Israel Destroys the Town of Ai
October 29, 2021
Commentary
The conquest of Ai was very important to the Israelites. Only 11 miles from Jericho, Ai was a key stronghold for the Canaanites and a buffer fortress for Bethel (v. 12). The LORD told Joshua not to be afraid or discouraged by what happened at the town of Ai (vv. 1-2). Take the army and attack again. But first, have part of the army set up an ambush on the other side of the town. I will help you defeat the king of Ai and his army, and you will capture the town and the land around it. Destroy Ai and kill its king as you did at Jericho. But you may keep the livestock and everything else you want. Yesterday’s defeat becomes today’s victory. God wants the cycle of sin, repentance, and forgiveness to strengthen us, not weaken us. The loss of one battle does not necessarily mean the loss of the war. Joshua learned by his blunders, and so should we if we have tripped and fallen. As Joshua moves against Ai for the second time, he did not minimize the power of this little city. While the primary cause of defeat at Ai was Achan’s sin, the secondary cause was the underrating of the enemy.
The strategy for the capture of Ai was mapped out by God (vv. 3-19). The plan involved three contingents of soldiers. The major segment of Israel’s army was to be stationed to the North of Ai and be used to draw the men of Ai out of the city. A group of 30 brave officers chosen by Joshua were to hide just west of the city and at a given signal were to go in and set the city on fire. This was to happen as its warriors deserted the city to chase Joshua and his Army. A third group of 5,000 was stationed between Ai and Bethel to head off an Army of Bethelites should they come to Ai’s aid. As a result, the city was destroyed, and all its inhabitants were wiped out (vv. 20-29).
Application
The lessons I learn from my failures should make me better able to handle the same situation the second time around.
Joshua 8:1– 29 (NET)
1 The Lord told Joshua, âDonât be afraid and donât panic! Take the whole army with you and march against Ai! See, I am handing over to you the king of Ai, along with his people, city, and land. 2 Do to Ai and its king what you did to Jericho and its king, except you may plunder its goods and cattle. Set an ambush behind the city.â
3 Joshua and the whole army marched against Ai. Joshua selected 30,000 brave warriors and sent them out at night. 4 He ordered them, âLook, set an ambush behind the city. Donât go very far from the city; all of you be ready! 5 I and all the troops who are with me will approach the city. When they come out to fight us like before, we will retreat from them. 6 They will attack us until we have lured them from the city, for they will say, âThey are retreating from us like before.â We will retreat from them. 7 Then you rise up from your hiding place and seize the city. The Lord your God will hand it over to you. 8 When you capture the city, set it on fire in keeping with the Lordâs message. See, I have given you orders.â 9 Joshua sent them away and they went to their hiding place west of Ai, between Bethel and Ai. Joshua spent that night with the army.
10 Bright and early the next morning Joshua gathered the army, and he and the leaders of Israel marched at the head of it to Ai. 11 All the troops that were with him marched up and drew near the city. They camped north of Ai on the other side of the valley. 12 He took 5,000 men and set an ambush west of the city between Bethel and Ai. 13 The army was in positionâthe main army north of the city and the rear guard west of the city. That night Joshua went into the middle of the valley.
14 When the king of Ai and all his people saw Israel, they rushed to get up early. Then the king and the men of the city went out to meet Israel in battle, at the meeting place near the rift valley. But he did not realize an ambush was waiting for him behind the city. 15 Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated by them, and they retreated along the way to the wilderness. 16 All the reinforcements in Ai were ordered to chase them; they chased Joshua and were lured away from the city. 17 No men were left in Ai or Bethel; they all went out after Israel. They left the city wide open and chased Israel.
18 The Lord told Joshua, âHold out toward Ai the curved sword in your hand, for I am handing the city over to you.â So Joshua held out toward Ai the curved sword in his hand. 19 When he held out his hand, the men waiting in ambush rose up quickly from their place and attacked. They entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire. 20 When the men of Ai turned around, they saw the smoke from the city ascending into the sky and were so shocked they were unable to flee in any direction. In the meantime the men who were retreating to the wilderness turned against their pursuers. 21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the city was going up in smoke, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai. 22 At the same time the men who had taken the city came out to fight, and the men of Ai were trapped in the middle. The Israelites struck them down, leaving no survivors or refugees. 23 But they captured the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
24 When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had chased them toward the wilderness (they all fell by the sword), all Israel returned to Ai and put the sword to it. 25 So 12,000 men and women died that day, including all the men of Ai. 26 Joshua kept holding out his curved sword until Israel had annihilated all who lived in Ai. 27 But Israel did plunder the cattle and the goods of the city, in keeping with the Lordâs orders to Joshua. 28 Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanently uninhabited mound (it remains that way to this very day). 29 He hung the king of Ai on a tree, leaving him exposed until evening. At sunset Joshua ordered that his corpse be taken down from the tree. They threw it down at the entrance of the city gate and erected over it a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day).
Illustration: Edison Boy drops the first light bulb
Thomas A. Edison was working on a crazy contraption called a ââŹĹlight bulb” and it took a whole team of men 24 straight hours to put just one together. The story goes that when Edison was finished with one light bulb he gave it to a young boy helper who nervously carried it up the stairs. Step by step he cautiously watched his hands, obviously frightened of dropping such a priceless piece of work. You’ve probably guessed what happened by now; the poor young fellow dropped the bulb at the top of the stairs. It took the entire team of men twenty-four more hours to make another bulb. Finally, tired and ready for a break, Edison was ready to have his bulb carried up the stairs. He gave it to the same young boy who dropped the first one. That’s trust. (James Newton, Uncommon Friends).