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God refused to bless the Israelites when there was
sin in the camp. So when they went up against Ai, they were routed
by the troops from the little city. Once Joshua and the Israelites
had dealt with Achan, God's blessing was released and He reiterated
the command to wipe out the inhabitants of Canaan. The Israelites
would have to do all the fighting because there wasn't going to be
any supernatural event this time. However, unlike with Jericho, they
could loot the city of its goods and animals. God told the
Israelites to set an ambush, approach the city to draw out the
defenders, withdraw in disarray to further draw out the defenders,
and then spring the trap by having the troops who were hiding behind
the city to move in and burn it. God has no pity for His enemies;
every man, woman and child in Ai perished that day. This is a
gruesome story for the people in Ai but it is important to remember
that God gave the Canaanites several hundred years to repent.
Despite God's mandate to invade the Promised Land, He also refused
to bless Israel when there was sin in the camp. The same holds true
today. |
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