YEAR 2, WEEK 23, Day 2, Tuesday, 3 June 2025

\https://esv.literalword.com/?q=joshua+8

Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 3 June 2025:

Joshua 8:1 – “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai.”

After failure comes restoration—when sin is addressed, God’s blessing returns. God encourages Joshua with the same words He used earlier (Joshua 1:9), affirming that though Israel had fallen, they were not forsaken. This is the grace of God: He restores and recommissions those who repent.

• Psalm 30:5 – “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
• Micah 7:8 – “When I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.”

Joshua 8:2 – “You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves.”

The irony is painful—what Achan had stolen in disobedience, God now grants freely in obedience. Achan’s greed led to death, but if he had waited in faith, he would have received a blessing. God’s timing tests our trust.

• Proverbs 10:22 – “The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.”
• Psalm 84:11 – “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Joshua 8:3–8 – Joshua plans an ambush behind the city.

Victory is not automatic; strategy and obedience go hand in hand. Joshua, guided by the Lord, uses wisdom and preparation. Faith is not passive—it calls for planning with God’s guidance.

• Proverbs 21:31 – “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.”
• James 2:17 – “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Joshua 8:9–17 – Joshua and the people execute the ambush plan.

Joshua shows patience, discipline, and obedience to detail. Unlike the previous attempt at Ai, this battle is fought under God’s direction. When we follow God’s lead, even our setbacks prepare the way for success.

• Isaiah 30:21 – “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’”
• Psalm 37:5 – “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”

Joshua 8:18–23 – “Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.’”

This javelin was a visible sign of God’s power and Joshua’s authority. Like Moses lifting his staff, Joshua stretches out his hand in obedience, symbolizing trust in God’s power rather than in military might.

• Exodus 17:11 – “Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed…”
• Zechariah 4:6 – “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

Joshua 8:24–29 – Ai is destroyed and the king hanged.

God’s justice is complete and sobering. The pile of stones over the king of Ai is a permanent reminder of God’s judgment—just as the heap over Achan was a reminder of sin. One heap represents sin inside the camp; the other, judgment upon enemies outside. Both reveal God’s holiness.

• Hebrews 10:31 – “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
• Romans 11:22 – “Note then the kindness and the severity of God…”

Joshua 8:30–31 – Joshua builds an altar to the Lord on Mount Ebal.

After victory, worship. Joshua doesn’t take a victory lap—he leads the people in sacrifice. God’s blessing leads not to boasting but to brokenness and thanksgiving. The proper response to God’s salvation is worship.

• Deuteronomy 27:4–8 – God had commanded this altar be built on Mount Ebal after entering the land. Joshua is walking in obedience.
• Romans 12:1 – “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Joshua 8:32–35 – Joshua writes the law and reads it aloud to all Israel.

The people reaffirm their covenant with God. Every man, woman, and child listens as the blessings and curses of God’s law are read aloud. Joshua ensures the entire community knows the Word and is accountable to it. True success is not just military but spiritual—knowing and obeying God’s Word.

• Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”
• Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 3 June 2025: “Do not fear and do not be dismayed… see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai.” (v. 1) God restores, recommissions, and reaffirms His calling—even after failure. Today, ask: Where have I failed in the past and allowed that failure to keep me from stepping forward in obedience? Confess it. Receive God’s forgiveness. Then arise—God is not done with you. Reflect on what Achan forfeited because he acted in fear and greed rather than faith and patience. Are you waiting on the Lord, or are you grasping at what seems good now but may bring judgment later? Like Joshua, recommit yourself to God’s Word. Build your “altar” today—a quiet space of prayer and renewal. Offer yourself again as a living sacrifice. Pray: “Lord, thank You for second chances. You are just, and You are merciful. Help me walk forward in obedience, not dwelling on past failures, but trusting Your direction. Keep me from grasping what You have not given. May my victories end in worship, and may Your Word dwell richly in me. Amen.”