The defeat at Ai is described in chapter seven.
The children of Israel acted unfaithfully and committed a trespass in that which was devoted to destruction, for Achan took of that which was devoted to destruction. Concerning this, the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the children of Israel (v. 1).
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, telling them to spy out the land. After they spied out Ai, they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Not all the people need go up; let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai. Do not make all the people labor there, for the enemies are few” (vv. 2-3). So only about three thousand men from the people went up there (v. 4a). This indicates that Israel acted on their own, without seeking the Lord’s direction and without having the Lord’s presence.
Israel was defeated and driven away by the men of Ai (vv. 4b-5). As a result, “the heart of the people melted and became like water” (v. 5b).
In verses 6 through 9 we have the anguished cry of Joshua and the elders of Israel to Jehovah. Joshua rent his clothes and fell to the ground upon his face before the ark of Jehovah until the evening. The elders of Israel did likewise. Joshua said, “Ah, Lord Jehovah! Why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us over into the hand of the Amorites and cause us to perish? If only we had been content to dwell across the Jordan! Oh, Lord, what can I say after Israel has turned its back before its enemies?” (vv. 7-8). Joshua continued by asking Jehovah what He would do for His great name.
Verses 10 through 15 are a record of Jehovah’s charge—to deal with the stealing of the thing devoted to destruction. Jehovah told Joshua that Israel had sinned, trespassing His covenant by taking that which had been devoted to destruction and putting it among their goods. That was the reason the children of Israel were not able to stand before their enemies but instead turned their backs before them. Jehovah went on to say that they would not be able to stand before their enemies until they removed from among them that which had been devoted to destruction. Jehovah charged that he who had stolen what was devoted to destruction was to be burned with fire, he and all that belonged to him.
Verses 16 through 26 describe Israel’s dealing with their sin.
First, Israel found out the one who committed the sin (vv. 16-21). They did this by the Urim and the Thummim on the high priest’s breastplate of judgment (Exo. 28:30). The one who committed the sin was Achan, of the tribe of Judah. When Joshua commanded him to say what he had done, Achan replied, “It is true; I have sinned against Jehovah, the God of Israel; and this is what I did: When I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle of Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And now they are hidden in the earth in my tent, with the silver under it” (Josh. 7:20-21).
Israel dealt with Achan by taking him, his sons and his daughters, and all that he had and stoning them with stones and burning them with fire. Then they erected over him a great heap of stones, and Jehovah turned from the fierceness of His anger (vv. 22-26).
In 8:1-29 we see the victory over Ai.
Verses 1 and 2 are Jehovah’s instruction to Joshua regarding Ai. Jehovah charged Joshua not to be afraid or dismayed but to take all the people of war with him to attack Ai. Jehovah promised Joshua that He had given the king, the people, the city, and the land of Ai into his hand. Then Jehovah charged Joshua to do to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king and to take the spoil and cattle of Ai for Israel’s plunder. Finally, Jehovah instructed Joshua to set an ambush for the city of Ai behind it.
In verses 3 through 29 we see the conquest and destruction of Ai. Joshua accomplished the attack according to Jehovah’s instruction (vv. 3-26, 28-29). Then Israel took the cattle and the spoil of the city of Ai for themselves as plunder according to what Jehovah had commanded Joshua (v. 27).
Verses 30 through 35 are concerned with Joshua’s recording and reading of the law to the people of Israel.
Joshua built an altar to Jehovah, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, and they offered upon it burnt offerings to Jehovah and sacrificed peace offerings (vv. 30-31).
There at Mount Ebal, in the presence of the children of Israel, Joshua wrote upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses (v. 32).
Verse 33 speaks of the blessing of the people of Israel according to what Moses had commanded (Deut. 11:29-30; 27:11-13).
Finally, Joshua read the entire law of Moses, both the blessing and the curse, to the congregation of Israel (Josh. 8:34). Thus, verse 35 concludes, “There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before all the congregation of Israel and the women and the little ones and the sojourners who went among them.”