转败为胜

以色列人胜利攻取坚固的耶利哥城之后，接着就攻取小小的艾城，然而在第一次攻取艾城时，以色列人却落得一败涂地，以致于众民的心都消化如水，约书亚也在神的面前撕裂衣服，和众长老把灰撒在头上，在神的约柜前俯伏哀求。为何百姓在敌人面前如此惨败？以色列民又是怎样重振旗鼓，转败为胜呢？

一、谦卑不轻敌

艾城是一座小城，人数也不多，按理攻下它不是一件难事，因为那么高大坚固的耶利哥城，都不用一刀一枪、一兵一卒而大获全胜。然而，以色列民因骄傲自信，轻视敌人，看攻艾城不过是易如反掌之事，岂料到在这场战役中，他们竟在艾城人面前转背逃跑，还有36人被杀，因此众民的心都消化如水。“败坏之先,人心骄傲”(箴18:12上)；人若自高轻敌，虽胜一时却也可能转眼成败。能谋善战的大卫王，打过许多胜仗，他胜过非利士人、摩押人，击败琐巴王与赫兰军队，接着又战胜亚兰人。对他而言，可说是国已坚固，兴旺稳固。然而就在这种情况之下，大卫却犯了一生中最大的罪--即与乌利亚的妻子拔示巴犯了奸淫的罪，事后又设计陷害乌利亚使他战亡。从圣经中看到：许多君王都在成功后遭遇失败，犯了大罪，如：扫罗王、所罗门王等。“尊荣以前，必有谦卑”（箴18:12下）。从书7：6中看到，此时约书亚何等谦卑、深切哀恸俯伏在神的面前，重新寻求、领受神的指示。所以，他不再轻视敌人，低估敌人的力量，不再像上次只派三千人去攻城，而是亲自挑选三万大能的勇士，结果大获全胜。人常是这样，以为大事需要主帮助，小事就不必麻烦主。所以遇到大事难事才向神求告，容易作的事就靠自己，但往往遭遇失败。从约书亚的经历中我们明白,无论任何事都要寻求、依靠神,因为唯有神知道我们所遇的事到底如何。

二、除当灭之物

以色列人在攻取耶利歌城时，有个叫亚干的人，在当灭的物上犯了罪。当灭的物指所有的衣服、牛羊及其他不可私自留下的掠物。神曾经吩咐以色列人当灭的物应当毁灭，而亚干却藐视神的命令而明知故犯，在所夺的物中，偷取了一件美好的示拿衣服、二百舍客勒银子、一条重五十舍客勒的金子，放在自己的帐棚里。因为他轻视了神的命令，以为这些当灭之物是微不足道的，但就是他保留了当灭之物，使以色列全民族都受到牵连。所以在攻艾城时以色列人在敌人面前转背逃跑，站立不住，成为被咒诅的。罪如发酵的面粉，一点点的酵就可以使全团的面粉都发起来。同样，如果一个人犯罪，不但自己受损害，还会影响更多的人。因为罪的后果是严重的，所以不要掩饰自己的罪，也不要以为这是小罪，不要象亚干一样犯罪，不但自己遭毁灭，连他的全家都一同遭毁灭。亚干犯罪连累全营，必须彻底灭罪。罪一除去，全民回转而专心一意地顺服神，神就转意不发烈怒，并且保护他们的军队，使他们再次攻取艾城时大获全胜。我们知罪后就要诚实地认罪悔改，得神的赦免，重新获得力量。

三、信神的应许

当灭的物除去后，就是罪恶清除之后，神命约书亚再次率兵夺城。这回约书亚不敢大意，乃是全心信靠神的应许。神对约书亚说:“不要惧怕，也不要惊惶。你起来，率领一切兵丁上艾城去，我已经把艾城的王和他的民、他的城并他的地，都交在你手里……你要在城后设下伏兵”（书8：1）。神对约书亚的应许中，有鼓励、安慰、策略。于是约书亚就亲自率兵在夜间前往，按照神的指示与敌人作战。精选的三万大能勇士在城后设下埋伏，祷告攻敌，警醒待命，配合前方约书亚所带领的众民，准备夺城。接着，他连夜进入一个山谷，又挑选了约有五千人，使他们埋伏在伯特利和艾城中间，安置好他们以后，自己就进入山谷之中，向神祷告，与神亲近，得着从主而来的能力，因为我们得力在乎平静安稳。这一仗有神的同在，有神的应许，精兵与众民有信心，能同心，三股合成的绳子不容易折断。所以这一仗靠着神的应许，以色列民大获全胜。我们无论作什么，或遇到怎样的处境，如果能信靠神的应许，就能使失败变成胜利，使软弱变刚强。因为人的话会落空，会使人软弱，唯有神的话使人有信心、有盼望，得刚强。当以利亚先知在大胜巴力450个假先知时，被王后耶洗别要杀他的话所吓倒，因而软弱逃命，逃到罗腾树下求死。当神亲自向他显现，并与他说话，告诉他在以色列中神还为自己留下七千人，是未曾向巴力屈膝，未曾与巴力亲嘴的，因此，以利亚重新得力，继续做神所差派他做的事情(参王上19章）。

从以色列民攻取艾城的经历教训我们，只有谦卑谨慎、除去一切的污秽、抓住神的应许，才能过得胜荣耀神的生活。

To Turn Defeat Into Victory

By Rev. Jiang Guiying

Bible Verse Reading: Joshua 7: 1, 8: 1- 3

After the Israelites had attacked the strong Jericho, they tried to attack Ai, but suffered a crushing defeat at the first offensive. As a result, the hearts of the people melted and turned to water. Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the ground on his face before the ark of the LORD and piteously entreated the LORD, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. Why did the people have such a disastrous defeat? How did the people rally their forces and turn the defeat into victory?

1. Be humble and do not underestimate the enemy.

Ai was a small city with small number of people. Normally, there should not have any difficulty taking it because the Israelites did not use any arms or armies when they attacked the strong Jericho. However, when the Israelites were proud and underestimated the enemy, they thought taking Ai was as easy as turning one's hand. It turned out that they fled before the people of Ai and thirty-six of them were killed. That's why the heart of people melted and turned to water. "Before destruction one's heart is haughty." (Ref. Proverbs 18:12) When humans are self-arrogant and underestimate the enemy, the temporary victory may be turned into defeat in the twinkling of an eye. King David, a man of resourcefulness and astuteness, had defeated the Philistines, the Moabites, King of Zobah, and the Arameans. The country was built up and prosperous. It was under such circumstance that David committed the greatest sin in his life: He committed adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife. Then he planned a trick against Uriah and had him killed in a fighting. We see from the Bible that many kings, after their success, encountered failure and committed sin, such as King Saul and King Solomon, etc. "Humility goes before honor." (Ref. Proverbs 18:12) Joshua 7: 6 tells us that Joshua was so humble that he fell to the ground on his face and cried sadly, seeking for and receiving God's instruction again. Hence, he did not look down upon or underestimate the enemy. He chose thirty thousand warriors rather than three hundred, as he had done before, to attack Ai. It turned out a great victory. Usually people think that we need God's help on big things, and for the trifles, we do not want to bother HIM. We pray to HIM when we are in big trouble, and for the easy things, we manage it ourselves," From Joshua's experience, we find that we must seek God in all the things, because only HE knew what we will encounter.

2. Eliminated the devoted things.

There was someone named Achan who committed sin on devoted things when the Israelites attacked Jericho. The devoted things meant all the clothes, cow and sheep and other robbed things that should not be left. God had told the Israelites to destroy what should have been destroyed, but Achan did not care. Among what had been robbed, there was a beautiful mantle, two hundred shekels and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. Achan put all these in his tent. He did not think highly of God's command and thought the devoted things were nothing. It was he who kept the devoted things, which involved the Israelites in trouble. So the Israelites fled when attacking Ai and facing enemies. They were the cursed. The sin is like yeasty flour and the dough rises with only a little yeast. Similarly, if a person committed sin, it is not just himself that is harmed, but also that many will be involved in. The consequence of sin is serious. Therefore, we should not conceal our sin, nor should we take our sin as unimportant. We should not be like Achan who sinned and was destroyed, and whose family was also destroyed with him. His sin involved his family in trouble. Sin should be destroyed. Once sin was eliminated, the people would turn to obey God and God would not release HIS anger but protect their army and bless them with complete victory when they attacked Ai again. After we realize our sin, we must repent honestly and ask God for forgiveness and for strength anew.

3. Trust God's promise.

The devoted things eliminated, i.e., the sin cleared up, God ordered Joshua to lead his fighting men to capture the city again. Joshua was afraid to be negligent then. Instead, he depended fully on God's promise. God said to Joshua, "Do not fear or be dismayed; take all the fighting men with you, and go up now to Ai. See, I have handed over to you the king of Ai with his people, his city, and his land…Set an ambush against the city, behind it. (Joshua 8: 1- 3) There was encouragement, comfort and strategy in the promise that God gave to Joshua. Joshua then led the warriors out by night, and fought against the enemies under God's command. The thirty thousand chosen warriors lay in ambush against the city. They prayed and attacked their enemies and waited for further command. Meanwhile, Joshua led the people in the front, ready for city-capturing. Then he entered a valley and selected about 5 thousand people, asking them to lie between Bethel and Ai. Having stationed the forces, Joshua spent that night in the valley and prayed to God. Being close to God, we will get strength from HIM, because our having the strength lies in our peace and stability. Depending on the LORD, the Israelites had the victory. Whatever we do, or whichever situation we are in, we will turn defeat to victory, weakness to strength if we can depend on God's promise. God's words build up confidence, hope and strength in human beings while the words of human beings may fall empty, or make others weak. When prophet Elijah defeated the four hundred and fifty false prophets of Baal, he was frightened by the words of Jezebel, who wanted to kill him. So he fled. When he reached a solitary broom tree and asked that he might die, God revealed to him and talked to him, telling him that God had left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that had not kissed him. Hence, Elijah regained his strength and continued doing what was told to him by God. (Ref. 1 Kings 19)

From the lesson of Israelites attacking Ai, we learn that only when we are humble and careful, and eliminate all dirty things and hold God' promise can we lead a victory life, glorifying God. 　

（根据录音整理）