9/28/2009 09:40 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
Bible Reading &
Meditation Focus: Ai’s army and people destroyed
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Joshua 8:21-29
Message of the verses: “21
When Joshua and all Israel
saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the smoke of the city
ascended, they turned back and slew the men of Ai. 22 The others came out from the city to
encounter them, so that they were trapped in the midst of Israel, some on
this side and some on that side; and they slew them until no one was left of
those who survived or escaped.
23 ¶ But they took alive the king of Ai and
brought him to Joshua. 24 Now when Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants
of Ai in the field in the wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them
were fallen by the edge of the sword until they were destroyed, then all Israel returned
to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. 25 All who fell that day, both men and women,
were 12,000—all the people of Ai. 26 For Joshua did not withdraw
his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed
all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 Israel took
only the cattle and the spoil of that city as plunder for themselves, according
to the word of the LORD which He had commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap
forever, a desolation until this day. 29
He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at sunset Joshua
gave command and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the
entrance of the city gate, and raised over it a great heap of stones that
stands to this day.”
This
section tells of a bloody battle in which all of the evil citizens of Ai were
killed, in all 12,000 people died that day and the city was burned down. As one looks at this one may think that all
of this may not have been necessary, and then they would be going against the
will of God, for God was the One who communicated it to Joshua.
I have
highlighted verse twenty-six because this verse shows that Joshua held his sword
or javelin up until the battle was over, similar to what Moses did in an
earlier battle which Joshua was the leader.
“Keep in
mind that this was not the ‘slaughter of innocent people’ but the judgment of
God on and evil society that had long resisted His grace and truth.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: As I struggle with the attribute of God, His
goodness which I am studying this week, and think of what God had Joshua do
here it is hard for me to combine the two, and maybe I am not suppose to. God’s goodness is something that He is
regardless of what happens here on earth for God is good, and yet God is also
just and He must judge sin because of being just. God did give these people common grace all of
their life, things like food and water and a place to live, and yet they did
not see that these common graces came from the hand of the Lord and look
further to the Lord for His gracious salvation and so He judged them. God had spoken to Abraham some 430 years
earlier that the iniquity of these people had not yet come to fruition and when
it did He would destroy them and it happened as He said it would.
My Steps of Faith for
Today:
- I want to take care of some of the loose ends that are left over from our life group last night.
- I want to compose a prayer list so that I can use it to pray better.
- I give myself to the Lord for worship and service and put on the spiritual armor as I am involved in a battle today like ever other day.
Memory verse for the week: Philippians
4:8
8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is
honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,
dwell on these things.
9/28/2009 10:23 AM
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