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TOPIC: Pink, Arthur - Gleanings in Joshua (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 11.1-The Conquest of Ai 8:1-35
Other Subjects in this Topic:
Gleanings In Joshua
11. The Conquest of Ai
Joshua 8:1-35
Encouragement and Direction
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see! I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land" (Josh. 8:1). In the preceding verse we are told "the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger," and while there can be little or no doubt that Joshua would-after the matter of Achan had been dealt with-infer the same, yet he had not been given any token from Him that such was the case; but now he received from God a word of cheer, a word of instruction, and a word of promise for faith to lay hold of. "When we have faithfully put away sin, that accursed thing which separates between our God, then, and not till then, we may expect to hear from God for our comfort; and God's directing us how to go on in our Christian walk and warfare is a good evidence of His being reconciled to us (Matthew Henry): that is, fellowship with Him is now restored. Note well that commentator's "and not till then": no purveyors of "smooth things" were the faithful and practical Puritans, nor did they entertain their hearers and readers with matters of no spiritual profit.
The Lord's word "arise" intimates that, following the stoning of Achan and his family, Joshua again took his place on his face, or at least on his knees, before the Lord, seeking consolation and counsel from Him. Israel's progress in their conquest and occupation of Canaan had been rudely interrupted, and though the hindering cause had been put away, yet Joshua dare not attempt any further advance until His Master gave fresh indication of His will. This teaches us that, after a sin has been unsparingly judged by us-be it the case of an individual Christian, or that of an assembly-there must be a humble and definite waiting upon God for guidance as to what He would have us do next. His "fear not, neither be thou dismayed" shows that the offense of Achan and its disastrous consequences had been a sore and unexpected blow to Joshua, making him almost ready to faint. "Corruptions within the church weaken the hands and dampen the spirits of her guides and helpers, more than opposition from without; treacherous Israelites are to be dreaded more than malicious Canaanites" (Matthew Henry).
That word, "fear not, neither be thou dismayed," was designed not only for Joshua personally, but for the whole of the congregation. Israel had failed lamentably at their first assault upon Ai, had been deeply humiliated, and in consequence "the hearts of the people melted and became as water" (Josh. 7:5), and though they had obeyed the Divine command of Joshua 7:15 in utterly destroying the culprit and all that he had, yet they were in real need of an intimation that they had been restored to God's favor, and could count upon His leading them again to victory. Equally requisite is it that the penitent and humbled Christian should lay hold of this or some similar reassuring word. When iniquities have prevailed against him (Ps. 65:3) and the enemy has humiliated him, he is prone to be "swallowed up with over-much sorrow" (2 Cor. 2:7) and suffer Satan to keep him in the slough of despond, which is not only needless and foolish, but dishonoring to God if he has sincerely and contritely forsaken his sins, then he should confidently reckon upon God's mercy (Prov. 28:13) and appropriate His promise "He is faithful and just [to Christ's atoning sacrifice] to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
The word of comfort or reassurance was followed by one of instruction: "take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai." Therein Joshua and the people under him received definite directions from the Lord what they must next do. Joshua was now to turn from the throne of grace and make for the field of battle, as the believer has to leave the place of secret prayer and go forth to conflict in the world. Linking the two words together, the Lord was bidding His servant not to be dismayed by the previous repulse at Ai, but to be strong and courageous. In like manner, He calls upon the restored backslider to renew the contest with his enemies. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Quit not the fight because you have been worsted, nor even if you were wounded. Though you were blamable for the failure, having confessed the same to God, resume the struggle. That is a part of what is included in perseverance in grace" or "the final perseverance of the saints." "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise" (Micah 7:8). In its application to us individually the "take all the people of war with thee" means, See to it that all your powers and graces are exerted in a concerted effort.
"See, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land," That was spoken from the Divine purpose: it was not "I will," but "I have given." It was God "calling those things which be not as though they were" (Rom. 4:17), as when He told the aged patriarch with barren wife, "I have made thee a father of many nations." And as that word to Abraham was addressed unto his faith, so was this one here to Joshua. "See, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai" signified, Regard it as an accomplished fact, behold the victory with the eye of your spirit as one already achieved. It is thus that the soldiers of Christ are to wage their spiritual warfare fully persuaded of the happy outcome. As the beloved, yet often hard-pressed, apostle expressed it. "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air" (1 Cor. 9:26) - having no doubt whatever of reaching the goal, nor of vanquishing his enemy. It is "the good fight of faith" to which we are called, but if we be regulated by our reason or feelings it soon becomes a fight of unbelief. This "see" (by faith) of Joshua 8:1, was similar to that of Exodus 14:13 and Joshua 6:2.
Ere passing on to the next verse let it be pointed out that the one we have just been pondering contains a timely message for the pastor, especially if he be discouraged and disheartened by the absence of any apparent success or fruit for his labors. First, he should search himself before God and test both his message and method by the Word, to see if he has in any way grieved the Holy Spirit and thereby prevented His blessing upon his ministry. Should such prove to be the case, his sin must be unsparingly judged and abandoned. If after diligent self-examination no hindering cause is revealed, then let him take these words of the Lord as spoken immediately to himself: "Fear not, neither be thou dismayed"-it is fear which causes dejection and dismay! Then let him say, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee" (Ps. 61:3), or better, "I will trust and not be afraid" (Isa. 12:2). "Take all the people of war with thee": earnestly solicit the prayerful cooperation of the saints, and, whether you have that or no, be sure to take unto thee "all the armor of God." Further, eye by faith such promises as Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 28:20, for only thus will your fears be quietened.
"And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it" (Josh. 8:2). No mercy was to be shown the enemy, no truce made with him, but all the inhabitants were to be "utterly destroyed" as in the former instance (Josh. 7:21). This teaches us that the Christian must adopt an uncompromising attitude toward every form of evil, even abstaining from the very appearance of it (1 Thess. 5:22). On this occasion Divine permission was given Israel to appropriate the spoil and the cattle unto themselves. The cattle upon a thousand hills are the Lord's (Ps. 50:10), and He disposes of them as He pleases. In connection with Jericho Israel were forbidden to take anything unto themselves, the whole being "consecrated unto the Lord" (Josh. 7:18), thereby intimating that He has a special claim upon "the first-fruits" (Ex. 23:19; Proverbs 3:9), for that initial restriction was not again enforced. The grant here made may be regarded as a gracious reward for their obedience in Joshua 7:25, thereby exhibiting the folly of covetous Achan-we never lose by waiting God's time, and only bring trouble upon ourselves if we attempt to anticipate it.
The method by which Ai was to be taken was quite different from the one used against the first stronghold of the Canaanites, which shows us, among other things, that God does not work uniformly. Thomas Scott pointed out that "Jericho had been taken by a miracle . . . in order to teach the people to depend on God, and give Him the glory of all their successes. But they seemed to have inferred that they might despise their enemies and indulge themselves. They were therefore, in the next instance, instructed that diligence, self-denial and the exercise of all their powers, both of body and mind, were required in order to secure success." While fully agreeing with those remarks, yet they do not, we think, fully explain the case. Though God be absolute sovereign, so that He ever acts freely, yet His ways with men are not capricious, but generally accord with their own behavior. Because of their rash conduct in the first attack on Ai, Israel had missed God's best, and must now be content with His second best, is how we prefer to express it. The root cause of their failure was the flagrant offense of Achan, but more immediately it was due to the conceit of the spies and the folly of Joshua in acceding to their carnal suggestion.
"So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men of valor, and sent them away by night. And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready" (vv. 3, 4). To how much trouble had Israel now put themselves in order to overthrow Ai! Ah, my reader, it requires no little pains in order to return to the path of blessing once we have departed from the same! In various ways God makes us feel the folly of leaning unto our own understanding or acting in self-will, and shows us something of what we bring upon ourselves by missing His best. Observe too how precisely the Lord corrected Israel's failures, making them reverse their former policy. When the spies returned from the reconnoitering of Ai, they said unto Joshua, "Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai." That was in direct variance with the pattern which God gave to Israel in Joshua 6:3, and to which He now required them to return-"take all the people of war with thee" (Josh. 8:1). The closing words of the spies "for they be few" in Joshua 7:3 showed they regarded Ai with contempt, as an easy prey, and the proposal that a single battalion of their fighting men would suffice was manifestly the language of conceit.
The Lord countered their pride by appointing a much more humbling method for capturing Ai than the one used in the overthrow of Jericho. There, Israel's army had marched openly around the walls of that fortress; here, where a smaller and weaker city was involved, the humiliating strategy of a secret ambush was assigned in order for an attack from the rear. In the latter case, Joshua had failed to spread before the Lord the suggestion of the spies and seek counsel of Him, and disastrous was the consequence. The result was that he had to spend many hours "on his face" before the ark ere an explanation of Israel's repulse was vouchsafed him; and later, he had to bow again before the Lord ere instructions were given for the new plan of campaign (Josh. 8:1). The servant of God must not follow his own devices, but rather act according to the Word of his Master, for only then is he justified in counting upon His blessing. It is blessed to observe that however humbling the means which God now required to be used, both Joshua and those under him complied with the instructions God gave them. Having received an answer of peace from the Lord and an intimation of His will for them, they acted promptly in carrying out of the same.
"So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai." That was not only an act of obedience, but, we doubt not, should also be regarded as one of faith-in response to Jehovah's "See! I have given into thy hand the King of Ai." Should any one be disposed to ask, "But since the Lord had made such an announcement, why was it necessary for Joshua and the whole of his army to go to so much trouble?" he would betray his ignorance both of God's sovereignty and of man's accountability. God's predestination of the end does not render needless our use of means: rather does the former include the latter, and is realized by the same. When the Lord informed Hezekiah through one of His prophets that He would "add unto his days fifteen years" (Isa. 38:5), that certainly did not imply that the king might henceforth dispense with food, drink and sleep; any more than God's assurance to Paul that there should be "no loss of life" of the ship's contingent rendered it the less imperative to abstain from recklessness and to use means for their preservation (Acts 27:22-24, 31). God's gracious assurances unto His people are not designed to promote indolence, but instead to stimulate and to encourage diligence, knowing that "our labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).
While it be true that unless God gives the victory no efforts of ours can possibly achieve it nevertheless it is our bounden duty to make every effort. Though the fall of Ai was certain, yet Israel were called upon to discharge their responsibility. God's promises to us are not given to induce slothfulness, but to be a spur unto obedience to His precepts. Faith is no substitute for diligent and zealous work, but is to act as the director of the same. Hope is not to absolve us from the discharge of our obligations, but is to inspire unto the performing of the same. It is because victory is sure in the end that the soldiers of Christ are called upon to fight: that assurance is to be their incentive, from which they are to draw their energy. The genuine exercise of faith has a powerful influence both upon the Christian's efforts to mortify the old man and to vivify the new. This is clear from Romans 6:11, and what follows: we must by the reckoning of faith account ourselves legally one with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection before we can expect any success in subduing our lusts or developing our graces (Josh. 5:13). Faith is indeed the victory "that overcometh the world" (1 John 5:4), yet as the previous verse clearly shows, it is a faith which is operative in the keeping of God's commandments.
Thus, while Israel were called upon to exercise faith in the Divine assurance of success, yet they were also required to adhere strictly to the strategy which God appointed. Very definite were the orders Joshua gave unto the thirty thousand men who were to fall upon the city from the rear: "Ye shall lie in wait against the city, behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready" (Josh. 5:4): they were told where to go, what to do, and how to comport themselves. Equally explicit are the instructions of the Christian in connection with the waging of his spiritual warfare, and the measure of his success will very largely be determined by how closely he sticks to them. Thus, after bidding believers "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might" (which can only be by the exercise of faith upon Him), the apostle bade them "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil" (Eph. 6:10, 11), which plainly imports that unless they heeded his injunction they would fall before the enemy's artifices. This is the more noticeable, because after enforcing his exhortation by informing us of the formidable forces which are under Satan's control (Josh. 5:12), he repeats, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having overcome all [margin] to stand" (Josh. 5:13). God has provided the armor, but we have to "take unto us and "put on" the same; and not merely a part of it, but "the whole."
In our last we pointed out that in Joshua 8:1, the Lord gave unto His servant a word of cheer, a word of instruction, and a word of promise. His "fear not, neither be thou dismayed" was to graciously reassure Joshua's heart after the dishonorable repulse Israel had met with upon their first assault on Ai-the reasons for their defeat having been shown. In its wider application, it was a message of comfort to the whole nation, after their elders had duly humbled themselves before the Lord, that they must not be unduly cast down nor suffer Satan to induce them to give way to a spirit of despair. The word of instruction was an intimation of the Divine will of what was now required from Joshua and those under his command: "take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai." Therein their presumptuous conduct in Joshua 7:3 was denounced, and an order was given for them to return to the Divine pattern which they had received in Joshua 6:3. The word of promise was addressed unto their faith: "See! I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land." That was spoken from the standpoint of the certainty of the Divine counsels, and faith was to receive it without question.
The word of instruction received amplification in the second verse: Ai and its inhabitants were to be utterly destroyed. In this instance Israel were given permission to take the cattle as a spoil unto themselves. Finally, the strategy to be followed was made known: an "ambush" was to be laid for the city from its rear. Next we are told, "So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men of valor, and sent them away by night" (Josh. 8:3). That is to be regarded as an act not only of obedience but of faith too, or rather as "the obedience of faith" (Rom. 1:5, margin). It is a great mistake to suppose that faith in God renders needless our discharge of duty or the use of all lawful means: instead, it is to energize unto the one and to look unto God for His blessing upon the other. Confidence in God does not produce passivity, nor will the diligence which it evokes issue in self-confidence. True faith ever produces good works, yet those works are performed in a spirit of dependence upon the Lord. It is written: "The way of man is not in himself" (Jer. 10:23), but it is written again: "This is the way, walk ye in it" (Isa. 30:21). Thus does Scripture always guard Scripture!
"And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready" (Josh. 8:4). Though victory was Divinely guaranteed, that did not preclude the discharge of their responsibilities. Faith in God was to operate in the performing of His commandments. Accordingly, Joshua issued very definite orders to those thirty thousand of his soldiers, telling them where to go and how to conduct themselves. As we said at the close of our last article, equally explicit are the instructions given to the Christian in connection with his spiritual warfare, and the measure of his success therein will very largely be determined by how closely he adheres to the same. It is to be noted that the force which was to lie in wait behind the city was "sent away by night" (v. 3), and thus its members were deprived of their rest, calling for self-denial on their part. That is the first and chief task appointed the believer: as Israel had to overcome and dispossess the Canaanites ere they could enter into their inheritance, so we have to get the victory over the flesh, the world and the Devil before there can be any present possessing of our possessions and enjoyment of the same. Before Christ can be followed, self has to be "denied," and the cross (self-sacrifice) accepted as the regulating principle of our lives (Matthew 16:24).
That to which we have just called attention receives confirmation in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, where Paul says, first, "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but only one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain," likening the Christian life unto the running of a race-which calls for rigorous training, vigorous exertion, and patient endurance. Then he informs them what is required, and is essential, in order to succeed therein' "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things": that is, he puts a bridle upon his appetites, is abstemious in the use of comforts, and exercises a strict self-control at every point. Next, the apostle made mention of his own life, which exemplified what he had just said, and which sets before us an example to follow: "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly"-I myself practice such self-discipline as being absolutely necessary in order to ensure success. I conduct myself in such a manner and order my life in such a way that the outcome is not left in any doubt. I run within the lines marked out-keeping to the prescribed path of duty; pressing on till the goal is reached, exerting myself to the utmost unto the end.
Then, slightly varying his figure, and coming closer to what Joshua 8 has in view, the apostle added: "So fight I, not as one that beateth the air"-I conduct myself, and so observe the rules of the contest, that there can be no uncertainty that I shall be "more than conqueror through Him that loved us." Paul daily denied himself, mortified his lusts, and consequently he knew that the crown of life was thereby ensured. He did not waste his energies or spend his strength for naught. All his efforts were directed to the grand purpose of subjugating the desires of the flesh and bringing all his members into subjection to God. Alas, how many professing Christians today are wasting their energies upon tasks which God has never assigned them! Then in verse 27 he frankly stated the awful alternative: if I fail to make my body the servant of my soul, by yielding its members unto God (Rom. 6:19) and fighting against the lusts of the flesh and temptations of Satan, then eternal disgrace will be my portion. Finally, let it be carefully noted that the apostle continues his exhortation to self-denial and caution in the tenth chapter (as its opening word indicates) from the case of Israel, who doubtless felt as they stood on the other side of the Red Sea, that all danger was past and their entrance into Canaan was certain; yet, because of yielding to evil lusts, they were destroyed in the wilderness (vv. 1-15).
Thus we see how that the principles which were to regulate Joshua and his men were the same as those which are to govern Christians in connection with their spiritual warfare. "The two Testaments, like our two eyes, mutually enlighten and assist each other" (A. Searle). They were to proceed with the utmost confidence in God, yet with entire submission to Him. They were to act faith in His sure promise, and at the same time render implicit obedience to His precept. They were to go forward fully assured that Jehovah had given Ai into their hands, nevertheless they must adhere strictly to the strategy He had specified. So, though told "the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly" (Rom. 16:20), we are definitely bidden to resist him steadfast in the faith (1 Pet. 5:9). Our confidence is "that He which hath begun a good work in us will finish it" (Phil. 1:6) nevertheless, in the very next chapter we are exhorted "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (v. 12). Mighty foes and powerful forces are arrayed in the fight, but the ultimate issue is not in doubt: "forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).
Unto the thirty thousand who were to lie in ambush behind the city Joshua had said, "go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready"-awake, alert, prepared promptly to make the most of any favorable opportunity which should be presented to them. Such must be the demeanor and spirit of the soldiers of Jesus Christ: "be sober, be vigilant" precedes the call to resist our adversary "steadfast in the faith" (1 Pet. 5:8, 9). Then Joshua added, "And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them" (v. 5). How different was this policy from their boldly walking around the walls of Jericho! How humiliating, to proud flesh to have to turn their backs upon the Canaanites! Surely it is obvious from such a course of procedure that Israel had missed God's best! True, the enemy was routed and utterly destroyed, and his city reduced to ashes, yet the method which the Lord here called upon Israel to adopt made it but too plain that they only entered into His second best for them.
"For they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them" (v. 6). Those words expressed a deduction which Joshua drew from what the Lord had said to him in verse 1, for since His announcement that He had given the king of Ai and his people and his city into Israel's hand was accompanied by instructions for them to lay an ambush for the city from the rear (v. 2), it logically followed that the success of such strategy depended upon the army of Ai being lured out of it. Yet in the light of the whole context it is clear that we have here something more than a mental inference, namely faith's conclusion. Joshua was warranted in having the utmost confidence in the successful outcome of this plan, because he was employing the means which the Lord had appointed, and was resting on His promise in verse 1, and there-tore counted upon His blessing the same by drawing forth the forces of the enemy and thus leaving their city unprotected. This has been placed upon record for our learning and encouragement, particularly for ministers of the Gospel: if they adhere strictly to the methods and means God has appointed, and they look to Him for His blessing on the same, then whatsoever He has purposed shall assuredly be accomplished thereby.
From the above we see how that we should profit from past experiences, especially those wherein disaster overtook us. Note how in the fifth verse Joshua had declared, "they will come out against us as at the first." That knowledge was now put to good use, and by availing himself of the same Joshua turned a previous defeat into a success. As Joshua perceived what course the king of Ai would follow, so Christians are told concerning their great adversary, "we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor. 2:11)-nor are we of the various allurements and snares of the world, and least of all of the treachery and wickedness of our own hearts. Great care needs to be taken and honesty exercised upon this point, for while on the one hand the Word makes it very plain that Satan tempts and assaults the saints, on the other hand we are all too prone to father upon him our own sinful brats. It may not always be easy to decide whether a solicitation unto evil originated with our own lusts or the Devil, yet this is sure, that he can gain no advantage over us without our own consent, and therefore whenever we yield to his seductions the fault and guilt are ours, and instead of blaming Satan we must unsparingly condemn ourselves and confess the same to God.
This is obviously the principal practical lesson for us to draw from this detail of verse 6: that our knowledge of the enemy's policy and tactics should be turned to good account, or otherwise we fail to profit from God's exposure of the same in the Word of Truth. "For we are not ignorant of his devices": from what is revealed in Holy Writ, from what we observe by carefully noticing the falls of our fellows, and from what we learn from our personal experience, we are cognizant of his favorite methods, baits, subtleties, and lines of approach; and such knowledge increases our responsibility to be ever on our guard, to take measures to counteract the same, and, as Joshua here did, turn them to our advantage. To be forewarned is to be forearmed and when we know beforehand from which direction the attack upon us is most likely to take place, we can not only forestall the same, but turn it to good account. The favorite devices of Satan are to prejudice unbelievers against the Truth and so engulf them in the pleasures of the world that they lose sight of the interests of their souls and the inestimable importance of the world to come, to mar the believer's testimony for Christ, and to destroy the peace of Christian assemblies by fomenting a spirit of strife and jealousy.
Ere passing on from this point, let us remind the young preacher that he may gather a wealth of suitable material from the Scriptures themselves should he desire to make a sermon on "Satan's devices." In such case he should, of course, concentrate mainly on those which were employed upon Eve in Genesis in. and those upon our Lord in Matthew 4 Without furnishing a complete list, he may supplement them from the following. Satan seeks to puff up (1 Chron. 21:1), to stir up to rebellion against the Divine providences and encourage hard thoughts of God (Job 1:11; 2:7-9), to produce a spirit of cowardice and induce us to betray Christ, as in the case of Peter (Luke 22:31), to consort and bargain with the open enemies of Christ and lead us to betray Him (John 13:2), to drive to despair and self-destruction (Matthew 27:5), to foster the spirit of covetousness and attempt to impose upon the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3), to tempt to marital infidelity (1 Cor. 7:5), to undue severity (2 Cor. 2:6-11), to corrupt our minds from the simplicity which is in Christ (2 Cor. 11:2), to pose as an angel of light and transform his ministers as the ministers of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:14, 15), to deny the Truth (2 Tim. 2:25, 26), to intimidate (1 Pet. 5:8), to slander God's servants and saints (Rev. 12:10).
"Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand" (v. 7). Joshua was still addressing the thirty thousand of his men who were to lie in wait behind Ai until the opportune moment arrived for them to fall upon it. That would be when the main force of Israel had made a frontal approach in order to tempt its defenders to come out against them, and on their being thus drawn out into the open Israel would pretend to flee, inducing them to pursue and leave their homes defenseless. "Then ye shall rise up," seizing the favorable opportunity without delay. The success of the plan required the full cooperation of Joshua's men. Not all of them were appointed to the same stations or allotted the same tasks, but each was required to play his part faithfully. Had those who were to accompany Joshua refused to turn tail when the men of Ai advanced upon them, those who formed the ambush had their long wait in vain; and unless they acted promptly in occupying the soldier-less city, then Joshua's plan had failed. Hence it was that Joshua had bidden them, "be ye all ready," that they might immediately avail themselves of the great advantage which his ruse offered them.
The spiritual application to its of the above is obvious. The Lord's people are called upon to act together in their spiritual warfare. Not all are assigned positions of equal honor, nor are they given the same tasks to perform, yet they must supplement one another and act in conjunction if the interests of their Master's cause are to be furthered, and if they are not to be humiliated before the common enemy. Unless the pastor has the full cooperation of his church officers, he is placed at a most serious disadvantage, and unless the rank and file of the members cooperate with both, little success will crown their efforts. Nor is it sufficient for one local church to fulfill its spiritual functions: there must be mutual accord and concerted action on the part of the several battalions of Christ's soldiers if the enemy is to be defeated. Is it not the deplorable absence of such united effort on the part of God's people that explains the comparative impotency of modern Christianity? While a spirit of jealousy and discord prevails, and factions and schisms so largely obtain, corporate fellowship is impossible, and where there is no fellowship there can be no united front presented before the powers of darkness, and therefore no Ais captured to the glory of God.
Let us now observe and admire the blessed balance of Truth as exemplified in the passage which is now before us. In the last three or four verses which have engaged our attention, it is the human-responsibility side of things which is manifestly in view, the several duties which the different parts of Israel's army were called upon to perform, and perform them they must if success was to attend their efforts. Nevertheless, Joshua was most particular in guarding the Lord's glory, and in letting his men know that it was the Divine blessing upon their efforts which would make them prosperous. This is clear from his words: "Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city, for the Lord God will deliver it into your hands." There was the Divine-grace side of things! The two things are not contradictory but complementary, as in "the hand of the diligent maketh rich" and "the blessing of the Lord it maketh rich" (Prov. 10:4, 22). Both are consistent: the one reveals the primary cause, the other the subordinate and instrumental one. Neither will be effectual without the other. The sluggard looks for prosperity without diligence; the self-sufficient or practical atheist, from diligence alone: but the balanced Christian, from the blessing of God in the exercise of diligence. That wise combination keeps him both active and humble, energetic, vet dependent on God. "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (Ps. 127:1), yet if they build not there will be no "house"!
11. The Conquest of Ai
Joshua 8:1-35
Encouragement and Direction
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see! I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land" (Josh. 8:1). In the preceding verse we are told "the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger," and while there can be little or no doubt that Joshua would-after the matter of Achan had been dealt with-infer the same, yet he had not been given any token from Him that such was the case; but now he received from God a word of cheer, a word of instruction, and a word of promise for faith to lay hold of. "When we have faithfully put away sin, that accursed thing which separates between our God, then, and not till then, we may expect to hear from God for our comfort; and God's directing us how to go on in our Christian walk and warfare is a good evidence of His being reconciled to us (Matthew Henry): that is, fellowship with Him is now restored. Note well that commentator's "and not till then": no purveyors of "smooth things" were the faithful and practical Puritans, nor did they entertain their hearers and readers with matters of no spiritual profit.
The Lord's word "arise" intimates that, following the stoning of Achan and his family, Joshua again took his place on his face, or at least on his knees, before the Lord, seeking consolation and counsel from Him. Israel's progress in their conquest and occupation of Canaan had been rudely interrupted, and though the hindering cause had been put away, yet Joshua dare not attempt any further advance until His Master gave fresh indication of His will. This teaches us that, after a sin has been unsparingly judged by us-be it the case of an individual Christian, or that of an assembly-there must be a humble and definite waiting upon God for guidance as to what He would have us do next. His "fear not, neither be thou dismayed" shows that the offense of Achan and its disastrous consequences had been a sore and unexpected blow to Joshua, making him almost ready to faint. "Corruptions within the church weaken the hands and dampen the spirits of her guides and helpers, more than opposition from without; treacherous Israelites are to be dreaded more than malicious Canaanites" (Matthew Henry).
That word, "fear not, neither be thou dismayed," was designed not only for Joshua personally, but for the whole of the congregation. Israel had failed lamentably at their first assault upon Ai, had been deeply humiliated, and in consequence "the hearts of the people melted and became as water" (Josh. 7:5), and though they had obeyed the Divine command of Joshua 7:15 in utterly destroying the culprit and all that he had, yet they were in real need of an intimation that they had been restored to God's favor, and could count upon His leading them again to victory. Equally requisite is it that the penitent and humbled Christian should lay hold of this or some similar reassuring word. When iniquities have prevailed against him (Ps. 65:3) and the enemy has humiliated him, he is prone to be "swallowed up with over-much sorrow" (2 Cor. 2:7) and suffer Satan to keep him in the slough of despond, which is not only needless and foolish, but dishonoring to God if he has sincerely and contritely forsaken his sins, then he should confidently reckon upon God's mercy (Prov. 28:13) and appropriate His promise "He is faithful and just [to Christ's atoning sacrifice] to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
The word of comfort or reassurance was followed by one of instruction: "take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai." Therein Joshua and the people under him received definite directions from the Lord what they must next do. Joshua was now to turn from the throne of grace and make for the field of battle, as the believer has to leave the place of secret prayer and go forth to conflict in the world. Linking the two words together, the Lord was bidding His servant not to be dismayed by the previous repulse at Ai, but to be strong and courageous. In like manner, He calls upon the restored backslider to renew the contest with his enemies. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Quit not the fight because you have been worsted, nor even if you were wounded. Though you were blamable for the failure, having confessed the same to God, resume the struggle. That is a part of what is included in perseverance in grace" or "the final perseverance of the saints." "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise" (Micah 7:8). In its application to us individually the "take all the people of war with thee" means, See to it that all your powers and graces are exerted in a concerted effort.
"See, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land," That was spoken from the Divine purpose: it was not "I will," but "I have given." It was God "calling those things which be not as though they were" (Rom. 4:17), as when He told the aged patriarch with barren wife, "I have made thee a father of many nations." And as that word to Abraham was addressed unto his faith, so was this one here to Joshua. "See, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai" signified, Regard it as an accomplished fact, behold the victory with the eye of your spirit as one already achieved. It is thus that the soldiers of Christ are to wage their spiritual warfare fully persuaded of the happy outcome. As the beloved, yet often hard-pressed, apostle expressed it. "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air" (1 Cor. 9:26) - having no doubt whatever of reaching the goal, nor of vanquishing his enemy. It is "the good fight of faith" to which we are called, but if we be regulated by our reason or feelings it soon becomes a fight of unbelief. This "see" (by faith) of Joshua 8:1, was similar to that of Exodus 14:13 and Joshua 6:2.
Ere passing on to the next verse let it be pointed out that the one we have just been pondering contains a timely message for the pastor, especially if he be discouraged and disheartened by the absence of any apparent success or fruit for his labors. First, he should search himself before God and test both his message and method by the Word, to see if he has in any way grieved the Holy Spirit and thereby prevented His blessing upon his ministry. Should such prove to be the case, his sin must be unsparingly judged and abandoned. If after diligent self-examination no hindering cause is revealed, then let him take these words of the Lord as spoken immediately to himself: "Fear not, neither be thou dismayed"-it is fear which causes dejection and dismay! Then let him say, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee" (Ps. 61:3), or better, "I will trust and not be afraid" (Isa. 12:2). "Take all the people of war with thee": earnestly solicit the prayerful cooperation of the saints, and, whether you have that or no, be sure to take unto thee "all the armor of God." Further, eye by faith such promises as Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 28:20, for only thus will your fears be quietened.
"And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it" (Josh. 8:2). No mercy was to be shown the enemy, no truce made with him, but all the inhabitants were to be "utterly destroyed" as in the former instance (Josh. 7:21). This teaches us that the Christian must adopt an uncompromising attitude toward every form of evil, even abstaining from the very appearance of it (1 Thess. 5:22). On this occasion Divine permission was given Israel to appropriate the spoil and the cattle unto themselves. The cattle upon a thousand hills are the Lord's (Ps. 50:10), and He disposes of them as He pleases. In connection with Jericho Israel were forbidden to take anything unto themselves, the whole being "consecrated unto the Lord" (Josh. 7:18), thereby intimating that He has a special claim upon "the first-fruits" (Ex. 23:19; Proverbs 3:9), for that initial restriction was not again enforced. The grant here made may be regarded as a gracious reward for their obedience in Joshua 7:25, thereby exhibiting the folly of covetous Achan-we never lose by waiting God's time, and only bring trouble upon ourselves if we attempt to anticipate it.
The method by which Ai was to be taken was quite different from the one used against the first stronghold of the Canaanites, which shows us, among other things, that God does not work uniformly. Thomas Scott pointed out that "Jericho had been taken by a miracle . . . in order to teach the people to depend on God, and give Him the glory of all their successes. But they seemed to have inferred that they might despise their enemies and indulge themselves. They were therefore, in the next instance, instructed that diligence, self-denial and the exercise of all their powers, both of body and mind, were required in order to secure success." While fully agreeing with those remarks, yet they do not, we think, fully explain the case. Though God be absolute sovereign, so that He ever acts freely, yet His ways with men are not capricious, but generally accord with their own behavior. Because of their rash conduct in the first attack on Ai, Israel had missed God's best, and must now be content with His second best, is how we prefer to express it. The root cause of their failure was the flagrant offense of Achan, but more immediately it was due to the conceit of the spies and the folly of Joshua in acceding to their carnal suggestion.
"So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men of valor, and sent them away by night. And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready" (vv. 3, 4). To how much trouble had Israel now put themselves in order to overthrow Ai! Ah, my reader, it requires no little pains in order to return to the path of blessing once we have departed from the same! In various ways God makes us feel the folly of leaning unto our own understanding or acting in self-will, and shows us something of what we bring upon ourselves by missing His best. Observe too how precisely the Lord corrected Israel's failures, making them reverse their former policy. When the spies returned from the reconnoitering of Ai, they said unto Joshua, "Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai." That was in direct variance with the pattern which God gave to Israel in Joshua 6:3, and to which He now required them to return-"take all the people of war with thee" (Josh. 8:1). The closing words of the spies "for they be few" in Joshua 7:3 showed they regarded Ai with contempt, as an easy prey, and the proposal that a single battalion of their fighting men would suffice was manifestly the language of conceit.
The Lord countered their pride by appointing a much more humbling method for capturing Ai than the one used in the overthrow of Jericho. There, Israel's army had marched openly around the walls of that fortress; here, where a smaller and weaker city was involved, the humiliating strategy of a secret ambush was assigned in order for an attack from the rear. In the latter case, Joshua had failed to spread before the Lord the suggestion of the spies and seek counsel of Him, and disastrous was the consequence. The result was that he had to spend many hours "on his face" before the ark ere an explanation of Israel's repulse was vouchsafed him; and later, he had to bow again before the Lord ere instructions were given for the new plan of campaign (Josh. 8:1). The servant of God must not follow his own devices, but rather act according to the Word of his Master, for only then is he justified in counting upon His blessing. It is blessed to observe that however humbling the means which God now required to be used, both Joshua and those under him complied with the instructions God gave them. Having received an answer of peace from the Lord and an intimation of His will for them, they acted promptly in carrying out of the same.
"So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai." That was not only an act of obedience, but, we doubt not, should also be regarded as one of faith-in response to Jehovah's "See! I have given into thy hand the King of Ai." Should any one be disposed to ask, "But since the Lord had made such an announcement, why was it necessary for Joshua and the whole of his army to go to so much trouble?" he would betray his ignorance both of God's sovereignty and of man's accountability. God's predestination of the end does not render needless our use of means: rather does the former include the latter, and is realized by the same. When the Lord informed Hezekiah through one of His prophets that He would "add unto his days fifteen years" (Isa. 38:5), that certainly did not imply that the king might henceforth dispense with food, drink and sleep; any more than God's assurance to Paul that there should be "no loss of life" of the ship's contingent rendered it the less imperative to abstain from recklessness and to use means for their preservation (Acts 27:22-24, 31). God's gracious assurances unto His people are not designed to promote indolence, but instead to stimulate and to encourage diligence, knowing that "our labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).
While it be true that unless God gives the victory no efforts of ours can possibly achieve it nevertheless it is our bounden duty to make every effort. Though the fall of Ai was certain, yet Israel were called upon to discharge their responsibility. God's promises to us are not given to induce slothfulness, but to be a spur unto obedience to His precepts. Faith is no substitute for diligent and zealous work, but is to act as the director of the same. Hope is not to absolve us from the discharge of our obligations, but is to inspire unto the performing of the same. It is because victory is sure in the end that the soldiers of Christ are called upon to fight: that assurance is to be their incentive, from which they are to draw their energy. The genuine exercise of faith has a powerful influence both upon the Christian's efforts to mortify the old man and to vivify the new. This is clear from Romans 6:11, and what follows: we must by the reckoning of faith account ourselves legally one with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection before we can expect any success in subduing our lusts or developing our graces (Josh. 5:13). Faith is indeed the victory "that overcometh the world" (1 John 5:4), yet as the previous verse clearly shows, it is a faith which is operative in the keeping of God's commandments.
Thus, while Israel were called upon to exercise faith in the Divine assurance of success, yet they were also required to adhere strictly to the strategy which God appointed. Very definite were the orders Joshua gave unto the thirty thousand men who were to fall upon the city from the rear: "Ye shall lie in wait against the city, behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready" (Josh. 5:4): they were told where to go, what to do, and how to comport themselves. Equally explicit are the instructions of the Christian in connection with the waging of his spiritual warfare, and the measure of his success will very largely be determined by how closely he sticks to them. Thus, after bidding believers "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might" (which can only be by the exercise of faith upon Him), the apostle bade them "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil" (Eph. 6:10, 11), which plainly imports that unless they heeded his injunction they would fall before the enemy's artifices. This is the more noticeable, because after enforcing his exhortation by informing us of the formidable forces which are under Satan's control (Josh. 5:12), he repeats, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having overcome all [margin] to stand" (Josh. 5:13). God has provided the armor, but we have to "take unto us and "put on" the same; and not merely a part of it, but "the whole."
In our last we pointed out that in Joshua 8:1, the Lord gave unto His servant a word of cheer, a word of instruction, and a word of promise. His "fear not, neither be thou dismayed" was to graciously reassure Joshua's heart after the dishonorable repulse Israel had met with upon their first assault on Ai-the reasons for their defeat having been shown. In its wider application, it was a message of comfort to the whole nation, after their elders had duly humbled themselves before the Lord, that they must not be unduly cast down nor suffer Satan to induce them to give way to a spirit of despair. The word of instruction was an intimation of the Divine will of what was now required from Joshua and those under his command: "take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai." Therein their presumptuous conduct in Joshua 7:3 was denounced, and an order was given for them to return to the Divine pattern which they had received in Joshua 6:3. The word of promise was addressed unto their faith: "See! I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land." That was spoken from the standpoint of the certainty of the Divine counsels, and faith was to receive it without question.
The word of instruction received amplification in the second verse: Ai and its inhabitants were to be utterly destroyed. In this instance Israel were given permission to take the cattle as a spoil unto themselves. Finally, the strategy to be followed was made known: an "ambush" was to be laid for the city from its rear. Next we are told, "So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men of valor, and sent them away by night" (Josh. 8:3). That is to be regarded as an act not only of obedience but of faith too, or rather as "the obedience of faith" (Rom. 1:5, margin). It is a great mistake to suppose that faith in God renders needless our discharge of duty or the use of all lawful means: instead, it is to energize unto the one and to look unto God for His blessing upon the other. Confidence in God does not produce passivity, nor will the diligence which it evokes issue in self-confidence. True faith ever produces good works, yet those works are performed in a spirit of dependence upon the Lord. It is written: "The way of man is not in himself" (Jer. 10:23), but it is written again: "This is the way, walk ye in it" (Isa. 30:21). Thus does Scripture always guard Scripture!
"And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready" (Josh. 8:4). Though victory was Divinely guaranteed, that did not preclude the discharge of their responsibilities. Faith in God was to operate in the performing of His commandments. Accordingly, Joshua issued very definite orders to those thirty thousand of his soldiers, telling them where to go and how to conduct themselves. As we said at the close of our last article, equally explicit are the instructions given to the Christian in connection with his spiritual warfare, and the measure of his success therein will very largely be determined by how closely he adheres to the same. It is to be noted that the force which was to lie in wait behind the city was "sent away by night" (v. 3), and thus its members were deprived of their rest, calling for self-denial on their part. That is the first and chief task appointed the believer: as Israel had to overcome and dispossess the Canaanites ere they could enter into their inheritance, so we have to get the victory over the flesh, the world and the Devil before there can be any present possessing of our possessions and enjoyment of the same. Before Christ can be followed, self has to be "denied," and the cross (self-sacrifice) accepted as the regulating principle of our lives (Matthew 16:24).
That to which we have just called attention receives confirmation in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, where Paul says, first, "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but only one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain," likening the Christian life unto the running of a race-which calls for rigorous training, vigorous exertion, and patient endurance. Then he informs them what is required, and is essential, in order to succeed therein' "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things": that is, he puts a bridle upon his appetites, is abstemious in the use of comforts, and exercises a strict self-control at every point. Next, the apostle made mention of his own life, which exemplified what he had just said, and which sets before us an example to follow: "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly"-I myself practice such self-discipline as being absolutely necessary in order to ensure success. I conduct myself in such a manner and order my life in such a way that the outcome is not left in any doubt. I run within the lines marked out-keeping to the prescribed path of duty; pressing on till the goal is reached, exerting myself to the utmost unto the end.
Then, slightly varying his figure, and coming closer to what Joshua 8 has in view, the apostle added: "So fight I, not as one that beateth the air"-I conduct myself, and so observe the rules of the contest, that there can be no uncertainty that I shall be "more than conqueror through Him that loved us." Paul daily denied himself, mortified his lusts, and consequently he knew that the crown of life was thereby ensured. He did not waste his energies or spend his strength for naught. All his efforts were directed to the grand purpose of subjugating the desires of the flesh and bringing all his members into subjection to God. Alas, how many professing Christians today are wasting their energies upon tasks which God has never assigned them! Then in verse 27 he frankly stated the awful alternative: if I fail to make my body the servant of my soul, by yielding its members unto God (Rom. 6:19) and fighting against the lusts of the flesh and temptations of Satan, then eternal disgrace will be my portion. Finally, let it be carefully noted that the apostle continues his exhortation to self-denial and caution in the tenth chapter (as its opening word indicates) from the case of Israel, who doubtless felt as they stood on the other side of the Red Sea, that all danger was past and their entrance into Canaan was certain; yet, because of yielding to evil lusts, they were destroyed in the wilderness (vv. 1-15).
Thus we see how that the principles which were to regulate Joshua and his men were the same as those which are to govern Christians in connection with their spiritual warfare. "The two Testaments, like our two eyes, mutually enlighten and assist each other" (A. Searle). They were to proceed with the utmost confidence in God, yet with entire submission to Him. They were to act faith in His sure promise, and at the same time render implicit obedience to His precept. They were to go forward fully assured that Jehovah had given Ai into their hands, nevertheless they must adhere strictly to the strategy He had specified. So, though told "the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly" (Rom. 16:20), we are definitely bidden to resist him steadfast in the faith (1 Pet. 5:9). Our confidence is "that He which hath begun a good work in us will finish it" (Phil. 1:6) nevertheless, in the very next chapter we are exhorted "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (v. 12). Mighty foes and powerful forces are arrayed in the fight, but the ultimate issue is not in doubt: "forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).
Unto the thirty thousand who were to lie in ambush behind the city Joshua had said, "go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready"-awake, alert, prepared promptly to make the most of any favorable opportunity which should be presented to them. Such must be the demeanor and spirit of the soldiers of Jesus Christ: "be sober, be vigilant" precedes the call to resist our adversary "steadfast in the faith" (1 Pet. 5:8, 9). Then Joshua added, "And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them" (v. 5). How different was this policy from their boldly walking around the walls of Jericho! How humiliating, to proud flesh to have to turn their backs upon the Canaanites! Surely it is obvious from such a course of procedure that Israel had missed God's best! True, the enemy was routed and utterly destroyed, and his city reduced to ashes, yet the method which the Lord here called upon Israel to adopt made it but too plain that they only entered into His second best for them.
"For they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them" (v. 6). Those words expressed a deduction which Joshua drew from what the Lord had said to him in verse 1, for since His announcement that He had given the king of Ai and his people and his city into Israel's hand was accompanied by instructions for them to lay an ambush for the city from the rear (v. 2), it logically followed that the success of such strategy depended upon the army of Ai being lured out of it. Yet in the light of the whole context it is clear that we have here something more than a mental inference, namely faith's conclusion. Joshua was warranted in having the utmost confidence in the successful outcome of this plan, because he was employing the means which the Lord had appointed, and was resting on His promise in verse 1, and there-tore counted upon His blessing the same by drawing forth the forces of the enemy and thus leaving their city unprotected. This has been placed upon record for our learning and encouragement, particularly for ministers of the Gospel: if they adhere strictly to the methods and means God has appointed, and they look to Him for His blessing on the same, then whatsoever He has purposed shall assuredly be accomplished thereby.
From the above we see how that we should profit from past experiences, especially those wherein disaster overtook us. Note how in the fifth verse Joshua had declared, "they will come out against us as at the first." That knowledge was now put to good use, and by availing himself of the same Joshua turned a previous defeat into a success. As Joshua perceived what course the king of Ai would follow, so Christians are told concerning their great adversary, "we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor. 2:11)-nor are we of the various allurements and snares of the world, and least of all of the treachery and wickedness of our own hearts. Great care needs to be taken and honesty exercised upon this point, for while on the one hand the Word makes it very plain that Satan tempts and assaults the saints, on the other hand we are all too prone to father upon him our own sinful brats. It may not always be easy to decide whether a solicitation unto evil originated with our own lusts or the Devil, yet this is sure, that he can gain no advantage over us without our own consent, and therefore whenever we yield to his seductions the fault and guilt are ours, and instead of blaming Satan we must unsparingly condemn ourselves and confess the same to God.
This is obviously the principal practical lesson for us to draw from this detail of verse 6: that our knowledge of the enemy's policy and tactics should be turned to good account, or otherwise we fail to profit from God's exposure of the same in the Word of Truth. "For we are not ignorant of his devices": from what is revealed in Holy Writ, from what we observe by carefully noticing the falls of our fellows, and from what we learn from our personal experience, we are cognizant of his favorite methods, baits, subtleties, and lines of approach; and such knowledge increases our responsibility to be ever on our guard, to take measures to counteract the same, and, as Joshua here did, turn them to our advantage. To be forewarned is to be forearmed and when we know beforehand from which direction the attack upon us is most likely to take place, we can not only forestall the same, but turn it to good account. The favorite devices of Satan are to prejudice unbelievers against the Truth and so engulf them in the pleasures of the world that they lose sight of the interests of their souls and the inestimable importance of the world to come, to mar the believer's testimony for Christ, and to destroy the peace of Christian assemblies by fomenting a spirit of strife and jealousy.
Ere passing on from this point, let us remind the young preacher that he may gather a wealth of suitable material from the Scriptures themselves should he desire to make a sermon on "Satan's devices." In such case he should, of course, concentrate mainly on those which were employed upon Eve in Genesis in. and those upon our Lord in Matthew 4 Without furnishing a complete list, he may supplement them from the following. Satan seeks to puff up (1 Chron. 21:1), to stir up to rebellion against the Divine providences and encourage hard thoughts of God (Job 1:11; 2:7-9), to produce a spirit of cowardice and induce us to betray Christ, as in the case of Peter (Luke 22:31), to consort and bargain with the open enemies of Christ and lead us to betray Him (John 13:2), to drive to despair and self-destruction (Matthew 27:5), to foster the spirit of covetousness and attempt to impose upon the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3), to tempt to marital infidelity (1 Cor. 7:5), to undue severity (2 Cor. 2:6-11), to corrupt our minds from the simplicity which is in Christ (2 Cor. 11:2), to pose as an angel of light and transform his ministers as the ministers of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:14, 15), to deny the Truth (2 Tim. 2:25, 26), to intimidate (1 Pet. 5:8), to slander God's servants and saints (Rev. 12:10).
"Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand" (v. 7). Joshua was still addressing the thirty thousand of his men who were to lie in wait behind Ai until the opportune moment arrived for them to fall upon it. That would be when the main force of Israel had made a frontal approach in order to tempt its defenders to come out against them, and on their being thus drawn out into the open Israel would pretend to flee, inducing them to pursue and leave their homes defenseless. "Then ye shall rise up," seizing the favorable opportunity without delay. The success of the plan required the full cooperation of Joshua's men. Not all of them were appointed to the same stations or allotted the same tasks, but each was required to play his part faithfully. Had those who were to accompany Joshua refused to turn tail when the men of Ai advanced upon them, those who formed the ambush had their long wait in vain; and unless they acted promptly in occupying the soldier-less city, then Joshua's plan had failed. Hence it was that Joshua had bidden them, "be ye all ready," that they might immediately avail themselves of the great advantage which his ruse offered them.
The spiritual application to its of the above is obvious. The Lord's people are called upon to act together in their spiritual warfare. Not all are assigned positions of equal honor, nor are they given the same tasks to perform, yet they must supplement one another and act in conjunction if the interests of their Master's cause are to be furthered, and if they are not to be humiliated before the common enemy. Unless the pastor has the full cooperation of his church officers, he is placed at a most serious disadvantage, and unless the rank and file of the members cooperate with both, little success will crown their efforts. Nor is it sufficient for one local church to fulfill its spiritual functions: there must be mutual accord and concerted action on the part of the several battalions of Christ's soldiers if the enemy is to be defeated. Is it not the deplorable absence of such united effort on the part of God's people that explains the comparative impotency of modern Christianity? While a spirit of jealousy and discord prevails, and factions and schisms so largely obtain, corporate fellowship is impossible, and where there is no fellowship there can be no united front presented before the powers of darkness, and therefore no Ais captured to the glory of God.
Let us now observe and admire the blessed balance of Truth as exemplified in the passage which is now before us. In the last three or four verses which have engaged our attention, it is the human-responsibility side of things which is manifestly in view, the several duties which the different parts of Israel's army were called upon to perform, and perform them they must if success was to attend their efforts. Nevertheless, Joshua was most particular in guarding the Lord's glory, and in letting his men know that it was the Divine blessing upon their efforts which would make them prosperous. This is clear from his words: "Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city, for the Lord God will deliver it into your hands." There was the Divine-grace side of things! The two things are not contradictory but complementary, as in "the hand of the diligent maketh rich" and "the blessing of the Lord it maketh rich" (Prov. 10:4, 22). Both are consistent: the one reveals the primary cause, the other the subordinate and instrumental one. Neither will be effectual without the other. The sluggard looks for prosperity without diligence; the self-sufficient or practical atheist, from diligence alone: but the balanced Christian, from the blessing of God in the exercise of diligence. That wise combination keeps him both active and humble, energetic, vet dependent on God. "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (Ps. 127:1), yet if they build not there will be no "house"!