Bible Talks

 
Joshua 8:28-9:328And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day. 29And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day. 30Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal, 31As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. 33And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them. 1And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof; 2That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. 3And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, (Joshua 8:28‑9:3)
Ai was never built again. It became a perpetual reminder of what a solemn thing it is to oppose the people of God. The most fearful judgments of God will fall upon those nations who have heard the wondrous gospel of the grace of God and rejected, it, for while calling themselves “Christian,” they have opposed God’s messengers who were seeking to spread the glad tidings. Thus the curse, (the dead body of the king of Ai) was over the enemy, but then it was taken down at sunset, for the land now belonged to the people of God. How precious to know that we who believe are no longer under the curse, but “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3).
Joshua then built an altar to the Lord on Mt. Ebal and wrote the law upon stones as the Lord had commanded Moses. We notice, however, that the Lord had said these things were to be done “on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Deut. 27:22And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster: (Deuteronomy 27:2), but they had not done them at once. How often it is so with us. We are so anxious to receive our blessings that we forget the necessity of first turning to God, and giving Him what is due to His holy Name, and of allowing His voice to speak to us. We, like the children of Israel, have to be brought to this point through the experiences of the way, and yet God is faithful and leads us, sometimes using the “bit and bridle” of unpleasant circumstances to that end, when we are not walking near enough to be guided by His eye. (Psalm 32:8, 98I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. 9Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. (Psalm 32:8‑9).) Oh how important it is that we wait on the Lord, and not run before Him to our own sorrow and loss.
We notice here that the children of Israel took possession of the land according to then responsibility under the law, which promised blessing if they were obedient, and cursed them if they were disobedient.
Alas, we know only too well that they earned the curses instead of the blessings, until at last God allowed them to be carried away captive out or the good land He had given them. How good to be able to look on to a future day when they will fully enjoy the land, because of those unconditional promises made to Abraham, and made sure to them through the work of Christ upon the cross.
As soon as the words of the law had been read, however, and the people had been reminded of the willingness of God to bless them in the land, the enemy was stirred up. The people of the land did not want to see Israel possess it. They had tried to meet them in conflict and had been defeated, and so now some of them tried a new plan seeking to deceive Israel by their wiles. This is how Satan always works. If we resist him when he comes as a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:88Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8)), he then seeks to deliver us as “an angel of light,” (2 Corinthians 11:1414And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14)) and too often he is successful. Indeed he is more to be feared as an angel of light than as a roaring lion, for we do not realize that it is his attack and we are off guard, as Israel was in our chapter.
All this ought to have cast the people upon the Lord and made them dependent upon the Lord and made them dependent upon Him for every step, but alas, they were slow to learn their own weakness. We, too, think, sometimes, that we have learned a lesson, but even is often self-confidence. “The flesh profiteth nothing.” John 6:6363It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63). It cannot be trusted for a moment.
ML 04/12/1953