Gods Sabbath

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E NTERING INTO G OD ’ S S ABBATH R EST

and human thing for Joshua to say, “Well, it is obvious that we made a mistake in sending out only three thousand men. We have underestimated the strength, readiness, and determination of our enemies. So this time we will devise another plan involving the entire army. It will certainly succeed where the other failed.” Fortunately, Joshua did not do this. He recognized that the outcome was not what it should have been, so something was ob viously wrong. What the problem was, he could not see at that point of time, but the Lord knew and would reveal it to Joshua if he asked in repentance and faith. “Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the L ORD , remaining there till evening. The eld ers of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads. And Joshua said, ‘Ah, Sovereign L ORD , why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say, now that Is rael has been routed by its enemies? The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?’” Joshua 7:6–9. It might sound as if Joshua was accusing God of unfaithful ness, but this was not so. There was a cause for their failure and this root had to be discerned and eradicated if the Israelites were to make straight paths for their feet. Joshua took the only wise and safe course to be followed in a situation like this. Well would it have been if the multitude who perished in the wilder ness had followed the same procedure forty years before. It may be argued that the reason for the defeat at Ai was the presence of the sinner, Achan, in the camp, and not because they made their own plans for the assault on the city. (See Joshua 7.) But the camp’s cleansing would have been the initial part of God’s plan for the campaign anyway. Had Joshua gone to God for instruction for the attack on Ai, as he had done before the siege of Jericho, the first specific order would have directed him to seek out and eliminate Achan’s sin. This would have been fol lowed by God’s specifications for the advance on the enemy’s camp. This is, in fact, exactly what the Lord did instruct, after a chastened Joshua finally laid the problem in His hands. We