The Motivation of Obedience

GETTING STARTED

Previously in their conquest of the Promised Land, the Israelites had experienced a thrilling victory at Jericho. But Achan’s flagrant sin, God’s burning anger, and the excision of sin within the nation had followed in rapid fire. Just before dealing with Israel’s sin, God had allowed the nation to suffer a blistering military defeat at the hands of their enemy, Ai. Joshua tells us that it was such a humiliating loss that “the people’s courage melted away like water.” The lost battle was not only a lick to their pride, but a deep instillation of the lesson: consequences always follow on the heels of disobedience. Considering these things, what came next was altogether unexpected.

  • Think of a time you reaped the consequences of disobedience, or encountered failure as a result of not obeying or depending on God. How did you move forward, and what was your relationship with God like afterwards?

READ THE WORD: JOSHUA 8:1-9 (ESV)

8:1 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.”

3 So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night. 4 And he commanded them, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready. 5 And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us just as before, we shall flee before them. 6 And they will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city. For they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us, just as before.’ So we will flee before them. 7 Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will give it into your hand. 8 And as soon as you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire. You shall do according to the word of the Lord. See, I have commanded you.” 9 So Joshua sent them out. And they went to the place of ambush and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai, but Joshua spent that night among the people.

English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

DIGGING DEEPER

  1. In verses 1-2, God gave Joshua some encouraging words. Note three important phrases that would have lifted Joshua’s spirit.
  2. God gave Joshua a series of commands regarding Ai (vss. 1-2). Specifically, what were these instructions?
  3. In their first conquest of Ai, the Israelites didn’t wait for God’s instruction and had taken a mere 3,000 men to fight (Joshua 7:2-4). How many brave men were being sent into battle against Ai this time (8:1,3)? What does this numerical difference tell you about Israel’s estimation of itself while operating under its own authority?
  4. What confidence did Joshua have, and what did he assure the people (vs. 7)? Joshua may have been the leader of the nation of Israel, but under whose authority and instruction was he operating (vs. 8)?
  5. What is your motivation for obeying God? In what area(s) of your life are you relying on yourself instead of depending upon God?

RESPOND TO GOD

Reeling from the consequences of their sin and the embarrassing defeat at Ai, the Israelites were in real need of a reminder that God was still with them in spite of their failure to obey. That God provided loving encouragement and a second chance to Israel was an act of unbelievable grace. Perhaps just as amazing is that, over and over again, God doles out these kinds of do-overs to disobedient people who simply do not deserve them—every one of us, after all, are members of the second chance club. If our motivation is the astonishing amount of grace he extends, then our response can only be faithful obedience to, overwhelming trust in, and absolute dependence on him.

  • Praise God that you receive grace-upon-grace from his hand. Pray that his grace would be your motivation to walk in faithful obedience to him.