Sunday October 8, 2017 Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas e-mail:
Message # 9 “The Book of Joshua” Text: Joshua 8:1-29
Success out of Failure (Victory at Ai)
INTRODUCTION: In Romans 8:28 we read
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
God can take the results of our human weakness and if we let Him, He can make them work together for good. Frequently I've seen this happen in my own life. Some of the greatest lessons I have learned resulted from my own MISTAKES and FAILURES.
The tragedy of Joshua chapter 7 has left Joshua fearful and Israel in despair and discouraged. How quickly things turn around. After the miraculous crossing of the Jordan and victory over Jericho, suddenly Joshua is faced with defeat and failure. His triumphant FAITH has turned to immobilizing FEAR.
However, God has not forsaken Joshua or His people, just as God has not forsaken us when we fail. We now come to Joshua 8 where God again reassures Joshua of His promises, and then gives him instruction on how he is to win the victory over Ai
FIRST: God reassures Joshua. In Joshua 8:1-2 we read,
“And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: (2) And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.”
Notice again verse 1 which contains God's words of encouragement to Joshua. "Fear not, neither be thou dismayed…"
These were the same words spoken by Moses to the people of Israel at Kadesh-Barnea in Deuteronomy 1:21, “ Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.”
These were the same words Moses used to encourage Joshua 40 years later as he was turning the reigns of leadership over to him in Deuteronomy 31:8, “And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.”
These were the same words used by God to assure Joshua in Joshua 1:9, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
Now to make His point even more reassuring, God told Joshua that Israel would be able to capture Ai just as they had captured Jericho. The strategy would be DIFFERENT, but the results would be the same, victory for Israel.
The Lord said nothing about marching around Ai seven times as they did around Jericho.
He said nothing about sending spies or sparing Rahab when the city fell.
Jericho was attacked by day, but the campaign against Ai was to begin at night.
God is not limited to any one method of working. There is nothing stereotyped about his operations. Folks, the Word of God does not change, but God does use different methods of getting the Gospel out.
The fall of Jericho was a miracle, but Joshua was to use strategy in the capture of Ai.
The conquest of Ai would be considerably more involved than Jericho, for according to verse 2 God instructed Joshua to lay an ambush in the attack against Ai.
There is a lesson to be learned here:
"THE RECOVERY OF LOST GROUND IN OUR CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE IS SOMETIMES MORE DIFFICULT."
Someone has said this, "Thirty minutes of willful disobedience in the life of a child of God has often resulted in 30 years of being out of God's blessing."
Had Joshua sought the Lord first in the taking of Ai in Chapter 7, God would have pointed out to him the known sin in the camp and the method of attack in the taking of Ai. Learn this lesson "Seek the Lord first."
There is yet another difference from the capture of Jericho and the battle of Ai.
When they took the city of Jericho everything was to be destroyed and the precious things were to be given unto God.
But at Ai notice in verse 2 what the Lord said, "only the spoils of it and the cattle thereof shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves" The spoils in Jericho belonged unto God, but the spoils in Ai were for Israel.
Think about this. How ironic! Had Achan waited for one more city he could have had all he wanted and all he needed, but he did not. He took from Jericho what belonged to God. He sinned and died as a result.
Oh, how often do we move ahead of God? How often do we take matters in our own hands, violate God's laws and then bring judgment upon ourselves and upon our families?
SECOND: God gives Joshua some instructions. Not only does God reassure Joshua but He also gives him the battle plans for taking the city of Ai. Follow as I read verses 3-8,
“So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night. (4) And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready (5) And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them, (6) (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them. (7) Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. (8) And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.”
Joshua, reassured by the Lord's promises, carried out the instructions given him for in verses 9-20 we read,
“Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people. (10) And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. (11) And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai. (12) And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. (13) And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley. (14) And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city. (15) And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. (16) And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. (17) And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel. (18) And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city. (19) And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire. (20) And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.”
Did you notice? The strategy is different but the results are the same - VICTORY FOR ISRAEL! Remember, God's ways are not man's ways. Our responsibility is to be sensitive to His DIRECTION.
Now I want to take the rest of our time in this message to share with you from Joshua 8 TWO very practical truths in our everyday Christian experience.
NUMBER 1: God will never forsake His children no matter how much you or I forsake or fail Him. Even though Israel had violated God's instructions at Jericho, and God had to discipline them for that sin, you discover God had not FORSAKEN them.
God said to Joshua, "Fear not, neither be thou dismayed…" I am still going to give you this land. I am still going to see you have success and victory.
Out of the midst of tragedy and of the midst of sin
Out of the midst of failure and the midst of a mistake
Out of the midst of taking things into your own hands
God will not forsake us. The Apostle Paul, empathized this truth in Romans 8:31, 35-39, where we read these comforting verses,
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
There will be times in your life where you will feel HEARTBREAK because of FAILURE. There are going to come times when you will get out of the will of God in some area. But Praise God, He has not FORSAKEN you nor ABANDONED you.
To the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 13:5-6 the Lord gives to us these encouraging words, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear."
NUMBER 2: God can take your failures and turn them into positive results for the Glory of God. God can turn BLUNDERS into BLESSINGS.
In Psalm 12:1 we read, “Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.” Did you notice the phrase "For the faithful fail ..."
In Proverbs 24:16 we read “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” Did you notice the first part of this verse, "For the just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again ..."
There is not a person listening to this message that has not tasted one time or another some sincere failure. There was a time in your life when you thought you were DOING RIGHT, you TRIED and yet you blew it.
All of us have tasted that bitter feeling of making an honest effort, and yet we failed. Joshua thought he was doing right at Ai but He failed.
There are some folks here today who have felt failure. They did not choose to fail. They did what they thought was best and yet they failed. There are among us those who have experienced:
Financial, Social and Educational failures as well as Personal, Family, and Spiritual failures. However, I fear most of us have to confess it is in Godly living where we fail much too often.
We know what the Word of God teaches.
We know what God wants, yet we sin, fail and backslide.
And often in tears we look up to God and confess those sins and failures.
Israel succeeded at Jericho, yet at Ai they failed. Now they have succeeded the second time where they first failed.
From Joshua chapter 8, let me give you 4 Principles on succeeding where you have failed.
PRINCIPLE 1: Failure is not final. Failure is not the end. Israel failed at Ai because of Sin.
Sin was discovered.
Sin was confessed, and
Sin was punished.
Now they have succeeded where they have failed. Listen! Each failure ought to teach us a spiritual lesson. We need to do as Joshua did in chapter 7:6-9, cast ourselves before God,
“And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. (7) And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! (8) O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! (9) For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?”
Yes, you failed! BUT, BY ALL MEANS GET UP AND TRY AGAIN. In Proverbs 24:16 we read, "For the just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again ..." Failure is not FINAL.
PRINCIPLE 2: Failure is not a disgrace unless you make it the last chapter. Joshua could have said, “We failed at Ai, there is no use going on any farther.” However, Ai was NOT the LAST CHAPTER. God's plan was for them to take the WHOLE LAND. God had not brought them this far to make them a failure at the third obstacle.