After Israel’s failed attempt to conquer Ai—having acted on their own without seeking the Lord’s guidance—the Lord reassures Joshua, urging him not to be afraid and promising victory over Ai, including its king, people, city, and land. This time, what was once forbidden—the plunder and livestock—was now permitted. And unlike Jericho, where victory came in daylight with marching and noise, here it would come in stillness and darkness, not by circling walls but by lying in wait.
You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves… – Joshua 8:2 (NIV)
The Lord, having turned from His fierce anger, may now have been making provision for their needs. In His wisdom, God sometimes withholds and at other times grants, always with purpose. This time, He allows the spoils of war for their sustenance. Had Achan waited and obeyed God’s earlier command, he too would have received lawfully what he had stolen unlawfully.
…Set an ambush behind the city. – Joshua 8:2 (NIV)
Though Israel had the advantage of a larger army, God, still fully in command, chose not to lead them by sheer force or overwhelming power. Instead, He instructed Joshua to set an ambush—a precise and deliberate plan that reflected God’s sovereign approach to battle. Victory this time would not come through brute strength, but through obedience to His strategy. Once again, God shows that success lies not in numbers or might, but in following His ways, even when they are unexpected.
Obeying God’s command, Joshua selects thirty thousand elite soldiers to carry out the ambush by night. He explains the strategy: he and the main force will approach Ai and pretend to retreat as before, drawing the enemy out. Once Ai’s forces pursue them, the ambush unit is to rise, capture the unguarded city, and set it on fire. Joshua affirms that the LORD will hand them the city.
Joshua then sends the ambush team to position themselves west of Ai, while he remains with the people. The next morning, Joshua leads the rest of the army to set up camp north of Ai, across a valley. He places an additional five thousand men in ambush between Bethel and Ai, completing the setup for the planned assault.
Ai Defeated
As Joshua’s army approached, the king of Ai and his men rushed out early to fight Israel, unaware of the ambush lying in wait behind their city. Israel pretended to retreat, drawing all Ai’s forces away from the city. At God’s command, Joshua raised his javelin toward Ai, signalling the ambush unit to act. They swiftly captured the undefended city and set it ablaze.
Seeing the smoke, Israel turned back and trapped the enemy between the main force and the ambush unit. The men of Ai were surrounded and completely destroyed, with none surviving. The king of Ai was captured alive. After pursuing and killing all who had fled, the Israelites returned and finished the destruction inside the city. In total, twelve thousand men and women were killed. Joshua held out his javelin until the entire city was conquered. As instructed by the Lord, Israel took the livestock and plunder.
So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place to this day. He impaled the body of the king of Ai on a pole … Joshua ordered them to take the body from the pole and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day. – Joshua 8:28-29 (NIV)
The heap of ruins stood as a visible sign of God’s judgment—a warning to other nations and a cause of fear among Israel’s enemies. It also was keeping with the ancient practice of creating a monument of remembrance, marking a decisive moment of victory led by the Lord. The body of the king impaled and buried under a pile of stones at the city gate echoed similar memorials (like that of Achan), reminding Israel of the consequences of rebellion and the seriousness of God’s commands. Ultimately, the ruins served as a lasting testimony to God’s justice and Israel’s need to walk in obedience, a physical marker that remained “to this day” for the Israelites to remember what the Lord had done at Ai.
Covenant Renewed
After the victory at Ai, Joshua led the Israelites in renewing their covenant with the Lord at Mount Ebal. In accordance with Moses’ earlier command, he built an altar of uncut stones, untouched by tools, and offered burnt and fellowship offerings to the Lord. Joshua then inscribed a copy of the Law of Moses on stones in the presence of all Israel. The entire assembly—including elders, officials, judges, women, children, and foreigners—gathered around the ark, with half positioned before Mount Gerizim and half before Mount Ebal, as instructed for the pronouncement of blessings and curses. Joshua read aloud every word of the law, not omitting anything Moses had commanded, affirming Israel’s full commitment to God’s covenant.
After Israel’s victory, Joshua read the Book of the Law aloud in the presence of the entire assembly—men, women, children, and even foreigners. This act reaffirmed Israel’s covenant with God and reminded the people that their success depended not on military strength but on faithful obedience to His commands. It was in line with God’s earlier instruction to Joshua to meditate on the Law day and night (Joshua 1:8). The public reading marked a moment of national renewal, emphasising the centrality of God’s Word and uniting the people in accountability and reverence before the Lord.
A similar event occurred years later, after the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt under Nehemiah’s leadership. The people gathered at the Water Gate and asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses. Standing on a raised platform, Ezra read aloud from early morning until midday to the men, women, and all who could understand. As he read, the Levites moved among the people, explaining the law clearly so that everyone could grasp its meaning.
This is what Joshua would have intended when he read the Book of the Law to the people after their victory at Ai—a public return to God’s Word and a recommitment to His commands. However, despite this spiritual renewal, the Israelites quickly stumbled again. Soon after, they were deceived by the Gibeonites, who disguised themselves as travellers from a distant land. Joshua and the leaders made a covenant with them without seeking counsel from the LORD, falling into yet another trap due to neglecting divine guidance.
Gibeonites Trick Joshua
After hearing of Israel’s victories over Jericho and Ai, the kings of the surrounding regions—spanning the hill country, foothills, and Mediterranean coast—united to wage war against Joshua and Israel. However, the people of Gibeon chose a different path. Fearing Israel’s God and the destruction they had seen, they devised a deceptive plan. Disguising themselves as travellers from a distant land, they wore old clothes, carried mouldy bread, and brought cracked wineskins, presenting themselves as harmless outsiders seeking a peace treaty.
The Israelites were cautious and questioned their origin, but the Gibeonites insisted they were from far away and had come because of the fame of the Lord. Without seeking the Lord’s guidance, Joshua and the leaders made a peace treaty and confirmed it with an oath.
“The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD.” – Joshua 9:14 (NIV)
Three days later, Israel discovered that the Gibeonites were actually neighbours. Though the people were angry, the leaders chose to honour the oath they had made in the name of the Lord, fearing God’s wrath if they broke it. Instead of destroying the Gibeonites, they condemned them to servitude as woodcutters and water carriers for the community and the house of God.
Joshua confronted the Gibeonites for their deception. They admitted their fear of Israel’s God and accepted the consequences. Joshua spared their lives, placing them in perpetual service to support the worship at the altar of the Lord. From that day, the Gibeonites were integrated into Israel’s camp as servants, fulfilling their role faithfully.
Despite the humbling lesson at Ai, the Israelites once again failed to seek God’s guidance—this time when approached by the Gibeonites, who disguised themselves as travellers from a distant land. Rather than turning to the LORD, they relied on their own judgment and understanding. Their familiarity with nomadic customs made the deception seem plausible, and their pride from recent victories likely clouded their discernment.
By trusting their own expertise instead of God’s instruction, the Israelites fell into yet another trap. We often make the same mistake—leaning on our understanding rather than humbly seeking God’s direction. This tendency leads us into poor decisions and preventable failures. It stands as a clear reminder that true wisdom is not found in our knowledge or experience, but in consistently depending on God’s guidance
Discussion Questions
- Why did God permit Israel to carry off the plunder this time, unlike at Jericho?
- Why does God use an ambush as the strategy to bring victory to Israel?
- Why did Joshua read the Book of Law in the presence of everyone?
- How can we renew our commitment to God’s Word?
- Why did the Israelites not consult God regarding the “travelling” tribe after what they had witnessed at Ai?
The Jordan Valley 
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