JOSHUA LESSON 8
We will begin this lesson in Joshua 8:1 "And the LORD said unto
Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war
with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the
king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:"
The LORD encourages Joshua here. The first time they had sent
3,000 men. This time, the LORD tells them to take all of the fighting
men. God is with them, and Ai will crumble and fall. It is no problem
to defeat all obstacles before them, if the Lord is with them. The
real enemy they face is sin that might crop up in their own ranks.
Joshua 8:2 "And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst
unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle
thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush
for the city behind it."
Christians are in constant warfare with the devil, or the lust of
their own flesh. God is with us, and we are victorious, when we stay
faithful to Him. Even though God sees that we have victory, we still
have to fight the war. We notice, in the verse above, that they may
keep the spoil of Ai, unlike the spoil of Jericho which was accursed.
They are allowed to keep the cattle, as well. This ambush is to keep
them from running away.
Joshua 8:3 "So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up
against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour,
and sent them away by night."
This is ten times the number that went against Ai the first time.
It appears, that Joshua assaulted Ai with 30,000 men. It, also,
appears from another Scripture, that 5,000 men were used in ambush.
They moved by night, so as not to be detected. Notice, God has Joshua
to figure out the details of the battle plan. God will help us, but
we must put out effort, as well.
Joshua 8:4 "And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie
in wait against the city, [even] behind the city: go not very far from
the city, but be ye all ready:"
He moved the entire army near to the city. They were to wait
there for further orders.
Joshua 8:5 "And I, and all the people that [are] with me, will
approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out
against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,"
It appears that Joshua, has chosen some men to go with him into
the edge of the city. When Ai attacks this small group of soldiers,
they will appear to be retreating, and bring them to the men who are
waiting outside the city.
Joshua 8:6 "(For they will come out after us) till we have drawn
them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the
first: therefore we will flee before them."
This is just a trick to get the fighting men of Ai out of the
city, chasing this group led by Joshua.
Joshua 8:7 "Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon
the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand."
After Joshua has led the soldiers out of Ai. The 5,000 of Israel
who had waited in ambush, will go in and take the city. The LORD is
with them, so the trick will work.
Joshua 8:8 "And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, [that]
ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the
LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you."
This city is like Jericho. It is to be destroyed by fire, after
they have taken it. There is no other reason given for this, than the
fact that God commands it.
Joshua 8:9 "Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to
lie in ambush, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of
Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people."
It appears, there were 30,000 fighting men, and 5,000 of them lay
in ambush, waiting for Joshua to draw them out of the city.
Joshua 8:10 "And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and
numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before
the people to Ai."
This is not the same as the numbering in the book of numbers.
This is a surveying of the troops. Joshua and the elders led the way
into Ai.
Joshua 8:11 "And all the people, [even the people] of war that
[were] with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and
pitched on the north side of Ai: now [there was] a valley between them
and Ai."
The other troops were stationed on the west side, and these are
on the north side. There was just a valley between them and Ai.
Joshua 8:12 "And he took about five thousand men, and set them to
lie in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city."
This seems to be a repetition of the earlier verse. It appears,
this 5,000 is part of the whole.
Joshua 8:13 "And when they had set the people, [even] all the
host that [was] on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on
the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the
valley."
It seems that, Joshua left a group on the west, and on the north,
and then, took a group to the middle of the valley near Ai to entice
the army into the ambush.
Joshua 8:14 "And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw [it],
that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out
against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed,
before the plain; but he wist not that [there were] liers in ambush
against him behind the city."
It appears that, the trap worked. The king of Ai came out into
the valley to fight with Joshua and his men. The ambush took place at
this point.
Joshua 8:15 "And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were
beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness."
Joshua pretended to be beaten, all the while leading the men of
Ai away from the city.
Joshua 8:16 "And all the people that [were] in Ai were called
together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were
drawn away from the city."
The shouting of the men of Ai was a victorious shout, which drew
the people to follow and see the victory.
Joshua 8:17 "And there was not a man left in Ai or Beth-el, that
went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued
after Israel."
This explains that every man went with the pursuit of Joshua and
the army of Israel, not even realizing they were leaving their city
open for attack.
Joshua 8:18 "And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear
that [is] in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand.
And Joshua stretched out the spear that [he had] in his hand toward
the city."
This spear seemed to be the signal to those lying in ambush in
the north and the west to go and take Ai. This is similar to Moses
stretching out the staff God had given him, and bringing judgement
from God.
Joshua 8:19 "And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and
they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered
into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire."
They not only take the city, but set fire to it, as well.
Joshua 8:20 "And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw,
and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had
no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the
wilderness turned back upon the pursuers."
When the men of Ai saw the fire, they knew they had been tricked.
There is, now, no where to run, because Joshua and his men are on one
side, and the men who set fire to Ai are on the other.
Joshua 8:21 "And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush
had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they
turned again, and slew the men of Ai."
Joshua had not been afraid at all. They had lured the men out of
the city. Now, they turn on the men of Ai, and kill them.
Joshua 8:22 "And the other issued out of the city against them;
so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on
that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain
or escape."
By this time, the men who had been in the city have, now, turned
on the troops of Ai from the other side of where Joshua attacked them.
They kill every one of them.
Joshua 8:23 "And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him
to Joshua." Joshua 8:24 "And it came to pass, when Israel had made an
end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the
wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on
the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the
Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword."
When they had made sure they killed all of them in the field,
they returned to Ai, and sought out any that might have lived through
the fire, and killed them.
Joshua 8:25 "And [so] it was, [that] all that fell that day, both
of men and women, [were] twelve thousand, [even] all the men of Ai."
The city, perhaps, had more people than 12,000. That was the
number of adult men and women that were killed. It appears, from this,
that there were no men left alive, except for the king who had been
taken to Joshua.
Joshua 8:26 "For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he
stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the
inhabitants of Ai."
Joshua kept his spear pointed out to cause the people to continue
to fight, until all of the inhabitants were killed.
Joshua 8:27 "Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel
took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD
which he commanded Joshua."
The animals are to be saved, as gains from war. God allows them
to spoil Ai. God had said it was alright to take spoil here.
Joshua 8:28 "And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever,
[even] a desolation unto this day."
The city of Ai was not only destroyed, but cursed for generations
to come. It would never be rebuilt. This burning by Joshua was in
addition to the burning the soldiers had done. This speaks of total
destruction.
Joshua 8:29 "And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until
eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they
should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the
entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of
stones, [that remaineth] unto this day."
Joshua hanged the king of Ai, as an example to all that looked
on, and those other nations who heard about it. It is written, cursed
is everyone who hangeth on a tree. The carcase was taken to the gate
of the city, and buried with a pile of rocks, as a memorial of this
evil man.
Joshua 8:30 "Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of
Israel in mount Ebal,"
This is a place to worship God, and thank Him for the victories.
There would be no opposition to this type of thing, because of the
example Joshua had made of Ai's king. The surrounding people would be
terrified.
Joshua 8:31 "As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the
children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses,
an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up [any] iron:
and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed
peace offerings."
This is a verification that this was written after the book of
Deuteronomy. These sacrifices were made, to continue the blessings of
God upon these people.
Joshua 8:32 "And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the
law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of
Israel."
These stones were plastered, as they had received instructions to
do in Deuteronomy chapter 27 verse 2 through 4. Deuteronomy 27:2 "And
it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land
which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great
stones, and plaster them with plaster:" Deuteronomy 27:3 "And thou
shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed
over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God
giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God
of thy fathers hath promised thee." Deuteronomy 27:4 "Therefore it
shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, [that] ye shall set up these
stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt
plaster them with plaster." Joshua has done exactly as God had
commanded, and has written the law on these stones.
Joshua 8:33 "And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and
their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the
priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD,
as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them
over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal;
as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they
should bless the people of Israel."
The presence of God, symbolized by the ark, was in the middle of
the people. The people were gathered, and blessed of God.
Joshua 8:34 "And afterward he read all the words of the law, the
blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book
of the law."
This law was read to all the people, because it was the law of
the people. They would be without excuse. They all knew the law, from
the least to the greatest.
Joshua 8:35 "There was not a word of all that Moses commanded,
which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the
women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant
among them."
Since it was possible for the women and children to sin, they
must hear the law, as well. Even the stranger, that lived among them,
was subject to the law. A person could not keep the law, unless he
knew what the law was. It was very important that it be read aloud to
the people.
Joshua 8 Questions
1. What does the LORD tell Joshua, in verse 1, to encourage him?
2. What is the real enemy they face?
3. What will be different about their destruction of Ai from the
destruction of Jericho?
4. Christians are in constant battle against the _______.
5. How can we win the battle?
6. How many men did Joshua send out by night?
7. What were these men, that went out by night, to do?
8. Where will Joshua go?
9. Why will Joshua appear to be running from them?
10. After the men of Ai come out to chase Joshua, what will those
lying in ambush do?
11. Where were the two places the men were waiting in ambush?
12. When they take the city, what are they to do to it?
13. What is the numbering, in verse 10, speaking of?
14. Where did Joshua go to entice the men of Ai to chase him?
15. What does verse 15 say, that Joshua pretended?
16. Why were the men of Ai shouting?
17. What did Joshua stretch out, that caused the men in ambush to move
on the city?
18. What is this spear similar to?
19. What did the men of Ai realize, when they saw the city burning?
20. Who slew the men of Ai?
21. Who was the only one kept alive?
22. They took the king to __________.
23. How many men and women fell that day?
24. How many men were left alive?
25. What did God tell the Israelites they could take at Ai?
26. The city of Ai was not only destroyed, but _______ for generations
to come?
27. What happened to the king of Ai?
28. What was written on the stones, that were erected for an altar?
29. Quote Deuteronomy chapter 27 verses 2, 3, and 4.
30. Who did Joshua read the law aloud to?
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