The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet #2458
Joshua
Chapter 8

Ai taken by ambush
Joshua 8:1  ¶And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
2  And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.
3  ¶So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night.
4  And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:
5  And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,
6  (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them.
7  Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
8  And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.
9  Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.
10  And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
11  And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai.
12  And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
13  And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
14  And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.
15  And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
16  And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
17 [*]  And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

[*] Here it is seen that Bethel and Ai were associated in the fight against Joshua. Joshua 12:16 lists Bethel as one of the cities that had been conquered, but there is no mention of its conquest except in connection with that of Ai.

Joshua  8 continued
Joshua 8:18  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.
19  And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.
20  And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
21  And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.
22  And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
23  ¶And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
24  And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
25  And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.
26  For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
27  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.
28  And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.
29  And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.

Blessings and curses read
Joshua  8 continued
Joshua 8:30  ¶Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,
31  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.
32  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.
33  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.
34  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.
35  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.


1 Corinthians 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Israel in the wilderness
1 Corinthians 10:1¶Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5  But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6  ¶Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7  Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8  Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9  Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10  Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
Wilderness experiences an example
11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
14  Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
15  ¶I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
Editor's question.: Just who are the children of Israel and where are they today?

History shows that the northern 10 tribes migrated north over the Caucasus Mountains (hence called Caucasians) and became known as the Cimmerians, the Celts, the Saxons ('Saac's sons), etc., and settled in western Europe, the British isles, and later many migrated to the Americas. (Note: If you would like to know about the location of the 10 so-called "lost tribes" of the house of Israel, then contact Artisan Publishers at www.artisanpublishers.com and purchase the little booklet The Abrahamic Covenant, by E. Raymond Capt.) or log unto pamphlets #1064 and #1020 on this web site.



The beast of Revelation chapter 6, i.e. the Four Hidden Dynasties of the New World Order Revelation 6:1-8
"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"
the doctrine of many of our Christian churches, (The Man on a White Horse)
the political direction of our country, (The Man on a Red Horse)
the economic direction our country has taken, (The Man on a Black Horse)
and the teachings of our schools and media. (The Man on a Pale Horse)
Did you know all four are being ridden by Satan?

By the way! Do you want some wisdom???? Rev. 13:18  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

How do I count the number of the beast?"

Read pamphlet #1761. It will explain!
Editor's question: When we are ask to count the number of the beast, aren't we are really being ask to count the number of Satan's descendants living among us?


To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.

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