For nothing is concealed that will not become evident, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. - Luke 8:17
Good morning. In today’s message, we are going to cover 2 chapters - Joshua 7 & 8. Both of these cover the battle of Ai, which was the second city to be attacked in Israel's conquest of the Promised Land. Due to the length of these chapters and our limited time together, I am going to summarize some of the events that took place. I encourage you to read these chapters in their entirety for yourselves.
I. DEFEAT AT AI (Joshua 7:1-15)
Having soundly destroyed Jericho, Joshua set his sights on the small city of Ai about 10 miles to the northwest. Joshua sent a few scouts ahead to spy out the area. After making their observations, these scouts returned feeling confident that Ai would be a relatively easy target. They suggested that Joshua send only a smaller detachment of troops, rather than the entire Israelite army, to take the city. Following their advice, Joshua deployed around 3,000 men to Ai. However, much to their surprise, when these warriors attacked the city they were driven back by the men of Ai. During the battle and their subsequent retreat 36 Israelites were killed.
Joshua’s failure to capture Ai was humiliating and demoralizing. Joshua was not accustomed to losing a battle. He tore his clothes, put ashes on his head, and fell on his face before the Ark of the Covenant in sorrow and disgust. Joshua cried out to God, questioning why the LORD would instruct him to invade Canaan only to suffer defeat. God told Joshua to stand up and pull himself together. The LORD explained that someone in the camp had sinned by taking of the spoils of Jericho in direct violation of His command. God warned Joshua that Israel would be unable to stand before her enemies until this sin was dealt with.
As a result of this person’s sin, 3 dozen soldiers died. These children would now grow up without their father, these wives would be forced to move on without their husbands, and these families would suffer the life-long consequences of losing someone in war. This story vividly demonstrates the pervasive nature of sin. The devastating consequences of sin are not limited to only the sinner themselves. Our sins affect others, and their sins affect us. We would be wise to consider this when making life’s decisions.
II. ACHAN’S SIN (Joshua 7:16-26)
So, in keeping with the LORD’s instructions, Joshua set out to rid the sin from the camp. Early the next morning, Joshua brought the people of Israel before him by tribe. Judah was selected, and so he brought them before him by family. The Zerahites were selected, so he brought them forward by man. Zabdi was selected, so Joshua brought the members of his household forward individually. Achan was chosen and charged with his sin. Having been identified as the culprit, Achan admitted to taking a robe, some silver, and a gold bar from Jericho and hiding them in his tent. Joshua sent messengers to search for and retrieve these items.
When these men returned, Joshua and the whole assembly of Israel took Achan, the stolen items, Achan’s children, his animals, his tent, and all of his possessions to the Valley of Achor, which translates to the Valley of Trouble. When they arrived, Joshua pronounced God’s judgment against Achan and his household. Then the people of Israel stoned them, burned their bodies, and erected a large heap of stones over them which stood until the writing of Joshua and after. Once their sin had been purged from Israel, God’s fierce anger subsided.
Again we see how Achan’s sin impacted others and brought tragedy upon his entire family. Furthermore, we are reminded that sin never remains secret forever. Your sin will be found out eventually. Even if no one else knows about it, God is fully aware of your sin. Trying to conceal or cover it up is never a good idea. Finally, while admitting guilt is necessary to satisfy God’s ongoing wrath, it does not absolve someone of sin’s earthly consequences.
III. VICTORY AT AI (Joshua 8:1-29)
After Achan’s sin was dealt with, God told Joshua to make a second assault against Ai. Joshua sent a large troop of about 30,000 soldiers by night to hide just west of the city. Joshua then led another group to attack the city from the north, as they had on the previous occasion. When the men of Ai saw the Israelites approaching across the plains, they rushed out to meet them as they had done before. Joshua and his band of forces pretended to retreat thereby luring the pursuing men of Ai away from the city. With the city exposed and unguarded, the Israelite soldiers who were hiding in ambush rose up, captured Ai, and set it on fire. When Joshua saw the smoke ascending, he and his soldiers turned to fight the men of Ai. Those who had ambushed the city also came out and attacked them from the other side, trapping the soldiers of Ai in the middle. Israel completely annihilated them leaving no survivors.
When the battle ended, Joshua and the Israelites killed all of the remaining inhabitants of Ai. In total, some 12,000 people died. They also burned the city just as they had done to Jericho. However, this time they were allowed to keep the cattle and spoils of the battle as plunder for themselves. Joshua hanged the King of Ai (who had been taken captive) on a tree until evening, took his body down and laid it at the city’s gate, and erected a large heap of stones over it. With this, the destruction of Ai was complete.
Though the reason for Israel’s initial failure was Achan’s sin, it is still noteworthy that Joshua learned from his previous experience. He used the information he had gathered from the first battle to form an improved strategy. Knowing that the men of Ai would pursue the retreating Israelites as they’d done before, Joshua used their tactics as a ploy to ambush the city. I am not suggesting that Joshua would have won the second battle against Ai without first dealing with Achan’s sins, but rather pointing out a secondary point - we should learn from our mistakes.
IV. BLESSINGS AND CURSES (Joshua 8:30-35)
Following their victory at Ai, the people of Israel paused briefly from their military conquest to observe a special ceremony that Moses had commanded before his death (Deuteronomy 11:26-20, 27:1-28:68). They traveled a few miles north to the twin peaks of Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal. Joshua built an altar on Mt. Ebal and offered several sacrifices there. He then separated the people so that half of them stood at the base of each mountain, opposite of and facing toward each other. Joshua, the elders, officers, and priests, and the Ark of the Covenant remained in the valley between. There Joshua read the entire Law of Moses, including its blessings and the curses, as all of the people listened carefully.
It is no coincidence that this solemn ceremony came on the heels of Israel’s encounter with Ai. Their first attempt to take the city had failed because of unconfessed sin which brought God’s curse upon the people. However, their second attempt was successful because their removal of this sin invoked God’s blessing. Thus, the battle of Ai serves as a fitting backdrop for the observance of blessings and curses that took place at Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim.
CONCLUSION
The stories of Ai and Achan teach us several important lessons. Let’s review a few that we pointed out this morning.
First, the effects of sin are numerous and far-reaching. They not only impact the sinner themselves, but also impact others. Second, while repentance is necessary to satisfy God’s wrath and free us from the eternal consequences of sin, it doesn’t always absolve us from the sin’s earthly consequences. Third, sin cannot be hidden forever - it will be exposed and we will answer for it. Fourth, we as God’s people are responsible for dealing with known sin in our midst. If left untouched, it will render us uneffective.
Do you have unconfessed sin in your life today? Turn to Jesus for forgiveness and pardon. He paid the debt of sin so that you wouldn’t have to. God frees us from the curse of sin and gives us the blessing of eternal life through the atoning work of His Son, Jesus Christ. Receive Him as your Lord and Savior today.
Good morning. In today’s message, we are going to cover 2 chapters - Joshua 7 & 8. Both of these cover the battle of Ai, which was the second city to be attacked in Israel's conquest of the Promised Land. Due to the length of these chapters and our limited time together, I am going to summarize some of the events that took place. I encourage you to read these chapters in their entirety for yourselves.
I. DEFEAT AT AI (Joshua 7:1-15)
Having soundly destroyed Jericho, Joshua set his sights on the small city of Ai about 10 miles to the northwest. Joshua sent a few scouts ahead to spy out the area. After making their observations, these scouts returned feeling confident that Ai would be a relatively easy target. They suggested that Joshua send only a smaller detachment of troops, rather than the entire Israelite army, to take the city. Following their advice, Joshua deployed around 3,000 men to Ai. However, much to their surprise, when these warriors attacked the city they were driven back by the men of Ai. During the battle and their subsequent retreat 36 Israelites were killed.
Joshua’s failure to capture Ai was humiliating and demoralizing. Joshua was not accustomed to losing a battle. He tore his clothes, put ashes on his head, and fell on his face before the Ark of the Covenant in sorrow and disgust. Joshua cried out to God, questioning why the LORD would instruct him to invade Canaan only to suffer defeat. God told Joshua to stand up and pull himself together. The LORD explained that someone in the camp had sinned by taking of the spoils of Jericho in direct violation of His command. God warned Joshua that Israel would be unable to stand before her enemies until this sin was dealt with.
As a result of this person’s sin, 3 dozen soldiers died. These children would now grow up without their father, these wives would be forced to move on without their husbands, and these families would suffer the life-long consequences of losing someone in war. This story vividly demonstrates the pervasive nature of sin. The devastating consequences of sin are not limited to only the sinner themselves. Our sins affect others, and their sins affect us. We would be wise to consider this when making life’s decisions.
II. ACHAN’S SIN (Joshua 7:16-26)
So, in keeping with the LORD’s instructions, Joshua set out to rid the sin from the camp. Early the next morning, Joshua brought the people of Israel before him by tribe. Judah was selected, and so he brought them before him by family. The Zerahites were selected, so he brought them forward by man. Zabdi was selected, so Joshua brought the members of his household forward individually. Achan was chosen and charged with his sin. Having been identified as the culprit, Achan admitted to taking a robe, some silver, and a gold bar from Jericho and hiding them in his tent. Joshua sent messengers to search for and retrieve these items.
When these men returned, Joshua and the whole assembly of Israel took Achan, the stolen items, Achan’s children, his animals, his tent, and all of his possessions to the Valley of Achor, which translates to the Valley of Trouble. When they arrived, Joshua pronounced God’s judgment against Achan and his household. Then the people of Israel stoned them, burned their bodies, and erected a large heap of stones over them which stood until the writing of Joshua and after. Once their sin had been purged from Israel, God’s fierce anger subsided.
Again we see how Achan’s sin impacted others and brought tragedy upon his entire family. Furthermore, we are reminded that sin never remains secret forever. Your sin will be found out eventually. Even if no one else knows about it, God is fully aware of your sin. Trying to conceal or cover it up is never a good idea. Finally, while admitting guilt is necessary to satisfy God’s ongoing wrath, it does not absolve someone of sin’s earthly consequences.
III. VICTORY AT AI (Joshua 8:1-29)
After Achan’s sin was dealt with, God told Joshua to make a second assault against Ai. Joshua sent a large troop of about 30,000 soldiers by night to hide just west of the city. Joshua then led another group to attack the city from the north, as they had on the previous occasion. When the men of Ai saw the Israelites approaching across the plains, they rushed out to meet them as they had done before. Joshua and his band of forces pretended to retreat thereby luring the pursuing men of Ai away from the city. With the city exposed and unguarded, the Israelite soldiers who were hiding in ambush rose up, captured Ai, and set it on fire. When Joshua saw the smoke ascending, he and his soldiers turned to fight the men of Ai. Those who had ambushed the city also came out and attacked them from the other side, trapping the soldiers of Ai in the middle. Israel completely annihilated them leaving no survivors.
When the battle ended, Joshua and the Israelites killed all of the remaining inhabitants of Ai. In total, some 12,000 people died. They also burned the city just as they had done to Jericho. However, this time they were allowed to keep the cattle and spoils of the battle as plunder for themselves. Joshua hanged the King of Ai (who had been taken captive) on a tree until evening, took his body down and laid it at the city’s gate, and erected a large heap of stones over it. With this, the destruction of Ai was complete.
Though the reason for Israel’s initial failure was Achan’s sin, it is still noteworthy that Joshua learned from his previous experience. He used the information he had gathered from the first battle to form an improved strategy. Knowing that the men of Ai would pursue the retreating Israelites as they’d done before, Joshua used their tactics as a ploy to ambush the city. I am not suggesting that Joshua would have won the second battle against Ai without first dealing with Achan’s sins, but rather pointing out a secondary point - we should learn from our mistakes.
IV. BLESSINGS AND CURSES (Joshua 8:30-35)
Following their victory at Ai, the people of Israel paused briefly from their military conquest to observe a special ceremony that Moses had commanded before his death (Deuteronomy 11:26-20, 27:1-28:68). They traveled a few miles north to the twin peaks of Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal. Joshua built an altar on Mt. Ebal and offered several sacrifices there. He then separated the people so that half of them stood at the base of each mountain, opposite of and facing toward each other. Joshua, the elders, officers, and priests, and the Ark of the Covenant remained in the valley between. There Joshua read the entire Law of Moses, including its blessings and the curses, as all of the people listened carefully.
It is no coincidence that this solemn ceremony came on the heels of Israel’s encounter with Ai. Their first attempt to take the city had failed because of unconfessed sin which brought God’s curse upon the people. However, their second attempt was successful because their removal of this sin invoked God’s blessing. Thus, the battle of Ai serves as a fitting backdrop for the observance of blessings and curses that took place at Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim.
CONCLUSION
The stories of Ai and Achan teach us several important lessons. Let’s review a few that we pointed out this morning.
First, the effects of sin are numerous and far-reaching. They not only impact the sinner themselves, but also impact others. Second, while repentance is necessary to satisfy God’s wrath and free us from the eternal consequences of sin, it doesn’t always absolve us from the sin’s earthly consequences. Third, sin cannot be hidden forever - it will be exposed and we will answer for it. Fourth, we as God’s people are responsible for dealing with known sin in our midst. If left untouched, it will render us uneffective.
Do you have unconfessed sin in your life today? Turn to Jesus for forgiveness and pardon. He paid the debt of sin so that you wouldn’t have to. God frees us from the curse of sin and gives us the blessing of eternal life through the atoning work of His Son, Jesus Christ. Receive Him as your Lord and Savior today.