Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, "Go up and spy out the land." So the men went up and spied out Ai. Meanwhile, Joshua sent menThe phrase "Meanwhile, Joshua sent men" indicates a continuation of the narrative from the previous chapter, where the Israelites experienced a miraculous victory at Jericho. Joshua, as the leader appointed by God after Moses, is acting in his role as a military commander. The Hebrew root for "sent" (שָׁלַח, shalach) often implies a mission or purpose, suggesting that Joshua's actions are deliberate and strategic. This reflects the importance of leadership and obedience to God's direction in achieving success. from Jericho to Ai
Jericho, the site of Israel's first major victory in the Promised Land, serves as a starting point for further conquests. Ai, meaning "ruin" in Hebrew, is the next target. The geographical movement from Jericho to Ai symbolizes the ongoing journey of the Israelites to claim the land promised to them by God. This transition from victory to the next challenge underscores the continuous nature of faith and obedience in the believer's life. which is near Beth-aven
Beth-aven, meaning "house of wickedness" or "house of vanity," is a location that contrasts with Bethel, meaning "house of God." The proximity of Ai to Beth-aven may serve as a reminder of the spiritual battles that accompany physical conquests. It highlights the need for discernment and reliance on God, as the Israelites are surrounded by influences that could lead them astray. east of Bethel
Bethel holds significant historical and spiritual importance as a place where Abraham and Jacob encountered God. The mention of Bethel situates Ai within a broader spiritual landscape, reminding the Israelites of their covenantal history and God's faithfulness. This geographical reference encourages believers to remember God's past faithfulness as they face new challenges. telling them, 'Go up and spy out the land.'
Joshua's command to "Go up and spy out the land" echoes the earlier reconnaissance mission in Numbers 13, where Moses sent spies into Canaan. The Hebrew word for "spy" (רָגַל, ragal) implies careful observation and assessment. This action demonstrates the importance of preparation and wisdom in undertaking God's work. It also serves as a reminder that while God provides guidance, human responsibility and diligence are required. So the men went up and spied out Ai
The obedience of the men in carrying out Joshua's command reflects the collective commitment of the Israelites to their mission. Their willingness to "spy out Ai" signifies trust in Joshua's leadership and, by extension, in God's plan. This act of obedience is a model for believers, emphasizing the importance of faithfulness and action in fulfilling God's purposes. Persons / Places / Events 1. JoshuaThe leader of the Israelites after Moses, tasked with leading the people into the Promised Land. He is a central figure in the conquest accounts. 2. JerichoThe first city conquered by the Israelites in the Promised Land, known for its miraculous fall after the Israelites marched around its walls. 3. AiA city near Beth-aven and east of Bethel, targeted by Joshua for conquest after Jericho. Its name means "ruin" in Hebrew, which is significant given the events that follow. 4. Beth-avenA location near Ai, its name means "house of wickedness" in Hebrew, often used in the Bible to denote idolatry or false worship. 5. BethelA significant city in Israelite history, meaning "house of God" in Hebrew. It was a place of worship and revelation for the patriarchs. Teaching Points The Importance of ObedienceJoshua's decision to send spies reflects a strategic approach, but the subsequent events in Ai remind us that obedience to God's commands is paramount. We must ensure our plans align with God's will. The Consequences of SinThe failure at Ai, which follows this verse, is a direct result of Achan's sin. This teaches us that individual sin can have communal consequences, urging us to live righteously. Seeking God's GuidanceWhile Joshua's military strategy was sound, the need for divine guidance is crucial. In our lives, we should seek God's direction in all decisions, big or small. Community AccountabilityThe account of Ai underscores the importance of accountability within the community of believers. We are called to support and correct one another in love. Faith and ActionJoshua's leadership exemplifies the balance between faith in God's promises and taking action. We are encouraged to trust God while actively pursuing His purposes. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Joshua's approach to Ai compare to the earlier reconnaissance mission in Canaan, and what can we learn about preparation and trust in God from these accounts? 2. In what ways does the failure at Ai illustrate the impact of sin on a community, and how can we apply this understanding to our church or family life? 3. Reflect on a time when you relied on your own understanding rather than seeking God's guidance. What was the outcome, and how might you approach similar situations differently in the future? 4. How can we, as a community of believers, hold each other accountable in a way that is loving and constructive, as seen in the aftermath of the events at Ai? 5. What steps can you take to ensure that your actions and decisions are aligned with God's will, especially when facing challenges or opportunities? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 1:22-23This passage describes the sending of spies into the Promised Land, similar to Joshua's action in sending spies to Ai. It highlights the importance of seeking God's guidance in military and spiritual endeavors. Numbers 13-14The account of the twelve spies sent into Canaan, which provides a backdrop for understanding the role of reconnaissance in Israel's military strategy and the consequences of disobedience and lack of faith. Proverbs 3:5-6This passage emphasizes trusting in the Lord rather than relying solely on human understanding, a principle that Joshua and the Israelites needed to remember in their conquest efforts. People Achan, Amorites, Canaanites, Carmi, Israelites, Joshua, Zabdi, Zarhites, Zerah, Zerahites, ZimriPlaces Ai, Beth-aven, Bethel, Jericho, Jordan River, Shebarim, Shinar, Valley of AchorTopics Ai, Aven, Beside, Beth, Bethaven, Beth-aven, Beth-a'ven, Bethel, Beth-el, East, Jericho, Joshua, Placed, Region, Saying, Search, Spake, Speaketh, Spied, Spoke, Spy, View, ViewedDictionary of Bible Themes Joshua 7:2 4207 land, divine gift
5552 spies Joshua 7:1-5 5836 disgrace Joshua 7:1-7 9210 judgment, God's Joshua 7:1-16 6024 sin, effects of Joshua 7:1-26 6173 guilt, and God
8479 self-examination, examples Joshua 7:2-3 5608 warfare, strategies Joshua 7:2-5 8616 prayerlessness Library Achan's Sin, Israel's Defeat
'But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. 2. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-ei, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureWhether one Can, Without a Mortal Sin, Deny the Truth which Would Lead to One's Condemnation?
Objection 1: It would seem one can, without a mortal sin, deny the truth which would lead to one's condemnation. For Chrysostom says (Hom. xxxi super Ep. ad Heb.): "I do not say that you should lay bare your guilt publicly, nor accuse yourself before others." Now if the accused were to confess the truth in court, he would lay bare his guilt and be his own accuser. Therefore he is not bound to tell the truth: and so he does not sin mortally if he tell a lie in court. Objection 2: Further, just as …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Contention Over the Man Born Blind.
(Jerusalem.) ^D John IX. 1-41. [Some look upon the events in this and the next section as occurring at the Feast of Tabernacles in October, others think they occurred at the Feast of Dedication in December, deriving their point of time from John x. 22.] ^d 1 And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. [The man probably sought to waken compassion by repeatedly stating this fact to passers-by.] 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Eighth Commandment
Thou shalt not steal.' Exod 20: 15. AS the holiness of God sets him against uncleanness, in the command Thou shalt not commit adultery;' so the justice of God sets him against rapine and robbery, in the command, Thou shalt not steal.' The thing forbidden in this commandment, is meddling with another man's property. The civil lawyers define furtum, stealth or theft to be the laying hands unjustly on that which is another's;' the invading another's right. I. The causes of theft. [1] The internal causes …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Confession of Sin --A Sermon with Seven Texts
The Hardened Sinner. PHARAOH--"I have sinned."--Exodus 9:27. I. The first case I shall bring before you is that of the HARDENED SINNER, who, when under terror, says, "I have sinned." And you will find the text in the book of Exodus, the 9th chap. and 27th verse: "And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked." But why this confession from the lips of the haughty tyrant? He was not often wont to …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857 Restraining Prayer: is it Sin?
"Thou restrainest prayer before God."--JOB xv. 4. "What profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?"--JOB xxi. 15. "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you."--1 SAM. xii. 23. "Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you."--JOSH. vii. 12. Any deep quickening of the spiritual life of the Church will always be accompanied by a deeper sense of sin. This will not begin with theology; that can only give expression to what God works …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession The Practice of Piety in Glorifying God in the Time of Sickness, and when Thou Art Called to Die in the Lord.
As soon as thou perceivest thyself to be visited with any sickness, meditate with thyself: 1. That "misery cometh not forth of the dust; neither doth affliction spring out of the earth." Sickness comes not by hap or chance (as the Philistines supposed that their mice and emrods came, 1 Sam. vi. 9), but from man's wickedness, which, as sparkles, breaketh out. "Man suffereth," saith Jeremiah, "for his sins." "Fools," saith David, "by reason of their transgressions, and because of their iniquities, …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Exposition of the Moral Law.
1. The Law was committed to writing, in order that it might teach more fully and perfectly that knowledge, both of God and of ourselves, which the law of nature teaches meagrely and obscurely. Proof of this, from an enumeration of the principal parts of the Moral Law; and also from the dictate of natural law, written on the hearts of all, and, in a manner, effaced by sin. 2. Certain general maxims. 1. From the knowledge of God, furnished by the Law, we learn that God is our Father and Ruler. Righteousness …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Of a Private Fast.
That we may rightly perform a private fast, four things are to be observed:--First, The author; Secondly, The time and occasion; Thirdly, The manner; Fourthly, The ends of private fasting. 1. Of the Author. The first that ordained fasting was God himself in paradise; and it was the first law that God made, in commanding Adam to abstain from eating the forbidden fruit. God would not pronounce nor write his law without fasting (Lev. xxiii), and in his law commands all his people to fast. So does our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety The Knowledge of God
'The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.' I Sam 2:2. Glorious things are spoken of God; he transcends our thoughts, and the praises of angels. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are the several beams by which the divine nature shines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the least, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own essence, he has a full idea and cognisance …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Beth-El. Beth-Aven.
Josephus thus describes the land of Benjamin; "The Benjamites' portion of land was from the river Jordan to the sea, in length: in breadth, it was bounded by Jerusalem and Beth-el." Let these last words be marked, "The breadth of the land of Benjamin was bounded by Jerusalem and Beth-el." May we not justly conclude, from these words, that Jerusalem and Beth-el were opposite, as it were, in a right line? But if you look upon the maps, there are some that separate these by a very large tract of land, …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Covenant of Works
Q-12: I proceed to the next question, WHAT SPECIAL ACT OF PROVIDENCE DID GOD EXERCISE TOWARDS MAN IN THE ESTATE WHEREIN HE WAS CREATED? A: When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him upon condition of perfect obedience, forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledge upon pain of death. For this, consult with Gen 2:16, 17: And the Lord commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity The Holiness of God
The next attribute is God's holiness. Exod 15:51. Glorious in holiness.' Holiness is the most sparkling jewel of his crown; it is the name by which God is known. Psa 111:1. Holy and reverend is his name.' He is the holy One.' Job 6:60. Seraphims cry, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.' Isa 6:6. His power makes him mighty, his holiness makes him glorious. God's holiness consists in his perfect love of righteousness, and abhorrence of evil. Of purer eyes than …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Second Great Group of Parables.
(Probably in Peræa.) Subdivision F. Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. ^C Luke XVI. 19-31. [The parable we are about to study is a direct advance upon the thoughts in the previous section. We may say generally that if the parable of the unjust steward teaches how riches are to be used, this parable sets forth the terrible consequences of a failure to so use them. Each point of the previous discourse is covered in detail, as will be shown by the references in the discussion of the parable.] …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Joshua
The book of Joshua is the natural complement of the Pentateuch. Moses is dead, but the people are on the verge of the promised land, and the story of early Israel would be incomplete, did it not record the conquest of that land and her establishment upon it. The divine purpose moves restlessly on, until it is accomplished; so "after the death of Moses, Jehovah spake to Joshua," i. 1. The book falls naturally into three divisions: (a) the conquest of Canaan (i.-xii.), (b) the settlement of the …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Joshua 7:2 NIVJoshua 7:2 NLTJoshua 7:2 ESVJoshua 7:2 NASBJoshua 7:2 KJV
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