Daily Thought

The nation of Israel was now in crisis. The euphoria of victory at Jericho had given way to the despair of defeat at the hands of the tiny community of Ai. Israel’s soldiers had retreated in fearful disarray, and thirty-six had been killed. Israel’s shocked reaction was not due to the size of the defeat but to its unexpectedness.

Joshua had shown remarkable self-confidence before attacking Ai and had failed to consult with God. If, at that point, he had prayed then the sin would have been discovered and they would not have experienced defeat. However, in the aftermath of defeat he now seeks the Lord. So often we can be like that in failing to seek God’s will, and then cry out to Him when things go wrong.

Joshua’s approach in prayer was so genuine. First, it was a prolonged time, ‘until the eventide’, v. 7. 6. Second, it was corporate, as the nation’s elders joined him to seek the face of God. Third, they expressed their distress in a public way, by ripping their clothes, putting dust in their hair and lying on the ground. So we see a serious and determined approach to discern the underlying cause for the defeat.

Joshua was certainly concerned for the dishonour which had come upon the name of God. If God had allowed this then it would mean that He had forsaken His people, and their future was most precarious. In the light of Israel’s defeat, the armies of Canaan would be emboldened, and Israel would be defeated and destroyed. Joshua could not make sense of what had happened, even wishing they had stayed on the safer, eastern side of Jordan. By implication he rebuked God and laid the blame for defeat at His door.

In response to prayer, God turned Joshua’s thoughts away from the defeat and confronted him with the underlying moral reason for it. The fault was firmly Israel’s and there was need for national consecration, with the transgressor identified and punished, before victory could again be experienced.