hunter
Support: Haiti, Chile, those cleaning up the gulf coast oil spill and those who lost their livelihood there. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.