The Destruction of Ai
How is everyone this evening? It's good to see everyone. If you would take a Bibles and turn me to Joshua chapter 8, Joshua chapter. Number 8. as we continue to work through our way through the Book of Joshua,
4 time, sake. This evening, we're just going to read the first two verses, and then we'll discuss the rest of the versus as we go through our our lesson tonight. Joshua chapter number 8, verse 1 says now the Lord said to Joshua do not be afraid nor be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and Rhys go up to a. I see I've given into your hand, the king of AI is people his City. And his land and you shall do to a. I and it's King as you did to Jericho and its king, only its spoil and its cattle. You shall take as Bounty for yourself. Lay an ambush for the city behind it. Let's pray together. Father, I pray that as we look at this particular chapter tonight as it discusses and and goes over the destruction of this, the city, a father, I pray that we would see the spiritual applications of this. I pray, God, that's the truth, is that are contained. Father would would shape us and to mold us more like your son, the Lord, Jesus Christ. And father I pray that you would help us Lord to have understanding of these things. And Lord I pray for the children and youth downstairs and the teachers. And father just bless, those are unable to be here due to sickness. If all we do is ask you Lord again, to bless this time, we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Of the very tiny town or tiny city of in Canaan called Ai. And from all indications, this city here should have been an easy win for the nation of Israel, especially after they had such a great win in Jericho. I mean, they just March right through and in the mighty walls of Jericho, the, my Fortress that was built around, Jericho came down and they were able to have a tremendous Victory. However, as we found last week and chapter 7, Israel experienced a major defeat. When they attacked this tiny little city of AI, And that in that battle is real lost. 36 soldiers. And Israel was had to flee from the soldiers of AI. Israel experiences to defeat for a couple of reasons. Remember we discussed last week, how they? First of all they failed to seek the Lord's will before they went into battle. Know, where do you find in chapter 7 of a Joshua praying to the Lord know? Where do you find the children of Israel seeking the Lord as they get ready to enter this battle with a? I and so we see that absence. You also have the absence of the Ark of the Covenant was not with them in the battle. And Ark of the Covenant was a symbol of the presence and power of God and they left that behind as they at were attacking a AI. I'm so they were arrogant. They were proud after their victory at Jericho. They assume then they were Beyond defeat. Well, they learned differently. Another reason they suffered this defeat was because there was sin among them. There was sin in the camp of Israel. I when Israel face Jericho chapter 6, they were commanded to destroy the city but they were to take the wealth of the city. Not for themselves, they were to take the wealth and dedicate it to the lore there. Put it in the treasury of the Lord says, however, a man by the name of Aiken, take some of that well for himself, and he brought upon himself the wrath of God upon his family and even upon the nation of Israel, which is why Israel did not have a victory when they first thought an AI because there was sin in the camp. I never forget several, several years ago. I was preaching, I threw the book of Josh with his probably 15 years ago and I had just finished and I was preaching hard. You know how you need to repent? If you have sent in your life, God has got his eye upon you. He knows you can't hide your sin, be sure your sins will find you out. At the conclusion of the sermon, at the end of the service, asked everyone to stand as we were dismissed. all the sudden in my prayer, I hear this world and this lady just saying
so, I ran To the Pew where she was at and her son, who is about 50 years old. 55 years old was laid out in the pew. I bought God. I just killed the man honest to goodness and so what did happen though, he had gotten up got up too fast and he had a blood sugar issues and he fainted but I'll never forget that. Because I preached that sermon on Joshua chapter 7 about seeing in the camp and God can take you out. Just a moment like that. In this guy went out, I'll never forget that for sure. but the cost of these two failures because they did not seek the Lord, Did not pray and because they have sent in the camp, they suffered a tragic defeat but the Lord use the defeat at AI to teach is real, the importance of Holiness, and he also was able to use their defeat at AI as a means of, teaching them of seeking them. The importance of seeking, the Lord's will in every situation Use this defeat to teach them the danger of Pride, how that Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall at one of the most valuable lessons. Israel learn was the true that they needed the Lord. They needed his presence, he needed his power. If they were going to defeat their enemies and walk in Victory, this is why Paul said. When we look at this Old Testament, ancient story, we see. What, what's the what's the big deal here? What are we, what can we learn here? And we can learn this. That, we need the Lord, we to need his presence. We need his power. Saint Paul said, the Old Testament was written for our instruction, it was written for our admonition. We don't need to unhitch ourselves from the Old Testament. We need to learn from and there's a lot of great instruction for us.
Well one reason is because there is a sense in which we as Believers are a lot like Israel. Are we not? Because if you are child of God then you know something about battles right? We do. If you are a child of God, you know, something about battles. You know that, we all have three very powerful enemies. That must be overcome every day that you live. We have the enemy of the world. We have the enemy of The Flash and the devil. They are out to destroy the child of God, but each of these enemies can be defeated if they are handled according to the will of God. So, as we move through these versus, I want you to see that AI is a picture of one of our enemies that we face every single day. Now, the word AI. Means a heap of ruins. AI is a picture of the flesh, as a picture of our flesh, and against the word, a, I means heap of ruins and that is a good way to describe our our sinful flesh are falling. Human nature, Paul reminds us about the wickedness of the flesh fall said, and Romans 7 and verse 18, He said for I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing. That Paul was probably the best Christian That Ever Walked the face of this Earth. And yet Paul is saying that hate in me in my flesh. Dwells no good thing will. That was true about the Apostle Paul. How much more true is that in our lives? So just like Israel, we often lose battles to our flesh but by God's grace and help we can learn how to defeat Rai are flesh and walk away with a victory in our lives. So notice number one, the victory over AI is Promised Joshua 18:1. Now, the Lord said to Joshua do not be afraid nor be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise. Go up to a. I see I have given into your hand, the king of AI, his people, his City and his land. Now, in this verse, we see something about a warning warning, we see a word about our fuse me, I've worried about winning. It's only the Lord speak to Joshua and God tells him to go to AI, God promises Joshua that the things that things will be different this time. You sure Joshua and yes, yours is real. That there's going to be a victory. But isn't it interesting that the Lord called them to return back to the place of their greatest defeat? I think there's there's something to that there is that the Lord asked them ever tells them commands them to go back to the place where you were defeated. Why believe God knew that they needed to overcome a i before they could ever overcome in Conquest, the remainder of Canaan. And listen, you know, the same thing is true for us. How many times have we lost the battle to the flesh? How many times have we been defeated by? This old sinful nature? How many times have we fallen and wondered? If we would ever get back to where we were before? Listen, if that has been your experience than the Lord has a word for you. And that is found in verse number one listened to those who have fallen and have lost a battle to the flash. God says fear. Not I'm able to give you the victory. I think about the fact that God has made some tremendous promises to us his children, And that is number one. We do not have to live in the feet. We are no longer slaves to sin. If you are a child of God, you are no longer a slave to sin, you're no longer a slave to the flesh, you're no longer slaves, the world, and devil. Paul said, in Romans 6:14, he said, for sin shall not have dominion over you. For, you are not under the law but under grace. Hey, listen. One of these marks to know that you are a Christian is that you will no longer be dominated by sin, okay? Paul was correct and written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit when he said for sin shall not have dominion over you. You're not going to be held in bondage over a sin. Why? Because we've been made new creatures.
We've been made new creatures in Jesus Christ. Paul said therefore, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold. All things are become new and also another reason why seeing should not have dominion over us because we have been given the new nature. What? Peter tells us in 2nd, Peter chapter 2, verse 4 Ware, by our given unto you exceeding, great and precious promises that by these. You might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And then God has also promised the victory to his children or Paul says in 1st Corinthians 15:57. But thanks, be unto God, which gives us the Big 3 through our Lord. Jesus Christ to the Lord. Did not save you. He did not save anyone. So that you could just live a defeated life. The Lord and not save you so that you could just live 8 beaten and enslaved by the flesh. Life know, he's saved you to set, you free to enable you to walk in Victory. So we see a word about winning here in verse number one and then reverse number to we see a word about waiting.
Versa 2 says and you shall do to a i And it's King as you did to Jericho and its king and it spoil and it's cattle you shall take as Bounty for yourselves lay an ambush for the city behind it. And we noticed that the Lord tells them that they will do to AI what they did to Jericho except this time. They are allowed to take all the spoils for themselves, I think about this. So if Aiken would have just waited.
If he would have just waited just a few more days. He could have grabbed all the silver and gold that he ever wanted. What a lesson we learned here. That's we see that you ran ahead of God. a grab for himself that which God had forbidden And as a result taken and is real paid, a terrible price for us. That if we could just learn how to wait on God and let him lead, we're much better off. Much better off. How many of you know our flesh is impatient? We can't really take taken under the bus because we're just like aching a lot of times if we're not careful. our flesh Wants What It Wants, and it wants its now It doesn't want to wait. We make our plans, we do our thing, and never check with God about it. And then we make a mess. We expect him to bail us out without suffering, any of the consequences. Oh, when we can learn to wait on the Lord, we are well on the way to living and Victorious Christian Life. Listen to what the psalmist David said and Psalm 27 verse 14. He said wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say on the Lord what a lesson to lesson for us to take tonight. I noticed also. The victory over AI is pursued.
And verses 3 through 17. We see a plan that God gives to Joshua Joshua 18:3 and so Joshua, a rose and all the people of War to go up against Ai and Joshua chose 30,000 Mighty Men of Valor and sent him, sent them away by night. Remember how many men they chose at the beginning of chapter 7. 3000. We don't need a whole lot of people we can just do it ourselves. What the spies told Josh will this time? They take 30,000 Mighty Men of Valor and sent them away by night and he commanded him saying, behold you shall lie in Ambush against the city behind the city, do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city and it will come about when they come out against us at the time that we shall flee before them for they will come after us till we have drawn. Not drawing them from the city for they will say they're fleeing before us at the first. Therefore, we will flee before them. Then you shall arise from the Ambush and seize, the city for the Lord. Your God with will deliver it into your hand and it will be. When you have taken the city that you shall set, the city on fire according to the Commandment of the Lord you shall do. See, I have commanded you Josh, will therefore sent them out. And they went to line and in Ambush and stay between Bethel and AI on the west side of AI. But Joshua lodged that night among the people, the Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustard. The people and went up and he and the Elders of Israel before the people to a, i and all the people of War who were with him, went up Andrew near And they came before the city and camped on the north side of a, I now have a lie lay between them and they are. So he took about five thousand men and set them in Ambush between Bethel and AI on the west side of the city. And when they had set, the people all the Army was on the north of the city and its rear guard on the west of the city. Joshua went that night into the midst of the Valley. Now, it happened when the king of a I saw it at the men of the city hurried and Rose early and went out against Israel to battle. Do you know all of his people at an appointed place before the plane? But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city and Joshua and all of Israel made as if they were beaten before them and fled, by the way, of the Wilderness. So all the people who were in a I were called together to pursue them and they pursue Joshua and were drawn away from the city, and there was not a man left in a, i r Bethel. Who did not go out after Israel. So they left the city open and pursued Israel. And so we have this plan there in place that God told him. Exactly every detail, how they were to mount their attack against AI. They were to place for an ambush for a. I and they would take the city and all this inhabitant. Israel learned at Jericho. What happens when you do things the Lord's way? They learn that failure, awaits, when we go against the will of the Lord. But here's another lesson when you fight the battle John's wave when you fight the battle, being full of the spirit being led by the spirit, you cannot fail. When you do it, your way, when you do it in your flash, you will fail. Every time now, God has put some things in our life As spiritual supports that helps us in. Experience in Victory. I got spiritual support system must be made a huge part of our Lives. Number one, we need to read the word of God. We need to feed upon his word. We need to pray, we need faithful Church attendance and we need the constant Fellowship of the Saints. God puts those things. Those means of Grace in our life that help support us to live a Victorious Life. I noticed him verses 18 through 23, they experienced God's power. I Verse 18 says in the Lord said to Joshua stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward a i for I would give it into your hand and Joshua stretch out the spear that was in his hand toward the city. So those in Ambush or Rose quickly out of their out of their place, they ran. As soon as he had stretched out his hand and they entered the city and took it and hurry to set the city on fire. And when the men of a I look behind them, they saw and behold the smoke of the city ascended to heaven, so that they had no power to flee this way or that way. And the people who had fled to the Wilderness, turn back on the pursuers. Now when Joshua and all Israel saw the Ambush had taken the city and Let the Smoke of the city ascendant. They turn back and struck down the men of AI. And the others came out of the city against them. So they were caught in the midst of Israel. Some on this side and some on that side and they struck them down so that they let none of them escaped. But the king of AI they took alive and brought to Joshua. So these verses tell us that Israel trusted in the Lord and absolutely prevailed over the enemy. Another words, they did exactly what God told them to do in the experience of Victory. I noticed thirdly, we see this Victory is preserved. At this point in the story, Israel has followed God's plan. They have achieved Victory, but now they must do what they must maintain this picture. And we shall see that they take two steps to make this a reality of a victorious, mean maintaining of this victory. I notice in verses 27 through 29, there is Victory. This Victory is preserved by Death. Vs27 less rebirth 24 as well. And it came to pass when is rum made an end of slaying, all the inhabitants of AI in the field in the wilderness where they pursue them. And when they had all Fallen by the edge of the sword until all were consumed, that all the Israelites return to a, i instruct it with the edge of the sword. So it was that all who fell that they both men and women were twelve thousand all people of AI, for Joshua did not draw, back his hand with which he stretch out the sphere until it had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of a. I only the livestock in the spoil of that City. Israel took as Bounty for themselves according to the word of the Lord. Would she had commanded Joshua? So Joshua burned AI Well, we'll stop right there. So you know I got to keep reading, I saw Joshua burn day, I and maybe make it a heat forever a desolation to this day. I know this isn't 429 and the king of AI. He hanged on a tree until evening and as soon as the sun was down Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the Gate of the city and raised and raised over the great heap of stones that remains to this day. So obviously it's pretty easy to notice that they did not leave according to this scripture one single person. Alive all men women And if you take that word all literally, then you have to account the children and the babies. Now, next week. I may just deal with the fact of the harshness. Of a lot of times, we should see how God commands is real to kill men. Women children, even if sometimes it is a suckling babies kill them. And a lot of times atheists, Like, Richard Dawkins or Chris Hitchens will use that. So, you know what this is? Why I'm not a Christian man. The god, you serve kills the innocent. Kills babies is nothing more than a moral monster know how would you answer that? How would you answer the think about that and think about your college to it and you going to college? And your college professor says. This and accuses gone as being a more Monster is being a one that screwed to the innocent, how would a college student answer that? So I want to deal with some of the difficulties in that it was a gruesome day right? I mean we would never today
Condone such behavior of any War to where you need to kill all the women and all the babies. That would be a sin. So why was it okay? 3000 years ago for thousand years ago. Well, we will look at that next week for Wheeling. But here's something that we need to take from it today. And that is this, God knew that this enemy had to be totally eradicated or there would be problems down the road. So here's the spiritual application. We take from this, your flesh. Your sinful flesh is still alive, but it must be put to death daily, okay? This is why Paul said a spending 15. Verse 31. I Die daily. Now, I'm not talking about him is his physical body, but he's talking about his sinful flesh. He's talking about how he needs to die to himself, and be filled with the spirit of God. Be led by the spirit know, some people were wrong with say, well, you know, when you got saved your flesh, also was put to death in your flesh, just saved, know it's not and yours is not either. Write your flash is as live as a lion today. As it has ever been is still like the things that I used to like, and if it was allowed to turn be turned loose, it would it would run to send just like a pig would run to the Meijer your flash is still not saved. Your flesh is not holding your flash in and of itself is rotten. And yes, there is coming a day. When the Lord is going to glorify our flesh, he's going to give us new bodies, praise the Lord, that we don't have to wrestle against the flesh. As Paul said, there's things that I want to do that. My flesh does not want to do and there's a constant battle between the Flesh and spirit.
So we learn here. Verses, 27 through 29 that we need to put to death, totally are Flash. And then the versus 3335, we won't read those verses. But we find there.
well, we will, we will read those verses we find that they obey the Lord His command verse 30. Joshua built an altar to the Lord, God of Israel and mount Ebel. As Moses the servant of the Lord had command of the children of Israel as it is written in the book of the law of Moses. And altar of whole Stones over which no man has wielded and iron cool and they offered on it. Burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrifice to peace offerings. And there in his presence, in the presence of the children of Israel. He wrote on the stones, a copy of the law of Moses which which he had written. Then all is real wither, elders and officers and judges stood on the either. Sit on either side of the Ark before the priests, the Levites Who Bore the Ark of the Covenant of the lord, The Stranger, as well as he was born among them. Half of them were in front of of Mount gerizim gerizim and half of them in front of Mount a bow. And Moses a servant of the Lord had commanded before. That they should Bless the people of Israel and afterward, he read all the words of the law, the blessings, and the cursed things. According to all that is written in the book of the law. And there was not a word of all that Moses had commanded, which Joshua did not read before. All this simply of Israel with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them, Until after the enemy have been eradicated and victory had been preserved is real finished by doing what the Lord had told them to do. And if you will read Deuteronomy chapter, 27 draw me to chapter 27 and chapter 28, Moses gives the children of Israel. The instructions as to what they are to do, after they have a victory, half of the nation was to stand on Mount Eva and the other half on Mount gerizim. The Levites for the stand in the valley between these two mountains and they were to read the cursings. And after every verse of the cursings was read the children of Israel on Mount a bow would say, amen. After every cursing. And then after each blessing, verse was read the children on the east side of Mount gerizim would say amen. And you again, you can read that in June, around me, chapter 27, and chapter 28. But again, I pray that this is a help to us as we, you know, sometimes look at the Old Testament, as something being totally ancients, it's not going to be applicable to our lives, but it's still relevant. It's God's word, it's alive. And even a book like Joshua is sharp, right? It's sharp enough to cut us down to the even the Marrow of our bones and help us as we think about having the victory over the flesh. all right, won't take just a few moments to Have a time of prayer. And Jan, Danner had her eye surgery and everything went. Well, how she doing today?