Wednesday: The Door of Hope
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 5th of November 2025
Read Joshua 8:1-29. What does this story tell us about how God can transform our most abysmal failures into opportunities?
The strategy of Yahweh converts Israel’s initial defeat into a tactical advantage, thus transforming the Valley of Achor (Hebrew word for “trouble”) into a door of hope (compare with Hosea 2:15). Having gained too much self-confidence by their first victory over the Israelites, the citizens of Ai repeat their strategy in attacking the Israelites, who feign retreat and defeat.
Image © Bible Adventure Collection at Goodsalt.com
Once the inhabitants of Ai are lured out of their stronghold, the 30,000 Israelites, positioned not too far behind the city (Joshua 8:4), will capture the empty city by setting it on fire. Joshua 8:7 makes it clear that it is not the strategy that brings victory, but it is the Lord Himself who will grant the victory and hand the city of Ai over to the Israelites. Even in a chapter in which the military aspects dominate the narrative more than in any other chapter of the book, the text highlights the underlying truth that victory is the gift of Yahweh.
The decisive moment of the battle occurs when the men of Ai leave the city and start pursuing the Israelites. This is the second time that God speaks in the whole chapter after He gave the strategy in Joshua 8:2, signaling that He oversees the battle. Until this moment, we don’t know the outcome of the battle. From this point onward, it becomes clear that the Israelite army is victorious.
The weapon in the hand of Joshua was a sickle sword, or scimitar, rather than a sword or javelin. In the time of Joshua, it may not have been used as an actual weapon, but it had become a symbol of sovereignty. And, besides giving the signal for attack, it expresses God’s sovereignty in the defeat of Ai. By stretching out the sickle sword until the full victory is won, Joshua is shown to have fully assumed the leadership role Moses exercised at the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:16) and in the war against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:11-13), where Joshua personally led the combat.
This time there is no visible, miraculous intervention of God, yet the victory over Ai is no less divinely assisted than that over the Egyptians in the first generation or in the recent victory over Jericho. The key to success is in Joshua’s faith in the word of the Lord and his unwavering obedience to it. The principle seen in this story remains valid for God’s people today, wherever they live and whatever their challenges.
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“When the Israelite army finished chasing and killing all the men of Ai in the open fields, they went back and finished off everyone inside. So the entire population of Ai, including men and women, was wiped out that day—12,000 in all. For Joshua kept holding out his spear until everyone who had lived in Ai was completely destroyed. Only the livestock and the treasures of the town were not destroyed, for the Israelites kept these as plunder for themselves, as the Lord had commanded Joshua. So, Joshua burned the town of Ai, and it became a permanent mound of ruins, desolate to this very day” (Joshua 8:24-28, NLT).
The above reading is not an easy one to digest. In the scheme of things, there is so little that human beings know how and why God operate with such “brutality” in some contexts. Only the wise and all-knowing God who can use wars or military conflicts to achieve divine goal. In human terms, wars never bring hope. War is a zero-sum game. Humanity loses. How can war be “The door of hope”? I am not sure what the lesson writer meant by this title! However, the only hope I see is when Christ comes to bring total peace in the world made new.
“In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm. Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord” (Isaiah 11:6-9, NLT).
Till then, dear loving Jesus, please have mercy on those peoples where conflicts are raging as we speak: the people of Russia and Ukraine, the people of Gaza, the people of Sudan, the of Myanmar, the people of Yemen, the people of Ethiopia, the people of Eastern DRC, the people of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and the people of Syria. Amen.
Thank you for your thought-provoking comment, Omwenga.
It may help to remember that the wars God explicitly commanded were not the kind of war we see in modern times, which is never "righteous." We are studying the historical account of the time God governed the nation of Israel directly. Thus when He commanded that a city or nation was to be totally wiped out, it was a judgment which He empowered the Israelites to carry out. God knew the condition of the people whom He judged ripe for destruction. From our vantage point, looking back, we do not know, and that troubles us - especially if we actually try to imagine the what happened on the ground. (I confess, I try to avoid that.)
The pre-incarnate Son of God was the Commander of the army of the Lord (Joshua 5:13-15) - the very same Son of God who became incarnate in Jesus Christ. His character did not change. (Malachi 3:6) So we need to look at all His commands - even the commands to destroy a city and all it contained - through the lens of the character of God as revealed in the life of Jesus. (We may have to adjust our concept of what "love" really is. It's clearly not just an emotion.)
There were previous judgments, including the greatest one, the Great Flood that Peter sees as a precursor of the final destruction of the earth by fire. (1 Peter 3:5-10)
I find that each time I read the Bible through, the Lord reveals things I didn't see the many previous times that I read the same passage. It's not so much a "logical understanding," although that is usually there too, but a settled understanding of the heart.
Consider the alternatives: What would have happened if the Lord had not destroyed the mighty race of men of giant intellect and long lifespan - all given over to evil? Do you think that the lives of the only faithful people on the face of the planet, the progenitors if the Messiah, would have been allowed to live without God's continuous intervention? Could people whose "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5) really experience happiness and joy? I believe it was in mercy for humanity that God destroyed the world that then was and allowed Noah and his family to start all over again. And he shortened the lifespan of humanity by allowing them to eat flesh foods and changing the atmosphere.
There will also be a final judgment - after every living being in heaven and in earth acknowledges that God's sentence on rebellious humans and angels is just. (It really helps to read the Conflict of the Ages series along with the Bible, because it fills in some of the details missing in the outline we see in the Bible.)
God always wanted His people to be healthy, happy and holy. And that will be their state forever, after this earth is cleansed by fire, destroying not only all rebellious humanity, but all human marks made on this planet. On the newly remade earth, there will be no war!
Dear Inge,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and spiritually grounded response. You have expressed profound truth that the wars God commanded in ancient times were divine judgments, not human conflicts driven by ambition or hatred. Indeed, understanding these acts through the lens of Christ’s unchanging love helps us trust that even divine justice flows from perfect mercy and righteousness.
I fully agree that the ultimate hope is not in any earthly war but in the final restoration when God makes all things new — a world where “nothing will hurt or destroy” (Isaiah 11:9). Till then, may we live with faith, compassion, and longing for that everlasting peace Christ will bring.
Inge, thank you for this deeply reflective comment. You’ve captured so well the difference between God’s commanded judgments in Israel’s theocratic period and the unrighteous wars of our time. It’s true that today we tend to focus more on God’s mercy, goodness, and compassion, which makes it hard for us to come to terms with the divinely commanded wars of the Old Testament. Yet, these accounts remind us that God’s justice and holiness are as real as His love and grace.
Joshua 8 reminds us that divine justice was never arbitrary but always purposeful—to restrain evil, preserve righteousness, and ultimately point forward to the time when sin and war will be no more.
I presume some of you will look up the YouTube videos on the archaeology of Ai. They are interesting, but I want to sound a couple of warnings. There are a couple of archaeological sites that could be Ai; the traditional site Et-Tell and a more recently considered site, Khirbet el-Maqatir. The issue is that neither site is an exact fit with the biblical story of Joshua.
We need to be aware that Biblical archaeologists typically set out with the idea of proving the Bible is true and can be accused of cognitive bias in their analysis. It is a bit like trusting the sugar producers to do research telling us that sugar is good for you.
Enjoy viewing the information in these videos, but be cautious when accepting and/or expressing extravagant claims that they prove the Bible to be true (or untrue, for that matter).
The best proof that the Bible is true, is our love for one another. Tangible, practical, tough love, even for those whom we do not like.
"By this shall all men know ..."
There's really nothing much to say about Joshua 8:1-29, but just enjoy the splendid strategy of God at work, or how lovely a partnership between God and man under God's command can be. I feel more energized reading through this week's lesson, learning how to walk with God in war with my tribulations and inconsistencies without my pride or selfishness - surrendering my need for validation, attention, and recognition - but with God in full command; God ordering wise strategy into my steps.
The ending of this battle at Ai is everything to behold, but it's God to exalt. Joshua and Israel's obedience to God's commands worked seamlessly in obliterating Ai. The name "Ai" (עַי, haʿAy) refers to a Canaanite city meaning "the ruin" or "heap of ruins", but has more significance. It was in that place that the Israelites were literally trying to hide their sin. They were thinking about what they thought they deserved rather than following God's instructions given to them by Moses and Joshua.
In hindsight, when Israel obeyed God and worked with God, God's terrific magnificence was seen as Ai fell to Israel in a tactfully impressive manner full of mastery. Funny enough, AI today means "Artificial Intelligence" - how about that? It's time to use God's guided intelligence rather than our own intelligence - divine, not artificial. 🤔 🤔 🤣 🤣
Naturally we as humans will always want to associate with success and not defeat. In the City of Ai, after the first defeat, the people were reminded that God’s ways are higher than human ways, His instructions did not involve trenches to be dug, codes to be rewritten, or strategies to be recalculated. Just as Joshua was told in Jericho, “See, I have given into thine hand Jericho” (Joshua 6:2) the same words re-echoed, the victory was not dependent on human preparation but on obedience to divine direction. The children of Israel once again were taken through a practical but scary lesson of depending on God’s plan, success is not measured by immediate triumphs but by faithful trust in His word. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
After the initial defeat, they turned their hearts toward God, realizing that true success could not be achieved by human innovation or intelligence alone. Israel needed true repentance after their intial loss at Ai (Joshua 7:10–12), and indeed they repented and sought God’s guidance, and obeyed His command. Then the Lord granted them victory, teaching them that even in a city built on knowledge and technology, success flows from surrender to divine wisdom. Through their humility, they discovered that what seemed like failure was only God’s way of preparing them for a greater triumph and sucess.
It is difficult to see how war could ever be called a door of hope. In human eyes, war only brings loss, confusion, and pain. Yet, in the story of Ai, we see that even from Israel’s failure and defeat, God created a path to renewal and victory. The Valley of Achor which means trouble became a place of hope and restoration.
In many ways, our church life mirrors this experience. We often hope for a perfectly orderly and peaceful church, but we soon discover challenges, misunderstandings, and disappointments we cannot explain. Sometimes we see “weeds” growing among the “wheat,” and we wonder why God allows such things to remain.
But just as in Joshua’s story, God is still in control. He can turn defeat into victory and confusion into understanding. One day, when all things are made clear, we will see that even those moments or people who seemed unpleasant or difficult whether because of education, background, or race were still part of God’s greater plan for the journey of faith.
The “door of hope” is not found in perfect circumstances but in trusting the perfect God who works through every circumstance.
I have discovered that most heroes in the Bible faced personal challenges just as Paul spoke of having “a thorn in the flesh.” God, in His wisdom, did not remove that thorn.
Men like Abraham, Jacob, Job, Moses, and Samson all had moments when they stumbled or missed the path. Yet, through it all, God’s sovereignty was at work. If their journey had been smooth, pride might have found room in their hearts.
The “thorn” reminds us of our need for God. It keeps us humble, dependent, and continually seeking His guidance every day. What seems like a weakness can become a means of grace drawing us closer to the One who gives strength in our weakness.
Joshua 8:28 tells us that Ai was completely destroyed and left in ruins—“a desolation unto this day.” This shows that the purpose wasn’t to occupy the land but to carry out God’s judgment on the people for their wickedness. The Israelites were acting as instruments of divine justice, not as conquerors looking for land.
After the Flood, God promised never again to destroy the world by water (Genesis 9:11). From then on, His judgments came in other ways—through fire, famine, or warfare—directed at specific nations or peoples. In Ai’s case, He used Israel’s army as His tool of judgment, demonstrating both His faithfulness to His covenant and His holiness in dealing with sin.
It’s a solemn reminder that while God’s mercy is great, His justice is also sure—and He patiently gives every opportunity for repentance before judgment comes.
So with Jericho, don’t take anything, but in Ai you could take all the plunder you want. I am thinking, some of Achan’s friends found this a bit hard to understand.
I have learned that we can't box in God. With Daniel, He asked him to pray 3 times a day exposing what he was doing. With Esther, He asked her to hide what she believed.
The main issue then and now is trust. We must trust that our sovereign God knows why He does what He does when He does it.
I don't know if God actually asked Esther to hide what she believed. After all, God's name is never mentioned in the book of Esther. It was Mordecai who told her this. Whether that was God's direction or not is debatable.
It's actually not hard to understand. The Israelites knew about the firstfruits and that the first of their crops were to go to the sanctuary. Jericho was a similar firstfruit that belonged to God.
It's not so different from the principle of tithing. It belongs to God and it's stealing if we don't return it. But God also gives us much more when we give Him what belongs to Him. At least that has been my experience.
I imagine there were lots of nice garments and gold and so on in Ai and in the other cities that would be defeated. Achan would have had so much more. Pretty sad that he focused on a few things thinking that's all God would give him.
I started to wonder what this study’s aim is. Are we studying the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of God’s interaction with Israel to use as an example for us in our time? Or is it a ‘historical’ study, just to learn about the time when Israel came to be a nation and questioning the ‘correctness’ of God's strategy?
The last two sentences of this lesson provided the focus the lesson writer is trying to make: “The key to success is in Joshua’s faith in the word of the Lord and his unwavering obedience to it. The principle seen in this story remains valid for God’s people today, wherever they live and whatever their challenge.”
I accept this statement as the main reason for this study, and for that matter, all other studies as well. Not making lite of the suffering of mankind, but is it really needful or useful to dissect the acts of war, exploring their related bloodshed and suffering, just to come to the conclusion that terrible evil exists in this world?
Has it not been established that all forms of evil are the direct result of Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven? If we want to find the cause/source engendering all suffering, we will find Lucifer's rebellious spirit, unrelenting, never apologetic or sympathetic to mankind's suffering, not God. Evil in all its forms requires God's perfect Will and Way as His response. No one can claim 'innocence' - not even in this time of Grace through Faith – Rom.3:10,23-25; Eph.2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; Col.1:13-14.
The phrase of this lesson is "The key to success is in Joshua's faith in the word of the Lord and his unwavering obedience to it."
So then, here we have it. God uses His very own people who are trained for war, and gets them to utilize "Military and war tactics," in this setting of conquering Ai. It is no wonder that the Apostle Paul then goes on to say in Romans 13:1-6 that, not only does God ordain the powers that be, but He also ordains them to have "Law Enforcement as well as Military Power." So, I question the idea that it was because of Israels' original failure of faith in God's power that God then imposes on them to use "War Tactics," in conquering Canaan.