Ai Destroyed by Israel

Joshua 8 (KJV)

God instructed Joshua to set up an ambush behind the city of Ai. Israel was to take it like Jericho. The difference would be that the people would be allowed to keep the spoils for themselves.

Joshua did as the Lord commanded and gathered thirty thousand men to travel to Ai by night. Five thousand of the men were positioned on the west of Ai for the ambush. The remaining men worked with Joshua to lure the people of Ai away from the city.

Joshua's plan was to lure the people away from Ai by fleeing from them. When all of the people were lured away, the five thousand would seize the city from the west.

Joshua's plan worked. All the people of Ai left their city in pursuit of Israel. "And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city" (v. 18).

"For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the Lord which he commanded Joshua. And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day" (vs. 26-28).

"Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal, As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt-offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace-offerings. And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them" (vs. 30-35).