After a sad defeat, how can a great nation turn defeat into victory again?
When we finally put away all the things that separate us from God; things change. Death turns into life. Evil turns into good. Hate becomes love. Losing turns around to winning again. Defeat turns into victory. Following God and living out our lives in His way brings us victory and joy. This isn’t to say that we will never have trouble again; but this lifestyle certainly narrows that margin.
A good example of both sides of this equation is what transpired with the Israelites at Ai.
At first the people did not follow God’s instructions. Achan sinned and hid that sin. The people around him covered up his sins. But God is All-Knowing. He saw what Achan did. It truly mattered. God turned his back for a little while because He is holy. Therefore; God cannot exist in sin. Joshua called on God for help. God clarified the situation to him. Joshua followed God’s instructions and eliminated the sin that was causing Israel’s problems. Israel once again became a victorious nation.
WELCOME
Welcome to the COME AS A CHLD BIBLE STUDY that is held on this blog every Thursday. We are all patiently walking through the Bible together, one word at a time. Today we continue studying in The Book of Joshua, Chapters 7 and 8.
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Today’s study continues here:
A GOOD LEADER COMMUNICATES WITH GOD
Joshua had the good sense to open the door to communicate with God again.
He asked God what went wrong. God quickly set him straight.
Wouldn’t it be great if all of us did this in those times when we do not understand what has happened in our lives? Calling on God for answers should always be our first move; never our last resort.
God sees and knows all. Humans are very limited. We see only from our own human perspective. Many times that leaves out many very crucial facts that would make a difference in our next actions.
Why not go straight to the One who knows all and ask for answers?
He is always there patiently waiting on us to respond.
God has already seen the beginning from the end. He lives outside of time. Time was created only for humans. We live inside of this precious gift; but it limits our ability to know the whole story.
As usually is the case with humanity; the main problem with the nation of Israel was sin. God explained this to Joshua.
GOOD LEADERS ELIMINATE SIN
Once he understood that there was sin in the camp, Joshua took care of the sin problem quickly and swiftly.
God was commanding Israel as a nation. The sin of Achan was seen as one that affected the whole nation. It is amazing sometimes how one man’s sins can affect everyone around him. Restoration needed to take place. Healing had to begin.
National healing always starts with repentance and turning away from sin.
Whatever has offended God needs to be dealt with.
Under Joshua’s leadership the people came around to the truth. Each individual repented for the sins against God from their nation.
The people were cleansed after they repented. They determined to never disappoint God again. So our loving Father once again forgave the beloved nation He had chosen to begin the formation of the eventual Kingdom of Heaven.
RISE UP
Hence; we read In Joshua Chapter 8 that God gave the army of Israel some new instructions:
(Joshua 8:1-2:) 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: 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.
Be sure to notice the use of those words for Joshua; “rise up.” They were very prophetic in nature. Joshua is symbolic of Jesus and these words speak of Resurrection and new life.
OBEDIENCE MATTERS
Thus; Israel did exactly as they were told. Under Joshua’s leadership they walked away with a victory in their next attempt to battle Ai. Not only did they win; they were allowed to take away the spoils of this war; which probably made many of these men very rich and prosperous.
Remember how the Israelites were chased away from the city gates of Ai in the first defeat in battle?
This time God gave them a better strategy. Joshua and a small group of men went toward the city gates and allowed the men of Ai to think they were chasing them away from entering the city. While they were scattered and occupied chasing them into the wilderness, a much larger group of Israelites approached from behind Ai and took the city.
The larger army of Israel set the city of Ai on fire.
The men and the King of Ai (who had chased the smaller band of Israelites away from the city) were caught between their burning city and the men they were chasing.
Joshua and his men then reversed their course and stood firm. They killed all of the army of Ai; except for the king. The king was captured and taken to Joshua.
PROPHECY BETWEEN THE LINES
Again; I see prophetic things in these passages.
Ai is symbolic of the demonic forces that come after God’s people in end-times. This battle is a picture of how God will lead His people in the end times. He is a God of great reversals. His plan is sure and it always is victorious. This “great reversal” of God is quite different from a man’s idea of a “great reset.” (Sorry; I could not resist pointing that out.) God’s way will always surpass the ways of mankind.
When it looks like God’s army is being defeated; He will come to the rescue. Jesus Christ will hold up the sword of the Word of God until we have defeated every enemy. Joshua with Israel is symbolic of Jesus Christ leading the army of His people in the last battle of this earth.
Satan will be captured. He will be brought straight to Jesus just as this king of Ai was brought to Joshua.
The guilty verdict will prevail. Satan and his demons will be punished.
A COMPLETE AND VICTORIOUS TURN-AROUND
At that point the king of Ai was hanged. Before sunset his body was thrown to the ground in front of the city gates.
Rocks were piled on top of his body. The city of Ai was completely burned and destroyed. Not one soul was left living in Ai.
The mission had been complete and victorious.
One factor brought about this victory.
Very similar to other and previous battles of the past times when God was leading Israel; Joshua had stood on a mountain and held up his staff during the whole battle.
He never let it down. The whole time that Joshua held up the staff symbolized God’s rule over the people of Israel. With God defending them; they won the battle.
ALL GLORY TO GOD
When it was all said and done, the Israelites gave glory to God by building an altar at Mt. Ebal. This was where they brought their offerings and sacrifices of thanksgiving and fellowship with God.
As the people stood in the amphitheater that covered the two mountain areas, with six tribes at Mt. Girizim and six tribes at Mt. Ebal; Joshua and the Levites re-read the law of God.
This was just as Moses had done at Mt. Sinai (only for the first time.) This had also happened AGAIN before Moses died on these same mountains. The people of Israel realized these laws covered the blessings and the curses that come from either obedience to God or disobedience.
A RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT
The nation was renewing the Covenant that had originally been established between Israel and God which had been broken by sin.
All of the tribes stood and heard the Word of God.
Each individual follower said “Amen.”
The Covenant was renewed and God forgave His people again.
Coming to the present moment for just a note before we continue with our study; I will remind you here that all baptized believers in Jesus Christ as Messiah have established an individual Covenant with God Almighty.
If you break that covenant by sin; you must confess, repent and ask for restoration. God will renew His covenant with you. He will refresh His Holy Spirit that lives within you. It is this Holy Covenant which is provided by the precious Blood of Jesus that secures salvation. Never take it for granted.
Our sins were forgiven and removed as far as the east from the west when we were saved. We all have the eternal promise of everlasting life because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Still; we need to keep the Covenant!
If we break that Covenant; we must go back to God and repent.
Each time we sin again; we still need to ask for renewal and restoration.
God is quick to forgive and renew those who seek Him out. He is a loving and kind Father who wants all of His children to be with Him in eternity.
If you are that one who has gone astray – return now while there is still time. The doors to heaven are still open wide for you.
A VERY SIGNIFICANT MOMENT FOR ISRAEL
This was an important and significant moment in the history of Israel.
What could have been an ending had turned into a new beginning. God does that often for us.
The fact that Joshua was led to build the alter at Ebal to honor God truly mattered. This ceremony was like Israel’s Declaration of Independence; only it was a declaration of their dependence on God and God alone.
It was the beginning of their renewed commitment to honoring God as the sovereign ruler of their land and their nation. It was a renewal of the first commitment that had been broken from when God met Moses at Sinai. Before he died; Moses warned the people that God had told him they would go astray. This was the effort to repair the damage of breaking the covenant promises.
CONFIRMED IN WRITING
Israel set up large whitewashed monoliths with red Hebraic writing which spelled out the Ten Commandments. It is interesting to me that they used red. That is the same color of The Blood of Jesus who fulfilled every commandment and covered our sins for us.
This displayed the nation’s public commitment to God from this point forward. It made all things crystal clear to any one entering the land. A stranger walking through the land would know and realize this was a land where the God of Israel was honored and worshipped. It was written there in red for all to see.
All twelve tribes publicly stated an “Amen” and repledged their allegiance to God.
Another amazing thing is when this renewal took place. It was BEFORE they had been settled down into their own lands and in their own newly inherited homes. They repledged their loyalty to God BEFORE all of the battles to take the promises had been won.
Never wait until everything is perfect to take God at His word. Follow Him now. That was what Israel decided to do during that time.
It was like a public statement to all other nations that they knew they were nothing without God to lead them.
This really mattered.
It also publicly said that if God was for them NO ONE could stand against them.
THE DUALITY
This same story actually happened with TWO nations.
America and Israel formed the same allegiances when starting the conquest of their nations.
At the very beginnings of both of these nations the original leaders and citizens realized where their help came from. They knew and understood that they would be lost without God Almighty to guide them.
Both nations were aware of God leading them to places that only God could go. They knew they could not go forward without Him on their side.
Another thing that both nations realized from the beginning was the fact that they would receive either blessings or curses according to their obedience and loyalty to God.
Both great nations; Israel and America, had been set free and led by God to a land of promise and opportunity. They each had the right to chose from that day forward whom they would serve.
Each of them chose to serve God.
WILL WE CHOOSE GOD AND LIFE?
Those who were wise chose God and life. The founders of both nations made very open and public commitments to follow God.
I look at both nations now and how they exist today.
Their beginnings were right and good.
How will their endings be?
How true have their commitments been over the long-haul of history?
Do we all still understand from where our help comes from?
I hope and pray that we do.
This one thing will make all the difference in every possible outcome for all of our futures.