Joshua 8:1-29 The Fall of Ai

Canaanite religion was characterized by a few things that were in quite contrast with the God of Israel. For one, Canaan was organized as a conglomerate of city-states where each one was ruled by a king who also acted as a priest for the people. For the Israelites, God was the king and a priest was appointed from the Levites. The worship rituals of Canaanite religion included extreme sexual immorality (bestiality, homosexuality, orgies, etc.), child sacrifice, and extreme corruption. All of these practices were prohibited among the Israelites. The literature of the day describes the Canaanite gods at length and it is impossible to think that the God of the Israelites was a development of Canaanite religion.

The love, holiness, and integrity of God are in stark contrast with these city-state despots. The God of Israel cannot stand the sight of sin as demonstrated with the sin of Achan. Achan and his family were stoned in an effort to eradicate intentional sin from the midst of Israel. The instructions to wipe out the Canaanite city-states must be understood from this perspective. The holy God of Israel stands against the gods of Canaan and sends his chosen people to cleanse the land from sin before they settle in it. One must think that there is an opportunity to repent, just like with Rahab and be spared of the destruction, but the Canaanites set their face against Israel.

Intentional sin is an abomination to our God. I tend to downplay how pervasive sin really is in my life and of those around me. My tendency is to excuse myself: "After all, I am only human." My humanity should not serve me as an excuse to engage in sin. It should motivate me to seek God all the more and depend on his help to overcome it all the more. The establishment of God's kingdom upon the earth begins with its establishment in my own heart and life. That is my battle day by day. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

Lord, help me in my battle against sin. May I not settle for my sinful nature, but battle against intentional sin to please you and serve you. You have conquered sin and death! Help me enjoy the benefits of such victory through dependent obedience to you.

Joshua 7:1-9 Israel Defeated at Ai

The conquest of the promised land, the establishment of God's kingdom upon the earth is a holy war. Literally, it is a war between the God of Israel and the gods of the nations established in the promised land. The culture of the day viewed conflict between nations as a religious contest between their gods. This is very evident in the conflict with Pharaoh as Moses leads Israel out of its slavery in Egypt. Though difficult for us to understand, the reality of holy war made its way into the New Testament as one of the main images of the Christian conflict against sin, Satan, and the world.

If I am to make progress in my holy war, I must "keep the faith" and never "break faith." One of the rules of holy war is that the booty acquired from the enemy becomes "devoted" to the deity you are fighting for. To keep something devoted to deity was considered to "break faith," in other words, it was a disobedience for which it was necessary to pay with one's life at times. The establishment of God's kingdom requires my full trust in my God. I must keep the faith at all times. I must trust that he has a plan and knows what he is doing even when I don't understand.

Success in holy war is not dependent upon my abilities. It is dependent on my faith in God. Overconfidence in my abilities is an insult to my God. Many times my defeats are just a discipline of the Lord for my life so I may trust him and not myself. Ai was nothing compared to Jericho, yet they defeated Israel. In this conquest, strength is not in the numbers, but in the faith. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.

Joshua's prayer clearly shows that Israel's victory brings glory to God's name because God is the one who fights for Israel. But God has demonstrated time and again that he will not fight for those who are overconfident in their trust in themselves. I bring glory to God's name when I fight depending on his power and might and not on my own abilities. God is most glorified when I battle in his name using all his resources at my disposal in obedience to his plan and strategy.

God Almighty, grant me the faith to trust in you alone in all my battles against sin and the enemy. Fill me with your Spirit and teach me to use your whole armor. Shun in me overconfidence and self-reliance.