Jos 8:25   And [so] it was, [that] all that fell that day, both of men and women, [were] twelve thousand, [even] all the men of Ai.

TWELVE:  Perfection of government.  Twelve is the number of the Church, both the Old Covenant Church of Israel founded by 12 physical fathers (the 12 sons of Israel) and the New Covenant Church founded by 12 spiritual fathers (the 12 Apostles).  This number also has a relationship to rule along with multiples of 12:

• 12 signs of the zodiac (these ancient symbols are found in Jewish synagogues of the 1^st century AD).
• The circle of the heavens = 360' (12 x 30).
• The product of 3 (perfection of divinity) x 4 (the number of the earth).
• 12 tribes of Israel [Genesis 49:28].
• 12 pillars were erected at Mt. Sinai [Exodus 24:4].
• 12 statues of oxen held up the water basin in Solomon’s Temple [1 Kings 7:25].
• 12 men were selected by God to conduct the census [Numbers 1:2-16].
• 12 princes of Israel brought gifts to the Sanctuary on 12 days [Numbers 7:10-83].
• 12 spies sent to reconnoiter Canaan [Numbers 13:1-15].
• 12 months of a year.
• Jesus is 12 when He questions the scholars in the Temple [Luke 2:41].
• 12 legions of angles [Matthew 26:53].
• 12 Apostles [Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:13].
• 144,000 servants of God (12 times 12) [Revelation 7:4].
• 12 gates of the New Jerusalem [Revelation 21:12].
• 12 foundations of the Heavenly Jerusalem [Revelation 7:4; 21:16, 17].
• The Trees of Life in the new creation will bear 12 kinds of fruits [Revelation 22:2].

Jos 8:26 KJV - For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

Destroyed: The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the lord, often by totally destroying them.

Jos 6:21 And they utterly destroyed all that [was] in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

Joshua - Joshua seems to have been not only the general but the standard-bearer of the army, (Jos 8:18,) and continued in this employment, by holding up or extending his spear, during the whole of the battle; and did not slacken from the pursuit till the forces of Ai were utterly discomfited. Some commentators, however, understand this action in a figurative sense, like the holding up of Moses' hands, as if it implied that Joshua continued in prayer for the success of his troops, nor ceased till the armies of Ai were annihilated, and the city taken and destroyed.

Jos 8:18 KJV - And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that [is] in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that [he had] in his hand toward the city.

Exd 17:11 KJV - And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

Exd 17:12 KJV - But Moses' hands [were] heavy; and they took a stone, and put [it] under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

 Jos 8:27   Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua. 

Jos 8:2 KJV - And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

Jos 11:4 KJV - And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that [is] upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.

Num 31:22 KJV - Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

Num 31:26 KJV - Take the sum of the prey that was taken, [both] of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:

Psa 50:10 KJV - For every beast of the forest [is] mine, [and] the cattle upon a thousand hills.

Mat 20:15 KJV - Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

Jos 8:28   And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, [even] a desolation unto this day. 

Jos 8:29   And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, [that remaineth] unto this day. 

the king - The kings of Canaan lay under the same curse as their subjects and probably were more deeply criminal. The reserving of the king of Ai for a solemn execution, would tend to strike terror into the other kings, contribute to the success of Israel, and give their proceedings the stamp of a judicial process, and of executing the vengeance of God upon his enemies. Jos 10:26-28,30,33; Deu 21:22,23; Est 7:10; Psa 107:40; Psa 110:5; Act 12:23; Rev 19:17,18

Jos 10:26 KJV - And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

Jos 10:27 KJV - And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, [that] Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, [which remain] until this very day.

Jos 10:28 KJV - And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that [were] therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.

Jos 10:30 KJV - And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that [were] therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.

Jos 10:33 KJV - Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.

Deu 21:22 KJV - And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:

Deu 21:23 KJV - His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged [is] accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance.

Est 7:10 KJV - So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

Psa 107:40 KJV - He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, [where there is] no way.

Psa 110:5 KJV - The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

Act 12:23 KJV - And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

Rev 19:17 KJV - And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

Rev 19:18 KJV - That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all [men, both] free and bond, both small and great.

as soon -

Jos 10:27 KJV - And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, [that] Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, [which remain] until this very day.

a great heap -

Jos 7:26 KJV - And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

2Sa 18:17 KJV - And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent

“Joshua demonstrates a beautiful balance as he prepares a second attack on the city of Ai. He begins by asking the Lord whether his army should attack, and if so, when. God ordered the attack and instructed Joshua to set an ambush, but gave no further details. Joshua planned the particulars of the campaign, each step under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

He divided his troops into two divisions and told one to stage an attack on the city. The other group was to wait in ambush until the men of Ai came out. As the men of Ai chased their attackers, the ambush could close in and allow the Israelites to set the city afire. The plan worked perfectly. When the men of Ai saw the smoke rising above their homes, they lost heart and quickly fell in battle to Israel.” John Maxwell

Jos 8:14 And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw [it], that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that [there were] liers in ambush against him behind the city.

The first thing I see here that I love is that the move of the enemy was at a “time appointed.” That just confirms that God is in control in all adversity and situations. He and all his people moved against God’s anointed at a time appointed, not knowing that there was an ambush awaiting them. They came roaring out, with the attitude that they had this, because they had already beaten them once.

This just reminds me that this why you don’t give up. Even if you lose a battle or two in the beginning, or doors close in your face, it’s not over until God says it is.

Jos 8:15 And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

This is where we are called to be shrewd. Some Christians think that being shrewd is deceptive, but scripture calls us to be wise as serpents yet gentle as doves.

Jos 8:16 And all the people that [were] in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

What this tells me is that their attitudes were like, “What?!? These little upstarts have the nerve to try us again?!? Let’s all go out and give them a sound thrashing they’ll never forget!”

Jos 8:17 And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

Jos 8:18 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that [is] in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that [he had] in his hand toward the city.

I noticed that Joshua was told to stretch out his hand. This is what I found on that concept:

Exd 4:17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

Exd 14:16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry [ground] through the midst of the sea.

Exd 14:27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

Psa 44:3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

It was the right hand, through which the power of God is seen. Just as in heaven, Jesus sits on the right hand of the Father, because He is the vessel through which the Father wanted His power to be seen.

Imagine. Here was Joshua’s group running from Ai, with their men in hot pursuit, and suddenly, the leader of Israel stops, turns around, and points his spear towards their city? They must have definitely been taken aback, wondering at this sudden display of audacity.

Ai or Aija or Aiath or Hai = "heap of ruins"

1) a city lying east of Bethel and beside Bethaven near Jericho and the second city taken on the invasion of Canaan

2) a city of the Ammonites on the east of the Jordan and apparently attached to Heshbon

Bethel = "house of God"

1) ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name)

2) a place in south country of Judah, not far from Beersheba and Ziklag

There's a footnote about Bethel. First of all, here, it is seen in association with Ai. Joshua 12:16 lists Bethel as one of the cities that had been conquered, but there is no mention of its conquest except in connection with that of Ai.

Ai, then, is a beautiful picture for us of those inward problems arising out of our own lusts for that which God says we cannot, and must not have. We play the hypocrite and then discover that we are prey to every evil force that comes our way. We have no power to stand. We experience failure and defeat, as Israel did. But the minute this sin was confessed, they went up to Ai and it was no longer a problem. It was a battle, but no problem. Through it, they gained victory over the problem of the flesh.

Now, if Bethel means “house of God,” and it’s people were coming out, in association with Ai, to fight Joshua; what that says loudly and clearly, is that a “house of God” can fall out of relationship with it’s owner. If this has occurred, and you do not step away from it; you will be prey, as Ray Stedman indicated in his commentary; of every evil force, because that institution will associate itself with “a heap of ruins” and eventually will come to ruin itself.

Jos 8:19 And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.

Jos 8:20 And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.

Imagine their surprise as they saw their destruction coming.

2Ki 4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought [the vessels] to her; and she poured out.

2Ki 4:6 it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, [There is] not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

So she left the man of God, Elisha, and went and borrowed all of these empty pots from her neighbors, and not just a few. She borrowed a lot of pots. She went home and closed the door, as Elisha told her, so her neighbors couldn’t see what was happening.

She filled cruse after cruse with the oil from her pot, because her pot became like a spring of oil. Whereas she thought she had only a little, she actually had quite a lot, because God took the little she had, and her diligence in following the instructions she was given, and miraculously reproduced it, so that the oil did not stop flowing until every pot was filled. As soon as every pot was filled, the oil in her pot stopped flowing.

2Ki 4:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

Look at the wisdom of this. She then turned around and sold that oil back to her neighbors in their own pots! She made such a profit from this that she was able to pay off all of her debts, and live comfortably with her children.

This is what happens when you honor God with the little that you have. You must look at your resources, and lay them at God’s feet; offer them to Him, and let Him do the rest, but you be mindful and listen to and follow whatever instructions you receive, and He will pour out a blessing that is 100 fold what you thought you had. Remember, we are called to be shrewd like the people of the world in our business affairs. This is what Joshua did.

Jos 8:9 Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

I noticed that this was specific. First of all, they went to lie in ambush, and stayed between Bethel and AI.

Bethel = "house of God"

1) ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name)

2) a place in south country of Judah, not far from Beersheba and Ziklag

Ai or Aija or Aiath or Hai = "heap of ruins"

1) a city lying east of Bethel and beside Bethaven near Jericho and the second city taken on the invasion of Canaan

2) a city of the Ammonites on the east of the Jordan and apparently attached to Heshbon

This position is interesting because if you think back to what had just happened to them with Achan, it clearly speaks of making a choice. It’s like sitting on the fence. You have to jump down on one side or the other. You can’t stay on the fence forever.

It is also significant is the fact that they were on the “west” side of Ai. When I saw that, I started to look up the word west, because I wanted to know if there was some reason why that description was there. After all, it could simply have been written as, they were between Bethel and Ai, and nothing further. However, I did find something interesting about the west side.

Gen 12:5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

Gen 12:6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [was] then in the land.

Gen 12:7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Gen 12:8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, [having] Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

In this instance, Abram was not in compliance to what the Lord had originally told him, who knows how long ago; to do. See my study on Abraham.

However, what I noticed here is the position he moved into which is the same place that Joshua’s men were in. He went to the east side of Bethel, between Bethel and Ai, but on the west side of Ai. It’s almost like saying he was on the better side of, or upwardly moving side of hell, and the lower side of heaven. No. He was at the place of decision.

Clearly, he was still not being obedient because Lot was with him, and Lot was a veil over his eyes. (See the study) So basically, you have a choice in this place of decision, and your choice can either put you on the road to ruin, or on the road to God’s house.