Stretch Out the Spear - Joshua 8:18

In the book of Joshua, we learned how Joshua led the people of Israel into battle against the city of Ai again, “and Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel”, and in chapter eight and verse eighteen of the book of Joshua, we learn how, “the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai” where we read, 

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai; 

for I will give it into your hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.

The verse reads, “And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai;” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and the LORD” which means “and Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God” “said unto Joshua” or “uttered, declared and proclaimed to Joshua whose name means Jehovah is salvation”, “stretch out the spear” which means “thrust forward and extend the javelin, dart, lance or sharpened weapon” “that is in your hand” or “that exists within your, Joshua’s, hand of power, might and authority” “toward Ai” which means “in the direction of Ai whose name means heap of ruins”. Joshua or the writer shared how Jehovah God instructed “Joshua” to extend the sharpened weapon which was in his “hand” of might in the direction of “Ai”.

 

The verse continues, “for I will give it into your hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “for I will give it into your hand” which means “because, since and on account that I, Jehovah God, shall grant, bestow and assign it, the city of Ai, in your, Joshua and the people of Israel’s, power, might and authority”. “And Joshua” whose name means “Jehovah is salvation” “stretched out the spear” which means “thrust forward and extended the javelin, dart, lance or sharpened weapon” “that he had in his hand” or “that existed within his, Joshua’s, hand of power, might and authority” “toward the city” which means “in the direction of the dwelling place or town of Ai”. Joshua or the writer shared how Jehovah God told “Joshua” that He gave the “city of Ai” over to their power and authority, and “Joshua” extended the sharpened weapon in his hand toward “Ai”. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we see how Jehovah God gave “Joshua” another directive concerning the conquest of “Ai”. He was to hold the sharpened weapon or “sword” which was in his “hand” in the direction of the city, and Joshua did as he was instructed. Like Moses who held up his staff over the Red Sea and the armies of the Amalekites (Exodus 14:16-26; 17:11-13), “Joshua” was to raise his “spear” toward the city of “Ai”. God was working in natural and super-natural ways at the same time, and He does the same in our lives. He knew we needed a supernatural work to remove the sin within us that separates us from a personal relationship with Him, and He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and to be raised from the dead after three days. When we surrender our lives to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us so we will know when to appeal to His miraculous nature and when to take natural actions to fulfill His desire for our lives. 

Next time we learn how, “the ambush arose quickly out of their place”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

Not A Man Left in Ai or Bethel - Joshua 8:17

In the book of Joshua, we learned how Joshua led the people of Israel into battle against the city of Ai again, “and Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city”, and in chapter eight and verse seventeen of the book of Joshua, we learn how, “there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel” where we read, 

And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: 

and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

The verse reads, “And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel:” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and there was not a man left” which means “and there did not exist a single person whether male or female” “in Ai” or “within Ai whose name means heap of ruins” “or Bethel” which means “or Bethel whose name means house of God”, “that went not out” or “who did not leave, depart and go forth” “after Israel” which means “pursuing and following Israel whose name means God prevails and is the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob”. Joshua or the writer shared how not one person remained within “Ai or Bethel” who did not pursue “Israel”. 

 

The verse goes on to say, “and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “and they left the city open” which means “and they, the people of Ai, caused the dwelling place or town to be neglected, departed from and let loose and free”, “and pursued after Israel” or “and followed, attended closely upon and ran after Israel whose name means God prevails and is the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob”. Joshua or the writer shared how the people of “Ai and Bethel” let loose and free the dwelling place of “Ai” to run after “Israel”. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we continue to see how God’s plan to give “Ai” to the people of “Israel” was working just as previously described. The people in “Ai and Bethel” were so confident within themselves that they could defeat “Israel” that they left their cities behind just to pursue them. This was just what “Israel” desired, and soon, the city of “Ai” would fall. God is omniscient, and there is nothing that He does not know. He knows we are in need of a “Savior” because we have sin in our lives, and those sins lead to death. (See Romans 3:23; 6:23) When we yield to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and provide His Holy Spirit to us to guide us into all truth and to help us to follow His ways rather than pursuits that will lead to our demise. (See John 16:13; Acts 1:8)

Next time we learn how, “the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

 

Ai Pursuing After Israel - Joshua 8:16

In the book of Joshua, we learned how the people of Israel went to battle against the city of Ai for the second time, and “when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city. And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness”, and in chapter eight and verse sixteen of the book of Joshua, we learn how, “all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them” where we read, 

And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: 

and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

The verse reads, “And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them:” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and all the people” which means “and each, every, the whole and everyone of the human beings” “that were in Ai” or “who were within the city of Ai whose name means heap of ruins” “were called together” which means “were summoned and assembled” “to pursue after them” or “to follow and run after them, Joshua and the warriors of Israel who accompanied him”. Joshua or the writer shared how every one of the people within the “city of Ai” were summoned and assembled for the purpose of following after “Joshua” and the men of Israel who accompanied him. 

 

The verse continues, “and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “and they pursued after Joshua” which means “and they, the people of Ai, followed and ran after Joshua whose name means Jehovah is salvation”, “and were drawn away” or “and were torn, separated and broken away” “from the city” which means “separate and apart from the dwelling place or town of Ai”. Joshua or the writer said the people of “Ai” ran after “Joshua” which caused them to be separated from their “city”. 

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we discover how every facet of God’s plan was being fulfilled for the taking of the “city of Ai”. Joshua and his men retreated as though they were defeated, and the “king of Ai” summoned everyone in the “city” to run after them. As they “pursued” Joshua, they became separated from their “city” just the way God through Joshua planned, and soon their demise was at hand. God works step by step according to His Divine purpose and will, and because He knew we have sin in our lives that separates us from a personal relationship wth Him, He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and to be resurrected from the grave after three days. When we yield to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, not only will He forgive our sins and grant us everlasting life, but He will also give us His Holy Spirit who will guide us step by step into all truth so that we too are victorious as we obey Him and rely upon His plan for our lives. (Romans 3:23, 6:23; Acts 1:8 and Romans 8:37)

Next time we learn how, “there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

Made as Beaten - Joshua 8:15

In the book of Joshua, we learned how Joshua, “took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley. And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city”, and in chapter eight and verse fifteen of the book of Joshua, we learn how, “Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them” where we read, 

And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them,

 and fled by the way of the wilderness.

The verse reads, “And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and Joshua” whose name means “Jehovah is salvation” “and all Israel” or “and each, every, the whole and everyone within Israel whose name means God prevails and is the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob” “made as if there were beaten” which means “acted in a manner that was like they were stricken, conquered and defeated” “before them” or “in front and in the presence of them, the king of Ai and his warriors”. Joshua or the writer said “Joshua” and everyone of the warriors alongside of him acted as though they were defeated and conquered in the presence of the royal ruler of “Ai” and his fighting men. 

 

The verse goes on to say, “… and fled by the way of the wilderness.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “and fled” which means “and departed, took flight, escaped and ran away” “by the way of the wilderness” or “through the course and direction pertaining to the uninhabited desert place”. Joshua or the writer said “Joshua” and the warriors with him took flight and ran away in the direction of the uninhabited desert place. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we see how step by step the will of God was being obeyed by “Joshua” and the men of war who accompanied him. After exposing themselves to the “king of Ai”, the royal ruler and his men of battle were dispatched to go to war against Israel. As “Joshua” and his men retreated, the “king of Ai” and his men quickly pursued after them because “Joshua” and his men acted like they were defeated. This caused them to go away from the “city of Ai”, and the trap was set for the warriors of Israel who were lying in wait at the rear of the city would now take charge. God knows what He is doing, and Israel and we are blessed when we follow His ways. God made the plan of salvation for all mankind when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of everyone, and when He raised Him from the dead after three days, if we put our faith and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and make us aware of His victorious purpose and plan for our lives. 

Next time we learn how, “all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

 

When the King of Ai Saw Israel - Joshua 8:14

In the book of Joshua, we learned how Joshua, “took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley”, and in chapter eight and verse fourteen of the book of Joshua, we learn what happened, “when the king of Ai saw it” where we read, 

And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.

The verse reads, “And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and it came to pass” which means “and the following happened and occurred”, “when the king of Ai” or “at the time and moment the royal ruler and leader belonging to Ai whose name means heap of ruins” “saw it” which means “notice, discerned, distinguished and observed it, that Israel rose against them in battle”, “that they hasted” or “that they, the people of Ai hurried and moved quickly” “and rose up early” which means “got up and arose with an advanced start”, “and the men of the city” or “and the male human beings belonging to the dwelling place or town of Ai” “went out against Israel” which means “departed and exited their city in opposition to Israel whose name means God prevails and is the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob” “to battle” or “to fight and war”. Joshua or the writer shared at the time the royal ruler of “Ai” observed that Joshua and his men were ascending toward the city, the male warriors belonging to “Ai” quickly arose and exited to go to war in opposition to “Israel”. 

 

The verse continues, “… he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “he and all his people” which means “he, the king of Ai, and each, every, the whole and every one of his human beings”, “at a time appointed” or “at a fixed and specific signal or time”, “before the plain” whose name means “in the presence and surface of the wilderness, steppe or sterile valley”; “but he did not know” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover he, the king of Ai, was without perception, discernment or understanding” “that there were liers in ambush” which means “that there existed those who were lurking and concealed warriors of Israel” “against him behind the city” or “in opposition to him, the king of Ai, at the hinder and rear side belonging to the dwelling place or town of Ai”. Joshua or the writer shared how the royal ruler of “Ai” along with his male warriors departed to the surface of the valley at a specific time, but the king was unaware that Joshua and the people of Israel had warriors lurking in place at the rear of their city. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we discover how God’s plan to take the “city of Ai” through Joshua and the warriors of Israel was being fulfilled. The royal ruler of “Ai” perceived that “Joshua” and the men of Israel were approaching their city from the valley, and this caused him to dispatch his warriors at a specific time. However, the king and the warriors of “Ai” were unaware that there was an “ambush” set for them at the rear of their city. God orchestrated this battle, and He would win. Joshua and the people of Israel were to carry out His orders, and as they did, God would win the victory for them. God loves Israel, and He loves us as well. He knew we needed a “Savior” because we have sin in our lives, and those sins lead to death. (See Romans 3:23; 6:23) When He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days, He made the way through faith and trust in Him to be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and equipped with His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and help us be victorious in His plan for our lives. 

Next time we learn how, “Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

Joshua to the Midst of the Valley - Joshua 8:13

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai. And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city”, and in chapter eight and verse thirteen of the book of Joshua, we learn how,“Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley” where we read, 

And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, 

and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

The verse reads, “And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and when they had set the people” which means “and at the time and moment they, the people of Israel, had fixed, placed and established the human beings”, “even all the host” or “indeed and also each, every, the whole and everyone of the encampment or army camp” “that was on the north” which means “that existed in the northern direction” “of the city” or “pertaining to the dwelling place or town”. Joshua or the writer shared at the time the people of Israel were established in their places including every one of the army who were encamped on the northern side of the city of “Ai”.

 

The verse goes on to say, “… and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “and their lies in wait” which means “and their, the people of Israel’s, hinder part or rear of the army “on the west of the city” or “in the western direction pertaining to the dwelling place or town”, “Joshua” whose name means “Jehovah is salvation” “went that night” or “left and departed that particular nighttime” “into the midst of the valley” which means “in the middle of the lowland or steep narrow gorge”. Joshua or the writer said the people of Israel who lurked in the western direction of the city of “Ai”, and Joshua departed into the middle steep valley during that nighttime. 

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn how the people of Israel and Joshua were on the move against the city of “Ai”. Some of them were established in the northern direction of “Ai”, and others were in the western direction. Lurking and ambush was part of the plan to defeat “Ai”, and with some troops, including Joshua himself, moving in the darkness of night, they were preparing for battle with the warriors of the city. God was watching over these things, and as Joshua and His people complied with His instructions, they would indeed be victorious. God wants us to walk in victory with Him through His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was resurrected from the dead after three days. When we put our faith and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and help us live according to that truth in a manner that is victorious and pleasing to Him. (See John 16:13; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:37-39)

Next time we learn what happened, “when the king of Ai saw it”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".