Joshua 8:9-17

⁹ Then Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai—but Joshua spent that night with the people.
¹⁰ Early the next morning Joshua mustered his army, and he and the leaders of Israel marched before them to Ai. ¹¹ The entire force that was with him marched up and approached the city and arrived in front of it. They set up camp north of Ai, with the valley between them and the city. ¹² Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. ¹³ So the soldiers took up their positions—with the main camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley.
¹⁴ When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city. ¹⁵ Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness. ¹⁶ All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city. ¹⁷ Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.

Introduction

Among humans, certainty of success involving human strategy is not guaranteed. Most strategists have alternatives (plan B or plan C) if their plan A does not materialize. Guaranteed success belongs to God alone because God knows the result even before a strategy is implemented. How could God do it?
God is eternal. He transcends the limitation of human imagination. Whatever we imagine or dream of, the Lord knows it all. The Lord has planned exactly as He desired. He doesn’t guess about the outcome. He knows exactly the result of His strategy.
After the Lord told Joshua not to be afraid of the people of Ai, He also told him that He has delivered the king, people and city of Ai to into his hand. The Lord told Joshua that they would be victorious over Ai just as they were victorious over Jericho.
Joshua carefully instructed in v.8, When you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do what the Lord has commanded. See to it; you have my orders.

When God revealed the strategy He wanted Joshua to implement against Ai, Joshua gave orders to the Israelites according to the command of the Lord. The Israelites did not give any suggestion how to proceed. They obeyed without complain.

1. No Complaint

‎ ⁹ Then Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in ‎wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai—but Joshua spent that night with the ‎people.‎
‎¹⁰ Early the next morning Joshua mustered his army, and he and the leaders of ‎Israel marched before them to Ai. ¹¹ The entire force that was with him marched up ‎and approached the city and arrived in front of it. They set up camp north of Ai, with ‎the valley between them and the city. ¹² Joshua had taken about five thousand men ‎and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. ¹³ So the ‎soldiers took up their positions—with the main camp to the north of the city and the ‎ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley.‎

The Bible did not mention a verbatim or word for word instruction from the Lord to Joshua. How did Joshua know the number of soldiers who would set an ambush or those who would approach the city? How did he know that they should set an ambush between Bethel and Ai? Why camp to the north of the city not to the south or east of the city?
The Israelite soldiers could easily have asked those questions but they did not. They did not complain. They did not ask for any confirmation if what Joshua told them came from the Lord. They just obeyed. Did God move them to respect their leader Joshua?
At first, the people decided on how to attack the people of Ai. They were defeated. Was it because Achan disobeyed God’s covenant that they trusted in their decision?
They practiced their right to speak out but they ignored their duty to heed their leader.
We have the right to voice out but we are duty bound to obey our leaders. Do you agree that God has established church leaders? Do you agree that God allows their decision? They may consider our suggestions or may not and it’s God’s will to respect their decision.
To trust our leaders is a practice of faith that God has chosen our church leaders? If God established church leaders, it follows that they are accountable to Christ, the head of the church? How should believers respond to church leaders or authorities?

It says in Romans 13:1-5, ¹ Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ² Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. ⁴ For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

Those are the reasons we should prayerfully elect our leaders and not randomly. When we elect our church leaders, do you believe that it was God who established them? How do we know that the leaders we elected are the will of God for the church? As a congregational church, whatever the church elects, we must trust that it’s God’s will.

Buying a Pair of Shoes

How do you normally choose when you buy a pair of shoes? Do you listen to advice or other’s comments? Do you try it first? What is your deciding factor when you buy? If for example you have enough money, all you have to do is to choose.
Whatever factor, size, color, style, brand, price, or others’ comment, you still have to decide which is which. If something wrong happens when you wear your shoes, you may blame the size, color, style, brand, price, or others but it was your decision, right?
There are possible means to improve how you would enjoy the pair of shoes you bought. But if after you’ve bought the pair of shoes you choose, you would decide not to use what you bought, how do you know that what you bought is really good or bad fit?

Similarly, since we believe that the church is the body of Christ, whoever the church elect has been chosen by the body of Christ, Christ Himself allowed His body to elect whoever He wanted to be leaders. Should the body reject what the body has chosen? To reject the decisions of the leaders that God has established is to reject what we elect.
If you decided to buy yourself a pair of shoes and your feet would kick them off each time your hands put them on, don’t you think there’s problem with your feet or your mind? If the church elected church leaders, and leaders give instruction and some of the members would keep on defying the leaders’ instruction, who do you think has problem the head of the church who established leaders or the members who reject the leaders?
When the Lord gave Joshua the strategy on how to defeat Ai, Joshua ordered the Israelites according to his interpretation of God’s instruction. The Israelites did not challenge how Joshua received instruction from the Lord. They did not complain. They did not give their own interpretation. They did not hesitate to obey Joshua’s instruction.
It is a practical practice of faith to heed instruction from God chosen leaders.

2. No Hesitation

‎ ¹⁴ When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early ‎in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But ‎he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city. ¹⁵ Joshua ‎and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the ‎wilderness. ¹⁶ All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua ‎and were lured away from the city. ¹⁷ Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not ‎go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.‎

Joshua implemented the strategy he received from God. The Israelites obeyed according to Joshua’s instruction. Nobody protested when Joshua chose those who were to set an ambush. Nobody opposed when Joshua told them where to camp. Nobody objected when he told them to runaway from those who pursue them.
The Israelites trusted that Joshua’s instructions originated from God. They did not know if the strategy they were doing will be successful. It was their first time to implement such strategy. But everything went smoothly just as Joshua has expected.

Flashback on what Joshua said in v.6&7, ⁶ They will pursue us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are running away from us as they did before.’ So when we flee from them, ⁷ you are to rise up from ambush and take the city. The Lord your God will give it into your hand.

How did Joshua and the Israelites succeed when they use a new strategy that has not been proven before? How could the Israelites trust and obey the instructions of Joshua when they have not heard such or implemented such strategy before?
It takes a lot of faith to implement new strategies that have not been proven before.

Campaign Period

Before election, candidates present their platforms, objectives and policies. They try to persuade and outperform other candidates. Electorates are given different choices and elect what they believe to be the best candidate for them.
Church life is like campaign period if there are differing voices inside the church. Different choices lead to different direction. The Israelites became successful even with a new but single strategy. Nobody complained, opposed, or hesitated to obey. Faith makes it possible. Did they trust that the Lord gave their leader Joshua the right strategy?

Church leaders are established by God. To acknowledge and pay attention to our leaders is far better than sweet phrases like, “I love my leader or I respect my leader.”
Love and respect are action words. Did God command “Tell your leader that you love him?” Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commands.”
Is it God’s commands for us to be subject to governing authorities?
It is Christ’s Spirit at work in our life if we have no complaint and no hesitancy to respect the decision of church leaders that God has instituted. Have received God’s Spirit?
It says in Ezekiel 36:27, ²⁷And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to ‎follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.‎

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