God can give the victory through miraculous means or by conveying clever strategy. In either case, obedience to His commands is what brings success! The Israelites also make sure that they fulfill God’s command from Deuteronomy 11:29 when they reaffirm the covenant. It seems that they copied the 10 commandments on the stones as a memorial, but read the entirety of the law out loud.
While the stones at Gilgal where they crossed the Jordan reminded the Israelites of God’s faithfulness, the monuments erected at Ai serve a different purpose. The stones over Achan (7:26) would remind the Israelites for generations of the danger of sin and greed, and the heap of stones over the grave of the king of Ai and the altar that was erected on Mount Ebal would remind them that, if they want to be victorious, they need to be faithful and obedient.
Thought for the day: Obedience still brings success and victory, but we have to make sure we understand what success and victory really look like!
John 14:23 (WEB) “ Jesus answered him, ‘If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’ “
Amen!