Word of Encouragement (06/07/2023)
And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?" (Josh. 7:7-9)
This is a prayer of lament Joshua prayed after Israel was defeated at Ai. We can sense panic in Joshua’s words. That’s understandable. This was only the second battle Israel fought in Canaan. Who knows how many more Israel was supposed to fight to conquer the Canaanite nations? And this defeat came after the most glorious victory at Jericho. Jericho was much larger and stronger than Ai. The spies, who scouted Ai, said, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few” (7:3). So, Joshua sent about three thousand men. But instead of an easy, resounding victory, they experienced a shameful defeat and fled before the men of Ai.
How demoralizing this was for the people of Israel as they had just begun their military campaign against the numerous Canaanite nations! If these nations heard about their defeat at Ai, which they certainly would, what would they think (v. 9)? Israel would be a laughingstock. The kings of the Canaanite nations would be emboldened, and each of them would put up a fierce fight. Joshua could not understand what God was doing!
We know why God allowed this to happen, but Joshua didn’t. The problem was that he thought he knew. So, he launches into a lament. It would not have been a problem if it were just a lament, expressing his fear and sorrow. But Joshua’s words were more than just a lament; they were laden with a tone of accusation: “Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan” (v. 7). Isn’t it so surprising that this sounds so much like the grumblings of the people of Israel, who perished in the wilderness? Joshua questioned God’s integrity, wondering whether He brought them into the land of Canaan to be destroyed by the Amorites, just as the Israelites questioned God’s integrity, wondering whether He brought them out of Egypt to destroy them in the wilderness, if not in Canaan. Joshua complained that it would have been better for them to stay in the Transjordan region rather than in Canaan, just as the Israelites complained that they would have been better off if they stayed in Egypt!
This is what happens when we judge God according to what we see right in front of our eyes instead of humbly acknowledging our myopic vision and waiting patiently for God’s timing to carry out His good will. Joshua did not know what Achan had done. Yet, as if he knew everything, he prematurely jumped to conclusions regarding God’s character. If Joshua could do this, we can see how easily we can fall into the same trap.
Let Joshua’s action be a warning to us. Is your heart growing bitter and resentful toward God because you dare to judge God according to your limited and faulty assessment of your situation? Has God not shown to you again and again how foolish that is? Let us trust the Lord and His goodness. In fact, let us show Him how much we trust Him by praising Him and thanking Him in advance for the good He will do for us!