You may remember the refrain from the old spiritual, Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho.
Joshua fit de battle of Jericho
Jericho, Jericho,
Joshua fit de battle of Jericho,
And de walls come tumbling down.
More than likely, you can’t recall a song about Israel’s defeat at Ai. Joshua 7 recounts the tragic tale of sin, deception, and defeat.
God made it clear that His people were not to take anything devoted to destruction in Jericho. Still, one man didn’t overcome his covetous desires. He took several items that were devoted to destruction with tragic results among God’s people.
With brevity of words, Joshua recounts the details of a disastrous day for the Israelites. It began with Joshua listening to his spies but failing to seek God’s direction.
The spies advised their leader: Not all the people need go up; about two or three thousand men should go up and attack Ai. Since they are so few, do not make the whole people toil up there” (Joshua 7:3).
He followed their advice and this happened: The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, chasing them from outside the gate as far as Shebarim and killing them on the slope. The hearts of the people melted and turned to water (Joshua 7:4).
We can all remember times when we made decisions before asking God for His direction. There have been a few times when I deeply regretted not asking God for leadership. What was true for Joshua has unfortunately been repeated for generations by humanity.
Joshua’s Prayer
Joshua uttered what scholars call a “prayer of complaint.” He couldn’t understand why God allowed them to be defeated by the people of Ai.
Joshua said, “Ah, Lord God! Why have you brought this people across the Jordan at all, to hand us over to the Amorites so as to destroy us? Would that we had been content to settle beyond the Jordan!
O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned their backs to their enemies! The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and surround us and cut off our name from the earth.
Then what will you do for your great name?” (Joshua 7:7-9).
There are times when the prayer of complaint is perfectly acceptable. The Psalms are filled with prayers of innocent people who have been oppressed by powerful or wicked humans. We can trust that their prayers will be heard.
There are other times when our complaints are met by God’s word, “Stand up!” (Joshua 7:10). The Israelites were defeated because they had disobeyed God, and until that was corrected, they would live in a state of defeat.
This time, Joshua listened to God, who gave him directions about how to expose the sin and find a remedy for it.
In the end, the man who took things devoted to destruction became like what he coveted. He was devoted to destruction as an execution of God’s judgment on the people.
Reflections
God doesn’t condemn people who violate His laws by stoning them in our era. That doesn’t mean that we don’t experience judgment.
Coveting something that is not ours begins with thoughts. Those thoughts can become actions. If covetous attitudes and actions continue over time, they solidify into a person’s character.
I frequently cite a book by Richard Foster, Money, Sex, and Power. Foster identifies these three as central idols of modern life. All three, when observed under the guidance of God, can be profitable for humans.
When we covet money, sex, or power, and act upon our lusts, not only do we harm other people, but we also harm ourselves.
Defeat can look like the battle lost at Ai. It can also look like a person who failed to live the fullest life possible because they chose their self-will over God’s.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 