Lesson 173 - Junior

Memory Verse

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life" (Revelation 22:14).

Notes

Victory Through Obedience

Israel had been taught a good lesson through the defeat they had suffered at Ai. God showed them that they must obey Him if they wanted His help.

God did not change His plan for the Israelites to conquer the city of Ai. He wanted to give victory to His people; and when the sin was confessed, and the sinner destroyed, God was willing to lead again into battle -" this time with triumph assured. God promised that this city would be destroyed just as Jericho had been when they besieged it according to His command.

Sometimes people who have started to serve God, disobey Him, and backslide. He had blessed them so long as they obeyed Him; but when sin crept in, the Lord left them. A person in that condition is not hopelessly condemned to be lost. If he will willingly confess his sins and be sorry for it, Jesus will forgive and will restore him to favour.

Perhaps God had given that person a work to do which he failed to do; and that failure became sin. When he repented, that work was still there and must be done.

Firstfruits

We have learned that the firstfruits of the harvest and of the increase of the flocks and herds of the Israelites belonged to God. Thus the spoil of battle which was taken at Jericho belonged to God as the firstfruits, because it was the first city taken in Canaan. Of course, the riches of Jericho must have looked very bright to the Israelites who had never seen such things during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. But if Achan had waited a little while God would have given him all he wanted of the spoils.

When God gave instructions to Joshua for the overthrow of Ai, He told him that the people could take everything they wanted: the gold and silver, the clothing, the cattle. Imagine how much they would enjoy helping themselves to all that wealth! The Israelites who waited until God told them they could have it, enjoyed it, enjoyed all the riches; but Achan died for his lack of patience.

We, too, can learn a lesson in patience from this text. God sees what we have need of, and has promised to supply according to His riches in Glory. We have no right to try to go ahead and help ourselves because we think the blessings are too long in coming. David said: "I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope" (Psalm 130:5). And David enjoyed such great favour with God that he became Israel's greatest king. We only get into trouble by trying to help ourselves.

God's Plan

God had the plan whereby the Israelites could conquer Ai. He was the Commander-in-Chief, and Joshua was His five-star general. The general was obedient to the plan.

First, Joshua sent 30,000 brave men on a secret mission. In the dark, they stole quietly to the west side of Ai, where they hid in ambush. Early the next morning Joshua took the rest of the soldiers and built an encampment north of Ai. That night he advanced with a small army into the valley that lay between them and the city.

The King's Overconfidence

The king of Ai perhaps thought that he had so thoroughly routed the Israelites that they would never come back again. He may have laughed when he saw Joshua and his little company in the valley, daring to come up against his strong city. He arose early the next morning, and with his army set out to chase away those troublesome Israelites who were pestering him.

But the king had a surprise. He did not know about all the reinforcements Joshua had on the hill to the north, nor the thirty thousand soldiers lying in ambush near the west gates of his city. All he saw was Joshua and that little band in the valley. The king took all his soldiers along to enjoy the defeat of the Israelites. Even the soldiers of Bethel, small town to the west, came out to help disgrace the soldiers of Israel.

Sinners often become presumptuous, or overconfident, and do not remember that God is taking care of His children. We read of King Nebuchadnezzar who commanded everyone in his kingdom to bow down to the image he had set up. He flew into a rage when he heard that the three Hebrew children would not bow down. He ordered them cast into the fire, and said: "Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" (Daniel 3:15). God showed him! The fire which was so hot that it burned the guards who threw in the captives, could do no harm to God's children. Besides, the Lord Himself came down and walked with them in the fire. And when they were brought out of the furnace, there was not even a smell of smoke on their clothes.

David said he had seen the wicked in great power, "spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not. . . . Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace" (Psalm 37:35-37).

Joshua's Strategy

Joshua and his men turned and ran, just as the king thought they would. And all the army of Ai ran after them, until they were way out in the wilderness, far from their city. Then God told Joshua to lift up his spear as a signal to the soldiers in ambush to rise and take the city. The sun gleaming on the steel blade could be seen at a great distance. Up jumped the hidden bands! They ran into the city and took everything they wanted from the stores and the houses and the barns, and then they set fire to Ai.

Imagine the surprise of the soldiers of Ai and their king when they looked around and saw the great billows of smoke rising from their city. They were too far away to do anything about it; and the Israelite soldiers were coming at them from all directions, closing in for the victory. Joshua's army that day killed 12,000 people; and the city of Ai was left a heap of rubbish.

The army of Israel had taken the king prisoner, and brought him to Joshua. Joshua hanged him on a tree until evening, and then buried him near the gate of the wrecked city. A heap of stones was piled upon him to remind the people who saw it what would happen to the man who tried to fight against God and His people.

Thanks for Victory

The Israelites returned to their camp singing the victory song. They were loaded down with the prizes they had picked up in Ai. How happy they were that God had given them the victory! How happy we are when we obey God and He brings us forth conquerors!

Joshua remembered to give thanks to God for the victory. He built an altar unto God on Mount Ebal, just as Moses had been commanded. Upon this altar were offered sacrifices of praise unto God for peace. And upon the sides of the altar Joshua wrote the Ten Commandments in sight of all the people. They were to be reminded daily that they must obey all the Word of God. Victory would come to them only as they obeyed God. Joshua read to them the blessings they would receive for obedience; and also the curses that would come for disobedience.

Today we have the Bible with all the Law of God in it. We can know, if we want to, just what God wants us to do. And if we do not do it, we shall stand speechless before the Lord when He rises up in judgement.

Questions

1. Who planned the siege against Ai?

2. Describe the plan of attack.

3. What were the Israelites to receive as a prize for the battle?

4. What happened after the soldiers of Ai left their city?

5. Who won the victory? Why?

6. What happened to the people of Ai?

7. What happened to their city?

8. What did Joshua do after they returned to Israel's camp?

9. How may we gain victory over Satan?