Joshua 7 & 8

Joshua 7:19 ESV

Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

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The Context Sandwich (Look Back, Look Ahead)

Body Ep. 1

Israel Defeated at Ai (7:1-9)

Vs 1 - The Hebrew word used here, ma'al, elsewhere describes adultery (Num 5:12–13; see note on 1 Chr 5:25). Achan’s violation exceeded theft—it was akin to spiritual adultery against Yahweh for breaking the cherem principle.  Dust symbolizes mourning Job 2:12, and Lam 2:10

 Vs 2 - Go up and spy out which is different from those given to the two who went to Jericho in Josh 2:1, Go, look 

 Vs 3 - The response of the spies expresses a military strategy different than the spies sent to Jericho (Josh. 2:24), but resembling the majority report of Moses’ spies (Num. 13:27–33)

Joshua 7:4–5 These two verses describe the Israelites’ short engagement with Ai where 36 Israelites die. While the number is small, Israel had suffered no casualties against Jericho. For this reason, the Israelites lose heart, believing this defeat should not have happened

Vs 6 (Joshua tore his clothes)  Kriah - act of mourning, anguish symbolized by tearing of clothes.  Jewish people today wear a black ribbon that is cut instead of clothing. Genesis 37:34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. ELDERS OF ISRAEL are mentioned here for the first time in Joshua In tribal societies elders dealt with political and military policy-making and leadership and in representing the whole tribe in dealings with other states

Vs 7 Amorites - Associated with the ancient indigenous Canaanite giant clans 

Vs 8 Israelites ran from their enemies

Vs 9 Joshua is worried the defeat will reduce the respect for God’s own name.

Achan's Sin (7:10-26)

The Lord said Vs 10 “Stand up! What are you going to do down on your face?”

Vs 11 Israel has sinned? This speaks to  the idea of corporate responsibility, in many ancient Near Eastern cultures and the ot in particular.

Vs 12 The Israelites themselves have become “devoted for destruction”

Vs 13-15 exposing first the guilty tribe, then the clan, then the family, and finally the individual.

 Vs 16 Donald Campbell in the Bible Knowledge Commentary. But since God knew who was guilty, why did He not simply reveal his identity to Joshua?   Psalm 32:1 BKC

Vs 17 This was no accident; it was the direction of God’s providence. Solomon described the process well: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (Prov. 16:33).  In the ancient world, however, casting lots was universally viewed as a form of divination by which the will of God was revealed.

 The three steps in Achan’s sin are familiar: he saw; he coveted; he took. Eve took the same tragic steps in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:6), as did David with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:2–4).

 7:22–25. Achan’s confession was quickly verified; the stolen objects were found where he said they were. They were then spread … out before the Lord to whom they belonged. Then the wretched man was led out to the Valley of Achor with the spoil, all his family, his animals, and all his other belongings. The fatal stones felled Achan and his children, and fire consumed their bodies and belongings. Having stolen “devoted” objects Achan himself became contaminated and under the doom of destruction. Since children were not to be executed for their father’s sins (Deut. 24:16) it is assumed that Achan’s family (except for his wife, who was not mentioned) were accomplices in the crime (cf. comments on Num. 16:28–35).

 But because Israel was willing to deal with the sin problem in her midst, God’s burning anger (7:1) was turned away and He was ready to lead them again to victory.

Ep. 2

The Fall of Ai (8:1-29)

8:1. The momentum Israel had achieved by the miraculous crossing of the Jordan and the supernatural victory over Jericho was stopped by the defeat at Ai. Gloom and despair permeated not only all those in the camp but also the heart of Joshua.

 When Joshua heard God’s words of encouragement his heart quickened, for these were the same words Moses spoke in Kadesh Barnea when he sent out the 12 spies (Deut. 1:21), They were also the words Moses said to Joshua 40 years later when he was turning the reins of leadership over to the younger man (Deut. 31:8). And Joshua heard them again when God spoke to him just after the death of Moses (Josh. 1:9).

8:2 as you did to Jericho See ch. 6. spoils and its livestock keep This allowance is unusual in light of what has just transpired with Achan. God is likely describing some kind of distinction between this plunder and the cherem ban. Alternatively, He could have slackened the ban to allow plunder.

8:3-29 After killing all Ai’s soldiers, Israel’s army reentered the city and killed all its inhabitants. The dead soldiers and citizens totaled 12,000. Plunder was taken from the city by Israel’s soldiers as God had said they could do (v. 2). The city was made a heap of ruins. Ai’s king, previously spared, was hanged on a tree till evening and then was buried beneath a pile of stones (cf. Achan’s similar burial, 7:26). The king’s body was taken off the tree at sunset because of God’s command (Deut. 21:22–23; cf. Josh. 10:27).

Joshua Renews the Covenant (8:30-35)

8:30–31. Renewing of the Covenant  After the victory of Ai Joshua did a strange and militarily foolish thing. Instead of securing the central sector of the land with further victories he led the Israelites on a spiritual pilgrimage. Why? Simply because Moses … had commanded it (Deut. 27:1–8).

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Produced by Zane Kemper

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