JOSHUA - Chapter 8 - FEAR NOT
JOSHUA – Chapter 8 – FEAR NOT
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
August 2, 2016, the Year of our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
8:1: “The Lord said to Joshua, Fear not, neither be dismayed…”
Jehovah comforts His servant and gives him the assurance of victory over:
- Ai’s king – a type of Satan.
- Ai’s people – a type of those who are in bondage to Satan.
- Ai’s city – a type of the governmental powers of darkness.
- Ai’s land - A type of those cities, areas, nations under Satan’s dominion, which shall be given over to Joshua (Jesus).
Rev. 11:15: “The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world (kosmos) are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
The Kings of Canaan speaks of those principalities and powers of the kosmos which resist our entrance into the heavenlies, and which dull our realization of His finished work.
The King of Ai had corrupt alliances with heathen. We can certainly identify this power and principality with our present national and international corruption. Perversion is also identified with this king.
Jericho is metaphorical of impossible obstacles.
Ai is metaphorical of corrupt alliances.
8:1-2: “The Lord said to Joshua, Fear not, neither be dismayed: take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land. You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king; only the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof, shall you take for a prey to yourselves; lay an ambush for the city behind it.”
God now gives the strategy for supernatural divine aid and intervention. If it is the Lord’s Kingdom work and He sends us to do it; it will be his strategy and not ours. The strategy of Ai differed from Jericho. Joshua was to take all the people of war and set an ambush.
8: 3-9: Joshua and all the people of war arose to go up against Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor, and sent them away by night. He commanded them to lie in wait behind the city, not very far from the city and to be ready. I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. When they come out against us, as it was the first time we attacked, we will flee before them. (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city. They will think we flee before them as we did the first time. They will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city…Then you shall rise up from the ambush, seize upon the city; for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand. It shall be when you have taken the city; you shall set the city on fire; according to the commandment of the Lord. See, I have commanded you. Joshua sent them forth. They lay in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai. Joshua lodged that night among the people.”
The location of the ambush is the exact description of where Abram built his second altar and worshipped the Lord (Gen. 12:8). This is a principle of intercession and sowing in advance of a blessing.
Of the 30,000, 5,000 were to ambush from the west. “BE YE ALL READY.” This still demanded a miracle for this size army to wait for 48 hours so short a distance from the city and not be detected!
There were eight (8) Divine Instructions:
- Unity and co-operation.
- Obedience.
- Commanded.
- Chosen.
- Run.
- Readiness.
- Warriors.
- Sent Forth.
Joshua took another company of 25,000 to draw the army of Ai out of the city. “You shall set the city on Fire.” The 5,000 waited between Ai and Bethel.
8: 10-16: “Joshua rose up early in the morning, numbered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people of Ai. All the people, even the people of war who were with him went up, and came before the city on the north side. There was a valley between them and Ai…He set his company to the north side of Ai and 5,000 to the west. “Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.” The King of Ai sends his army after Joshua. Israel ran as if they had been beaten.
The Lord Jesus is about to raise his spear and signal His other company to burn the city of Ai (corruption and perversion) with Fire! It will happen as soon as He stretches out His HAND”
8:17-18: “There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel. The Lord said to Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai; for I will give it into your hand. Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city. The ambush company arose quickly out of their place. They ran as soon as he stretched out his hand. They entered into the city, took it, and harried to set the city on fire.”
Joshua will bring His other company as soon as the power of the enemy is nil and He sees the smoke of the harlot city’s judgment ascending. So the Kingdoms of Jericho and Ai shall become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Anointed.
Rev. 11:15: “The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
The spear of Joshua has the same power as the rod of Moses. Those who have stretched out their hands against their spiritual enemies must never draw them back. Joshua conquered by yielding, trusting, and obeying. This is the Victory of Faith that overcomes the world.
Our Lord Jesus when he bowed his head on the cross seemed as if death had triumphed over him, but in his resurrection he rallied again and gave the powers of darkness a total defeat. He broke the serpent’s head by suffering him to bruise his heel. A glorious stratagem!
The city was totally destroyed by fire and all the people killed. They let none of the people remain or escape. This time Israel was allowed to keep the animals and not destroy them. (vs. 25) All that fell that day; both men and women were 12,000.
8:23-27: “The king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua… (Vs. 26-27) Joshua did not draw back his hand wherewith he stretched out the spear until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey to themselves, according to the word of the Lord which he commanded Joshua.”
The city is a type of the world system (kosmos) and was smitten with the SWORD. The sword is THE WORD OF GOD.
Heb. 4:12: “The word of God is quick, and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Joshua’s spear is not drawn back until the entire enemy is destroyed. The king of Ai hung on the tree until evening. His carcase was cast at the entering of the gate of Ai, and remembered by a heap of stones. Its only name today is “tell” (the heap). Let us enforce the law upon the king of Ai. He has been judged, found guilty, sentenced, and imprisoned.
Israel now marches 20 miles north to fulfill the command of Deut. 27-28:
“On the day when you shall pass over Jordan to the land which the Lord your God gives, you shall set up great stones, and plaster them with plaster. You shall write upon them all the words of his law, when you pass over… (Vs.5) You shall build an altar of the Lord your God of whole stones; and you shall offer burned offerings thereon to the Lord your God…you shall write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly…. (Vs. 12) These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you come over Jordan, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. These shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali…Chapter 28, If you hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord your God to observe and to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth. All these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you if you shall hearken to the voice of the Lord your God….”
Moses prophesied the exact location, exact time, and the exact protocol of worship. Joshua took 3,000,000 people with the women and children twenty miles north to the exact location prophesied by Moses.
Joshua 8:30-34: “Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal. As 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 has lift up any iron. They offered burned offering to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. He wrote there upon the stones a copy of the Law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. All Israel, elders, officers and judges stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well the strangers, and he that was born among them; half of them opposite mount Gerizim, and half of them opposite mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.”
The death of the King Ai was the trigger for the worship of the King of Kings and the fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy. In pronouncing these blessings and curses, six tribes went toward Gerizim and the other six toward Ebal. All the people turned their faces toward Ebal, and as the priests and Levites pronounced the curses they said, “Amen.” Then they all turned their faces toward Gerizim and as the blessings were pronounced they said “Amen” again. Some stand to curse and some stand to bless. The 12 curses mentioned in Duet. 27: 14-26 speak of the sure Government of God’s Word and Covenant.
After this the stones were brought; the altar was built; and the curses and blessings were written on the stones. These stones were to be set up on Mount Ebal as a memorial and the curses of the Law pronounced. On Gerizim there were no stones engraved with the Law, nor curses pronounced, only blessings.
Ebal means “stripped of all covering, bare, naked, barren, and stone.” This represents the law of sin and death, legalism written on tables of stone in lifeless creeds of men. This is the law of the Old Covenant.
Gerizim means “shorn places, barren deserts, rocky places, cut up” redeemed from the curse of the law, the New Testament, the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus; written on the tables of our hearts.
This Altar of Stones is a type of the Body of Christ constructed of Living stones.
(It is interesting to note that the Ark of Covenant is not mentioned again until Judges 20:27).
8:35: “There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua did not read before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers who walked among them.”
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K.J.V. – I entered into the labors of Principles of Present Truth by: Kelly Varner. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of Rev. Varner (1949-2009).