The plan was made, the 30,000 men assigned had taken their position under the cover of the night. The 5,000 men with Joshua camped between Bethel and Ai. However, we see no evidence that the king of Ai had any plan in case of another attempt by the Israelites. This often happens when people rest on their laurel after one victory. The king of Ai must have thought that their victory over Israel’s first attempt which killed 36 of their men was final. He must have become complacent because of that victory. If not, he would have assigned sentries to be on a lookout for any further attack of Israel. How careless they were! They had forgotten that one swallow doesn’t make a summer. Their complacency serves as a reminder for us never to be complacent and rest on our laurel on our spiritual journey. We need to be alert at all times. That’s the reason 1 Peter 5:8 warns us to “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your (our) adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Joshua, on the other end, took nothing for granted. Learning from his defeat, he left no stone unturned. His plan was thorough and his instructions to the men were detailed. There was no margin for error. Joshua mustered his 5,000 men early in the morning and had them stationed in ambush position between Bethel and Ai. Having stationed his men where they were, Joshua spent the night in the midst of them. It came about in the morning, that the king of Ai saw Joshua. He and all his people charged out after Joshua without thinking. They did not realize that they were walking into a trap. They probably thought that they could repeat another massacre of Israel. But how wrong they were! There is always a price attached to carelessness. They went out unsuspecting that they had walked into an ambush. At first, Joshua and the 5,000 men with him acted as if they were running away from the king of Ai and his fighting men. The plan was to lure them away from the city so that the 30,000 could emerge from the rear end, annihilate the city and sandwich the forces of Ai in-between. This would give the army of Ai no room to escape. There is a lesson for us here. It is imperative that we stay circumspect in our Christian walk. It pays to stay alert and circumspect at all times in our spiritual journey. Be sure not to walk into any trap of the enemies making. No matter how well-meaning people may seem to be, we must stay alert and discerning. Remember the proverb that says, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Learn to read intentionality.
The carelessness of the king and the people of Ai leaves us with another lesson. We must watch out for our unguarded moments in life. The king of Ai and his men left the city unattended to pursue Joshua and the 5,000 men. This happened because they did not take the time to consider every conceivable angle. By their carelessness, they were blind-ended and took things for granted. It is said that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. We must seek always to engage our mind with God’s thoughts. The great commandment tells us not only to love the Lord with our heart and soul, but it also tells us to love him with our mind. Our mind is often where the battle is fought and won. Transformation of life always takes place with the renewal of our mind. Take to heart what Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” One sure way to be certain of God’s will for our life is to have a “Word and Spirit” renewed mind. Make it a point to cultivate a renewed mind.
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