Joshua 8:18-35. Sorry for the lateness of this post.  It is the beginning of a new quarter in our Sunday School class and there was a lot of extra work for that so I had to do my quiet time (Daily Bible reading this evening).

Yesterday we found Israel engaged in a battle with the city of Ai.  The main body of the troops attacked the city and then ran when the soldiers of the city came out to fight.  Eventually all of the people of Ai (at least the soldiers anyway) chased after the Israelites leaving the city defenseless.

In today’s reading Joshua gave a signal and some troops waiting to ambush the city rushed in and took it and set it on fire.  The men of Ai were trapped between the two groups of Israelites and were killed.  Eventually the Israelites returned to Ai and killed all of the people, 12000, and took the animals as a reward “”according to the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua”.

Joshua then took the Israelites 25 miles to the north to two mountains where he built an altar (a place to sacrifice animals or other objects to God).  He had some of the Israelites stand on one of the mountains and some on the other.  Large stones were set up and covered with lime, a white substance, and then all of the commandments of God were written on the stones.  The Law was read to the people and they were told of the blessings (good things) that would happen if they obeyed the Law and the curses (bad things) that would happen if they disobeyed the Law.  Offerings were also made, burnt offerings and peace or fellowship offerings.  This was all done according to what Moses had commanded the people just before they crossed the Jordan to enter the promised land (Deuteronomy 27-28).

The burnt offerings were whole animals that were burned entirely as a symbol of the price of sin (Exodus 29:18).   According to Exodus and Leviticus the smoke of this offering was a “soothing aroma to the LORD”.  It might seem odd that God is soothed or quieted by the smell of a burning animal.  I think that you need to keep the whole process in mind.  This offering shows to God that we know the consequences of disobedience (sin).  Those consequences are death, separation from God for eternity.  Three times in Mark that separation is described as being in a place where “their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44,46,48).  So I think God is soothed or quieted because he sees that we are getting real about our sins.

On the other hand only parts of the fellowship or peace offering (Leviticus 7:11-15) were burned on the altar.  The rest was eaten by the priest or the person making the offering.  In Leviticus 3:1-17 twice the part of this offering that is burned is referred to as food for God (vv. 11,16).  Obviously God does not actually eat food.  The picture here is one of living in peace or fellowship with God.

The total picture here is one of the Israelites getting serious about their relationship with God.  They learned what offended God, they admitted their guilt and did what God said to do about it, and then had a renewed relationship with Him.  1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins that God is faithful and right to forgive our sins and clean us from our disobedience.  Turning to God pleases Him and he is there waiting to have a new relationship with Him.  Lord thank you for your kindness.  Thank you for Jesus who was the ultimate sacrifice for my sin.  I am sorry for the destruction that has had to be done to keep me aware of my sins.  I am sorry for the pain you suffered for me.  Help me be obedient each day to the things that make you happy.  Let my life be the soothing aroma to you.  Thank you for being there always waiting.

Joshua 8:1-17. So the Israelites learned that they needed to be obedient.  Disobedience has consequences.  In this case a whole family was destroyed and 36 men besides lost their lives.  And the Israelites (and their God) looked stupid to the Canaanites in Ai.  In today’s reading the Israelites had to go back to Ai.  This time notice that God is giving the orders.  And all the troops need to go.  Why though, in verses 1 God said He was going to cause the Israelites to win?  Notice thought that He said that he would give the city of Ai “into their hands”.  And look at how it happened.  There were tactics, an ambush.  30,000 men were sent to the west of Ai at night and waited.  It’s funny when I read sometimes I can almost hear the voices of the people talking.  As I read this I imagined Joshua whispering, I don’t know why, it’s not like they were right next to Ai.  And I don’t know how you get 30,000 guys with swords and stuff to be quiet.  By the way, that’s 10 times the number of guys that Joshua sent against Ai the first time.  And these guys were going to go up against a city that most of the men of war had left, to chase the Israelites.

Did you notice in the very first verse that God told Joshua not to worry, that He would take care of this battle.  Remember back in Joshua 1 that God told Joshua 3 times in the first 9 verses to be strong and courageous.  It seems like Joshua was one to worry (Remember after the first defeat Joshua response to God? Joshua 7:7).  But he was also faithful so in verse 7 Joshua told the guys that God would take care of this battle.  Johsha spent the night among the troops.  I wonder if he spent the night telling them all it would be OK, and worrying.  In verse 8 we see the elders of the people going out with Joshua.  I get the picture of a lot of reluctant people who need a lot of leadership.  If you read through Judges with us this is not like the Gideon story where all the people are like “Gideon, oo-rah!”

So the men were ready and daylight came.  The rest of the Israelite troops stormed the front gate.  You know I wonder what happened to the bodies of the 36 guys that died a couple of days before.  It was very common in those days for the heads of victims to be cut off and displayed by the gates of cities.  Sort of a warning of how fierce the occupants could be if you crossed them.  The men of Ai came out to battle and the Israelites ran away.  So the king of Ai sent everyone after them.  “I can imagine him thinking, “so much for their god.”  No one was left in the city to guard it.  The plan was working. And that is where our action stops today.

Tomorrow we will see the outcome of this battle.  But we should notice a few things.  I’ve already mentioned a few.  Joshua seems prone to worry.  But God was able to use him.  It’s not by our power that we win the battles that God gives us it is with His help (Zechariah 4:1-7, Hebrews 11:34).  But god uses people.  We don’t usually just sit on the sidelines and watch the game.  We need to act and we need to do it as a matter of faith (Look at the verses around Hebrews 11:34).  Finally I want to point out that this was a battle like Jericho (v. 2) with one exception, this time they would get to take the stuff and only were to destroy the people and the city.  Later they will get to keep some of the cities.  (If I remember right the 2 ½ tribes on the east of the river got to keep some cities over there already).  So it’s not like God didn’t want the people taken care of, it was just that they needed to get their priorities right.  They needed to keep God first in their lives.  We need to do the same thing.  Once Jesus was talking to a large crowd and he told them that worry would not accomplish any thing.  He told them to follow god and their needs would be met (Matthew 6:25-34.  The message he is giving starts at Matthew 5:1).  Lord help me not worry.  Help me trust you.  Let me remember the victories you have already given me.  Let me keep you first.  Help me know what matters to you and care about the same things.  Thank you for taking care of me.  Give me faith and thank you for your patience.