Joshua 8:14-35
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By God’s Grace, We Can Recover from Defeat
By God’s Grace, We Can Recover from Defeat
III. Israel’s Victory Over Ai (14-29)
III. Israel’s Victory Over Ai (14-29)
A. The Right Execution of the Plan (vv. 14-24)
A. The Right Execution of the Plan (vv. 14-24)
They carried out the plan very well and the plan was entirely successful!
Let’s look at the factors involved in winning against Ai.
God’s divine intervention and the human responsibility to respond accordingly.
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” So Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.
Joshua did his part - raising the javelin like Moses in Exodus 14:16, and Exodus 17:11.
“As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land.
So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.
The army did their part in a precise and efficient manner.
The men in ambush rose quickly from their place, and when he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it, and they quickly set the city on fire.
Their obedience to God and their unity and cooperation enabled them to recover from their defeat against Ai.
On the other hand,
The enemy was careless to read the strategy of the Israelites.
They were confident on their strategy thinking they could win again, and was foolish to leave their city without protection.
In the spiritual warfare, Satan used the strategy of making us think that we are winning but in reality we are losing.
If Satan cannot keep you out of the church, he will make sure that you come to church tired, sleepy, and ineffective in hearing God’s word so that you will ineffective in serving.
Then you will say to yourself, “maayo nalang naka simba ko, kaysa wala”.
If Satan cannot make you stop reading the Bible, he will make sure that you will read the Bible to be informed (facts) but not transformed (value and preciousness).
It is always to our advantage and benefit if we trust the LORD and cooperate with him, to lean not on our own understanding.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
B. The Death of the Enemies of God (vv. 25-26)
B. The Death of the Enemies of God (vv. 25-26)
All who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000—all the people of Ai. For Joshua did not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
The death of those who rebel against God is imminent.
Though God is not pleased in the death of the wicked - Ezekiel 18:32
“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.”
“Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’
“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
C. The Benefits of the Victory (v.27)
C. The Benefits of the Victory (v.27)
Israel took only the cattle and the spoil of that city as plunder for themselves, according to the word of the Lord which He had commanded Joshua.
The people were able to enjoy the spoil of the war.
If Achan only just waited and did not hurry to give in to his desire for material things!
To all those who are in a hurry to seek material things and pleasurable things - remember the Word of the Lord Jesus - Matthew 6:33
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Let God arrange the order of when the blessing comes and which blessing we will receive! Wait for God!
Like Sarah, she failed because she could not wait for the Lord to provide a son. It brought her bitterness and pain later.
She had a good desire but her impatience and lack of trust in God was her mistake.
IV. Israel Gives Honor to God (vv. 30-35)
IV. Israel Gives Honor to God (vv. 30-35)
A. The Renewal of the Covenant
A. The Renewal of the Covenant
Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones on which no man had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings.
They Honor God by building an altar to the Lord
What is an altar for?
The altar symbolized God’s claim to the Land (Genesis 12:8)
They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings
Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law.
They read the Words of the Law (Covenant)
B. The Teaching of the Covenant
B. The Teaching of the Covenant
The LORD’s COVENANT must be taught to the people of God and must be passed down to the next generation.
The LORD’s COVENANT must be taught to the people of God and must be passed down to the next generation.
There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
The obedience to the WORD of GOD is vital and primary in their recovery from defeat!
Honor the LORD by teaching the little ones, the children about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Don’t just give them entertainment and fun and games - give them the truth of God!
If we want our children to FEAR and LOVE God - teach them the truth of God! Allow them to see the holiness, justice, mercy, and love of God!
Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Teach them about the Gospel - The New Covenant of the Lord Jesus Christ
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Sin and death has been defeated through the blood of Jesus!
Sin and death has no power over those who were cleansed by the blood of Jesus!
Praise the Lord!
Conclusion:
By God’s GRACE, we can recover from defeat!
God called us to be transformed in to the likeness of Jesus Christ.
But it will not be immediate because of the presence of sin.
God’s GRACE is sufficient for us - leading us to daily repentance and submission.
God’s Word is available for us - to rebuke, correct, and teach us!
The Holy Spirit goes with us - to convict us of our sin and to comfort us when we need help and assurance.