Joshua 8
-The conquest of Ai now resumes after the situation with the
sin of Achan. God told Joshua not to fear or be dismayed, but to arise and go
up to Ai, for had given it into their hands along with its king. This time the
LORD would allow for some spoil to be taken along with the city’s cattle as
plunder for themselves. Instructions were given for an ambush, which Joshua set
into motion with great expertise. The campaign was totally successful as they
choose 30,000 valiant men of war for the fight. They utterly destroyed the
12,000 of Ai who left their city undefended and captured its king bringing him
before Joshua to be hanged on a tree. The entire city was burned according to
the word of the LORD. So “Joshua did not withdraw his hand with which he
stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of
Ai.” Israel only took the cattle and the spoil as plunder according to the word
of the LORD, which He had commanded to Joshua. After Ai was burned and the king
hanged, his body was thrown at the entrance of the city gate and covered with
stones that stood there until the writing of the text (Joshua 8:1-29).
-Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD in Mount Ebal just
as Moses had commanded the sons of Israel to do (Exodus 20:25, Deuteronomy
27:1-9). He wrote there a copy of the Law of Moses, and they offered burnt
offerings before the LORD their God along with sacrificing peace offerings. The
Ark of the Covenant was present with all of Israel’s elders, officers, judges,
and the Levitical priests doing their prescribed duties in these days of
celebration within the land of promise. Half stood on Mount Gerizim and half on
Mount Ebal as the entire book of the Law was read by Joshua to all the assembly
of Israel including their women, their little ones, and the strangers who were
living among them (Deuteronomy 27:10-28:68, Joshua 8:30-35).
-*Application* This victory was coroneted with a solemn
remembrance of where the nation had been and an honoring of their majestic God
who had given them success according to His word. Let us consider proper protocol
in the special events of our lives as sacred. Honor the things that the LORD
prescribes and expects. Don’t ever be irreverent in whatever pomp and
circumstance that may be required in a formal setting that is set aside to
reflect and meditate on the goodness of the Sovereign. While we must be careful
to not follow mundane traditions of man, the LORD is a God of decorum and expects
us to follow His precepts that He decrees in an appropriate fashion.
Verse to Memorize:
Joshua 8:26
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