Joshua 8:1-8: a reflection

1The LORD said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed. Take all the warriors with you, and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, with his people, his city, and his land. 2You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except you shall take its goods and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.” 3So Joshua arose, with all the warriors, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by night. 4He commanded them, saying, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. 5I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. It shall happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them. 6They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, ‘They flee before us, like the first time.’ So we will flee before them, 7and you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. 8It shall be, when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do this according to the LORD’s word. Behold, I have commanded you.”

Israel has just suffered a humiliating defeat at Ai, brought on by hidden sin in the camp. Now, with the sin dealt with, God comes to Joshua with words of fresh grace: Do not fear, and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men and go up against Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai and his people. After the failure, God does not leave Israel defeated and afraid; he speaks courage, gives a fresh commission, and promises victory this time.

Notice the grace in this fresh start. The earlier defeat had been real and painful; Israel's confidence had melted like water. God did not pretend the failure had not happened, but neither did he leave his people stuck in it. Once the sin was addressed, he came with do not fear and a renewed commission, sending them out again with his promise. He gave them a second attempt, and this time, his assurance of success. Failure was not the end of the story; God opened a new chapter.

That is deeply encouraging for anyone who has known real failure and defeat. God's way with his people is not to leave them permanently defined by their failures, once those failures have been honestly dealt with. He comes with do not fear, gives fresh commissions, opens new chapters, sends us out again with his promise. If a failure has left you defeated and afraid, hear God's word to Joshua after Ai: Do not fear. Once the sin is dealt with, God gives fresh starts. He is not finished with you; rise, and go forward again with his help.

Lord, after Israel's humiliating defeat, once the sin was dealt with, you came to Joshua with grace: Do not fear; go up again. When I have known real failure and defeat, keep me from being permanently defined by it. Thank you that you give fresh starts, speak courage after failure, and send your people out again with your promise. Help me deal honestly with what went wrong, and then rise and go forward again, unafraid, with your help.