The Battle With Ai
They did not see Ai as a real threat. It was a new challenge, but they were confident because they had faced other foes without much trouble. But this adversary was different.
God promised to give the land of Canaan to the Israelites. Taking the land meant conquering the people who lived there. The Canaanites were vile. The Israelites did not invade their countries as greedy bullies who just wanted their land. God ordered them to remove these people because their sins were so heinous they did not deserve to live (Lev. 18-20). As long as the people of Israel were obedient to God, the Lord would bless them.
The first place they fought against was Jericho. God gave them specific instructions. They were to march around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. He also gave a prohibition. They were not to take the spoils of war for themselves. The silver and gold was to be given into the treasury of the Lord (Josh. 6:18-19). Any man who disobeyed would be cursed by God.
The Israelites obeyed the command to march around the walls exactly as God said. When the walls fell, they went in and conquered the city of Jericho. Ai was next. Feeling sure they could take this city, the Israelites took a much smaller army. But they were soundly defeated (Josh. 7:2-5). Joshua, the leader of the nation after Moses’ death, fell down on his face discouraged before the Lord. That is when God told him why they lost the battle: “Israel has sinned” (Josh. 7:11). A soldier in Israel named Achan, who was later called “the troubler of Israel” (I Chron. 2:7), violated the Lord’s command not to take of the spoils. It was only when Joshua and the men of Israel executed him that they were able to fight against Ai the second time and win (Josh. 8).
Sin will hold back progress wherever it appears. We have a strong military and plenty of money in the United States, but we must not be arrogant. Our land is full of sin, and “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psa. 9:17). Only God knows when that will happen, but history, especially Bible history, shows that nations reap what they sow.
When a congregation does not deal with sin, it cannot make progress. It may have numbers. It may have money. It may do impressive works. But the church in Corinth and Laodicea were also pleased with themselves as, and yet they were hindered because they turned a blind eye to sin.
Parents can work hard and be successful. Their home can be a good influence in the community—until one of the kids decides to drink and take drugs or a parent has an affair.
The battle with Ai is being repeated every day. Make sure you learn from that story.
Kerry • October 25, 2026
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