Jos 7:5-8 | KingComments | STEP | Joshua gives a command without consulting the LORD. He also sends men out from Jericho and not from Gilgal. Is this already an indication of the cause of sin? The sinful flesh comes to light, also in Joshua. Here we read what happens to the people when they are not led by the LORD. The lesson for us is that we often pretend not to need prayer when, in our eyes, there are small problems. But then we forget that behind small problems hide enormous powers. The humiliation does not fail. Ai means ‘mess’. It is at Beth-aven that means ‘house of evil’. After the spying out of Ai a conclusion of the human mind follows. Did they not learn from Jericho that everything depends on God? Has the enemy now become so weak that they can handle it themselves and need little effort to do so? No one is killed in Jericho, but in this small city a great defeat is suffered. They lose the battle against Ai which also costs the lives of about thirty-six of their men. In the number thirty-six we can recognize the government of God. Thirty-six is three times twelve. Three is the number of the triune God and twelve is the number of government. We can apply this to the abuses in the church in Corinth of which Paul, in view of the reign of God, says: “For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep” ( ). Nor are they necessarily the most to blame. It is about learning from our failure, a failure that sometimes kills others. Now the hearts of the people of God and not of the enemies melt (cf. ). Fear melts the heart if we do not go our way with the Lord.

‏ Joshua 7:5-8

The Defeat at Ai

Joshua gives a command without consulting the LORD. He also sends men out from Jericho and not from Gilgal. Is this already an indication of the cause of sin? The sinful flesh comes to light, also in Joshua. Here we read what happens to the people when they are not led by the LORD. The lesson for us is that we often pretend not to need prayer when, in our eyes, there are small problems. But then we forget that behind small problems hide enormous powers. The humiliation does not fail.

Ai means ‘mess’. It is at Beth-aven that means ‘house of evil’. After the spying out of Ai a conclusion of the human mind follows. Did they not learn from Jericho that everything depends on God? Has the enemy now become so weak that they can handle it themselves and need little effort to do so? No one is killed in Jericho, but in this small city a great defeat is suffered. They lose the battle against Ai which also costs the lives of about thirty-six of their men.

In the number thirty-six we can recognize the government of God. Thirty-six is three times twelve. Three is the number of the triune God and twelve is the number of government. We can apply this to the abuses in the church in Corinth of which Paul, in view of the reign of God, says: “For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep” (1Cor 11:30). Nor are they necessarily the most to blame. It is about learning from our failure, a failure that sometimes kills others.

Now the hearts of the people of God and not of the enemies melt (cf. Jos 2:9 ; 11 ; Jos 5:1). Fear melts the heart if we do not go our way with the Lord.

Joshua Calls to the LORD

In the conquest of Jericho the ark took the central place. When attacking Ai we hear nothing of the ark. After the defeat Joshua seeks the ark to humiliate himself before the LORD. He lies before the LORD in humility and prays till the evening, if the LORD will make it clear what is going on.

Yet his prayer also shows some reproach, as if God is responsible for the defeat. This does not come from faith. As if God does not have the best for His people, but wants to kill them. In the same way, we can also react to difficulties that affect us, which is due to going our own way.

Joshua also speaks of the name of Israel as an important name, although he also points to the “great name” of God (Jos 7:9). What happens by our name is our own fault, but it is only truly embarrassing when the Name of God is also insulted by our behavior. The enemies may think that God is not strong enough to help His people.