In the book of Joshua, we learned, “when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai. And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape. And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua”, and in chapter eight and verse twenty-four of the book of Joshua, we learn what happened, “when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai” where we read,
And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
The verse reads, “And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and it came to pass” which means “and it happened and occurred”, “when Israel” or “at the time and moment Israel whose name means God prevails and is the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob” “had made an end of slaying” which means “concluded and finished killing, destroying and ruining” “all the inhabitants of Ai” or “each, every, the whole and every one of the people who remained, stayed and lived within Ai whose name means heap of ruins” “in the field” which means “within the cultivated land, plain or flat countryside”. Joshua or the writer began to share what happened at the time and moment the people of Israel killed and destroyed the dwellers in “Ai” within the open plain.
The verse goes on to say, “… in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword,” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “in the wilderness” which means “within the desert place” “wherein they chased them” or “in which they, the people of Ai, followed after and pursued Israel”, “and when they were all fallen” which means “and at the time and moment they, the people of Ai, were each, every, the whole and everyone cast down, prostrated and overthrown” “on the edge of the sword” or “upon the extremity or edge belonging to the sharpened weapon”. Joshua or the writer referred to how the people of Israel killed each of the inhabitants of “Ai” within the wilderness where they came after them, and this is the place that the “inhabitants” of “Ai” pursued after Israel.
Finally the verse says, “… until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.” Joshua or the writer concluded this verse with the words, “until they were consumed” which means “till such time that they, the inhabitants of Ai, were completely finished, wholly destroyed and entirely ruined”, “that all the Israelites” or “that each, every, the whole and every one of the people of Israel whose name means Jehovah is salvation” “returned unto Ai” which means “came back and reentered Ai whose name means heap of ruins”, “and smote it” or “and hit, beat, struck and smote” “with the edge of the sword” which means “by the use of the extremity or end belonging to the sharpened weapon”. Joshua or the writer ended this verse by sharing how “Israel” completely destroyed the warriors of “Ai” and smote their dwelling place with the sharpened “edge” of the “sword”.
When we consider the words in this verse, we learn how the warriors of Israel destroyed all the fighting people of “Ai”, returned to their city and destroyed it with their sharpened weapons. God had delivered “Ai” over to the people of Israel, and now they possessed their city. God told the people of “Israel” they would possess the promise land, and “Ai” was the second city along the way. God loves the people of “Israel”, and He loves us as well. 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, 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 possess all He desires for us as well.
Next time we learn how, “all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand”, 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".
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