Chapter 15 Siege across the Jordan River

cross the jordan river Of course, Joshua didn't know this, and he continued on his way west.Trust that Jehovah will give them victory.However, the people of Ai were not intimidated by what happened in Jericho. They refused to surrender. When the Jews attacked, they counterattacked and broke through the Jewish defenses, forcing them to be defeated and suffer heavy losses. Only then did Joshua realize that someone must be unfaithful, so he called everyone together and expressed his doubts.He asks the perpetrator to confess to save others.Achan doesn't come forward as he should, thinking he can get away with hiding.

No one pleaded guilty, so Joshua decided to draw lots, and Achan won the lottery, so he had to tell where the stolen goods were hidden.Clothes and gold coins were found and thrown into the fire. The soldiers seized Achan and killed him. A long, long time later, a pile of stones in front of Mount Achor reminded passers-by of what happened to the first soldier who dared to disobey the will of Yahweh. Joshua withdrew his army and prepared to attack the unyielding city again. He divided his army into two parts, and 35,000 men were lurking in the Bethel mountains outside Ai at night. Joshua himself marched on Ai with 5,000 men.Seeing so few Jews, the defending troops thought it was the remnants of the enemy who retreated a few days ago.

They laughed and rushed out with the city gate wide open, wanting to teach these arrogant enemies a lesson. They rushed as far as the open land outside the city, where it was easier to kill the enemy, but Joshua did not wait for them to approach, and fled with the party towards the mountains. At this time, the people of Aicheng could no longer think of being cautious.They scrambled to catch up, and soon the people of Ai entered a narrow valley, and Joshua stopped. He waved a strip of cloth tied to a spear, a signal to the ambush troops.They jumped up and attacked the enemy from behind. These pagans were attacked from both sides and could only be slaughtered by the Jews.

After a few hours, all were killed.The city of Ai was of course taken without much trouble, since the gates were still open. The inhabitants of Ai, men, women, children, and children all suffered the same fate as the Jerichoites, and the city burned to the ground.That night, the skies over Canaan were once again glowing red, announcing the arrival of a new and powerful invader.They claimed that all the land of Canaan belonged to them, and they would show no mercy to anyone who dared to defy God's will. The other cities of Canaan panicked and tried to outsmart them. One of the cities that almost succeeded was Gibeon.

The idea of ​​the Gibeonites was: "The Jews want to settle here. They are too powerful for us to fight. They are coming soon. We must make a treaty of friendship with them. If they believe that we are thousands of miles away, they may This treaty will be made. Until then, they will not find us near." The tactic was cunning, and it succeeded at first.One night, representatives of the Gibeonites came to the Jewish camp and asked to see Joshua. These people were wretched, exhausted, nearly collapsed, covered in mud, and dying of thirst.With spoiled food, they said they were on the road for a long time, so the food spoiled.

Joshua believed them. He asked where they were from, and they said they were from Gibeon, a city so far away, that they almost died of exhaustion. Then they told the Jewish commander that they would live in peace with the newcomers and that they would make a peace treaty.They also emphasized that it is not difficult to live in peace with people thousands of miles away. These words sounded really good, and Joshua was fooled. By the time he found out that the city of Gibeon was on the marching route, it was already too late.He has made a treaty and cannot break his word.But in anger, he declared the Gibeonites to be slaves of the Jews forever.

In this way, although the Gibeonites and their children survived, they had to do the hard labor of carrying water and chopping wood for the Jews. This was a very tragic fate.And when the other tribes in Canaan heard about it, they had more trouble. These tribes are not cowards, they are going to fight for freedom.Jericho and Ai were destroyed, and now another powerful city has surrendered without a fight. They could have formed an alliance to fight the enemy together.This is such a shame that they must be punished lest others follow their example. horn siege So five kings under the leadership of Adoni Zedek, king of Jerusalem, immediately made a treaty against the Jews and against those who accepted Jewish rule.They gathered their forces and marched on Gibeon to punish it for its treachery.

Gibeon was caught between the two powerhouses, so he had to ask Joshua for help. Joshua understood that this was a decisive battle, so he rushed ahead of the allied forces and rushed to the outside of Gibeon at the fastest speed.The five kings were caught off guard and defeated.The five kings hid in the cave, hoping that the Jews would not find them. However, they were still found. The Jews hurriedly moved a few big stones to block the entrance of the cave, turning the cave into a temporary prison, and continued to pursue the enemy. At this time, the coalition forces regained their courage, knowing that this was the last battle for freedom and independence.

They resisted to the death, and if they persisted for a few more hours, they could escape when it got dark. Joshua must win now, or all his efforts will be lost.So he prayed to the LORD, and the LORD ordered the sun to stay still over Gibeon, and the moon to stay in the valley of Aijalon.This prolongs the day by several hours.The Jewish army kept on attacking.When the sun went down, they were victorious, and the children of Israel became the masters of the entire land of Canaan. Then they returned to the cave where the five kings were imprisoned, and executed the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Lachish, Eglon, and Jevi as punishment.The other thirty or so rulers of Canaan soon surrendered.

Joshua had a complete victory and could be satisfied.He erected the Tabernacle at Shiloh, between Shechem and Gilgal.Make it the new spiritual center of the Jewish nation. The tribes were allotted lands to conquer, they had suffered in the desert, and now they were rewarded for their bravery and perseverance. In this way, the Jews finally returned to their home.After centuries of city life and long journeys in the desert, they have finally returned to the simple life of their ancestors, just as Moses wanted. They are no longer forced to live in slums, they are free shepherds. Each of them has their own land, their own house.

The various tribes that have been scattered since ancient times have now merged into a powerful nation with a common belief and worship of Yahweh, the God of heaven and earth, who guided them to get rid of slavery and win the freedom and independence of the country.