Online Sermons
Lesson #5 - Conquest and Guile
Series: No Time For NeutralityLESSON #5 – CONQUEST AND GUILE
Conquest At Ai / Chapter Eight
1. How did God help Israel rebound from a previous defeat at Ai?
Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, and go to Ai. - vs.1
~ This included 30,00 valiant warriors in a military ambush. – vs.2
~ In this case (as with Jericho as well) the Israelites were permitted to confiscate spoil and cattle. – vs.3
~ In military terms, Joshua employed a maneuver called a “feint”. – vss.5-6 and 14-17
Israel faked being routed (retreat) to draw out the enemy allowing the hidden warriors to ambush & burn the city. – vss.20-23
2. This time Ai was utterly defeated.
Compare Joshua’s holding forth his javelin (vs.18b) with Moses holding forth his staff (Ex.17:9f).
The King of Ai was captured and brought to Joshua. – vs.23
~ 12,000 men and women of Ai were slaughtered that day. – vs.25
~ Once again, in considering why God sanctioned such a slaughter, think of the enemy as “a latent cancer”.
- What was done to the city? – vs. 28
- What was done to the king of Ai? – vs.29
3. Describe what took place following this victory?
Altar erected … sacrifices offered … Law inscribed … Word of God reiterated. – vs.30f
The above actions served to acknowledge God as The Source of Israel’s victory.
Guile Of Gibeonites / Chapter Nine
1. What four cities comprised the Gibeonite alliance? – vss.3 & 17
Rather than wanting to battle with Israel what did this alliance opt to do? – vss.3f
~ What manner of subterfuge was employed by the Gibeonites?
~ Why did they lie? Why motivated them to act with such duplicity? – vss.7 & 11 and 24-25
2. Did their scheme to obtain favor and peace work? – vs.15
In what way might the Israelites have avoided this trickery? – vs.14
How was the deception of the Gibeonites discovered? – vs.16
What was the positive consequence of this peace treaty? – vss.17-20
~ Even though duped, was it important that the Israelites keep their word (they had sworn an oath)? – vs.15 & 18-20
? As to the importance of keeping a sworn oath, see 2Sam.21:1-6
What was the negative impact for the Gibeonites? –vs.21f
~ In essence this was a case of the Gibeonites throwing themselves at the mercy of the Israelites? – vs.25
~ What role (service) would they henceforth perform to the benefit of the Israelites?
- Their “curse” (vs.23) was that they would forever be servants: wood-cutters and water-toters. – vs.27
- Is there a sense in which this curse also became a blessing to the Gibeonites? – cf. Josh.10:10-14 with 2Chron.1:3
