When the Men of Ai Looked Behind - Joshua 8:20

In the book of Joshua, we learned how,” 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. And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire”, and in chapter eight and verse twenty of the book of Joshua, we learn what happened, “when the men of Ai looked behind them” where we read, 

And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.

The verse reads, “And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and when the men of Ai” which means “and at the time and moment the male human beings belonging to Ai whose name means heap of ruins” “looked behind them” or “turned back and to the back side of them, the men of Ai”, “they saw” which means “they, the men of Ai, noticed, discerned, distinguished and observed”, “and, behold” or “and lo, look and consider”, “the smoke of the city” which means “the vaporous dust belonging to the dwelling place or town” “ascended up to heaven” or “rose and shot forth toward the sky. Joshua or the writer shared at the time and moment the male human beings belonging to “Ai” turned back and observed their “city”, they noticed that the vaporous dust was rising into the sky.

 

The verse continues, “… and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “and they had no power” which means “and they, the men of Ai, did not possess any might or strength”.“to flee this way or that way” or “to run, be put to flight or get away toward this or that direction”: “and the people that fled” which means “and the human beings of Israel who ran and took flight” “to the wilderness or “toward the uninhabited land or desert place” “turned back upon the pursuers” which means “changed and reversed their direction toward the men of Ai who were chasing after them”. Joshua or the writer shared how the people of “Ai” did not possess the strength to run in one direction or the other, and the people of Israel who took flight to the desert place, “turned” around and confronted the men of  “Ai” who were chasing after them.

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn how the people of “Ai” who pursued after Israel looked back upon their city that was on fire, and they were unable to run away in any direction. This caused Joshua and the people of Israel who acted like they were running away to turn around and pursue the people of “Ai”. Victory was on the horizon, and soon the people of Israel would not only defeat “Ai”, but they would capture their city and possessions as well. In like manner, God wants victory over sin in our lives, and He provided His Son Jesus to the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and to be resurrected from the dead after three days so when we yield to Him as “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and equip us with His Holy Spirit so we will be guided into the truth and empowered to become more than conquerors in this life. (See John 16:13; Romans 8:37)

Next time we learn what happened, “when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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