“Then Adonai said to Y’hoshua, “Point the spear in your hand toward ‘Ai, because I will hand it over to you.” Y’hoshua pointed the spear in his hand toward the city.”-Joshua 8:18
In verse 8:18, God instructs Joshua to take his spear (or possibly his sword) and point it towards the city of Ai.
This was the signal that the destruction of this town and all its inhabitants was about to begin.
Does this remind you of anything?
It should remind you of Moses and the great works of God he accomplished through the staff he carried in his hands.
Recall that Moses used his staff to turn the Nile River into blood.
At Pharaoh’s palace, he commanded his staff to turn into a hissing serpent.
Or how about the most famous event of them all when Moses used his staff to part the Red Sea?!
And after Israel left Egypt, during the fight against the Amalek, recall on top of the hilltop overlooking the battle scene, there were those two assistants who held Moses’ hands upwards towards the sky keeping the staff raised so as to ensure victory.
Finally, we mustn’t forget how Moses used his staff to strike the rock to bring forth water for the thirsty Israelites.
Ironically, it was this act that caused his downfall and led to God forbidding him from entering the Promised Land.
My point is Moses’ staff was the symbol of Hashem’s authority and was the object Moses used to set things into motion whether they were acts of salvation or destruction.
Again, we see the dual or paradoxical nature of the staff that Moses wielded and let’s not forget that during his time, he was like a Messiah for Israel.
But why did Moses carry a wooden staff instead of some other long pole-like object?
Because he was a shepherd.
That’s why he used a shepherd’s staff as the symbol of his power.
On the other hand, Joshua, was a great and fierce military leader.
Therefore, the symbol of his authority was a spear (or maybe a sword).
Again, do you see the dual type being presented to us here?
God’s nature is manifested as both a gentle Shepherd AND a fierce Warrior, not one or the other but both.
When Yeshua first came to this earth, he served as a Shepherd.
However, when he comes back, he will rule like a Warrior King (like King David).
And when we read the Book of Revelations, at that time, we’re told the symbol of Yeshua’s authority will be an inflexible cold rod of iron steel.
Onward.
Once Joshua raised his sword towards the city of Ai at God’s order, the soldiers who had been in hiding sprang forward, ran into the city through the main gates and set the town on fire.
Once the fighting men of Ai saw the smoke coming from the city they had just abandoned to chase after Joshua’s soldiers (the ones who were NOT in hiding), they knew they were done before.
They were trapped like mice surrounded by a pack of hungry cats.
At that instant, Joshua ordered the group of soldiers who had just set the city of Ai on fire to do a complete U-turn and attack the trapped Canaanites.
The men of Ai now had zero avenues of escape.
The roads leading back to Ai and Beit-el were blocked off and they had no choice but to give themselves up to the army of God.
Unfortunately for them, every last of one of them was killed.
It was only the King of Ai who was kept alive and brought before Joshua (a common practice in those days).
After Joshua’s men had slaughtered the enemy soldiers, they returned to Ai and killed the remaining citizens left in the city.
And yes, I’m talking about every man, woman and child.
Afterwards, their bodies were devoted to God as holy property because they were under HEREM or the ban.
Let me make it clear…
…it was because they were under the ban that they had to be destroyed.
I’ve already covered the Principle of Herem in much painstaking detail in earlier lessons, so go back to review if you need to.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Do not think that I have come
to bring peace to the earth.
I have not come to bring peace,
but a sword.”
-Matthew 10:34
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