Fall of the wall -> fall of the people
We have progressed. We have been obedient haven’t we? After all, we believed something so ridiculous, it was rather difficult to maintain a straight face when there were so many faces on the wall at Jericho – frightened faces, curious faces, who knows, maybe some funny faces wondering as to what we were doing walking around the city behind trumpeters! But then, the bottom end was, we obeyed, and on the seventh day, we finally got to open our mouths and shout, scream, together as one voice, and the wall came down! Miracle of all miracles – surely those people at Jericho knew how to build a 12 foot think wall and yet, did not sound-proof it? No my dear readers, this was the Lord’s doing – it, after all these years is still marvelous in our eyes.
Jericho defeated ran the headlines throughout the camp, without so much as a sneeze or a cough drop ran another… and the whole nation was jubilant, whereas, there was the leader already peering into his map and preparing a strategy for the next battle. Always remember, God has His own reasons for anointing a leader, and more often than not, it ain’t the bed of roses people think it is. He was following his strategy, based on experience from Jericho – you got it. It’s no big secret. Another set of spies.
Well, off they went and they came back with, if possible, even more wondrous news! The city of Ai is small they said. Take 2000 to 3000 people and don’t tire every soldier. But of course, next to Jericho, this seemed to be bordering on silly. And so the battle horns blared. The battle began in earnest. Not one error in Joshua’s strategy, but the Lord wasn’t there!
And what a difference it made. Israel fled before Ai, who cut down 36 men. [ Got me wondering. If 36 killed in battle was worth mentioning as a disaster, the only possible reason would be that until then, Israel had cut through the enemy with no casualties, which in itself is a miracle].
This time, there was panic. There was the leader, decked in sackcloth and ashes, crying in God’s presence all day… and God didn’t mince words, did He? “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? 11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. And there you have it, the reason He wasn’t at the battle. “Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you” Joshua 7:10-12. Huge. Really. Can you imagine? One man’s sin. And the Lord wouldn’t so much as look at Israel when they were fighting.
To make a long story short, Achan and his family - his family because they knew what he had done and yet, remained silent – stoned to death. The OT law didn’t compromise – you sin, and you die! No two ways about it, no one to substitute for your sin. But now it’s a different story isn’t it? Christ already having paid for our sins in full – not a drop of blood left in his body – he spent it all for us; and how are we repaying Him? Time to retrospect, people.
Israel finally defeated Ai, because “the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger” Joshua 7:26. but one look at Joshua 8 should send shivers down your spine. That was probably the most complicated tactic used in the Bible. Two ambushes, 30,000 soldiers to destroy Ai, another 5000 to stop anyone else from disturbing the Israelite army, and the rest of the army(easily numbering up to a million) against Ai. So much work when only 3000 soldiers could have finished the same job if one man hadn’t sinned.
Come into His presence. Repent. Cry. Wail. Weep. Let each of us make sure we do not hinder the Lord from doing His work. If we aren’t careful, unified in whatever we are supposed to do, He could simply choose to be absent. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you” Joshua 7:10-12.
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