Joshua 8:9-17: a reflection

9Joshua sent them out; and they went to set up the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai on the west side of Ai; but Joshua stayed among the people that night. 10Joshua rose up early in the morning, mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11All the people, even the men of war who were with him, went up and came near, and came before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai. 12He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. 13So they set the people, even all the army who was on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley. 14When the king of Ai saw it, they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he didn’t know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. 16All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them. They pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. 17There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who didn’t go out after Israel. They left the city open, and pursued Israel.

After Israel's earlier defeat at Ai, a failure caused by sin that had been faced and dealt with, God gives them the city, granting renewed success once what was wrong had been set right. Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled, the account says, drawing the men of Ai out of the city into the ambush God had directed. Israel had once been defeated at Ai, a defeat that came because of hidden sin in the camp. But once that sin had been faced and dealt with, God did not leave Israel in failure; he gave them a plan, and granted them the victory that had earlier been denied. After the failure was set right, there was a way forward, and renewed success. This shows that after failure is faced and set right, God grants a way forward. After failure is faced and set right, God grants a way forward and renewed success. Failure faced and dealt with need not be the end; there is a way forward. Once what was wrong is set right, God can grant renewed success. Do not stay defeated; deal with what was wrong, and God can give a fresh start.

Notice the sequence behind this victory. Israel had earlier gone up against Ai and been defeated, a humiliating failure. But that defeat was not simply bad luck; it came because of hidden sin in the camp, something wrong that had to be faced and dealt with. Once that sin had been confronted and set right, the situation changed. God did not leave Israel in their failure and defeat; he gave Joshua a plan, and granted them, this time, the victory over Ai that had earlier been denied them. After the failure was faced and the wrong set right, there was a way forward and renewed success. This holds an encouragement about moving past failure. We can experience failure and defeat, sometimes tied to something wrong in us, some sin or fault that needs facing. And we can be tempted to stay defeated, to think the failure is the end. But failure faced and dealt with need not be the end. Once we have faced and set right what was wrong, confronting the sin or fault rather than ignoring it, there can be a way forward, a fresh start, renewed success where before there was failure. God does not leave us permanently in defeat when we deal honestly with what caused it; he can grant a way forward past the failure. We do well, after failure, to face and set right what was wrong, and then to trust God for a way forward, rather than staying defeated. After failure, face and set right what was wrong, then trust God for a way forward. Failure faced and dealt with need not be the end of the story. Once what was wrong is set right, God can grant renewed success. Do not stay defeated; deal honestly with what caused the failure.

That is worth taking to heart, for after failure is faced and set right, God grants a way forward and renewed success, as he gave Israel Ai once the hidden sin was dealt with. We can stay defeated, thinking failure is the end; but Israel, after facing and setting right the sin that caused their defeat, was given the victory. There is a way forward. When you have failed, do not stay defeated; face and set right what was wrong, and trust God for a way forward past the failure. After failure, face and set right what was wrong, and then trust God for a way forward and renewed success, rather than staying defeated, as after Israel's earlier defeat at Ai, a failure caused by sin that had been faced and dealt with, God gave them the city and granted renewed success once what was wrong had been set right, since Joshua and all Israel drew the men of Ai out of the city into the ambush God had directed; for Israel had once been defeated at Ai because of hidden sin in the camp, but once that sin had been faced and dealt with God did not leave Israel in failure but gave them a plan and granted them the victory that had earlier been denied, so that after the failure was set right there was a way forward and renewed success, which holds an encouragement about moving past failure, since we can experience failure and defeat sometimes tied to something wrong in us that needs facing, and can be tempted to stay defeated and think the failure is the end, but failure faced and dealt with need not be the end, and once we have faced and set right what was wrong rather than ignoring it there can be a way forward and a fresh start where before there was failure, God not leaving us permanently in defeat when we deal honestly with what caused it but granting a way forward past the failure, so that we do well after failure to face and set right what was wrong and then trust God for a way forward.

Lord, after Israel's earlier defeat at Ai, a failure caused by sin that had been faced and dealt with, you give them the city, granting renewed success once what was wrong had been set right. Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled, the account says, drawing the men of Ai out of the city into the ambush you had directed. Israel had once been defeated at Ai, a defeat that came because of hidden sin in the camp. But once that sin had been faced and dealt with, you did not leave Israel in failure; you gave them a plan, and granted them the victory that had earlier been denied. After the failure was set right, there was a way forward, and renewed success. Show me the sequence behind this victory. Israel had earlier gone up against Ai and been defeated, a humiliating failure. But that defeat was not simply bad luck; it came because of hidden sin in the camp, something wrong that had to be faced and dealt with. Once that sin had been confronted and set right, the situation changed. You did not leave Israel in their failure; you gave Joshua a plan, and granted them, this time, the victory that had earlier been denied. After the failure was faced and the wrong set right, there was a way forward and renewed success. This holds an encouragement about moving past failure. I can experience failure and defeat, sometimes tied to something wrong in me, some sin or fault that needs facing. And I can be tempted to stay defeated, to think the failure is the end. But failure faced and dealt with need not be the end. Once I have faced and set right what was wrong, confronting the sin or fault rather than ignoring it, there can be a way forward, a fresh start. You do not leave me permanently in defeat when I deal honestly with what caused it. Take that to my heart. When I have failed, keep me from staying defeated; help me face and set right what was wrong, Lord, dealing honestly with what caused the failure, and then trust you for a way forward past it, knowing that failure faced and dealt with need not be the end, and that once what was wrong is set right you can grant renewed success.