Joshua 8, Fall of Ai

After Defeat, what then?

Basically, that is what this chapter is about. How do we get up and moving after taking a beating. In Ch 7 Israel gets beaten down by an inferior enemy and they have lost heart. Because if God is not for us we are doomed.

We all go through periods of time when we feel as if a dark cloud is following us. Nothing seems to be going right. God seems to be distant and we feel lost.

I love a passage in the Proverbs,

​​For a righteous man may fall seven times

​​And rise again,

​​But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

It is awesome that God is the God of second chances, third and forth as well...

Read Ch 8: 1- 29

When we have fallen in some Sin and have been defeated, and now repentant and trying to move forward we are very vulnerable to the enemy’s lies and discouragement. It is then that we need to be listening to God’s encouragement from His Word and the His Spirit.

I love how the Lord approaches Joshua here in vs 1-2. Read out loud. There is no mention of their sin only blessing and assurance.

Paul had something interesting to say about this.

 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Question: Are you able to Forget the sins of the past?

The bible tells us,  ​​As far as the east is from the west,

​​So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

God has cast our sins as far as the East is from the West. Note, He didn’t say as far as the North is from the South. Look at a globe.

Note: the Spoil was for the people. If only Achan had waited. Our problem is that often we have no patience and we miss blessing for a momentary thrill.

Vs 3-13 Battle plans

Question: how does the battle plan for Ai compare to that of Jericho?

It is completely different, but victory is promised in both. So why is it that we treat our day to day issues as if they are to be tackled the same way each time. Our problem we tend to battle in our own strength and are not led by the Spirit most of the time.

God refuses to be boxed in. God help us to seek Him and His plan.

Note that 30K men are set aside just for the ambush on the West of Ai. Not just the 3K that were originally sent

Joshua is with the people in the battle, Our Joshua, Jesus, is with us as well. Israel will approach Ai from the North and then retreat.

The enemy will try the same tactics over and over if we continue to fall. They say when you find yourself in a hole stop digging.

Joshua assigns another 5K men between Bethel and Ai as a block to Ai’s escape and to to cut off help from Bethel.

Vs 14 - 20 The battle is the Lord’s

Vs 15 says ,  And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

This is and interesting picture of Jesus on the cross. The enemy believing he had defeated our Lord but in fact by His death Jesus brought eternal life.

Vs 17 Bethel also joined the battle against Israel.

Vs 20 “they had no power”… When we do things in the power of the Spirit in Gods way the enemy has no power.