Joshua 7
Israel was under orders that any spoils from the destruction of Jericho were to be given to God as a sacrifice.
However it turns out that just one person did not get the message- a guy called Aachan.
Joshua sends out spies to scout out the next city - Ai. The spies report back that Ai is a walkover compared with Jericho and the entire army would not be required to take the city.
The problem was that God was not with them because of Aachan, and the defenders of Ai routed the Israelite army of 3000 and killed (I love this bit) "about 36 of them" About 36? what's all that about? We don't say about when connected with a specific number - about 40 ok, but about 36???
Joshua and the priests cast lots to find out who is responsible. One can imagine the confidence of Aachan as first his tribe is chosen, then his clan, then his family and finally Aachan is chosen by lot.
Aachan confesses that he took a Babylonian robe, about 5 kg of silver and about half a kilo nugget of gold.
Aachan bought trouble on Israel and his punishment is a not very nice death.
Was his death deserved? was God being unreasonable not to overlook a cloak and what today is about £1800 of silver and £11000 worth of gold?
I suspect that there is a principle at stake here and poor Aachan is a bit of an example.
Joshua 8
This time the entire Israelite army goes to attack Ai. Part of the army goes around the back of the city to create an ambush.
The army attacked head on and then broke as the defenders chase them.
This time the ambush troops rush into the now undefended city and set fire to it.
When the smoke is seen, the fleeing army turns and counter attacks, trapping the Ai soldiers between two fronts.
Every man, woman and child is killed from Ai and the king is impaled on a spear until nightfall when he is buried rather than being left as an example for others.
These days we do not have the death penalty in the UK, though it was not that long ago that it was abolished. And hanging in irons has been not used for a couple of hundred years (since public executions were discontinued) but in the town of Rye in East Sussex they have the town gibbet which still has the head of the last person to be hung in irons in it on display in the town hall.
Israel then renews the covenant terms as instructed from mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim as detailed in Deuteronomy.
Israel was under orders that any spoils from the destruction of Jericho were to be given to God as a sacrifice.
However it turns out that just one person did not get the message- a guy called Aachan.
Joshua sends out spies to scout out the next city - Ai. The spies report back that Ai is a walkover compared with Jericho and the entire army would not be required to take the city.
The problem was that God was not with them because of Aachan, and the defenders of Ai routed the Israelite army of 3000 and killed (I love this bit) "about 36 of them" About 36? what's all that about? We don't say about when connected with a specific number - about 40 ok, but about 36???
Joshua and the priests cast lots to find out who is responsible. One can imagine the confidence of Aachan as first his tribe is chosen, then his clan, then his family and finally Aachan is chosen by lot.
Aachan confesses that he took a Babylonian robe, about 5 kg of silver and about half a kilo nugget of gold.
Aachan bought trouble on Israel and his punishment is a not very nice death.
Was his death deserved? was God being unreasonable not to overlook a cloak and what today is about £1800 of silver and £11000 worth of gold?
I suspect that there is a principle at stake here and poor Aachan is a bit of an example.
Joshua 8
This time the entire Israelite army goes to attack Ai. Part of the army goes around the back of the city to create an ambush.
The army attacked head on and then broke as the defenders chase them.
This time the ambush troops rush into the now undefended city and set fire to it.
When the smoke is seen, the fleeing army turns and counter attacks, trapping the Ai soldiers between two fronts.
Every man, woman and child is killed from Ai and the king is impaled on a spear until nightfall when he is buried rather than being left as an example for others.
These days we do not have the death penalty in the UK, though it was not that long ago that it was abolished. And hanging in irons has been not used for a couple of hundred years (since public executions were discontinued) but in the town of Rye in East Sussex they have the town gibbet which still has the head of the last person to be hung in irons in it on display in the town hall.
Israel then renews the covenant terms as instructed from mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim as detailed in Deuteronomy.
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