Sermon Notes: Joshua 8 Second Chances

Joshua 8 Sermon: 2nd Chances

People often say these two phrases:

“I deserve a second chance.”  Well, that’s probably not true and says something about us for thinking we deserve anything.

And We Say

“They don’t deserve a second chance.”  Well, that might be true, but not giving them a second chance says something about us, like we are the king of the Universe.

As most of you know, I teach high school math and physics, and a very common thing in math classes is that you can retake a test, you can have a second chance.  We do that in education for a wonderful reason.  We actually want the kids to learn the material, even if it takes a little longer, even if it’s more work on our part, even if we need to stay after school for hours of extra help, we need to explain things multiple different ways and come up with more examples, maybe they have to learn from their mistakes in order to be tested again.  Second chances are a wonderful, caring, gracious thing, and are one of the things that makes a good teacher.  

But, what happens, with retaking tests or any kind of second chances is some people begin to think they deserve the second chance, they count on the second chance before the first chance even happens, the kids ask “will there be a retake test?” before they take the first test.  They assume that you should give them a second chance because they’re so wonderful.  People take advantage of your forgiveness.  People take advantage of your second chances.  This says something about them as a person, and it’s not good.  

And you are tempted to say “No, you don’t get a second chance.  You don’t deserve one.” But, what would actually be right of you, a good teacher, Godly of you, is to still have grace and mercy and caring about them so much that you sacrifice how you feel about it and what they deserve and carry your cross, help them learn anyway, help them realize what they need to do and how they should change their perspective and try harder that first time… and giving that second chance… and maybe that third chance… but there can still come a very sad point… where there is utter failure… or where they don’t even take that opportunity for a second chance.

So, we find ourselves in the story of Joshua in the Old Testament in chapter 8 today, after Achan has gone against God taking silver and gold and a precious robe from Jericho, which God specifically said not to do, Israel went against the village of AI “aah-eee” and thought it would be a cake-walk… they only sent up a small fraction of the army, but the Lord did not deliver AI into their hands, instead 36 men died, that’s 36 families now without a father, and they fled, they failed the test… because Achan failed the test.

I look back at chapter 7 as God knew about Achan’s sin, but gave him time to be found out.  Perhaps if he had come to Joshua and repented earlier, he could have been saved, but he hid the riches, about $40K worth of gold and silver under the floor of his house.  You don’t dig up the floor of your house and hide that without your wife knowing, without the whole family knowing it was you.  They were in on it.

That TIME was THEIR second chance and God the Father prescribes judgement on that family.  The Achan lineage stops then and there.  This does not mean that God executes everyone who hides that they did wrong.  But, there is a principle here.  It’s very dangerous to think you can pull off a heist against God.  That you can keep something from Him.  That you will just get a second chance because He is so gracious and you deserve it.  The FEAR of the Lord is Wisdom.  

So God gives the Israelites a second chance and describes how they are to go retake this test of AI in chapter 8… because they FAILED the TEST the first time in chapter 7.  They were supposed to be God’s people and enter into the promised land and right now they are defeated, afraid, and in despair!

Verse 1

1And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. 2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.”

When you are down and out after failing God’s test, he doesn’t rub it in, He says, do not fear and do not be dismayed… now here’s the plan.  He has a plan for your victory over sin, he has a plan for your victory over that temptation.  And, His plans are so much Higher than your plans, so really listen to His strategy.

It’s also really interesting, this time, they can take the spoil and livestock of the city.  It’s like the rest of them passed the test of not taking the spoils of war, only Achan failed that one, and he’s gone now, so they don’t need to be tested on that again.

He says, take ALL the fighting men, and lay an AMBUSH.

The first time at AI Joshua took a small army because he thought it was a pushover, this is going to be easily taken, it’s such a small city… but following God’s plan with his second chance he’s going to give it his ALL…

Think about what that says about when we fail the test, we sin, we are ashamed, we repent and feel terrible and feel like we are just going to fail again.  God says GET UP AND GIVE IT YOUR ALL!!!  HERE’S THE PLAN!!!

Verse 3

3 So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night. 4 And he commanded them, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready. 5 And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us just as before, we shall flee before them. 6 And they will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city. For they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us, just as before.’ So we will flee before them. 7 Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will give it into your hand. 8 And as soon as you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire. You shall do according to the word of the Lord. See, I have commanded you.” 9 So Joshua sent them out. And they went to the place of ambush and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai, but Joshua spent that night among the people.

Are you strategic about overcoming sin?  I always thought this was what it meant to be a Methodist, to plan out the step by step method, to be methodical about overcoming sin and taking advantage of that second chance.  What if we sought the Lord for a plan and then sat at a table and wrote the plan down step by step, here’s what I’m gonna do when that person walks in the room, here’s what I’m gonna do when that commercial comes on the TV, here’s what I’m gonna do when I’m tempted with X,Y, or Z.  Here’s what I’m gonna do when I’m alone.  Here’s what I’m gonna do when I’m in a crowd.  MAKE A PLAN.  Only YOU know what led to your failures!  YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT JUST LIKE JOSHUA KNEW TO EXPECT AI TO CHASE AFTER THEM… God can turn your failure into the very thing you need to have success against sin.  Take it seriously and give it your all!  You can’t just hope you don’t sin again!  You will!  MAKE A PLAN!

I heard a great plan when I was 17 years old at a youth conference and I still FOLLOW IT to this day.  The trigger is when I see an attractive woman… I used to look and then really look and it would lead to sin, but I heard this plan and I still follow it, you can have this plan.  When you see a pretty woman, pray for her future husband… and not that it will be YOU, and don’t pray for her, that will breed intimacy, pray for HER FUTURE HUSBAND and give it your ALL.

Lord, I ask that you would raise up a Godly man to marry that young woman.  That you would prepare his heart right now to follow You all his days, that he would be strong in You, studying your Word, filled with the Holy Spirit.  Give him wisdom and patience and courage and health and a good paying job… Keep him pure and honest and faithful.  Grow in him the fruits of Your Holy Spirit, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Forgiveness, Faithfulness, Gentle-ness, and Self-Control.  Build up a Godly Husband devoted first to You.

I’m not focused on her anymore, I’m praying a prophetic blessing to a man I’ve never met and will never meet and it’s selfless… the way to have a strategy against selfishness is to be selfless.  

Back to Joshua

Verse 10

10 Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11 And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai. 12 He took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. 13 So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley. 14 And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness. 16 So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city. 17 Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.

This is not a self-help plan, this is a spiritual thing.

When you make a plan for that next testing, be ready to listen for the Holy Spirit.  The Lord might have more for the plan in that moment, so always make listening for the Lord part of your battle-plan.  

Verse 18

18 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. 19 And the men in the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it. And they hurried to set the city on fire. 20 So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers. 21 And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. 22 And the others came out from the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. And Israel struck them down, until there was left none that survived or escaped. 23 But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him near to Joshua.

You can have a decisive victory over that sin in your life.  You can stop it once and for all if you give it your ALL and use the Lord’s PLAN, that’s the moral of the story here.  God gives victory into your hand.

Verse 24

24 When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the edge of the sword. 25 And all who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000, all the people of Ai. 26 But Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction. 27 Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their plunder, according to the word of the Lord that he commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it forever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day. 29 And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.

Again, the Israelites have made a heap of stones that stands there to this day.  This is an Ebenezer, it is a place of remembrance, a place that when you walk by you tell your children this story about second chances, you want this story to go deep into your soul, that when you fail, God says, do not be dismayed, rise up and give it your all with MY PLAN, ane learn from that failure, set out a strategy for what to do next time because you know the triggers, you know the things that started you down that failing path last time, don’t be tricked the same way again.  You do the tricking.

Israel has entered the promised land and Moses told them what to do when they entered, back in Deuteronomy 27-28

Verse 30

30 At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 33 And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

They didn’t have a party, they followed what Moses said to do when you enter the promised land in Deuteronomy 27-28, made an altar of natural stone so no one could boast about how pretty they made it, they sacrificed, the wrote the Words of the Law on the stones, they read out the Words of the Law, the blessings and the curses, what to do and what not to do.  They prepared for the next physical battle and the next spiritual battle.

And, here is what I think they read aloud and wrote on the stones:

Give HW if there isn’t enough time.

Deuteronomy 27:12

12 “When you have crossed over the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 And the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:

15 “‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’

16 “‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

17 “‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor's landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

18 “‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

19 “‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

20 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father's wife, because he has uncovered his father's nakedness.’[b] And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

21 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

22 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

23 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

24 “‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

25 “‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

26 “‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

 

Deuteronomy 28:3

3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. 5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

7 “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. 8 The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 9 The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. 10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. 11 And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, 14 and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

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So, they Studied the Word because more temptations, more tests, more battles were coming.

Look at how the next chapters each start:

Chapter 9 verse 1:  As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea, all of those people, heard of this, they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

Look at chapter 10 verse 1:  As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, what he had done to Jericho and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace he feared greatly.

Look at chapter 11.  This should sound familiar:  When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of this, and he marshals all these other kings now of the north to fight against Joshua. 

Worship Team_____________________________________________

Just like Israel, when you have victory, there WILL BE another fight a spiritual fight coming.  Prepare for victory over sin, after victory temptation, after victory over the cares of this world.

Prepare for the next battle for your mind, for your time, for your emotions, remember this story about AI if you have a failure.  You don’t deserve a second chance, but God is GOOD and He gives second chances.  Give your ALL in that second chance.  AND don’t think highly of yourself, acknowledge that the LORD brought you victory, and get ready for the next battle. AMEN.

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So, we started with the sayings: “I deserve a second chance.” and “You don’t deserve a second chance.”

What we should say is “I don’t deserve a second chance and neither do you.” God is good and gracious and awesome in His Love for us.  He chose to give me a second chance and I’m going to make the most of it.  I’m going to give it my all.  And, you don’t deserve a second chance either, but in view of all this grace He has shown me, how could we not give each other a second chance?

Amen.