A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
JOſhua the 8th contains the taking of that ſtrong Town of Ai by Iſrael (now reconciled to God by their removing of Achan, &c.) before which they had fled while the Accurſed Perſons and things remained amongſt them unremoved.
This Chapter conſiſts of two parts, the firſt is Polemical or Military Matter, the ſecond is Sacred and Sacerdotal: The firſt comprehends the means, manner, and other Circumſtances of Iſrael's Victory over Ai, from ver. 1. to 29. the ſecond is Iſrael's Thank-Offering upon the Altar, &c. for the Victory obtained, from ver. 30. to 35.
The Remarks-upon the firſt part are, (1ſt) As Gods People have their times of diſcouragements in their way into Canaan, ſo 'tis the Divine condeſcenſion of the most gracious God to grant them praeponderating times of encouragement therein: Here the Lord comes again (after his withdrawment for Iſrael's ſin) and ſaith to Joſhua [fear not, neither be diſmayed] ver. 1. good cauſe Joſhua had to fear, becauſe of their late defeat, and becauſe of the vicious inclinations of the People who would not be reſtrained from taking Spoils, and becauſe he was upon his Enemies ground, &c. therefore God comes to comfort him againſt all thoſe fears ſaying (1.) I have found a Ranſom to expiate Iſrael's ſin, Job 33.24. they ſhall flee no more before their Enemies. (2.) They ſhall not be tempted to take forbidden stuff any more, for the Spoil of Aii I freely give them, tho' not of Jericho. and (3.) tho' Ai have the Men of Bethel with them as their Auxiliaries, ſo make up about Twelve Thouſand, ver. 17.25. yet fear them not, &c. All ſhall be delivered into thy hand, thus God's Plaiſter was broad enough for Joſhua's Sore, and the falling out of Lovers was the renewing of Love.
The (2d) Remark is, Policy as well as Proweſs, and Valour is not only lawful and laudable, but alſo at ſome time neceſſary in the General of an Army that is engaged in a Juſt and Righteous War. Dolus an Virtus quis in Hoste requirit; 'tis as lawful to gain a Victory by Secret Stratagems and Ambuſhments, as by open Fight and Force: God himſelf, the Author of Juſtice, hath warranted it, as by many Examples in Scripture, ſo here by his expreſs command [lay thee an Ambuſh, &c. ver. 2. God ſaith, Wiſdom is better than Weapons of War, Eccleſ. 9.18. Prov. 20.8.
The Examples or Inſtances who found this to be a great truth, were (1.) Abraham, in the firſt War that we read of in Scripture, came upon the four Kings by Night with his handful of Servants only, while they were Secure, Sleepy, and Drunken, (as Joſephus ſaith,) and overcame them, Gen. 14.14, 15. (2.) Ehud by a Stratagem ſlew Eglon, and ſaved Iſrael, Judg. 3. from 16. to 30. (3. Gideon by a Stratagem of Trumpets and Pitchers was Iſrael's Saviour, Judg. 7.20. (4) David found policy above proweſs againſt Goliah, 1 Sam. 17.40. &c. With many more that might be named, beſide this here of Joſhua, whoſe Policy was double, (1.) in not only laying an Ambuſh of 5000 Men on the Weſt-ſide of the City, but alſo (2.) in his counterfeiting a Flight with his other 25 thouſand Men, whereby all the Citizens were decoyed out of the City, which made way for the Ambuſh to take it, &c. ver. 12. & 17. &c.
The (3d) Remark is, Joſhua's Conſtancy in his Obedience to God's Command [Stretch out thy Spear that is in thy hand] ver. 18. and [be drew not his hand back, &c. until Ai was deſtroyed,] ver. 26. This was the Signal, a Banner being fixed to the end of his Spear, the lifting up or toſſing of the Colours was a Sign for the Ambuſh to ariſe and enter, and for the main Army to turn head upon the Enemy, and deſtroy them. Nor was this all, but it was a myſterious means to diſcomfit Ai, as Moſes Rod held by ſteady hands was to diſcomfit Amaleck, Exod. 17, 11, 12. that Joſhua ſhould do, as Moſes had done before him, to ſtand fixed in one place with the Staff or Spear whereon hung the Colours, held up in his hand all the time of the Battel, without ſtriking one ſtroak himſelf (which was work or rather Idleneſs below any Brave General.) All this ſeems abſurd and ridiculous to Carnal Reaſon, but the Myſtery hereof was to ſignifie, that the Victory was not got by any Proweſs in Joſhua, (who only ſtood ſtill in his place pointing his Spear towards the City) but by the aſſiſting and effective power of God, who only was to have the glory of it, as in the Caſe of the Amalekites, who were diſcomfited more by Moſes's Praying, than by Joſhua's Fighting: Nor could Joſhua's hands have kept ſo ſteady for ſo long a time, had not the Arms of his Hands been made ſtrong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob, Gen. 49.24. 'tis ſaid of God only, that his hand is not weary, but is ſtretched out ſtill, Iſa. 9.12. and 59.1.
The Remarks upon the Sec…d Part, after the Victory was obtained. The
Firſt is, Joſhua built an Altar unto the Lord in Mount Ebal according to Moſes Law (Exod. 20.25. Deut. 11.29. & 27.5, 6.) to Offer up a Burnt-Offering, and a Peace-Offering upon it, &c. ver. 30, 31. where,
Note (1.) This muſt be immediately after the Sacking of this City Ai, while the Glorious Victory (which had ſo enriched them with all Spoils) lay with moſt weight and warmth upon their Hearts, it is beſt ſtriking while the Iron is hot, then was the Altar built.
Note (2.) This Altar muſt be of Rough Unpoliſh'd Stones, to poliſh it with an Iron Tool, is to pollute it, God loves not outward Pomp, whereof Popery is made up, and which ſcoffs at our ſimplicity, &c.
Note (3.) It muſt ſtand in Mount Ebal, this was farther up in the Countrey, near Shechem in the Tribe of Ephraim, Judg. 9.6, 7. & 20.7. Thus far Iſrael durſt now march to fulfill God and Moſe's Commands, for the Canaanites were ſmitten with dread at the loſs of theſe two ſtrong Frontier Cities, and the Altar muſt be in Ebal (where the Curſes were read) to ſhew, that Chriſt is the Altar, Hebr. 13.10. that takes off the Curſe, and ſent to bleſs, Act. 3.26.
The Second Remark is, the Decalogue was writ upon a Monument of Stones which were poliſh'd and plaiſtred, ver. 32. as is manifeſt from Deut. 27.2. and now God renewed his Covenant with Iſrael (as before at Sinai, many of them being dead) Deut. 26.17. Reading the Curſes on Ebal (that they which would not obey God for love, ſhould do it for fear, as well as the bleſſings upon Gerizzim, ver. 33, 34. and theſe Curſes we may read particularly what they are, Deut. 27.15, 16, 17, &c. the Bleſſings are not ſo particularly and diſtinctly mention'd by Moſes, that we may learn to look for them by the Meſſiah only, for he was ſent upon that ſpecial Errand to bleſs both Jew and Gentile, Acts 3.26.