Joshua 8:3-26
Promise of Victory
A Word about waiting – Notice that the Lord tells them that they will do to Ai what they did to Jericho, except this time, they are allowed to take all the spoils for themselves! (Joshua 8:2). If Achan had waited just a few more days, he could have had all the riches that he could have imagined. Instead, he ran ahead of God and grabbed for himself what God had forbidden, and as a result, Achan and Israel paid a high price.
What a lesson for everyone today! If we could just learn to wait on God and let Him lead and bring into our lives the things that need to be there, we would be far better off. The flesh is impatient! Our flesh wants what it wants, and it wants it now! It does not want to wait for its gratification.
We are far better off to wait on the Lord to bring those things into our lives that He knows are best for us, than to run ahead of God. However, that is what we do. We make our plans, do our thing, and never check with God about it. Then, when we make a mess, we expect Him to bail us out! When we can learn to wait on the Lord, we are well on our way to victory in the Christian life.
Q1: What does it mean to wait on the Lord?
Q2: According to Ps 37:34 & Ps 27:14, what are the benefits of waiting on the Lord?
Pathway to Victory
A. They Embraced God’s Plan (Joshua 8:3-17) – God told them in exact detail how they were to mount their attack against Ai. They were to lay an ambush for Ai, and they would take the city and all its inhabitants. Israel learned at Jericho what happens when we do things the Lord’s way. They had also learned what happens when they refused to do it God’s way. They discovered that failure awaits that person who goes against the will of the Lord. We need to learn this lesson today! When we fight the battle God’s way, we cannot fail. When we do it our way, we are bound to suffer.
We are talking about fighting this flesh and its lusts. If we are going to pursue victory over sin and expect to gain victory, we must go about it God’s way. No other plan will work! We need to know that if we are to win the victory over the flesh, we need constant contact with the spiritual supports God has given us. We receive strength spiritually when we get exposed to the spiritual blessings the Lord has given to us to help us walk in His will.
Everyone needs God’s spiritual support system. The support system is crucial.
Q3: What Spiritual support systems can we derive from the following passages:
i. 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Tim. 2:15
ii. Luke 18:1; 1 Thess. 5:17
iii. Heb. 10:25
iv. 1 Cor. 12:27
Now, none of these things will give victory in and of themselves, but we need each of them to strengthen us and help us grow in the Lord. When we begin to neglect even one of these essential areas, then we are headed toward spiritual trouble. When we feed the flesh and ignore our spiritual needs, it signifies impending problems in our spiritual lives!
B. They Experienced God’s Power (Joshua 8:18-23) – It is important to note that though Israel fought the battle, it was God who gave the victory! The first time Israel went to Ai, they went in their power, and they suffered a terrible, humiliating defeat. This time they went to battle walking in the power of God, and they were victorious.
There is a lesson here for those who struggle with their flesh.
The battle with your flesh will not be won by your ability to say “no” to sin, because you cannot say “no” all the time.
The battle will not be won because you are more powerful than the temptations you face, because you are not.
If we fight the spiritual battles of life in our power, defeat is imminent. There is just one way for us to prevail in this battle, and that is for us to learn to appropriate the power of God in our lives. We are unable to fight the flesh, sin, and the world in our ability. We need to realize that when we cannot win the battle, only He can! – Jer 31:11
Therefore, as we daily face the battles of life, it is important to remember God’s promises to us from the Word of life – Eph 6:10&11, Phil 4:13, 1 Cor 10:13, 1 John 4:4.
The only way any of us will ever see victory over this flesh is through God’s power!
C. They Enjoyed God’s Performance (Joshua 8:18, 24-26) – These verses tell us that Israel trusted in the Lord and prevailed over their enemy. God did what He said He would do! We are serving the very same God that gave Israel the victory. He has not changed! He is still the same God today that He always has been and always will be. We can count on God to keep His Word, Rom. 4:21; Psa. 119:89.
When we are engaged in a battle with this flesh, we must be able to count on God, and we can! He is all-powerful, and He can help us as we fight the flesh and the battles of life.
Q4: What provision has Christ made for our victory according to Heb 4:14-16?
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