“Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!” (Psalm 24:7-8 ESV, finished next week)
US Coast Guard Academy Chapel, New London, CT
Joshua 7
The Devoted Things
•So far, so good.
•Out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land- check.
•Cross over the Jordan river- check.
•Take out the most fortified city- check.
•Maybe the people were a bit hasty and didn’t fully listen when Yahweh spoke these words before the fall of Jericho- “ But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” (Josh 6:19)
•At any rate before the next city is taken we are told that a person has already not listened and because of his sin the Lord is mad at everyone in the Israeli camp.
•So far, so good.
•Out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land- check.
•Cross over the Jordan river- check.
•Take out the most fortified city- check.
•Maybe the people were a bit hasty and didn’t fully listen when Yahweh spoke these words before the fall of Jericho- “ But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” (Josh 6:19)
•At any rate before the next city is taken we are told that a person has already not listened and because of his sin the Lord is mad at everyone in the Israeli camp.
The Devoted Things Continued
•As was very important to ancient warfare, before the next attack Joshua sent spies in first to determine what battle plan was best to implement.
•Although the Promised Land was already given to them and they were guaranteed to take it from the Canaanites there were still Canaanites to deal with. The spies go into the next town and find a smaller place, not like Jericho, so the spies recommend sending up a smaller force to take them out.
•Later on we learn that Ai had a population of 12,000 people but compared to the fighting force of the Israelites (numbers up over the 600,000 range) Ai was nothing.
•At any rate, the small Israeli force goes up to Ai to take it and loses. Joshua knows that they’re supposed to win and when they lose at Ai Joshua falls on his face and weeps.
•Yahweh tells Joshua to quit whining about the loss and that the reason it happened was because the people have sinned. (note- one man sinned but the Lord is holding it against the whole congregation)
•The next morning the tribes came before Joshua and Judah was chosen, then the clan of Achan, and on down to Achan’s household.
•Achan was stoned and burned in the valley of Achor (Hebrew for “trouble”).
•As was very important to ancient warfare, before the next attack Joshua sent spies in first to determine what battle plan was best to implement.
•Although the Promised Land was already given to them and they were guaranteed to take it from the Canaanites there were still Canaanites to deal with. The spies go into the next town and find a smaller place, not like Jericho, so the spies recommend sending up a smaller force to take them out.
•Later on we learn that Ai had a population of 12,000 people but compared to the fighting force of the Israelites (numbers up over the 600,000 range) Ai was nothing.
•At any rate, the small Israeli force goes up to Ai to take it and loses. Joshua knows that they’re supposed to win and when they lose at Ai Joshua falls on his face and weeps.
•Yahweh tells Joshua to quit whining about the loss and that the reason it happened was because the people have sinned. (note- one man sinned but the Lord is holding it against the whole congregation)
•The next morning the tribes came before Joshua and Judah was chosen, then the clan of Achan, and on down to Achan’s household.
•Achan was stoned and burned in the valley of Achor (Hebrew for “trouble”).
Joshua 8
This Time Around
•After Achan was stoned and burned for not listening the first time around this time the Israelites are told right at the beginning of the battle plan that they are allowed to take the spoils of the city of Ai (but not let the people live, which is implied).
•See, if Achan had only waited…
•The Israelites are camping north of the city of Ai so Joshua chooses 30,000 people to go behind (to the west of) the city so they can ambush it. The rest of the fighting force would march from camp and lure the army of Ai out of the city.
•Joshua stayed the night in the main camp (north of the city) and would lead it toward Ai as the decoy force.
•There is a second force of 5,000 Israelites that is mentioned as an ambush force between Ai and Bethel, but their main purpose is to prevent ambush from Bethel.
•The main force lured the army out of Ai and as soon as they started to leave their city Joshua started having his force retreat.
•After Achan was stoned and burned for not listening the first time around this time the Israelites are told right at the beginning of the battle plan that they are allowed to take the spoils of the city of Ai (but not let the people live, which is implied).
•See, if Achan had only waited…
•The Israelites are camping north of the city of Ai so Joshua chooses 30,000 people to go behind (to the west of) the city so they can ambush it. The rest of the fighting force would march from camp and lure the army of Ai out of the city.
•Joshua stayed the night in the main camp (north of the city) and would lead it toward Ai as the decoy force.
•There is a second force of 5,000 Israelites that is mentioned as an ambush force between Ai and Bethel, but their main purpose is to prevent ambush from Bethel.
•The main force lured the army out of Ai and as soon as they started to leave their city Joshua started having his force retreat.
This Time Around Continued
•The last time 3,000 Israelites approached Ai they retreated because the city wasn’t theirs to take yet because of the sin.
•As the force from Ai is leaving the city to pursue they don’t leave anyone behind to defend.
•The Javelin that Joshua holds out would have shined in the sun and been a signal to the ambush force.
•The people of Ai thought this would be another easy battle against the push-over Israelites and the entire army marches out to pursue the retreating Israelis.
•When the Javelin signal is flashed the ambush force that was behind the city rushes in and sets the city on fire.
•The people of Ai look back and see the smoke rising from their city but they have no where to flee. The Israelites systematically take them all out and let no one live except the king.
•The king is brought to Joshua and Joshua condemns the king to hang on a tree. In accordance with Israeli law he takes the king down from hanging at sunset.
•The last time 3,000 Israelites approached Ai they retreated because the city wasn’t theirs to take yet because of the sin.
•As the force from Ai is leaving the city to pursue they don’t leave anyone behind to defend.
•The Javelin that Joshua holds out would have shined in the sun and been a signal to the ambush force.
•The people of Ai thought this would be another easy battle against the push-over Israelites and the entire army marches out to pursue the retreating Israelis.
•When the Javelin signal is flashed the ambush force that was behind the city rushes in and sets the city on fire.
•The people of Ai look back and see the smoke rising from their city but they have no where to flee. The Israelites systematically take them all out and let no one live except the king.
•The king is brought to Joshua and Joshua condemns the king to hang on a tree. In accordance with Israeli law he takes the king down from hanging at sunset.