And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. | ||
| Joshua 7:2-4 | ||
| Instruction for crossing the Jordan had been given to Joshua by Divine revelation (Joshua 3). Instruction for dealing with the flesh once they were in the Promised Land had been given to Joshua by Divine revelation (Joshua 5). Instruction for taking Jericho had been given to Joshua by Divine revelation (Joshua 6). In other words, all along the way, Joshua had been seeking the Lord. But when he thought he could handle Ai by himself, the Spirit was quenched. Paul put it this way when he asked the Galatians, “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). And the same can be true of us. Although we were once open to the mystery and intimacy of God’s Word specifically and personally given to us, a “Joshua chapter 7” mentality can creep in which causes us to say, “I can handle this little problem with my own energy, insight, and ability. After all, it’s just Ai.” But whenever we try to do battle in our own strength, whenever we fail to wait upon the Lord and to listen for the Holy Spirit, the same thing that happened to the Israelites will happen to us. We’ll flee before that which we thought we could easily conquer. Pastor Jon Courson | ||
