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Joshua 6-8: The "Battle" of Jericho

About This Episode

Israel goes to war against the first city in the promised land, Jericho. But God does all the hard work, and the walls of the city crumble with just the sound of their voice. But, this victory is followed by a significant defeat at the city of Ai. Seth and David talk about Israel's first military campaigns as new Creation and Fall stories. And how God both defeats our enemies and rebuilds Jericho.

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Joshua 6–8: The Battle of Jericho, the Fall of Achan, and the Victory at Ai

Show Notes

In this episode of the Spoken Gospel Podcast, hosts David Bowden and Seth Stewart walk through Joshua 6–8, covering Israel's first battles in the Promised Land. What unfolds is far more than military history — it is a compressed retelling of the entire biblical story: creation, fall, judgment, and restoration, all pointing to the Gospel of Jesus.

God Wins the Battle of Jericho Without a Sword

Jericho was a heavily fortified city with towering walls and a sealed gate. Besieging it by conventional means would have cost thousands of lives. Yet the battle plan God gave Joshua had nothing to do with military force. Israel was told to march around the city once a day for six days, led not by soldiers but by priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant — the symbol of God's presence. On the seventh day, they marched around seven times, blew trumpets, shouted, and the walls collapsed in on themselves.

The most important detail is who led the march. The frontline was not armed warriors but unarmed priests walking alongside the Ark. The army followed behind. This required an extraordinary act of trust — waiting an entire week for God to move before lifting a single weapon. The victory belonged entirely to God. No one in Israel could claim they were strong enough to take Jericho on their own, and that was precisely the point. Because the conquest was founded on grace and an inexplicable act of God rather than human ability, the rest of the war would be defined by dependence on him.

Creation, Rest, and the Seven-Day Pattern

The seven-day pattern at Jericho is deeply intentional. The final day coincided with the completion of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, tying Jericho's fall to the Exodus — just as the walls of the Red Sea collapsed on Pharaoh's army, the walls of Jericho fell on its inhabitants. But the sevens also echo creation itself. For six days, God's presence circled the city like the Spirit hovering over the waters in Genesis 1. On the seventh day, instead of resting over a completed creation, God unleashed uncreation on Jericho.

Yet this destruction was itself a creative act. Israel was entering the land to build a new Eden, and the first thing God did was make something out of nothing — victory from silence, conquest from worship. During the six days of God's work, the people rested. On the seventh day, they received rest through God's decisive action. This set up a pattern for the entire book of Joshua: battle after battle would eventually give way to the declaration that Israel had rest from their enemies on every side — a fulfillment of seventh-day rest. Jericho was the first fruits of that rest, just as the resurrection of Jesus is called the "firstborn from the dead" — proof and guarantee that all future victories over Sin and Death are already secured.

Achan's Sin as a New Fall Narrative

Before the battle of Jericho, Joshua warned the people not to take anything that was devoted to destruction. Whatever was in the city belonged to God — either to be destroyed or set apart for the sanctuary. If anyone took what was devoted, that person would bring the same condemnation upon themselves and upon all of Israel. In Joshua 7, that is exactly what happened. A man named Achan, from the tribe of Judah — the Messianic tribe from which the promised King would come — took a beautiful cloak from Shinar, silver, and gold, and hid them in his tent.

The language describing Achan's sin deliberately mirrors Genesis 3. He "saw" that the cloak was beautiful and "took" it — the same Hebrew words used when Eve saw that the fruit was desirable and took it. This transforms the story into a new fall narrative set inside the new Eden. Just as God created the world and humanity fell by seizing what was forbidden, God created a new beginning at Jericho and Achan immediately repeated Eve's rebellion. The consequences rippled outward. God's anger burned against all of Israel, not because he could not identify the guilty party, but because sin — like leaven — contaminates the whole community. The same word for "toil" from the curse in Genesis 3 appears when the spies describe going up to Ai, and after Israel's defeat there, the text says the hearts of the people "melted and became like water" — the exact language used to describe the Canaanites' fear. Israel was becoming indistinguishable from the people they were sent to displace.

Why Death Is the Punishment and What It Means

God told Joshua to find the one who had taken the devoted things, and through a system of casting lots, the guilt was narrowed from the nation to the tribe of Judah, to the clan, to the family, and finally to Achan himself. The punishment matched the crime with exacting precision: Achan and his family were stoned and burned, just as Jericho had been reduced to rubble and fire. He had tried to take what belonged to God's destruction, and so he himself was devoted to destruction.

This raises the question of why death is the consistent biblical penalty for rebellion against God. The answer is rooted in the nature of God himself. God is the source of life, goodness, justice, peace, and rest. His commands tend toward life. To transgress those commands is to actively work against life — it is to choose death. The wages of sin is death not as an arbitrary punishment but as the natural consequence of cutting oneself off from the God of life. Just as Adam and Eve were exiled from the tree of life when they disobeyed, Achan was cut off from God's presence and from the community that presence sustained. Furthermore, the curse Joshua pronounced over Jericho declared that anyone who rebuilt the city would do so at the cost of his firstborn and youngest sons. Achan's sin was, symbolically, an attempt to rebuild Jericho — to reconstruct the City of Death — and it brought death upon his entire household. The impurity had to be removed so that God's presence could remain with Israel and the conquest could continue.

The Victory at Ai, the Raised Javelin, and Intercession

With Achan's sin purged, Israel sought God's counsel for the second attempt against Ai — something they had failed to do the first time. God gave them a strategy: set an ambush behind the city, then approach from the front as they had before. When Ai's soldiers rushed out, assuming they would win again, the hidden army would enter the empty city and burn it. What makes this account remarkable is God's use of Ai's own pride and assumptions against them. Their confidence from the first battle became the instrument of their defeat.

The most theologically significant moment comes when God told Joshua to stretch out his javelin toward Ai and promised to give the city into his hand. Joshua held the javelin aloft and did not lower it until every inhabitant of Ai had been devoted to destruction. This echoes two pivotal moments from Exodus: Moses stretching out his staff over the Red Sea, causing the waters to swallow Pharaoh's army, and Moses raising his hands during the battle against the Amalekites in Exodus 17, where Israel prevailed only as long as his hands remained lifted. Joshua's raised javelin was not a military signal — it was an act of intercession and a symbol of God's power. The victory belonged to the one who held the rod, not to the soldiers on the field. This points directly to Jesus, who holds all authority to defeat his enemies and who stands at the right hand of God, forever interceding for his people. By the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, we conquer — not by our own strength, but under the outstretched power of our leader.

The Covenant Ceremony Between Blessing and Cursing

At the end of this sequence, Israel gathered between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim to fulfill Moses' instructions from Deuteronomy. They read every word of the Torah aloud — blessings proclaimed from one mountain, curses from the other. This ceremony marked the entrance to the Promised Land with a choice: obedience leads to blessing, disobedience to cursing. Jericho and Ai almost function as living illustrations of these two mountains — one city representing God's faithful victory, the other representing the consequences of presumption and rebellion.

This covenant renewal confirmed that, despite the sin of Achan and the faithlessness that had crept into the camp, the major note of the story was Israel's commitment to God's covenant. Victory could be expected going forward. But the fullest reading of this scene points beyond Israel to the new heavens and new earth. One day, Jesus will proclaim all the blessings of his eternal Kingdom from the mountain of blessing: "I will dwell with you. I will be your light. There will be no more tears, no more pain." And when every eye turns to the mountain of cursing, waiting to hear what happens if we fail — the only word that echoes back is, "It is finished." God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. He rebuilt Jericho at the cost of his Firstborn so that Canaanites and prostitutes — all of us who were devoted to destruction — could be brought into his presence and given life in his eternal Kingdom.

Transcript

Intro: [upbeat music] Welcome to the Spoken Gospel podcast. Spoken Gospel is a nonprofit dedicated to the idea that every part of the Bible, Old Testament and New, is about Jesus, and this podcast is our experiment to publicly test that belief. Every episode, hosts David Bowden and Seth Stewart work through a biblical text to see how it helps us see and savor Jesus. Let's jump in. [upbeat music]

David: Well, welcome everyone to the Spoken Gospel podcast. Thank you for joining us. Seth, how are you?

Seth: I'm good.

David: Yeah?

Seth: I'm here.

David: You're here.

Seth: We're drinking coffee.

David: We're drinking coffee.

Seth: Doing it again.

David: Doing [laughs] our 101st episode.

Seth: [laughs] We totally forgot that-

David: To announce our 100th episode

Seth: ... that last week, our genocide episode was the 100th episode-

David: [laughs] So appropriate

Seth: ... which is, uh, totally appropriate.

David: And it's like, that's like a re- a, a 100 released episodes.

Seth: 100 released episodes.

David: Yeah, like-

Seth: If you were like, the ones where we open up scripture, exactly-

David: And talk to each other

Seth: ... about that, it's not quite there.

David: We're not quite there.

Seth: But I mean-

David: 'Cause we've done some specials

Seth: ... 100 weeks of, 101 weeks-

David: Phew

Seth: ... of consistent, delectable-

David: Delect- [laughs] delectable, delighting

Seth: ... de- biblical content

David: ... biblical content. Yeah, it's been, it's been awesome.

Seth: Yeah.

David: It's, it's been really fun. Uh, as, we're in Joshua. Um, as we're going through this the first time, we're asking you all, our wonderful, wonderful listeners, to, uh, ask questions.

Seth: Mm.

David: So if you have any questions about what we're talking about in Joshua, just send us an email, uh, and that email is [email protected]. That's singular, podcast@-

Seth: Not podcasts

David: ... spo- yeah, not, yeah, [email protected].

Seth: How about podcast with a Z?

David: N- podcasts? [laughs]

Seth: Podcasts? [laughs]

David: You're gonna confuse people now. Not that.

Seth: Not that.

David: Uh-

Seth: None of the things that Seth says

David: ... that's right. Only listen to the-

Seth: None of the things [laughs]

David: ... to David. Um, and, uh, yeah, and, uh, send us, s- you can type out your question, or better yet, record yourself asking it. Keep it short and sweet, and we'd love to play your beautiful voice on the podcast.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And, uh-

Seth: Hopefully answer your questions

David: ... wrestle with your wonderful questions.

Seth: With some degree of helpfulness. [laughs]

David: We'll try. So, uh, anyway, with that, we are in Joshua 6, and we're gonna go through chapter eight.

Seth: That's right.

David: And we're-

Seth: This is the Battle of Jericho at Ai.

David: We're, it's the first battle in Joshua.

Seth: Oh, the first, yeah.

David: Yeah.

Seth: You're right, the first battle.

David: Yeah. We've been talking about harem and devoting to destruction and holy war, and we've been preparing the, the military for the battle by consecrating them. They've gone in and spied out the land and made a covenant with Rahab. Like, we've done a lot of preparation-

Seth: Yes, to get to this point

David: ... to actually draw blood.

Seth: [laughs]

David: Like, here we go.

Seth: [laughs] We wanted to make sure you were ready. [laughs]

David: [laughs] Um, yes, and so, um, is that enough? Like-

Seth: I think that's enough, yeah

David: ... before [laughs] we take to-

Seth: We've, we've done our work here

David: ... catch up to speed.

Seth: Um, yeah, I mean, narratively, where are we? Um, they have done a lot of things up to this point. They've crossed the Jordan River.

David: Yes.

Seth: Uh, Joshua has completed the same narrative arc as Moses.

David: Proving that he's the new spiritual ancestor to Moses' authority.

Seth: That's right, and now, before the first battle, a angel of the Lord, the commander of the Lord's army-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... appears to Joshua and says, "I'm on nobody's side, um, but I'm on the side of the Lord," and he worships the angel of the Lord. And the reason why he's described as a commander of the Lord's army, 'cause you're, we're entering into a phase in which God's presence will be expressed militarily.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Um, and that's where we are. Um-

David: That's an interesting thing you just said.

Seth: Okay.

David: That we're entering into a phase in which the presence of God will be expressed militarily.

Seth: Yeah. [laughs]

David: It's a very helpful sentence. [laughs]

Seth: [laughs] Thank you.

David: It's a phase.

Seth: I appreciate that. It's a phase.

David: It's a pha- it's been expressed as a gardener in the opening of, [laughs] of the book, a creator, you know? Uh, he- he's been a lawmaker, right?

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: He's been a, like a priest. Uh, you know, and, and now he's been a tour guide through the wilderness, you know? [laughs]

Seth: A tour guide. [laughs]

David: Yeah. [laughs]

Seth: The divine tour guide.

David: On your left, you'll see the plains of Moab. [laughs]

Seth: And the wilderness of Sin.

David: [laughs]

Seth: Not a pun. [laughs] Just-

David: And, um, anyway, and now, yeah, for this phase, it, it, which has a beginning and an end-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... God, God's presence is going to be expressed militarily. If you have any questions about that, if you're jumping in, last week's episode is all about God and warfare and holy war and genocide and all the questions that we're not gonna answer on this episode because we talked about it for an hour last episode.

Seth: Yes.

David: So if you feel like you didn't get any questions answered about why men, women, and children are being put to the sword here in this text, go back and listen to our episode last week. Okay, so we're here. We have crossed the Jordan. The camp is consecrated. Joshua is the new Moses, and he's taking people into their first battle, which is symbolically going to be a precursor, the first fruits of the victory that they are supposed to experience all throughout the land of Canaan.

Seth: Yep, and the most significant fact about this is that there's no fighting.

David: Oh, right, uh, in the initial-

Seth: In the initial, uh, the way in which they gain access to the city and, uh, really, like, are given victory-

David: Yes

Seth: ... there is no fighting.

David: 'Cause you have to, you have to, you have to realize Jericho is this fortress.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: I mean, tall walls, uh, this huge gate that at the opening of chapter six is closed, and no one is going in and out. Like, it is a walled-up fortress, and you have to think, back in this time, I mean, g- scaling that kind of city-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... is a monumentally difficult task. You would lose thousands and thousands of lives like water upon rocks, like-

Seth: Yeah, you-

David: ... trying to besiege a fortress like this.

Seth: Yeah. I'm thinking about Helms Deep.

David: Helms Deep. [laughs]

Seth: [laughs]

David: That's what I'm thinking of.

Seth: I was also thinking of Vege-

David: I just quoted water upon rocks-

Seth: Water upon rocks from-

David: ... from Two Towers. [laughs]

Seth: I was also thinking of the VeggieTales version-

David: Oh

Seth: ... with the Slurpee.

David: Keep walking-

Seth: [laughs]

David: ... but you won't knock down our wall. Yes.

Seth: I'm also thinking of Monty Python and the-

David: Oh

Seth: ... Frenchman on top [laughs] of this wall.

David: Yes. You n-

Seth: [laughs]

David: I don't even know if that's a bad word. I hope not.

Seth: I don't know.

David: I just said it.

Seth: [laughs] Anyway, just a high wall in which you really can't take, take the city without taking the wall at a, an incredible loss-

David: That's right

Seth: ... of human life.

David: Siege, yeah, like siege weapons were very rudimentary at this point, battering rams, things like that. But imagine wood against stone, you know, with archers shooting down at you the whole time. I mean, it's, I just wanna, like, overemphasize-

Seth: How difficult this would have been

David: ... how difficult this would've been. And so God comes to Joshua and gives him his battle plan.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And it does not sound smart.

Seth: He says, "Walk around the city once a day-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... being led by the priests and the Ark of the Covenant.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Um, and then on the seventh, after doing that for six days, on the seventh day, walk around the city seven times-

David: Seven times

Seth: ... blow the trumpets and yell.

David: Yep.

Seth: And every, e- every other day you're supposed to be silent, except on the last day.

David: That's right.

Seth: And then you yell, and then the walls of the city would fall apart. At the, at the word of the Lord-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... the city walls would crumble, and then they would go and take the city.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And that was, that was it. [laughs]

David: The walls would just fall over.

Seth: I mean, the walls would just fall over.

David: Yeah, and I think the, the language, like collapse in on themselves.

Seth: Yeah. It's, uh-

David: Which would do a lot of the work of the s- of the, of the warfare-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... just by the walls falling inside like dominoes.

Seth: Yes. I mean, you can imagine, like, if it's, it's a walled city, you have soldiers, like, over on the parapet-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... of the walls, so, like, you, there's a loss of life even with just the walls collapsing.

David: Exactly.

Seth: You have the people inside the city at that point also dying. And then there's just the chaos ensuing when you have a fully organized army ready for the walls to fall, nobody on the inside knowing the walls are gonna fall.

David: Oh, right.

Seth: And then they all rush in, and they're like, "What? What just happened?"

David: Yeah. Did the walls fall?

Seth: They just yelled. Yeah.

David: I didn't even know that was, like, on the table as a possibility.

Seth: Yes. And all that happens. Uh-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... and it's kind of amazing.

David: It is amazing.

Seth: It's literally... And so I think the mo- And so in, in all that, I think the most important fact is that the frontline troops as well are the priests.

David: Oh, yeah.

Seth: The priests and the temple are-

David: The presence of God, the Ark of the Covenant

Seth: ... in the presence of God, the Ark of the Covenant, are leading the troops.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And the army is, we're told, has to walk behind them. So in all of this, the frontline troops are God's unarmed priests-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... along with his presence.

David: Yes, which is, like, a theme throughout the Bible. Uh, you and I are also studying Samuel right now.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And it's like I see that all throughout Samuel where, where David just kind of backs up and lets God do something.

Seth: Yeah.

David: You know, he lets the ark go before him in a sense, you know? And it's like, it's a thing. Like, to, to allow Go- to trust God in battle is a huge theme in Joshua.

Seth: I m- and I mean, it, it's just, it's a, a crazy concept-

David: Mm

Seth: ... to have a literal enemy with literal swords.

David: Right.

Seth: And then you wait for your God box to move.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Like, it's a crazy... [laughs] I, I think about that, like, frequently.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Like, what is David doing when he thinks-

David: Joshua.

Seth: Or Joshua doing?

David: Yeah.

Seth: Like, what, it's like that's an incredible amount of faith that you have to, like, wait for God to move before you do.

David: For a week.

Seth: For a week.

David: [laughs]

Seth: And it's, it's ama- I... And then even in David's life, it's like I'm not gonna... It's, it's crazy to me.

David: Yeah, it's crazy. The amount of faith-

Seth: It's amazing anyways. It-

David: ... that takes is amazing.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Um, there's a couple significant things, um, also happening. There, there, this number seven.

Seth: Yeah. Why seven?

David: So there's a couple things that I noticed. One is the seventh day would be the completion of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Seth: Okay.

David: So you have the Passover right before, and then there's the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which stretches a week, and then it ends on the day the walls of Jericho fall.

Seth: Interesting.

David: Yes.

Seth: Meaning that's, it's symbolic of f- f- freedom from their enemies.

David: That's right. Yep.

Seth: Um-

David: Yep. Just like after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the walls of the Red Sea fell upon Pharaoh.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: So the walls of Jericho at the end of the feast are falling upon the Jerichites.

Seth: The-

David: Jer- the Jerichonians. [laughs]

Seth: The Jerichonians. I like Jerichonians. Uh, okay. I like that.

David: Uh, the other thing that I think is really interesting is it's, anytime you have, almost anytime you have seven-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... like-

Seth: Creation

David: ... you, you've gotta think about creation.

Seth: Yeah.

David: It's the first seven. It's the foundation of seven. Um, and especially when something happens not only seven times, but when there's six days of something happening and then something different happens on the seventh day-

Seth: Yeah, yeah, yeah

David: ... you've gotta, you've gotta think about creation. And so it's interesting that you have God's presence moving around like the s- like the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters.

Seth: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

David: He's moving around this city over the tohu vavohu-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... you know, which is like-

Seth: The wild, the waste

David: ... the Hebrew for the wild and the waste.

Seth: Yeah.

David: The, the chaos, the darkness, the deep, um, the s- the great sea monster- [laughs]

Seth: Yeah

David: ... uh, of uncreation. God is swirling around this city for six days, and on the seventh, instead of resting and, and, and looking at creation, he unleashes, uh, in uncreation.

Seth: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

David: Uh, and it's just, it's kind of like this, uh, it's kind of like new creation because it's the first step in the new Eden.

Seth: Yeah.

David: So we have to remember here that Israel's taking the land because they are coming back to build a new Eden.

Seth: Right.

David: And the first act they do is resting in their faith in God and allowing him to make something out of nothing-

Seth: Right

David: ... to speak and let things happen.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And the seven-day cycle cues us in to the fact that Eden is being made again, and it will be done ex nihilo by God.

Seth: That's really cool. [laughs]

David: [laughs]

Seth: I, I hadn't thought about... I mean, I was like, "This is probably something to do with creation." I was like, that's really... And I like how even, like, the, during the six days of God working, the people are resting.

David: Exactly.

Seth: And then on the day when everyone is supposed to rest, they do, they eventually, they do receive rest-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... but by God working. Like, I mean-

David: Oh, yes.

Seth: Right.

David: And, and what that should do then also is set up this paradigm. Oh, this is so interesting.

Seth: Right.

David: Okay, I just... So, um, you kind of have this proleptic seventh day that beg-

Seth: Proleptic meaning like looking forward

David: ... uh, meaning like starting and pointing forward.

Seth: Okay.

David: And so it starts, uh, the seventh day anticipates rest-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and so, but it begins with battle. And so the idea is that they're entering into seventh-day rest through battle, and what do you get in Joshua? You get all these stories of battle, starting with Jericho, and then they finally end, and you get a statement of sh- shalom, a statement of rest. They had rest from their enemy on every side. It's like in the middle of Joshua.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Uh, and it's like, oh, there's seventh-day rest. It happened. And, like, the Ark comes to Shiloh, and it's built, and-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... like-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... anyway, I'm just like-

Seth: No, no, that's really good.

David: Yeah, I think it's like-

Seth: If this is a new Eden and a new creation, it makes sense that there are some, uh, that the rest is involved in the new Eden.

David: Right.

Seth: Uh, and that God is doing it through his work, uh, and then they're entering into it.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: That makes a ton of sense.

David: Yeah. That's, that's crazy.

Seth: There, I mean, there are, uh, Genesis 3 parallels in the next story that we have, too, with Achan.

David: Mm.

Seth: So it's just, for, for me, it's just like, it's all part of a whole, if we're, like, talking about this be- Then, oh. Then let me just-

David: What?

Seth: Let's just play this out.

David: Okay. Okay.

Seth: So we do have a work of creation here-

David: Yes

Seth: ... in Jericho-

David: Right

Seth: ... in, in chap- in chapter six. In chapter seven, what we have is one of the men of Israel's camp taking something that's been devoted to destruction, devoted for the Lord-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... and taking it for himself.

David: Right.

Seth: And the language is that he saw something beautiful, a cloak of Shinar-

David: Oh

Seth: ... and takes it.

David: Come on.

Seth: And it's actually the same word from Genesis 3. So it's-

David: When Eve saw the fruit of the tree-

Seth: It was beautiful

David: ... it was desirous to her eyes-

Seth: Same word

David: ... and she took it.

Seth: And she took it.

David: And then she was devoted to destruction.

Seth: And then she was devoted to destruction.

David: Come on.

Seth: So you have a creation and fall narrative inside the new Eden.

David: You have to leave now.

Seth: [laughs]

David: Leave. You, you must leave.

Seth: You must leave. [laughs]

David: I need a moment.

Seth: [laughs]

David: I need to lay down for a full hour. [laughs]

Seth: That's amazing. So then that means, so the... And then if we just play it out to the very end of that, then you have that person destroyed.

David: Yes.

Seth: The, the, the seed of the serpent is then destroyed-

David: Right

Seth: ... within the narrative of its- it- itself, and then Israel's allowed to go back into the land.

David: And they claim victory.

Seth: And they claim victory, and then they have rest. So it's like in miniature, it's-

David: It's the whole story of the Bible.

Seth: It's the whole story of the Bible. [laughs]

David: [laughs]

Seth: That's remarkable. Um-

David: The, wow, the Bible authors-

Seth: The Bi- they knew what they were doing.

David: Yeah, and the, the s- the s- the Holy Spirit-

Seth: He also knew what he was doing. [laughs]

David: This is amazing. [laughs]

Seth: So I mean, if we just take, if we take that as one way in which to see Jesus-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... in this, in this text, it's almost, in that scenario, it's less so about Jesus being the one who claims victory and more as the, Jesus as the one who is orchestrating victory. It's the gospel of God's control over the affairs of mankind.

David: Oh, 'cause a- like, what kind of God, with wielding what kind of control, could orchestrate the events of a couple weeks' worth of warfare, uh, to repeat the story of a 4,000, 6,000, 8,000-year-

Seth: [laughs]

David: ... redemptive salvation history?

Seth: Yeah.

David: Only Yahweh.

Seth: Or even the fact that God has provided the land.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: He's provided the victory. He's provided the terms of living in his new land. "Don't eat of this. Don't take of that. Eat of this instead." We have someone who doesn't do that. God then comes and destroys him.

David: Mm.

Seth: The sna- the, the, the, the serpent, he crushes his head in that moment, and then he provides new rest for his people and increased victory over that same place. It's like-

David: Oh, yes

Seth: ... God is the one doing everything-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... in the passage. He's telling Joshua what to do, and he's obeying him. So in a sense, Joshua is the new Adam, obeying God's command-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... and God's providing new rest. So how do we see Jesus in the good news there? Like, God, Jesus is in the heavens. God is in the heavens, providing for us the way in which we receive rest.

David: Mm.

Seth: And once we are obedient to him, we enter into that rest. He crushes the serpent for us.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: He provides victory for us. He clearly lays out the terms by which we live in his presence. "Do not take, and take from me." [laughs]

David: Yeah.

Seth: Like, and we live with him.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Like, it's a r- I think that's a really b- yeah.

David: Yeah, it's really beautiful. Um, yeah, I mean, I have nothing else to add to that.

Seth: I don't [laughs]

David: I just wanna, I wanna go back to Jericho-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and, like, just meditate on the faith in God's presence, circling our enemies, and, like, meditate on the victory of Jesus as the final Ark of God, claiming victory over our enemies-

Seth: Mm

David: ... while we sit back and watch.

Seth: Yeah.

David: You know? And it's like, Jesus, um, I, it's, it's easy to think about the cross. I mean, it's not easy. I most often think about the cross, um, in terms of Jesus being defeated for me.

Seth: Right.

David: Right?

Seth: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

David: Which is, like, really good.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Super appropriate, but it's also Jesus winning a conquest through unlikely means.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Like, circling Jericho? Really? That's gonna conquer something?

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: A cross? Really? Some dude died 2,000 years ago.

Seth: Yeah.

David: You really think that did something? Yeah, I did. Look at the walls of Jericho-

Seth: Right

David: ... and look at the empty tomb.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Like, Jesus conquested, um, our enemies for us-

Seth: Mm

David: ... our enemies of condemnation, and shame, and guilt-

Seth: And the serpent. [laughs] The snake

David: ... the seed of the serpent.

Seth: Seed of the serpent.

David: Um, our enemy and accuser, Satan. He conquered all of that through the unlikely means of circling the city. Like- Like circling death.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And he died on the cross. In, in, in that, the walls of Jericho fall. Like the walls, the fortress of sin, the, the impenetrable walls of a six-foot grave- [laughs]

Seth: Yeah

David: ... fall and s- we're released.

Seth: It makes me think about our, our prayer time this morning. We were, we were praying through Psalm 17?

David: 17, yeah.

Seth: 17, and talked about being in the shadow of-

David: Of his wings

Seth: ... of his wings.

David: In, in the apple of his eye.

Seth: In the apple of his eye. And then the whole rest of the Psalm is about the destruction of God's enemies-

David: Right

Seth: ... which is like a really strange, like-

David: Turn, yeah

Seth: ... turn from like, "He's the a- God- I'm the apple of God's eye. I hide in the-

David: He's a sweet God. Yeah.

Seth: He's a sweet God," and then like, David's praying for the destruction of his enemies. Um, and we prayed along the lines of like, there's, um, the enemies of God want nothing more for us than to not feel protected by him-

David: Right

Seth: ... and to not feel as if we are the apple of God's eye.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Like, we constantly struggle with the idea that we are, God doesn't love us like a son.

David: Yeah.

Seth: God, we aren't protected by God. God doesn't wanna protect us. He would rather just throw us out there and let us get what we deserve, you know?

David: Right.

Seth: Like, we have this like poor picture of God-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... that he just wants us to suffer, and he's meticulously calculating all the things we did wrong, and just wants to get us.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Um, and all those voices are the voices of the enemies.

David: Yes.

Seth: And so I think too about like what does Jericho represent? It represents home.

David: Mm.

Seth: It represents protection. It represents God being faithful to his promises.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: It rep- represents God's steadfast love towards Israel, right?

David: Yeah, it totally does, and I think as such, since it represents all those things, it is vitally important that the first battle was won by the inexplicable act of God-

Seth: Yes

David: ... that had nothing to do with the people's ability in battle.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Because, like, they would've been like, "Oh, we're really strong. We got this."

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And the rest of the conquest would've like looked differently. But since the conquest was founded upon grace first, and an act of God, and a movement of God first, the rest of the battle, the rest of the war looked different.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And I think that's really important for us as Christians to know, like, because Jesus dying on the cross and our ability to believe in him in faith was first an act of grace and mercy, the rest of our war looks different.

Seth: Yes.

David: Like, because it's-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... we know it's God working in us and not ourselves working. We don't have to go conquer every battle ourselves, because God is the one who conquers it for us.

Seth: Yeah, he, on his own, secures for us the verdict-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... that we are the apple of God's eye.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And that we are under his wings, and no enemy-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... can take that from us. Like, no, and this is what Romans 8 is talking about, or this is John 10:10, "None can snatch you out of my hand."

David: Right.

Seth: John 10:10.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Uh, Romans 8 is like, "Shall tribulation, or persecution, or famine, or stress, or nakedness, or sword separate us from the love of God?"

David: Nope.

Seth: By no means. Why? Because he's destroyed the enemy-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... by his own power. He has circled the walls of Jericho-

David: Yep

Seth: ... and a cross has provided you perfect access to home, a home in his presence forever.

David: Yeah. It's so good. I also like think about Jericho as the first fruits of the battle of all of Canaan.

Seth: Mm-hmm. Like the, like the, yeah, yeah.

David: Like, since Jericho was a successful expedition, the rest of Canaan will be as well. Since God gave us Jericho, we will get the Holy Land. And like that's how the New Testament reflects on the cross, or really it reflects on the resurrection. Uh, there's a strange phrase in the New Testament where it's like, "Jesus, the first born of the dead," right? The first fruits from the grave, the first born of all creation. Like, Jesus, his resurrection is proof of a future resurrection. Like, Jesus-

Seth: Yes, yes, yes, yes

David: ... rising from the grave is our proof that we too will, will, will raise from, w- raise from the grave. And so it's just like looking to Jesus's cross as the first victory against Satan and against death that guarantees-

Seth: Right

David: ... all future victories.

Seth: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

David: Um, so it's just like if you are, if you ever are like doubting your own salvation, your own resurrection, uh, the fut- like your future with God-

Seth: Or your o- your, your own status in God's eyes.

David: Yes.

Seth: Like-

David: Right

Seth: ... do you doubt that you f- are loved by God? Do you doubt that he desires to protect you-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... and call you his own?

David: Yeah, look to the resurrection.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Look to the fact that Jesus has beaten the grave. The walls of the final Jericho have fallen. [gentle music]

Seth: Okay, we're gonna move on to chapter seven and the sin or the fall of Achan, which we just discovered is like a new type of, he's like a new Eve repurposing the fall. But before we go there, we really should go back to Joshua 6:18. This is a warning that Joshua gives to everybody before they go into battle, and they say, "But you," referring to his soldiers, "keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction, and bring trouble upon it." So we've talked about devoted destruction before.

David: And that's the, that's herem.

Seth: That's herem, and the idea is that everything in the city is devoted by God to be destroyed.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And if it's not devoted by God to be destroyed, it's devoted by God for God, um, and that's the, some of the gold that they use to, uh, furnish the sanctuary. That's some of the animals that they use in sacrifice.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And depending on the city, herem looks a little bit different.

David: Yes.

Seth: So another reason why this is not a, a, a senseless genocide, like the herem correc- commandments change between city and city.

David: That's right.

Seth: Um, and so in Jericho, everything was supposed to be destroyed.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: But in Ai, the animals were supposed to be left alive to not only be sacrificed to the Lord, but also to be used by-

David: Food

Seth: ... as food.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Um- Regardless, the point I was trying to make was, um, [tongue click] Joshua says, "If you take anything from this city-

David: Mm-hmm ... that is devoted to destruction"

Seth: ... that is dev- devoted to destruction, you yourself will be devoted to destruction.

David: That's right, yep.

Seth: Uh, because this-

David: Punishment fits the crime

Seth: Yeah

David: Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

Seth: Yeah, you, this i- this belongs to the Lord.

David: Yep.

Seth: He has devoted it to destruction. If you take it, you are bringing upon yourself that same condemnation, that same-

David: We will hand you over to the Lord.

Seth: Right, so-

David: Yeah, this, this g- there's a goat in the city that's devoted to d- destruction. It's meant to be handed over to God in death. If you go and take that goat, then you will be handed over to [laughs] God in death.

Seth: Yes. [laughs]

David: You will be devoted to destruction. Yeah, it is Leviticus justice.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Straight up, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

Seth: Yes.

David: Yep.

Seth: And so in chapter seven, verse one, we hear these words.

David: Oh, no. [laughs]

Seth: "But the people of Israel broke faith-

David: Ah

Seth: ... with regard to the devoted things, for Achan, the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah-

David: Uh-oh

Seth: ... important, the chosen tribe-

David: Yep

Seth: ... the tribe from which the Messiah was supposed to come-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... uh, took some of the devoted things, and the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel."

David: Burned again- now, there, I mean, there's a lot there-

Seth: The, yeah

David: ... to unpack.

Seth: Yeah, so that, that phrase "burned against" is a pretty strong word.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Um, it's used in Exodus 32, uh, at the golden calf.

David: Right.

Seth: It's used in Numbers 25 and 32 to, to describe the rebellion of Korah, uh-

David: In where?

Seth: Uh, Numbers 25. Isn't that, isn't that-

David: It's Numbers 16.

Seth: Oh, I don't remember what Numbers 25 is then. Numbers 25 is, uh, I just put in Numbers 25 into Google, and it just brought me up the number 25. [laughs]

David: Number, [laughs] number 25, Google.

Seth: The number 25.

David: That's really funny.

Seth: Uh, oh, it's when Moab seduces Israel, and they start, uh, worshiping other gods because of-

David: Oh, because of Balaam

Seth: ... Balaam, because of Balaam.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And then-

David: And God's anger burned against them there

Seth: ... yeah. And then Numbers 32, is that the other one? Anyway, there's one, one other time. So the idea is it's really egregious-

David: Uh-huh

Seth: ... idolatry.

David: Yes.

Seth: Uh-

David: And but the s- the s- the interesting thing is it's Achan, we're told, is the one who broke faith regarding the devoted things, and yet God's anger burned against all Israel.

Seth: Yes.

David: And we know because of how they found out it was Achan that, like, God knew who it was all along. God wasn't like, "Who did it? I smell something bad in the air. Who farted?" You know?

Seth: [laughs]

David: Like, that's not what's happening. [laughs] Like, who farted?

Seth: That's not-

David: I'm mad with everybody in the room.

Seth: [laughs]

David: Someone farted.

Seth: That's really funny.

David: But it's like God knew exactly who it was, and yet he is angry with all of Israel.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Why?

Seth: Um, well, in, it's the same kind of logic that applies to the devoted to destruction. The, the sin of the Canaanites had progressed to such a point that being a part of a Canaanite civilization and being part of the hard-he- hearted, uh, few who remained behind-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... was enough to implicate everybody who remained behind, even if they weren't soldiers.

David: Yep.

Seth: So there's a se- there's a rippling effect of idolatry that is assumed. If one person, uh, is idolatrously attached to this, the whole tribe is.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Or at least the clan is in this, in this case. But in even the first one, the whole of Israel-

David: Yeah, the people of Israel

Seth: ... the people of Israel are under threat from being devoted to destruction by the Lord. Um, so did I answer your, what did I, did I answer your question? I mean-

David: I mean, that's one answer.

Seth: Yeah, yeah.

David: I think.

Seth: That's one answer.

David: So there's, there's a-

Seth: Yep

David: ... there is a, uh, a consistency between- There's a consistency between the justice God is bringing against Canaan-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and the justice that God expects and will bring against Israel.

Seth: Right.

David: Okay?

Seth: But there's, like, God's handling-

David: Yep

Seth: ... both the same way.

David: Yep. There's also the idea of purity, right?

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: That, like-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... if you were just reading straight through your Bible and you have Leviticus ringing in your ears, this does not sound surprising to you.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Because the whole idea of Leviticus, m- like, cleaning up the area around the tabernacle so that God's presence could be there, you know, and if it's not clean-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... God will either punish you or leave. He'll kick you out, or he won't be there.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And then if you have, like, Numbers ringing around in your head, how many times did one person or one clan sin-

Seth: Yep

David: ... and the whole-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... like, camp of Israel had to be punished?

Seth: Yep.

David: And so, like, there is this purity that God is after, uh, and that's why Israel's going into the land, to clean it up from impurity. And so if they're-

Seth: And when you say purity, you mean like-

David: Yep, nothing bad

Seth: ... like zero-

David: Nothing bad

Seth: ... percent bad.

David: Zero percent bad.

Seth: When you have 1% bad, it, it messes with the system.

David: Yeah.

Seth: You can't-

David: It's like if you put a little bit of poop in dough-

Seth: It, it-

David: ... and then I make bread for it, I'm like, "Here you go. Here's bread for you. There's 500 grams of flour in this bread and only one gram of poop."

Seth: It doesn't matter.

David: [laughs] It doesn't matter. A little bit spoils the whole thing.

Seth: Yep. The other way to answer this question, and it's an important facet of this question, is that Achan is acting as a representative for all of Israel-

David: Yep

Seth: ... in two different ways.

David: Okay.

Seth: In one, he's from the Messianic clan, and so he-

David: Oh

Seth: ... right? So, like-

David: Oh, there's, like, a threat to the entire future of God.

Seth: Well, it's a f-

David: [laughs] Whoa

Seth: ... threat to the entire future of God.

David: Whoa. [laughs]

Seth: Um, and then I guess there's three ways. And secondly, just, like, the idea that people can represent corporations, meaning, like, a corporate body. Like, Adam represents-

David: Don't get, don't, don't get political with me. [laughs]

Seth: A- Adam represents all of humanity.

David: That's right, yep.

Seth: Jesus represents all-

David: All of humanity

Seth: ... of humanity, and any one Israelite represents all-

David: All Israelites

Seth: ... Israelites. Paul even uses this logic. Like, if you break one law, you break all the laws. Like-

David: We still, we still do this today.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Right? It's like, uh, w- like, uh, L- uh, what's his name, Lauer? Matt Lauer.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: You know, uh, is, like, this horrible womanizer. It comes out.

Seth: Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes.

David: And then it's like, "I'm, boy, cancel the Today, Today Show. Shut it down. The whole Today Show has to be canceled."

Seth: Right.

David: It's like Susanna Guthrie didn't do anything, [laughs] you know?

Seth: I don't know who that is, but-

David: She's another correspondent-

Seth: [laughs]

David: ... on the Today Show. Uh, and it's like nope, shut it all down.

Seth: Got it.

David: And it's like we do the same thing.

Seth: Yeah, cancel culture-

David: Cancel culture

Seth: ... is a bad s- like, it's, it's-

David: It's a, it's a bad version of this

Seth: ... it's a bad version of this. But also, Achan is not the only person who's being sinful in Israel.

David: Mm.

Seth: So m- I think part of the logic here is that Achan is the most egregious example of faithfuln- faithlessness that's happening everywhere in Israel.

David: Oh.

Seth: Uh, so think about a, um, the way Moses, when he finally struck the rock, and it was that act of faithlessness.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: There was faithlessness throughout the whole camp of Israel up to that point.

David: Right.

Seth: And then when Moses finally has an act of faith- faithlessness, it kind of communicates not just the leaders failing, but actually faithlessness is kind of everywhere.

David: Okay.

Seth: And we actually see this in the text-

David: Oh, okay

Seth: ... in chapter 7, verse 3. So we get that one verse that's saying Achan stole something, and then we go straight into the battle. Now they're preparing for the next battle-

David: Right

Seth: ... against Ai. And so they send some spies up into Ai to kind of figure out what they should do, and in verse 3 it says this, "And when the spies returned to Joshua, they said to him, 'Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or 3,000 men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.'" So a couple interesting things. The word toil is the same word from the curse-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... used in Genesis chapter 3.

David: Which we just said 7:1 is the beginning of the fall narrative.

Seth: Right. And, two, how much toil was actually involved in taking Jericho. [laughs]

David: In taking Jericho. [laughs]

Seth: So, like-

David: It's like, "Don't make me do one lap around a city again."

Seth: It's like, I don't... Like, why-

David: Is this toil?

Seth: Why is this toil?

David: Why is this part...

Seth: What-

David: God is not cursing you and making you go up to Ai. He's trying to give you blessing.

Seth: So, right. [laughs] Exactly, so there's like s- there seems to be some, like, faithlessness that's kind of endemic to the nation of Israel. Besides that, we also have narratives in the previous parts of the Bible in, in Numbers where the spies go into the land and say, "Oh, it's..." They come back with bad advice anyway.

David: Right.

Seth: Or the-

David: Well, and they don't ask God.

Seth: And there's no mention of God. [laughs]

David: Yeah.

Seth: That's another big part of this.

David: They just go up and look and like, "Eh, I don't know. We can, we can, we, we can whip them."

Seth: Yeah. "We can, we, uh... It's gonna be fine." There's no mention of God. There's no asking for permission. There's no asking for a battle strategy. None of that happens here.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Along with the fact that they're like, "The last battle was so hard." [laughs]

David: Right. And it's like, where's the commander of the Lord's army in this?

Seth: Right.

David: The last time we set out to besiege a city, God came and gave us the battle plan. It's just like-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... the whole narrative structure is broken.

Seth: Right.

David: So when you say, I was, I was, like, gonna fight you.

Seth: Mm-hmm. I know you were. [laughs]

David: Uh, when, when you said, like, it wasn't just Achan sinning.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: It was, you know, a lot of, a lot of people.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: I was like, I don't think everybody took devoted things. But you're saying different types of faithlessness.

Seth: Different types of faithlessness.

David: Yes.

Seth: And Achan's was the most egregious-

David: Yes

Seth: ... or the most-

David: Okay

Seth: ... prominent or the most-

David: Got it

Seth: ... f- It was, it was the symbolic representation of the sinfulness that was happening everywhere-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... throughout Israel.

David: So it's possible that, um, after Jericho-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... the, like, the people became proud.

Seth: Yeah. Presumptuous. Yeah.

David: Yeah.

Seth: That's exactly right.

David: Like, "Oh, God's on our side. We can do whatever we want."

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: "Let's c- Let's take this city with a handful of people. Let's not ask God what the deal is," and like, "Come on, I'm gonna take this goat."

Seth: Yeah.

David: You know? [laughs]

Seth: We do, they do what's right in their own eyes. They-

David: Right, yep

Seth: ... uh, they see something that looks good. They see a strat- that looks good to them, and they just decide to go after it. And all this is confirmed because they go ag- ba- battle against Ai-

David: Right

Seth: ... and the whole nation is defeated. And then we're s- told this in verse 5, "And the hearts of the people melted and became like water."

David: Uh-oh.

Seth: It's the same language used to describe the Canaanites before they went into Jericho. It's, it's saying all of Israel has in one sense become like Canaan. Their hearts are melting within them before, uh, the Lord. They're, "I've idolatrously chosen a different path than the Lord-"

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... apart from the Lord's, like, understanding-

David: Yep

Seth: ... like, ways.

David: Yep.

Seth: And they're s- becoming like Canaan.

David: Yep.

Seth: So all that's happening.

David: Wow. Yes.

Seth: Um-

David: Okay, so Joshua then tears his clothes-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and repents and s- goes up to the Ark of the Lord and just starts talking to God and, like, putting dust on his head and lamenting. And he's saying, like, "Why, God, did you bring us over the Jordan at all to just be given over to the hands of the Amorites? Would that we have been content to dwell on the other side of the Jordan. Why have you even brought us here if we're just gonna be destroyed? What about your promises? What about your name? Everything's ruined. What are you gonna do, God?"

Seth: And, and this verse nine, "For... And if you don't do anything, if you continue to let this happen, 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?"

David: Yep.

Seth: Uh, so he's saying, "God, your name's on the line if you don't provide us victory in battle." At this point, Joshua doesn't know anything's wrong. He's assuming-

David: Right, that God's just, like, abandoned them

Seth: ... God's abandoned them.

David: Yep.

Seth: So in some ways, in a lot of ways this had a lot to do with, like, the b- the Sinai. It's a lot like what happened at Mount Sinai. You have the law given.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: You have this great moment of God's presence, like, on the mountain.

David: Oh, right.

Seth: And then God's giving his law, and then they worship a golden calf. And then God's like, "I'm gonna destroy them all."

David: Yep.

Seth: So we, a- Achan does this. God's gonna destroy them all, and they lose in battle.

David: And then, yeah, and now, uh, uh, 'cause back in Mount Sinai, Moses kind of says some of the same things.

Seth: He says almost like-

David: He's like-

Seth: ... "God, if you wipe everybody out, what about, what will happen to the name of your people, and what will happen to your great name?"

David: That's exactly right.

Seth: "We'll be defamed among the nations."

David: The only difference here is that Moses knew what they did wrong.

Seth: Knew what the sin was.

David: And Joshua doesn't.

Seth: Right.

David: And so Joshua, it sounds like an accusation against God. "God, we've done nothing wrong, and you're failing your end of the bargain."

Seth: Yeah.

David: Uh, Moses knew what he did wrong, but he was still appealing to God for mercy.

Seth: Yes.

David: Um, so anyway, so that happens. He intercedes on behalf of the people, and then God tells him what's wrong.

Seth: And I love, I love God's response. He goes, "Get up. Why have you fallen on your face?"

David: [laughs]

Seth: Like, "There's nothing to lament about. I'm just doing what's right." He's like, "Israel has sinned. They've transgressed, and so I've, I've punished."

David: Yes.

Seth: He's just like, "Why are you lamenting?" [laughs]

David: I just, I love that. I, I don't know why I love that so much.

Seth: Yeah. That, I mean, it's like, "Just get up. Let's fix this problem."

David: Let's fix this problem.

Seth: So it's, uh, "Therefore, the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies because they have lied and put some of my devoted things in their own belongings."

David: Right. And so God says the remedy to the situation will be, uh, they have become, Israel has become devoted for destruction, and I will be with you no more unless you destroy the devoted things from among you So like, God's like, "I'm outta here unless you go and destroy those things that were devoted for destruction." And so they go through this, um-

Seth: Lot system

David: ... lot system-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... of trying to find who, who done it, right?

Seth: Yeah. And I, I don't, we always like, what, what, what are lots? It's like, whoever rolls double sixes, that's the lot.

David: Yes.

Seth: That's the way I imagine it. So it's like you have all the 12 tr- leaders of all the 12 tribes of Israel, and they roll lots. And whoever lands double sixes-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... that's the person-

David: Or the other way to think about it is you have this cube or whatever-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and you write all 12 tribe's name on each side.

Seth: Right.

David: You have Dungeons and Dragons dice-

Seth: Yeah, yeah

David: ... that's like custom curated, and it falls on Judah.

Seth: And then they roll it again.

David: And they land-

Seth: It lands on-

David: Yeah, they write all the clans' names.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And then they write all the family names. That's another-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... yeah, we don't know exactly what lots was.

Seth: But basically-

David: But yeah

Seth: ... that's how they figure it out.

David: Yeah. And they whittle it down all the way to Achan.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Yep.

Seth: That's right.

David: And so when it comes to Achan, they go into his tent. They pull back like a covering, like a hidey-hole, and they find 2,000 shekels of silver and a gold bar weighing 50 shekels. And, uh, and, um, Achan says, "I, I took it 'cause I coveted them."

Seth: Yeah. They looked, uh, a beautiful cloak, which is that same word-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... in Genesis 3, and he took them.

David: Right. Oh, I forgot. This is interesting. So when God is commanding, or when God is telling Joshua what happened, he says that they have stolen-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and lied. They broke the seventh and the eighth commandment. And then here, um, Achan admits to breaking the 10th commandment in coveting.

Seth: Oh, yeah.

David: And so it is kinda like go- the golden calf, where they-

Seth: Yep

David: ... broke the second commandment or whatever.

Seth: Yeah, don't make idols.

David: Yeah, don't make idols.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And now they're breaking the seventh, eighth, and 10th commandment. So it is-

Seth: That's right

David: ... hearkening back to all that.

Seth: Yeah. That's exactly right.

David: Yep.

Seth: Um, and the pun- And so, um, the punishment for all this is essentially-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... th- is the same punishment that was given to Jericho.

David: That's right.

Seth: The stones would cover th- the r- they would be covered in a ruin of stones-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... and that it would be set on fire.

David: And they would be devoted to destruction.

Seth: Yeah, devoted to destruction-

David: Right

Seth: ... in the case of Jericho meant-

David: Yep

Seth: ... the, the, the town being, uh, re-

David: Yep

Seth: ... resorted to rubble or-

David: Right

Seth: ... ruined to rubble-

David: Right

Seth: ... and burned.

David: Yep.

Seth: And that same thing is about to happen to Achan and his family.

David: Right.

Seth: He is supposed to be stoned, covered in the stones, and burned.

David: He and his family.

Seth: And his family, yes.

David: Yeah.

Seth: In the same way-

David: In the same way Jericho was not just the men of arms but the whole families-

Seth: Right

David: ... that remained in the city. They were all devoted to destruction.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: So in the sa- so Achan's sin came down upon his whole family, his whole property, and the things that were originally devoted from destruction that he stole. Everything is stoned and burned, and there's just this big pile of stone, which it became to this mon- monument-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... that was like, "We shouldn't sin." [laughs]

Seth: Yeah, like just like-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... the, the ruins of Jericho became a monument, so does Achan's-

David: Yep

Seth: ... uh, burial ground or stoning ground.

David: Yep.

Seth: Um-

David: So what's a helpful way for people to think about God's justice here as, like, requiring Achan, like blood, blood for blood? Like, "Hey, you took t- you, you stole." You know, like-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... in America we'd be like, "Okay, go to prison for 10 years."

Seth: Right.

David: You know? And it's like, okay, punishment fits the crime.

Seth: Oh.

David: Does the punishment fit the crime here? Like, that's like, I feel like-

Seth: Well-

David: ... that's the question people are gonna be asking

Seth: ... if it's a, a new fall narrative-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... um, we would have to say yes. So if it's a new fall narrative and the original fall was a compl- a rebellion against God's means of creating a new Eden-

David: Yes

Seth: ... like, you are not just taking some gold.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: You are running counter to God's purposes to not just bring peace for all people, but you're running counter to God's divine commands.

David: Yes.

Seth: So it's like there's a divine dis- disobedience, and you are bringing death and sin to not just the generations that are alive at that time but all people of all time. So, like, there's, like, a real sense that what Achan is doing would last for millennia.

David: It would last forever.

Seth: It would last forever.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Like, if he... And so, like, him to be punished by losing his life is the appropriate punishment for his crime.

David: To save all of Israel.

Seth: To save all of Israel.

David: And then all the world.

Seth: That's exactly right.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Um, i- in the same way that we count God just when Adam and Eve-

David: Ate fruit

Seth: ... well, like fruit.

David: Oh, right.

Seth: Like, why can't I-

David: Big deal

Seth: ... I... It's fruit. It's what it represents.

David: Right.

Seth: It represents a total dismissal of everything God intends to do through his people.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Um, and so what, what's the curse? You will surely die.

David: Right.

Seth: Like, that's, it's the, it's the same thing. It's the exactly the same thing-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... uh, that's happening.

David: Why death? Like, why, why is it death, both for, like, Adam and Eve and Achan here? Like, I j- like, why that punishment? Why is that the, like-

Seth: Why can't it just be like, "You'll be put in prison for the rest of your life," or-

David: Or, like, let's, let's even try to, like... I don't wanna say, like, death is the worst possible thing you could do. That's not the re- But, like, why is that the, the punishment that fits the crime? I'm like-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... like, why not be tortured every day until you die, you know, like-

Seth: Oh

David: ... you, it could be worse than death, too.

Seth: Right, right, right.

David: You know? [laughs] Like, death is not the worst thing God could contrive. Um, so it's like, why is death the thing that i- is, like, the punishment for rebelling against God and not being able to be in Eden anymore?

Seth: Right. So, and I mean, and one sense you have categories for life and death in the sacrificial system.

David: Oh, yep.

Seth: So, like, you have God is the God of life.

David: Yes.

Seth: So if you transgress, come across God's plans, intentions, or commands for life, you are devoting yourself to the opposite of life.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: You have chosen for yourself the opposite of life-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... and God is giving it to you ver- in very brutal terms. Like, you s- you want death, you can have death.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Um, if you transgress God's commands, he punishes you with death. Like, that's, like, the, if you transgress the commands of life, you get death.

David: The wages of sin is death.

Seth: The wages of sin is death.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Um, and, and I think that's a really simple way to understand it, but I don't- Also don't think you need to get much more complicated than that. It's like you have a God who is h- holy, separate, set apart, and all that He does tends towards life, goodness, justice, peace, and rest.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: He has given you laws that will tend towards life-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... and justice and peace and rest. If you decide to go against one of those things, you are actively working against the divine commands of justice, peace, life, and rest.

David: You're choosing death.

Seth: You are choosing death. So God's, and God takes that seriously.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And so he commands the opposite of that.

David: Right.

Seth: He commands death.

David: Right.

Seth: A proportionate response to what you are trying to steal from God.

David: Mm. Life.

Seth: Steal... Life.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Steal from God and steal from His people.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Life.

David: Yeah. That's true. Yeah. I think it's also, like, uh, when I think about this as a new fall narrative, you know, it's like to be away from God-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... is death.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Right? To be... 'Cause you're away from the tree of life in the Garden of Eden.

Seth: And there's this line here that you will not be able to stand in f- in the presence of your enemies anymore.

David: Right.

Seth: Like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

David: Yeah. And it's like the Ark of the Covenant is there. That's the thing that circled Jericho and caused it to fall-

Seth: Mm

David: ... and, like, the-

Seth: Right

David: ... this is the presence of God walking around the camp in the cool of the day, you know?

Seth: Yes.

David: Like, and, and so he is actively, um, like yeah, choosing the opposite of God. Like, to... He, he's saying like, "I don't wanna be in God's presence."

Seth: Yeah.

David: And so God is like, "Okay, then I'm... To cut you off from your, from my presence, you've chosen death. We're gonna bring that sentence up to now."

Seth: Yeah.

David: "Instead of making you wait 50 years for it, it's happening now. I'm bringing your sentence-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... present." You know? Like, anyway, I just think that's interesting.

Seth: It is, yeah.

David: Uh, okay, the other thing I think about, real quick, I just wanna make this connection, 'cause it's helpful for me when I think about, um, death for death kind of, you know, the exchange that's happening here, is the whole idea from the Torah about, um, murderers and the, um, the, uh, what, the avenger of blood.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Where it's like if someone dies in Israel, there is a impurity. An unsolved murder compromises the dignity, the purity of the land-

Seth: Yeah, yeah

David: ... and therefore the presence of God. And that's what's on the line here. God says, "I will not be among you anymore. I'm gonna leave. My presence is going to leave if this doesn't get cleaned up." And so, like, a murder that's unsolved in the land of Israel means God won't stay around. And so they have to find who is responsible for the murder and put that murderer to death-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and then the purity is restored and God can dwell among His people. Even so much so that, like, if a murder is unsolvable-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... cold case, they have to at least offer a sacrifice and say, "God, we don't know who committed this murder or if it was a murder at all, but here's a sacrifice."

Seth: Right.

David: "And then it's solved."

Seth: Yeah.

David: Like, that sin creates this impurity in the land that threatens intimacy with God and must be cleaned up.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And so this is the eye for eye, tooth for tooth punishment that cleans up-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... the impurity that's threatening the people's intimacy with God. And not only their intimacy with God, but, like, if God is expressing Himself militarily in His presence in-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... Joshua, they are compromising their future ability to take Canaan. Like, they won't be able to win wars anymore-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... if they don't deal with this.

Seth: Right.

David: Because God will not be on their side, and we see how that goes-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... whenever God's not on their side in the Battle of Ai.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Uh, so anyway, I think all that's on the line.

Seth: Yeah. And just to rewind a little bit to go back to Joshua 6, after Jericho is destroyed, uh, Joshua pronounces this curse. "Cursed before the Lord be the man who tri- rises up and rebuilds the city of Jericho-"

David: Oh, yes

Seth: ..." at the cost of his firstborn son shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates."

David: Oh, there you go.

Seth: So you have, like, this instance where Achan is trying to rebuild Jericho. Like, there's this rebellious city.

David: Mm.

Seth: Um, and he tries to... He takes its devoted things.

David: Right.

Seth: And he is acting, his heart melts within him like he's a Canaanite, like he's a-

David: Oh, yeah

Seth: ... Jerichonite, and, like, he's rebuilding-

David: Yep

Seth: ... Jericho.

David: And so his-

Seth: He's rebuilding-

David: Yep

Seth: ... the Tower of Babel. He's repeating the sin of Eve.

David: Right.

Seth: Like, he's doing the same stuff again. And, and what happens? At the cost of his firstborn, he lays the foundation to that new City of Death.

David: Yep.

Seth: Like, he's, like, rebuilding the City of Death, and it brings death to his whole family.

David: Yep.

Seth: Um-

David: Man, yeah. That's really good.

Seth: So that's, I think that's why death.

David: Yeah, I think... That's why, that's just, like, a, just a big question here.

Seth: And so then-

David: So-

Seth: ... let's preach the gospel-

David: Oh

Seth: ... on that for a second.

David: Yes.

Seth: So one day, Jesus will rebuild Jericho.

David: What?

Seth: J- Jesus will rebuild Jericho. Um, God will lose His firstborn Son to bring Canaanites and prostitutes back to Him.

David: [laughs] Yep.

Seth: [laughs] It's like He, He does it.

David: Yeah.

Seth: The God of life allows His Son to die so that life can go to all people who should've been devoted to destruction.

David: Oh, that's so true. Yeah. There, there... Yeah. I mean, when I, when I think about, like, in the New Testament when it talks about, like, the wrath of God remains on those who do not-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... yet believe-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... you know, in Jesus, where it's like we are devoted to destruction.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And Jesus takes us as spoil, right?

Seth: Yep. Yeah, yeah.

David: For Himself, and brings us into His tent, hides us under a rug, and He's like-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... "You're mine now."

Seth: Yeah.

David: And God says, you know, or whatever.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Like, is like, "Okay, but in order to take what is devoted to destruction, you have to be devoted to destruction."

Seth: Yeah.

David: And God fulfills His own law by becoming flesh-

Seth: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm

David: ... dying on the cross for us.

Seth: Yeah, yeah.

David: He is devoted to destruction in order to save- Us-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... who are devoted to destruction.

Seth: Yeah. It's like, so John says basically, so it's like the idea is, like, whoever is not devoted to Yahweh is devo- devoted to be destroyed.

David: Right.

Seth: And everyone who's devoted to Yahweh will live.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And so John says basically the same thing in John 3:16. "Whoever believes in God's Son will not perish, but have everlasting life. But whoever does not believe is condemned already." And the idea is the light has come into the world, but people love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. So, like, when God's people show up in Canaan, Rahab saw the light-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... of God's faithfulness to His people and believed in Yahweh. The rest of Jericho preferred their darkness. They chose to fortify their position, shut themselves in and fight rather than devote themselves to God. And so if our world, then, is like Jericho, it stands condemned already.

David: Mm.

Seth: Our world, we are devoted to destruction. And like you just said, the good news is that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, and if we, like Rahab, believe and devote ourselves to Him, we become part of His hi- His people-

David: Mm

Seth: ... we escape destruction, and we're given life in His eternal kingdom.

David: Mm.

Seth: That's amazing.

David: Yeah.

Seth: He rebuilds Jericho. [laughs]

David: [laughs]

Seth: And-

David: And bears the punishment for it

Seth: ... and bears the punishment for so, so that Canaanites and prostitutes can be with Him in His presence. [gentle music]

David: Okay, so if this was the fall narrative and the crushing of Achan was the kind of salvation moment for Israel-

Seth: Yes

David: ... then what we have next is the, like, second coming of Jesus. [laughs]

Seth: This is the new creation.

David: The new creation.

Seth: Yeah, yeah.

David: They're going back, or they're going further into Eden, and they're taking territory.

Seth: Yes.

David: Eden is growing.

Seth: Eden is growing.

David: Yeah.

Seth: In this, in this version of the new creation, there's still sin and wickedness-

David: Right. [laughs]

Seth: ... but, but for now-

David: For now

Seth: ... let's go, go with this here.

David: You gotta use your literary imagination.

Seth: Um, yes. That's exactly what's happening.

David: Yep.

Seth: And so that means the Battle of Ai has to happen again.

David: Because they failed the first time-

Seth: Because they failed the first time

David: ... when they didn't seek the counsel of God.

Seth: But now that they have sought the, now they seek the counsel of God-

David: Yes

Seth: ... after destroying the person who, um, s- took the things that were devoted to destruction-

David: Yep

Seth: ... and threatened the camp of Israel, they ask God what to do, and God gives them their battle strategy.

David: Ha.

Seth: Uh, he tells them to set an ambush, essentially, and to hide some people behind the city and to go up in a similar formation as they did last time and when they were beaten back. So the idea is they have this large army behind the city that's hidden, they don't know they're there, and then they do the same thing they did last time. And then Ai's gonna be like, "Oh, yeah, we took these guys last time.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Let's go get 'em, boys."

David: So they walk up, and then they start running away with a limp, and it draws the people out of the city.

Seth: Right. So all the soldiers rush after them to just destroy them-

David: Right

Seth: ... 'cause they think they can take it.

David: So Ai's empty.

Seth: Ai's empty. The large army that was hiding behind Ai comes back, burns the city to the ground.

David: And the soldiers look back over their shoulders while they're pursuing the s- believed to be beleaguered Israelites.

Seth: Uh, yes.

David: And they're like, "Oh, no, the city's on fire." [laughs]

Seth: And then they realize they're surrounded.

David: Yep.

Seth: And they are quickly destroyed. Um, and that's really-

David: Yeah.

Seth: Here's a couple narrative details that I don't know what to make of-

David: Oh

Seth: ... that I wanted to ask you about.

David: Ooh, okay.

Seth: Um, one, we've already talked about how Haran is different here.

David: Oh, yes.

Seth: Um, I also wanted to just point out in verse five and six, um, "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. And they will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city. And they will say, 'They are fleeing from us,' just as before. So we will flee before them." And what I love about that is God is orchestrating a plan that uses Ai's own pride and assumptions-

David: Oh

Seth: ... about Israel against them.

David: And it falls back on their own heads.

Seth: It, yeah. It's like, I just lo- I just loved how clever that was of the Lord. [laughs] It was like, "These guys are pretty prideful. They're gonna think they can take you really easily, so let's just use that against them."

David: Yeah, that is clever.

Seth: That's clever. I thought that was funny. Uh, but here's the question that I have.

David: Oh, okay.

Seth: Um, in verse 10, Joshua sli- spends the night among the people. Verse nine, sorry. Verse nine. "So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush and lay between Bethel and I- Ai."

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: "And Joshua spent the night with his people," verse 10. And then again in verse 13, uh, the night before, he spent the night in the valley with his people. Um, and I just thought it was such a strange narrative detail to include twice in the space of five verses in a fairly sparse military account.

David: Mm.

Seth: Um, and I couldn't tell what it communicated. [laughs] Like, I have some ideas, but, like, have you thought about this at all?

David: I have not, but the first thing that comes into my head based on everything we've been meditating on so far in this text is Joshua's resting.

Seth: Oh. [laughs]

David: [laughs]

Seth: Yeah. Yeah.

David: Like, Joshua is still living in day seven.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Like, you know, the day seven that started at Jericho where God does everything and the people rest in victory, Joshua is living it. Like, he's resting with his people in the-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... night before the victory.

Seth: That's interesting.

David: I don't know.

Seth: I like that. I also thought about, um, just him as a military leader, like what does it communicate that the king of Israel-

David: Right

Seth: ... sleeps in the camp? Like, he's not in his palace-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... uh, which is, David is indicted for in the Psalms, or in First and Second-

David: In Sam- in Samuel

Seth: ... in Samuel when-

David: Yeah, Samuel. Second Samuel 12

Seth: ... his armies go out-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... and he stays home. So I was like, well, maybe it's something about, like, his bravery, like he's being strong and courageous.

David: Oh.

Seth: He's sleeping with men, his, his men on the battlefield.

David: Yes. [laughs]

Seth: [laughs] Sleeping with-

David: Sleeping with-

Seth: Sleeping on the battlefield

David: ... sleeping alongside his men on the battlefield. [laughs]

Seth: Uh, you know, like, he's, like, just being a good warrior. [laughs]

David: Yes. A good warrior.

Seth: A good warrior.

David: [laughs]

Seth: Um, but again, I don't, I don't feel like that does it justice, or maybe it does and that's all it's supposed to communicate.

David: Maybe.

Seth: I, I don't know. That is an interesting narrative detail. Uh, so if you like-

David: I like, I like my rest one.

Seth: I like your rest one, too. It, it imports all this theological significance into it.

David: But I don't know if it, if the text can bear up under it. But anyway.

Seth: I don't think so either. However-

David: There you go.

Seth: There you go.

David: Okay.

Seth: There you guys go.

David: The other very interesting narrative detail, which I know you were getting to next, is the javelin.

Seth: Yeah, verse 18, "Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'Stretch out the javelin that is in your hands towards Ai, because I will give it into your hand.' And, and Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand towards the city." Um, and that phrase is interesting because-

David: Oh, is this on me?

Seth: Uh, that's on you now.

David: Ooh, okay. Because it's hearkening us back to-

Seth: Hearkening

David: ... two, two stories, uh, very, very important stories in Israel's history, maybe even three stories if you think about it.

Seth: Oh, gosh

David: Um, there's two are very similar. Um, it's the crossing of the Red Sea-

Seth: When-

David: ... and the crossing of the Jordan

Seth: ... God tells Moses to stretch out his rod.

David: His, his staff

Seth: ... his staff-

David: That's right

Seth: ... over the sea.

David: Yep.

Seth: And-

David: And you have the, the two walls of the sea separate, and the people pass through on dry ground. But then the walls close on either side of the opposing army.

Seth: When he stretches out his rod again.

David: When he stretches out his arm again, and he defeats the army by a, a force from each side.

Seth: And so-

David: The walls from each side

Seth: ... and here in Ai, you have Israel's army on either side swallowing up, uh-

David: As Joshua stretches out-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... his javelin.

Seth: Cool.

David: Super cool. Uh, Joshua also stretches out his, h-

Seth: Hands

David: ... his hands.

Seth: Uh, uh, Moses does.

David: Or no, but what, what happens at the, at the, at the Jordan?

Seth: Uh-

David: Does he, what does he do at the Jordan?

Seth: It's the soles of the priests' feet-

David: Okay

Seth: ... as soon as they touch.

David: So not that.

Seth: Not that.

David: Okay. But yes, uh, in Exodus 17, uh-

Seth: This is one of the first stories we hear about Joshua, actually.

David: It is.

Seth: Um-

David: Yep, it is. Joshua's the commander of the army in this story, and they are going up against the Amalekites, I believe.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And, uh, God-

Seth: Sure

David: ... God tells... What?

Seth: Sure. [laughs]

David: Sure.

Seth: I don't-

David: I'm pretty sure that's right

Seth: ... know [laughs]

David: The Amalekites, and God tells Moses to lift up his hands-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... to raise up his hands, and as long as he does, the victory is won, the battle is won. And Aaron even comes over and helps him keeps, keep his arms up.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And so it's like all of this is, like, conflating together to be like God is the one that's going to win this victory, and he's going to show you that through this raised javelin.

Seth: Yeah.

David: That it's not just... Because, like, if you just read the story, it's like, oh, cool, good military strategy, right?

Seth: Right, right, right.

David: But without this theologically imported moment of the raised javelin-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... there's no, like, credit given to God really other than for the military strategy.

Seth: Right.

David: It's like, oh, it's his power working like it did at the Red Sea and like it did against the Amalekites. It's working again here in Ai to bring about victory.

Seth: Yeah.

David: It's, again, the Ark of the Covenant, the presence of the Lord, his power is what's going out and causing victory.

Seth: Yeah, and then just to your point, verse 26, "But Joshua did not draw back his hand-"

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... "with his stretched out javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction."

David: Same thing as what happened in Exodus 17.

Seth: Yep.

David: Absolutely.

Seth: And the, the Red Sea. He, it's-

David: Yep

Seth: ... yeah, both happens.

David: Yep.

Seth: Like, God's victory is provided when the faithful warrior, uh, stretches out his hand.

David: He's interceding.

Seth: Interceding for his people.

David: For his people, yep.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And so it's like, it's a beautiful-

Seth: And that's-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... that's the, that's the emphasis in that, the, the first story, in the Exodus story.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Or they're both from Exodus.

David: Yep.

Seth: The one about the Am- Amal- Amalekites.

David: Uh-huh.

Seth: He's interceding for his people.

David: That's right.

Seth: And in the Red Sea crossing, the staff is, like, a symbol of God's judgment. He's not interceding for the Egyptians. It's like a staff of judgment or, like, a scepter-

David: Or power

Seth: ... or power, right.

David: Yes.

Seth: Like, power and intercession.

David: Yep.

Seth: Um, both those things are happening here.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Uh, so-

David: Yeah, it's interesting that when, when we're told that... Like, there, there are a couple of different prophecies I'm thinking about. Um, I think one's in Isaiah. Uh, it's referenced again, I believe, in, in, um, Revelation looking back at Jesus and what will happen in the Second Coming where Jesus is described as having a, a rod of iron-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... with which he will judge the nations.

Seth: Yeah.

David: You know? Uh, and so it's like thinking about Jesus as this God who wields all power to uproot seas and, um, vanquish armies, you know, who also is standing at God's right hand forever interceding for us, forever holding out the javelin, you know? [laughs]

Seth: Yeah.

David: He's, he... Like, like, the things God commands us to do, um, will succeed because Jesus is interceding for us. Like, he always-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... is there lifting up the javelin.

Seth: Yeah, he has, he has his javelin in power to-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... just swallow up our enemies.

David: Yeah.

Seth: "O death, where is your sting? O death, where is your victory?"

David: Right.

Seth: Like, he swallows up death, like, by his power.

David: Yeah.

Seth: By his javelin. It's just done.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Uh, and then he holds out his rod and intercedes for us-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... or he holds up his hands and intercedes and prays for us.

David: I also love that as, like, not only seeing Jesus in Joshua, right, but seeing Jesus in the battle and seeing ourselves as Joshua, where it's like, what does God ask us to do-

Seth: Mm

David: ... to have victory over our enemy, right?

Seth: Yeah.

David: It's just, he didn't fight.

Seth: Right.

David: He was just interceding. He was just pointing-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... to the direction of the battle.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And then I'm just like-

Seth: It also makes... That, no, that's so good

David: ... it's just like, man, just, like, have faith.

Seth: It also-

David: Like, pray. [laughs]

Seth: ... makes me think. I mean, this is probably taking it a step too far, but you have two layers happening. You have Joshua as the leader.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And you have the people of Israel. And normally, like, good hermeneutics would say, like, you're not Joshua.

David: Right.

Seth: You're the people of Israel-

David: Yes

Seth: ... uh, because you're normally not the hero of the story.

David: Yep.

Seth: God is.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Jesus is. But you're right, Joshua has faith.

David: Yes.

Seth: He holds out the scepter of God's power, and his enemies are defeated. What are, what are we told? Like, by the blood of the lamb and the word of-

David: Word of our testimony

Seth: ... our testimony, we, we conquer.

David: Yes.

Seth: Like, proclaim the gospel.

David: Yes.

Seth: Hold out the cross, and your enemies-

David: And you win

Seth: ... are conquered. Your, your enemies are conquered.

David: Yeah.

Seth: But at the same time, I think there's also this element of trust-

David: Mm

Seth: ... in our leader who is like Joshua.

David: Oh, yes.

Seth: And we follow in his footsteps.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And in our case, it wouldn't be to go to battle.

David: Mm.

Seth: Well, it would be to go to against the principalities and powers of this world.

David: That's right, yep.

Seth: But, like, we sacrificially go to battle under the javelin of the new leader. Like-

David: Yep

Seth: ... Jesus has his power. The enemy has been swallowed. The enemy's defeated.

David: That's right. The cross is raised out over the world.

Seth: But it still requires- Battle-

David: Yep

Seth: ... and bravery from us.

David: Go therefore into all nations. [laughs]

Seth: Yes.

David: Yes. And we go out trusting that the cross of Jesus is being lifted up in intercession for us, and that He is with us even to the end of the age, right?

Seth: He's sleeping on, in the camp with us.

David: He's in the camp with us.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that's really-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... that's really beautiful. Okay, there's one more story here, and it is another, it... If, if you haven't noticed yet, this, Joshua loves to reference Exodus. [laughs]

Seth: Yeah. [laughs]

David: And we're gonna get, or, or at least the Torah and some really significant moments in Moses' life. And so we're gonna get another reference here about the two mountains.

Seth: Yeah, so at the end of the book of Deuteronomy, uh, once they got into the land-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... they were supposed to have this covenant ceremony, this covenant renewal ceremony, where essentially they affirm everything that God said to them on Mount Sinai, um, and through the Book of Leviticus and through the Book of, uh, Deuteronomy.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And they were supposed to proclaim on Mount Ebal all the curses of the covenant and proclaim on Mount Gerizim all the blessings of the covenant. And remember, we're at the border of the Promised Land.

David: Oh, right.

Seth: And so as you walk into the Promised Land, you see a mountain of blessing and a mountain of cursing.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And we talked about the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

David: Yep.

Seth: And, like, the curses. We, you see Jericho. You can almost imagine Jericho on one city h- mountain and I- Ai-

David: [laughs]

Seth: ... on the other.

David: Obedience-

Seth: And obedience

David: ... and disobedience

Seth: And disobedience.

David: Yep. Represented by two cities.

Seth: And they read the covenant. They read the law.

David: Yeah, it says, "Not one word of all that Moses was written was not heard by all the people." He just read the Torah to them.

Seth: Yeah, from the mountain. And if you go back to Deuteronomy, it's this really intense ceremony where they'll announce a covenant.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Uh, like, it's like, "I will bless your fields." Amen.

David: Amen.

Seth: "I will bless your cattle." Amen. "I will make your children live forever." Amen.

David: [laughs]

Seth: And then on the mountain of cursing-

David: Right

Seth: ... you say, "And I will strip away everything if you disobey me." Amen.

David: Amen. [laughs]

Seth: "I will strip away everything, uh, like-"

David: Yep

Seth: ... "if you disobey me." Amen.

David: Yep.

Seth: And you, they have this, like, corporate ceremony.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And it happened right here-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... at, between these two mountains.

David: Yep.

Seth: So what this does is shows us that Israel is being faithful.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Pri- even though we ha- notwithstanding the sin of Achan and whatever else was going on in the camp with the people who thought taking Jericho was so hard. [laughs]

David: [laughs]

Seth: Like, whatever was going on there, the major note th- is that Israel is being faithful to God's covenant.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And we can expect victory going forward.

David: Yeah. That's true. Yeah, I'm just thinking about, like, like, with, with Jesus. I'm, like, thinking about the, this is a full narrative, right?

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: As, like, as we've talked about it.

Seth: Yep.

David: Where it's like, and then Jesus rides out into victory, holds the cross over the world in his second coming, and conquers the last city of evil.

Seth: Yep.

David: And the new heavens and new earth come, and he goes up on a mountain and proclaims all the blessings of the new heavens and the new earth over us. And he says, "I will dwell with you, and I will be your king." And we say, "Amen." "I will set up my presence among you, and the sun will be gone because I will be your light." And we say, "Amen." "There'll be no more tears, no more weeping, no more pain." And we say, "Amen." And then we all hold our breath, and we look to the other mountain, waiting to hear the curses of what might happen if we mess up in the new heavens and new earth.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And Jesus never leaves the mountain of blessing. [laughs]

Seth: Or all you hear on the mountain of cursing is, "It is-

David: "Is finished." [laughs]

Seth: And we all say, "Amen."

David: Amen. [laughs]

Seth: Oh, that's so good.

David: Oh, so that's Joshua 6 to 8.

Seth: Yeah, that's Joshua 6 to 8.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Um, it was great.

David: It was fun.

Seth: I had fun.

David: Um, again, reiterate, um, especially for those of you hardcore fans-

Seth: Hardcore

David: ... that have stayed around to the very end of the episode, we wanna hear from you.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Please, uh, email us your question, uh, s- questions with a Z. Uh-

Seth: With a Z.

David: [laughs]

Seth: With a good old Z.

David: Uh, send it to [email protected]. Uh, write your, uh, your question. Voice record your question. We wanna hear from you, so please send that our way. Uh, thank you for joining us, and we'll see you next week.

Outro: [Instrumental music] Thank you for listening to the Spoken Gospel Podcast. Spoken Gospel is a non-profit that gives all its resources, like this podcast, away for free because of supporters like you. To help Spoken Gospel in our mission to speak the gospel out of every corner of Scripture and view all our free resources, visit spokengospel.com. [Instrumental music]

Related Resources

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Joshua 6–8: The Battle of Jericho, the Fall of Achan, and the Victory at Ai

Show Notes

God Wins the Battle of Jericho Without a Sword

Creation, Rest, and the Seven-Day Pattern

Achan's Sin as a New Fall Narrative

Why Death Is the Punishment and What It Means

The Victory at Ai, the Raised Javelin, and Intercession

The Covenant Ceremony Between Blessing and Cursing

Related Resources

Introduction to Joshua

View our devotional on Joshua 1

Ready to study a different book?

Listen to the Joshua Introduction podcast

Listen to the Joshua 1-2: Be Strong and Courageous! And Rahab's Scarlet Thread podcast

Listen to the Joshua 3-5: Crossing the Jordan podcast

Listen to the Joshua 6-8: The "Battle" of Jericho podcast

Listen to the Joshua 9-10:28: The Sun Stands Still podcast

Listen to the Joshua 10:29-12: The Land Has Rest podcast

Listen to the Joshua 13-19: Land Allotments are Good News Too podcast

Listen to the Joshua 20-21: The Cities of Refuge podcast

Listen to the Joshua 22-24: Joshua Dies podcast