Lesson 5 The Lord's Battle Plan
Question 3
To see the importance of seeking the Lord in these serious matters of the heart, let's consider a particular battle the Israelites fought against a little town called Ai.
The Israelites had just won their first battle in the Promised Land against the city of Jericho by following God's unconventional instructions on how to defeat it (marching around the city for a week). They were feeling strong and mighty. So, Joshua sent some spies to Ai, who returned and told him that it was just a little town. They counseled that Joshua should send up only a small army to take the city.
So, Joshua sent just 3,000 men who confidently marched up to Ai, but the Israelites were dealt a severe blow and received a terrible beating. Here was the result: "They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this, the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water." (Joshua 7:5)
The Israelites had not consulted with God about Ai. They simply developed their own plans and carried out their schemes in the power of their flesh, a recipe for disaster. I can relate. I can't even remember how many times I started a new diet or began some fad program, never consulting the Lord and asking for His plan for me.
Had the Israelites consulted with God about Ai, God would have told them that there was sin in the Israelite camp because someone had taken forbidden things from the city of Jericho and hid them in his tent. That sin needed to be dealt with before they could expect further victory (see Joshua 7:10-12).
Question 3. What does the Israelite's loss at Ai teach us?