Take Two: Joshua 8, Proverbs 31

Having carried out the judgment against sin in their own camp (Achan) in chapter 7, there is still land to conquer. In Joshua 8:1-2, God instructs the nation to rise up and carry on with their mission.

Many believers live in extremes of their own self-awareness. Some act as though they are the point...that in the end, God is lucky to have them. Others can't seem to get past the fact that they were utterly lost and that God would save a horrible, wretched sinner like them. Both extremes hurt the believer, because one cannot be all that God intends by either discounting the Holiness of God (I am not so bad), or the redemption of God (I can never be of any value). The truth is...we were once absolutely lost in sin, but now are absolutely saved and redeemed.

Israel's actions of getting back up after chapter 7 give a glimpse of what they understood about God. It is as if they were "stuck" or waiting at the point of "God forgive me" and God said..."already have, now let's get started again." The evidence of redemption is what you do with it.

The battle plan that unfolds in Joshua 8:3-17 is pretty simple. Hide 30,000 warriors behind the city. Send 5,000 to the road to Bethel (so that Bethel doesn't decide to get involved). and send the rest to the front door. When Ai comes against you...act defeated and scared. They will become over-confident (based on this experience and their previous victory.) They will over-commit and chase the guys at the front. When they abandon their city...the guys out back are to occupy the city and burn it with fire. In Joshua 8:18-24, we see that the plan worked out flawlessly and the warriors of Ai were caught between both of Israel's forces.

Here are a couple of observations. First, God brought a victory at Ai, but in a way that was different than the victory at Jericho. God is creative in His ways. He never wants us to take for granted how He will act. He does not want us to look for a magic formula for success and become confident in the formula, rather than the God who works.

Second, God is the giver of the battle plan. Israel waited on God for these instructions and followed them to the letter. (Secret message implied in that :) ).

In Joshua 8:24-29, we see that the victory was complete. All were judged and destroyed, including the king. A word of caution...God did not destroy innocent people here. God judged a wicked society and completely annihilated sin. As with Achan, sin has only one solution. It must be absolutely judged and utterly annihilated.

Joshua 8:30-35 is a time of obedience and worship. One historian commented that the ancient tradition was for a king to write down the details of the victorious battle plan. Israel did not attribute their victory to a well-executed strategy, but to the powerful God they served. They wrote down the Law and offered sacrifices and read from God's Law. This was not a random idea, but the fulfillment of Moses' instructions given in Deut 27:1-8.

Keep in mind, the judgment of sin in chapter 7 brought clearly into focus the attitude toward obeying God displayed in chapter 8. Every word is given for a reason and is essential and required.

Proverbs 31:30 is the takeaway for today. Not being a woman myself...bear with me as I apply this broadly. Many things are highly regarded in our culture. Eloquence, wealth, good looks... these are all highly sought traits. The point of this verse is that while these are good qualities, they all fade. Ultimately, the characteristic that endures is a person's relationship with God. As such, a "woman" who fears the Lord shall ultimately triumph. How does one "fear the Lord?" Is it intellectual or practical? Answer: YES. It is a mindset that reveals itself in practical acts. We see this woman's reverence for God in her actions toward her household, herself, and her community. May it be so with each of us.

Grace,