Joshua 8:10-17 The word of the Spirit triumphs over physical might
Joshua 8:10-17
10 Now Joshua rose early in the morning and mustered the people, and he went up with the elders of Israel before the people to Ai. 11 Then all the people of war who were with him went up and drew near and arrived in front of the city, and camped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai. 12 And he took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. 13 So they stationed the people, all the army that was on the north side of the city, and its rear guard on the west side of the city, and Joshua spent that night in the midst of the valley. 14 It came about when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. 16 And all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. 17 So not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who had not gone out after Israel, and they left the city unguarded and pursued Israel.
Background
Joshua followed every word of the Lord, from the battle strategy, to the number of troops to be deployed as decoy and as ambush. The king of Ai was taken in by the fleeing Israelites supposing he would beat the Israelites the second time. Today’s passage teaches us to judge all things by the conviction of the Spirit and not by what your eyes show you. Believers are not to place their trust in human expertise and talents but in the word of the Spirit.
Observation
And he took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush…
Joshua deployed the majority (25,000) of his forces as decoys but only a minority (5,000) to ambush and take possession of the city. This arrangement displayed the supreme wisdom of God which is often counter intuitive to the human mind. 5,000 men were set for an ambush on the west side of the city while the rest of the troops stationed themselves on the north of the city.
It came about when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went out to meet Israel in battle.
It came about when the king of Ai saw the men of Israel on the north side of the city, he mustered all the men of Ai to go out to meet Israel unaware of the ambush on the backside of his city. The Israelites acted as if they were beaten a second time and fled by the way of the wilderness. The king of Ai fell into a fatal trap as all his fighting men were drawn away from the city leaving it unguarded.
Truth
Do not jump into conclusion by what your eyes show you, but seek the conviction of the Spirit. Believers must not perceive with eyes of the flesh, but with the eyes of the Spirit. The king of Ai saw the men of Israel, and detecting imminent danger, he gave chase only to fall into a death trap. He was blinded supposing his past successes would secure the successes of the future. It is human nature to be caught by a moment of elation and a rush of complacence veiling us from a more sophisticated analysis of the situation. Hence, we should learn to restrain our impetuous instincts, and allow time for the conviction of the Spirit to emerge. Many fell into financial turmoil because they could not stand to lose the opportunity at hand. Yet many acted out of impulse refusing to let the clarity of the Spirit to set in. As a result, they spent most of their time regretting and undoing the damage they caused. Believers must not jump into conclusion no matter how compelling it may be, but learn to perceive through the Spirit by asking the question: How does the Holy Spirit in me see this situation? A person’s humility and fear of God will determine the depth of his perception, and eventually his course of action. The prophet Isaiah wrote concerning the manner in which the Son of God perceives:
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And He will delight in the fear of the Lord,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
But with righteousness He will judge the poor. Isaiah 11:2-4
The Son of God judges by the conviction of the Holy Spirit and not by what He immediately sees and hears. One who depends on the counsel of the Spirit will judge with righteousness and will not be deceived. He will not be rattled by setbacks, rumors and bad reports. He will walk in security unfazed by the storms of life.
The word of the Spirit triumphs over physical might. Ai was captured not by might but by divine wisdom and strategy. The king of Ai was complacent (that he could beat Israel the second time) because he was not led by divine wisdom but by fleshly might. A rash person, who acts out of compulsion, is a loser under all circumstances. The kingdom of Satan was destroyed not by might, but by the wisdom of God. To the world, the cross appears foolish and weak, but it became the source of salvation for humanity. The apostle Paul said,
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-19.
Jesus suffered in weakness and He died in foolishness. But out of that foolishness came a resurrection that destroyed the power of death and transformed the universe. Joshua and his men appeared to flee in weakness, but wisdom was what gave them victory.
Many believers are accustomed to using their might and even their spiritual gifts to overcome their challenges. Hence, many failed precisely because of their dependence on might and what they can do giving rise to pride. When man becomes complacent, he is blinded and his strengths turn into weakness. Therefore, even though it is man’s responsibility to develop his strengths. He must not depend on his strengths or gifts but on the word of the Spirit. The Lord spoke to Zerubbabel regarding the rebuilding of the temple, which was symbolic of God’s kingdom,
“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6
Zerubbabel was to build the temple not by human might or expertise, but through obedience to the word of the Spirit. When man obeys the word of the Spirit, the power of God begins to manifest in his circumstances securing his victory.
Application
- Are you accustomed to waking up in the morning and making plans for the day without consulting the Spirit? We must cultivate an attitude of dependence by seeking the Spirit’s wisdom for the day’s activities. In doing so, we can avoid costly and unnecessary mistakes.
- Are you prone to making snap conclusions and being cocksure of your own judgments? Practice restraining your personal opinions by seeking the Spirit’s convictions. You will be pleasantly surprised by the Spirit’s wisdom and the depth of understanding.
Dear Lord, I humble myself to seek the counsel of your Spirit in all my endeavors. I will modulate my decision-making processes so that I may operate according to the word of the Spirit. Cause me to be sensitive and to perceive circumstances through the Spirit’s conviction. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.