Keep the Sword Raised

 DEVOTION

JOSHUA

KEEP THE SWORD RAISED

Josh 8:9-29

9 Then Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai — but Joshua spent that night with the people. 10 Early the next morning Joshua mustered his men, and he and the leaders of Israel marched before them to Ai. 11 The entire force that was with him marched up and approached the city and arrived in front of it. They set up camp north of Ai, with the valley between them and the city. 12 Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. 13 They had the soldiers take up their positions — all those in the camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley. 14 When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city. 15 Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the desert. 16 All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city. 17 Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel. 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 his javelin toward Ai. 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 against the sky, but they had no chance to escape in any direction, for the Israelites who had been fleeing toward the desert 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 the city, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai. 22 The men of 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 desert 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 hung the king of Ai on a tree and left him there until evening. At sunset, Joshua ordered them to take his body from the tree 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.

NIV

 

Yes, it is a big chunk of the narrative, but there was no good place to break in without leaving the truth that is pointed out to us. A good ambush was accomplished, and Joshua and all his fighting men killed all the men of Ai just as the Lord had told Joshua, except the king was brought out to Joshua. However, we noticed the battle ensued as Joshua raised his javelin, or short sword until the battle was won with all who lived in Ai were destroyed. It reminds us of when Moses held up his staff and the waters of the Red Sea were divided until all of Israel was saved. There was also the time when Israel, led by Joshua, was fighting against the Amalekites, and as long as Moses who was on the hilltop, held his hands up Israel was winning, but when he lowered his hands the Amalekites were winning, so Aaron and Hur sat Moses on a stone and stood on either side of him holding his hands up. Here is where our story meets this narrative. We possess the means to contend with the challenges of evil. With the weapon we have, the sword in our hands and hearts, the word of God,  and as long as we keep that sword raised we can win the battle against evil. But if we lower our sword, the word of God, then evil will be winning the battle. The question is how do we keep it raised? Just as Aaron and Hur stood on either side of Moses, we have our brothers and sisters standing by our sides, much like the Roman army standing side by side holding their shields making a solid wall of defense against the flaming arrows of the enemy. We also have our shields of faith as we stand side by side and we can defend the flaming arrows of the evil one. All in all, we have all the weapons of God that we need to continue to win the battle against evil that keeps attacking our lives. He does not care about those who are not on the side of God, he already has them, but we who love the Lord are who he has his sights on destroying. Let us keep our sword raised in our hands, but more importantly, in our hearts, and with the Lord’s strength and power, we will win not just the battle, but the whole war. Keep our sword raised.