Two Piles of Rocks

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Opening Prayer

Loving Lord, I celebrate Your steadfast love, I praise You for Your mercy and I’m grateful for Your faithfulness.

Read Joshua 8:18–29

^[18] Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out toward the city the javelin that was in his hand. ^[19] As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose quickly from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire. ^[20] The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising up into the sky, but they had no chance to escape in any direction; the Israelites who had been fleeing toward the wilderness had turned back against their pursuers. ^[21] For when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that smoke was going up from it, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai. ^[22] Those in the ambush also came out of the city against them, so that they were caught in the middle, with Israelites on both sides. Israel cut them down, leaving them neither survivors nor fugitives. ^[23] But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua. ^[24] When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai in the fields and in the wilderness where they had chased them, and when every one of them had been put to the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and killed those who were in it. ^[25] Twelve thousand men and women fell that day-all the people of Ai. ^[26] For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin until he had destroyed all who lived in Ai. ^[27] But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the LORD had instructed Joshua. ^[28] So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place to this day. ^[29] He impaled the body of the king of Ai on a pole and left it there until evening. At sunset, Joshua ordered them to take the body from the pole and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day.

Meditate

“God does not impart his power or blessings apart from the active participation and cooperation of our wills” (J. Oswald Sanders, 1902–1992).

Think Further

The hapless army of Ai was surrounded by the Israelite army and suffered

a complete defeat. It was the people of Ai, this time, who were gripped by overconfident pride

that led to their fall. All the men and women of Ai were killed in the battle (22,25). Israel’s

success was due to their sober attitude following the tragedy of their previous failure to capture

Ai. God was now with them and promised Joshua, “Into your hand I will deliver the city” (18).

Joshua’s role was to hold his javelin toward Ai—a signal for his men to ambush the Ai army.

This was reminiscent of how Moses held up the staff of God in his hands in prayer as God gave

the Israelites victory over the Amalekites (Exod. 17:8–16). Joshua knew this well, because it was

he who had led the battle against the Amalekites. Moses’ arms were tired from holding up a

heavy staff, so his arms had to be held up by others because the upheld arms determined what

happened in the battlefield.

Remembering this, Joshua held up his arm until the battle reached its decisive conclusion (26).

The king of Ai was captured and hung on a tree. His body was covered with a huge pile of rocks.

Altogether seven piles of rocks are mentioned in Joshua (Josh. 4:20; 7:26; 8:29–31; 10:27;

22:10–24; 24:26,27). Two had to do with Ai: one connected with Achan and the other with the

king of Ai. Each “remains to this day” (7:26; 8:29). They provided powerful spiritual

lessons—the disaster that follows disobedience and the blessing that accompanies trustful

obedience.

What was important was neither the size of the opposition nor the strength of Israel but whether

God was with his people. It is God who gives us victory, as we trust and obey him.

The hapless army of Ai was surrounded by the Israelite army and suffered a complete defeat. It was the people of Ai, this time, who were gripped by overconfident pride that led to their fall. All the men and women of Ai were killed in the battle (22,25). Israel’s success was due to their sober attitude following the tragedy of their previous failure to capture Ai. God was now with them and promised Joshua, “Into your hand I will deliver the city” (18). Joshua’s role was to hold his javelin toward Ai—a signal for his men to ambush the Ai army. This was reminiscent of how Moses held up the staff of God in his hands in prayer as God gave
the Israelites victory over the Amalekites (Exod. 17:8–16). Joshua knew this well, because it was he who had led the battle against the Amalekites. Moses’ arms were tired from holding up a heavy staff, so his arms had to be held up by others because the upheld arms determined what happened in the battlefield.
Remembering this, Joshua held up his arm until the battle reached its decisive conclusion (26). The king of Ai was captured and hung on a tree. His body was covered with a huge pile of rocks. Altogether seven piles of rocks are mentioned in Joshua (Josh. 4:20; 7:26; 8:29–31; 10:27; 22:10–24; 24:26,27). Two had to do with Ai: one connected with Achan and the other with the king of Ai. Each “remains to this day” (7:26; 8:29). They provided powerful spiritual lessons—the disaster that follows disobedience and the blessing that accompanies trustful obedience.
What was important was neither the size of the opposition nor the strength of Israel but whether God was with his people. It is God who gives us victory, as we trust and obey him.

Apply

Meditate on memorials in your life similar to the two piles of rocks connected with Ai. What do they remind you of? How then should you live?

Closing prayer

Gracious God, looking back, I see so clearly Your hand upon me. I look forward, trusting You for victory in all my circumstances.

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