Joshua 8:10

Joshua 8:10 says,  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.  Joshua rose up early, counted the people of Israel and went with the elders up before the people of Ai.  This doesn't really sound like the way to prepare for war, and I am not sure why Joshua counted the people, other than that must have been something God led him to do.  Verse eleven states, 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.  Not only the people of war, or army we would say, went near Ai, but all the people went together and camped on the north side of Ai.  We may not all feel like we are people of war in the battle with evil, but we are all a part of God's army, whether we are actively engaged in what feels like a battle or not.  Even if we are not in a great battle, we need to support those who are to the best of our ability.  Verse twelve says, 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.  Joshua set five thousand men up on the west side of Ai to ambush those who came after the people of Israel.  This was not just Joshua's plan, but God's plan.  Though I don't know that we are to ambush those who oppose God today, I do know that He has a plan that will lead to their defeat.  We simply have to follow His leadership.  Verse thirteen declares,  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.  That night, when everything was in place, Joshua went into the valley between Ai and the people of Israel.  It seems that Joshua went alone into the valley.  He was the leader of the people, but he wasn't hiding safely behind them.  Sometimes, we may need to place ourselves in a place of danger in order to do the will of God.  Verse fourteen proclaims, 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.  When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he went with all his people to battle them, but the did not recognize the ambush that had been set up.  Satan will send all his army against us today, especially if he thinks that we are close to defeat, but he will always be ambushed by the cross of Calvary.  The victory is already ours, as long as we remain faithful to God.  Verse fifteen states, And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.  The people of Israel and Joshua all acted like they were defeated and fled by way of the wilderness.  Verse sixteen adds, 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.   All the people of Ai left the city to pursue the people of Israel.  They seemingly had an easy victory in sight once again.  The people of the world may at times see us, as followers of Christ, as people who are easily defeated, but if we are following God's plan, they will always be in for a surprise.  We cannot be defeated spiritually as long as we follow God's leadership.  Verse seventeen continues, 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.  The people of Ai were so confident of victory that they left the city totally unguarded.  After all, they had defeated the people of Israel once before with no real problem.  There was a difference this time though.  The people of Israel were following God's direction and relying on His power.  We may have been defeated before by the world when we have failed to live by God's guidance and under His power, but if we return to Him, we do not have to continue to suffer defeat.  Verse eighteen declares, 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.  God told Joshua to stretch out his spear toward Ai and that God would give him the victory.  The victory was not to be because of Joshua stretching out the spear, but because he was following the command of God.  We are not going to be spiritually victorious today because of our own power, but because we are following God's guidance.  Verse nineteen adds, 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.  Those who had waited in ambush went into the city and set it on fire.  This was the place of security for the people of Ai, and now it was burning, and the people of God were on both sides of them.  Verse twenty continues, 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.  Like the people of Ai that day, when the people of the world who reject God look back for some place of safety they are going to find none.  There is no place of refuge outside the safety that we receive by following Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty-one declares, And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.  When the people of Israel saw that the city of Ai was on fire, they turned and killed the enemy.  These were the same people who had fled earlier when they went to take Ai by their own power.  We do not gain any super human strength when we begin to follow God, but we do gain a spiritual strength that cannot be defeated as long as we are faithful to God.  Verse twenty-two adds, And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.  All the people of Ai were killed, except the king.  God's victory over sin and death will always be a complete victory.  Verse twenty-three concludes, And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.  The king had just lost everything, and just like him, one day those who do not accept Christ as their Savior and Lord will stend before God having lost everything.