Gods Keys to victory over your Ai - Joshua 8

ENGLISH VERSION // a bible study

Today I read Joshua 8.

So the first thing God basically tells Joshua in Chapter 8 is not to be afraid and dismayed.

I was especially paying attention to this and think its very meaningful. It is the very first verse in this chapter about victory over Ai and Gods first Words are: Do not be afraid nor dismayed. 

So what is this showing us? 

Not only that the first key to victory is to not be afraid, which automatically leads us to trust the Lord with anything and be sure that there is no reason for us to be afraid/dismayed because everything lies in His hands and His time, but also, that it starts with Him. The Israelites had to first receive Gods encouragement beforehand. He was giving them what they needed first in order to get up to the city Ai.

In the next verses God tells Joshua His plan so Joshua and the Israelites could succeed and conquer the city, which also included to lay an ambush behind the city. 

“And he commanded them, saying: “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city” (verse 4)

I read a commentary to this that also pointed out the detail, that the general plan was given by God, but He left it up to Joshuas experience and sanctified common sense to lay out the specific plan of battle, which I was not aware of first. 

Another specific thing that Gods general plan included and that stood out to me was, that He commanded them to burn it to the ground. 

After reading all that I asked myself, whats currently the “Ai” in my own life?

Ai was lost ground that needed to be regained. 

The name Ai means “heap of ruins” (Joshua 8:28).

Things we can note down from Joshua 8:

• Before this battle of Victory the Israelites stumbled and failed in Joshua 7 (Achan’s sin, they dealt with it and now had to move on) 

-> God is using your failures as a foundation for a victory in HIM; 

after failure it’s important to deal with it before God (repentance, dying to self; Joshua 7: repentance before God trough the confession in front of them ? and further consequences) and to then let the past be the past to get back on track and look forward to what He has prepared for us 

-> Letting God turn the place of defeat into the place of victory

• Joshua followed Gods plan in order to have victory. 
• The Israelites didn’t wait for Ai to bring the battle to them, they brought the battle to Ai.
• The people of Ai used the same method to go against the Israelites -> the enemy sticks to one method until it doesn’t work anymore.
• Gods strategies are diverse (Instructed Joshua to use a new method). He is a personal God. He knows you and your qualities and traits.
• To burn Ai down, struck all people and let no one escape [= to show no mercy to their enemy but crush the enemy completely at every opportunity] was necessary 

Keys written down from the commentary:

Keys of victory we can summarise from this chapter:

• Be encouraged.
• Follow the Lords plan.
• Use every resource, and the best resources. (Joshua sent 30.000 men instead of 3000 like in Joshua 7:4) 
• Live with and look to Jesus.
• Go on the offensive.
• Show no mercy to your enemy.

Joshua 8:27 (“…according to the word of the Lord.”):

So far, Israel's experience is an illustration of their whole history, and the spiritual history of many Christians.

• Obedience followed by victory.
• Victory followed by blessing.
• Blessing followed by pride and disobedience.
• Disobedience followed by defeat.
  Defeat followed by judgment.
• Judgment followed by repentance.
• Repentance followed by obedience.
• Obedience followed by victory, and the cycle continues.

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