Day 81 - March 22, 2025

Joshua 7-8 Reflection:

Joshua commands a small army of 3,000 to go to Ai and conquer them. He was feeling confident because He knew the Lord would go before them and the walls of Jericho had fallen and the city purged. But there was someone disobedient in the camp from the tribe of Judah that had broken the commandment of the Lord to not take of the devoted things coming from the city for themselves. This is why they failed, because of their rebellion. These things were devoted for destruction but because some of the Israelites had taken those things, God was ensuring their destruction for disobedience. If they do away with these things, they can take a mighty stand and overcome. However they ones that stole what was not theirs had doomed everyone for their transgression so them and everything they owned was stoned and burned. This is a harsh reality to protect the rest of God's people for this corruption of greed would have spread throughout the tribe and led to more unauthorized fires. This was a brutal example but it was a necessary one. After this the Lord stood before them in battle against Ai and through cunning and might the whole city was slain and the king hung on a tree. Once this war was over, Joshua renewed the covenant with God and spoke what was once commanded of Moses once more to the people of Israel as a reminder.