The Feed Mill

Today’s Bible Reading: Joshua 8-10

Today’s Devotional: Joshua 8:1-13

Treasure from Ai

The Lord now says He’s given Ai into their hands, and the children of Israel are allowed to take a booty from those the Lord has conquered before them. At Jericho they were to take nothing from the city, but there was one who did not listen and disobeyed.

The result of even one disobeying reflected on and had consequences for the whole congregation. The individual learned the natural consequences the congregation will shortly herald from Mount Ebal of not obeying the Word of the Lord; and the congregation got a quickened knowledge of the consequences of those within the congregation walking according to what is right in their own eyes, that a little leaven does what?

Joshua 8 the children of Israel now return to Ai, emboldened for battle, this second time with a knowledge that has grown in experience and trust. In the New Testament the type of knowledge this would refer to that they had ascertained was Epignōsis. A knowledge that is gained from personal involvement; or practical application time, for those who may have spent any time in the military. The children of Israel saw and experienced first hand that the Lord truly is in their midst and among them, it’s not their stature before men which has done anything. What the congregation learned above all else, and what the Lord desires for every Christian to learn, and came now with the experiential knowledge of to Ai this second time and why it was after such a loss: that they had learned that the most important treasure, above all is the presence of God with them and for Him to be in their midst every second of the day. Because of God’s Holiness to keep to the curses that come from not obey His Word they know now that He is faithful to keep to His blessings. And because of His presence amongst them to know what had been concealed, they know they have their reward always and not only in battle and times of need.

So we therefore sit with the Lord, as Christians we have the Lord living and dwelling with us, and the Holy Spirit living within us. We do not only have Him when the time is need but He is with us always, He does not only speak to us when we come up to the trials and difficult times of life but always. The congregation if they understood this before the battle at Ai the first time they would have sought the Lord even when the times seemed good. That we always seek the Lord and rely on Him in the good or bad and not on our own understanding or what we think is best for the situation, but we go even a step further we rely on Him even in times of rest, because He gives us seasons of rest and preparation so that we have learned to trust in His strength and Word and not our own. We see the Lord also gave this rest and preparation to the children of Israel before they crossed the Jordan throughout the entire book of Deuteronomy. These things are an example to us of the patterns and ways which the Lord works and how He desires for us to take full advantage of every season.