What can we learn from Joshua's decision to send spies to Ai? Setting the scene Joshua 7:2: “Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven and east of Bethel, and he told them, ‘Go up and spy out the land.’ So the men went up and spied out Ai.” Why Joshua chose to send spies • Following proven military strategy—he had sent spies into Jericho earlier (Joshua 2). • Gathering intelligence seemed prudent after the huge victory at Jericho. • Israel expected a swift conquest of Canaan, and reconnaissance felt like the logical next step. Lessons beneath the surface • Dependence on God must never be replaced by routine – Numbers 13 shows spies were useful, but only when Israel heeded God’s voice. – Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart… He will make your paths straight.” – Joshua’s pattern of consultation in Joshua 1–6 (“The LORD said…”) is noticeably absent here. • Success yesterday can breed presumption today – Deuteronomy 8:17-18 warns against saying, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” – After Jericho’s miraculous collapse, Israel began to lean on human assessment (“a few thousand men will do,” Joshua 7:3). • Hidden sin sabotages the best strategy – Achan’s theft (Joshua 7:1) brought corporate defeat. No tactical move can compensate for disobedience. – Psalm 66:18: “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” • Leadership must continually seek fresh guidance – Joshua’s earlier habit: building memorial stones (Joshua 4), circumcising the nation (Joshua 5), meeting the Commander of the LORD’s army (Joshua 5:13-15). Each step involved divine instruction. – Omitting consultation here teaches that yesterday’s leading is not a substitute for today’s obedience. Contrast: human scouting vs. divine strategy • Jericho: marching, trumpets, silence—no reconnaissance could have conceived that plan. • Ai: human reconnaissance alone led to underestimating the enemy and losing thirty-six men (Joshua 7:5). Key take-aways for today • Always pray first; plans follow. Luke 6:12-13 shows Jesus praying all night before choosing the Twelve. • Keep short accounts with God; unconfessed sin cripples progress (1 John 1:9). • Wise planning is biblical (Proverbs 21:5), yet it must stay submissive to the Lord’s leading (James 4:13-15). • Victory is God-given, not man-earned—so boast only in Him (Psalm 20:7; 1 Corinthians 1:31). Summing it up Joshua’s decision to send spies to Ai reminds us that prudent methods are valuable, but they must remain under the authority of God’s explicit direction, free from hidden sin, and marked by continual dependence on Him rather than on past victories or human assessment. |
    |