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SURVEY OF BIBLE HISTORY
The Hard but Vital Lesson at AI
Joshua Lesson 8; Works well with Jensen’s Chapter 6

Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1998
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

Joshua 7-8

F. After establishing a beachhead and basecamp at Gilqal, and the removal of the most immediate obstacle between them and full possession of the promised land. Jericho, Joshua and Israel turned their attention toward Ai:

1.Strategically, Ai was the next Canaanite stronghold which had to go as the Israelis moved to conquer the land:

a. Whereas Jericho was just inside the land, in the Jordan river valley, Ai was about 13 miles almost due west on the eastern edge of the central highlands. Though the victory over strategic Jericho gave Israel firm control of the southern river valley, they had not yet penetrated the highland interior, which was highly fortified.

b. From Jericho, three main routes led up by separate valleys towards the highlands of the West. The most southerly of the three, Wady Kelt, led up to Jerusalem, a dominant and highly fortified Canaanite position called Jebus at that time. The ather two routes led to Ai. Ai was situated at a high point between where these two valleys converged in the highlands. It was literally perched on the summit of a low hill, overlooking the wilderness of tangled valleys that descend toward the Jordan. Only from the west could the city be approached apart from rocky cliffs. In addition to the natural fortifications afforded by the steep cliffs, archeologists have uncovered a 13 foot thick wall which is 8-10 feet high around the city. Thus one can understand the statements of Joshua 9, about going in and out of the city.

Though the distance up either of the two main valleys from Jericho to Ai would be about 13 miles, the ascent would come to 3200 feet. And, the terrain was exceedingly rough and rocky. In fact, the trails did not lead through the valley floors, which at points presented impassable canyons, rocky scarps and cliffs; but generally followed the high ground hugging the valley contour.

2. Shortly after Jericho, Joshua sent spies to gain intelligence information on Ai: Joshua 7:2-5

a. They returned with a report that Ai would be easy to take. They recommended that only about 2000-3000 soldiers be sent to conquer the small city.

(As they later conquered the city, the inhabitants proved to be 12,000 strong, Josh. 8:25)

b. Without consulting the Lord in this matter (which is always a dangerous and costly mistake in making any decision), Joshua listened to the spies and sent the small band of soldiers, Josh. 7:4 (since Joshua had himself once been a spy, and had been involved in a situation where the advice of spies proved disastrous to the people, Num: 13 & 14; one would think Joshua would have been more cautious and careful to seek the Lord before major decisions. What a warning that we so soon forget, even great leaders fail, and sometimes we ignore the very basic lessons we think we've learned.)

3. The result was a disastrous defeat by the men of Ai in which 36 Israeli soldiers died. As Joshua pointed out to the Lord, in Josh. 7:8-9, the biggest loss was Israeli morale; and the encouragement and psychological victory this was for the Canaanites as a whole:

a. Joshua 7:5 says, "the hearts of the people melted and became as water." Believer, defeat generally brings fear and depression to God's people.

b. Josh. 7:7 will show you that even great ' leaders like Joshua get discouraged too. There's a tinge of self pity in Joshua's prayer, and definite discouragement. He's wishing he had not even tried, and had been content to just stay in the wilderness east of Jordan. He was completely ignoring God's promises to him in Josh. 1. and the miraculous Jordan river crossing, and the mighty victory at Jericho·How well Joshua illustrates the foolish emotions we feel and words we often say when sin comes on the scene and the going gets rough. It is NOT the will of God that we stay in the wilderness with no growth. He doesn't want us, because of a defeat here and there,to settle down, throw in the towel, and just quit. How foolish it is for any of us, in a low moment, to forget the glorious things God has done for us, and his promises of strength and protection for us. Teachers, fathers, parents, preachers, beware.

4. God didn't spend a bunch of time petting Joshua, and changing his diaper. (Under given circumstances, God is more lenient and tender; but never does he coddle one of his children in such a way as to foster them in their blighted thinking or attitudes. There comes a time when God's children need to grow up, and grown children need to act their age. God is committed to the principles of growth and maturity, Heb. 5-6; Eph. 4; etc. In Joshua 7:10. God basically told Joshua to get up and do something about the situation in which he found himself;

a.It is quite easy for we who believe, to expect God to do everything for us. The fact is, quite often, he expects us to do something for ourselves. Do not misunderstand. I am not saying he wants us to act unilaterally in the energy of the flesh. Never! What I am saying is that He has already given us the instructions in his word, his Holy Spirit to empower us, and the wisdom to act. When we get into trouble, and God has already put all the tools for victory in our hands , we can't lie on our faces in self pity expecting him to bail us out while we lay there and cry. He expects us to act on what he's already given us; not in our own power, but in his. And, if we don't, he's very likely to let us wallow in our misery and self pity till we die. People with money problems do it all the time. They have the textbook on financial freedom (The Bible), and the divine power to implement it (the Holy Spirit), yet they lie there on their face in self pity because of economic bondage, waiting for God to whisk them out of it, while they refuse to do a thing with the tools of success God has already put at their disposal. And, similar words could be said about those in marriage defeats, bad habits, child raising defeats, moral defeats, and all the other kinds of defeats·

From Joshua 7:10-15, let us glean at least 3 major affirmative actions which any believer should and can take once he finds himself defeated:

(1) Find out why you were defeated. There is an answer: a reason for defeat. God told Joshua that his defeat came as a result of sin, in V. 11. When you're defeated, find out why. Have you (or someone around you, as in Joshua's case) sinned? Have you failed to act properly upon God' s guidelines? Are your motives wrong? Is God using you in some project as he did Old Testament Joseph?

(2) Once the cause of defeat is located, do whatever is necessary to correct it. Confess the sin; make restitution; resolve the conflict with a brother; quit the habit; straighten your attitude. God told Joshua to sanctify the people, and put away the sin, Josh. 7:13-15, None of us can expect victory till we address the sin issue.

(3) Third, don't go easy on sin. Come clean with the issue, and don't be merciful to sin. Look at Josh, 7;15, "And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing Shall be burnt with fire; he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrouqht folly in Israel." Sin will knuckle you under and keep you there· You must not wound sin only; you must kill it. And, it matters not where you find it, it must go. There can be no doublestandards when sin is the issue. Be it in you, your best friend, or your child; it must be addressed. It cannot be ignored.

c. Let us spend just a little time more emphasizing the main and hard lesson of the entire story of Ai. Sin always brings defeat. Over and over this great truth is emphasized in God's word. We've seen it already, many times; and we'll see it again soon and often in coming stories. As often as it is emphasized throughout the Bible, we believers so often act as though we can get away with it. We don't really believe sin will hurt us and defeat us. So, we ignore and tolerate sin.

But, as Joshua so graphically discovered, sin comes home to defeat and embarrass you: maybe not right now, but always, sooner or later. "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be qood, or whether it be evil ", Eccl.12:14. Heb 2:2 says "every transqression and disobedience" must be and will be properly judged of God. Thus King Solomon wrote, "Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be pro1onged, it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolonq his days, which are as a shadow." .Eccl, 8: 12-13.

THE HARD, BUT VITAL, LESSON AT AI

1. Locate Ai on your map of Israel.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"