Unsuccessful Attack upon Ai - Achan's Sin, and Judgement - Ai attacked a second time and taken.

(JOSHUA 7-8:29)

THE conquest of Jericho without fight on the part of Israel had given them full pledge of future success.

But, on the other hand, also, might it become a source of greatest danger, if the gracious promises of God

were regarded as national rights, and the presence of Jehovah as secured, irrespective of the bearing of

Israel towards Him. It was therefore of the utmost importance, that from the first it should appear that victory

over the enemy was Israel's only so long as the people were faithful to the covenant of their God.

In their progress towards the interior of the land, the fortress next to be taken was Ai. Broken up as the

country seems to have been into small territories, each under an independent chieftain or "king," who

reigned in his fortified city and held sway over the district around,79 a series of sieges rather than of pitched

battles was to be expected. Ai, situated on a conical hill about ten miles to the west of Jericho, was a

comparatively smaller city, numbering only 12,000 inhabitants (Joshua 8:25). Yet its position was

exceedingly important. Southwards it opened the road to Jerusalem, which is only a few hours distant;

northwards it commanded access to the heart of the country, so that, as we find in the sequel, a victorious

army could march thence unopposed into the fertile district of Samaria.

Moreover, the fate of Ai virtually decided also that of Bethel. The latter city, ruled by another independent

"king," 80 lay to the west of Ai, being separated from it by a high intervening hill. This hill, about midway

between Bethel and Ai, possessed special interest. It was the site of Abram's altar, when he first entered the

land (Genesis 12:8). Here also had the patriarch stood with Lot, overlooking in the near distance the rich

luxuriance of the Jordan valley, when Lot made his fatal choice of residence (Genesis 13:4, 10). Standing on

this hill, a valley is seen to stretch westward to Bethel, while eastward, around Ai, "the wadys which at first

break down steeply... descend gradually for about three quarters of a mile, before taking their final plunge to

the Jordan valley. The gently sloping ground is well studded with olive trees."  81 This rapid sketch of the

locality will help us to realize the events about to be recorded.

The advance now to be made by Israel was so important, that Joshua deemed it a proper precaution to send

"men to view Ai." Their report satisfied him that only an army -corps of about 3000 men was requisite to take

that city. But the expedition proved far from successful. The men of Ai issued from the city, and routed

Israel, killing thirty-six men, pursuing the fugitives as far as "Shebarim" ("mines," or perhaps "quarries"

where stones are broken), and smiting them "in the going down," that is, to about a mile's distance, where

the wadys, descending from Ai, take "their final plunge" eastwards. Viewed in any light, the event was

terribly ominous. It had been Israel's first fight west of the Jordan - and their first defeat. The immediate

danger likely to accrue was a combination of all their enemies round about, and the utter destruction of a

host which had become dispirited. But there was even a more serious aspect than this. Had God's pledged

promises now failed? or, if this could not even for a moment be entertained, had the Lord given up His

gracious purpose, His covenant with Israel, and the manifestation of His "Name" among all nations,

connected therewith? 82

Feelings like these found expression in Joshua's appeal to God, when, with rent clothes and ashes upon

their heads, he and the elders of Israel lay the livelong day, in humiliation and prayer, before the Lord, while

in the camp "the hearts of the people" had "melted and became as water." We require to keep in view this

contrast between the impotent terror of the people and the praying attitude of their leaders, to realize the

circumstances of the case; the perplexity, the anxiety, and the difficulties of Joshua, before we judge of the

language which he used. It fell indeed far short of the calm confidence of a Moses; yet, in its inquiry into the

reason of God's dealings, which were acknowledged, faith, so to speak, wrestled with doubt (Joshua 7:7),