The story continues, of course! And today, we're diving into Chapter 88 of the Book of Jasher to see what happened as the Israelites finally entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua.
The Book of Jasher (or, in Hebrew, Sefer haYashar) is an ancient text referenced in the Bible itself – Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18 both mention it. While not considered part of the canonical Hebrew Bible, it’s a fascinating source for expanding on biblical narratives and exploring Jewish history and legend.
So, what does Chapter 88 tell us?
Well, right after Moses' death, God speaks to Joshua, son of Nun, with a powerful message: "Rise up and pass the Jordan to the land which I have given to the children of Israel...Every place upon which the sole of your feet shall tread shall belong to you." It’s a bold declaration, a promise of inheriting the land flowing with milk and honey. God reassures Joshua, "As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee." But there's a condition: Joshua must be strong and courageous, observing all the laws that Moses commanded, turning neither to the right nor to the left. In other words, stick to the path, and success will follow.
Joshua, now the leader, gets right to work. He commands his officers to prepare the people for crossing the Jordan River in just three days. He also sends two spies to scout out the city of Jericho. They return with good news: "The Lord has delivered the whole land into our hand, and the inhabitants thereof are melted with fear because of us." Talk about a confidence boost!
The Israelites cross the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and camp in Gilgal, near Jericho. They celebrate Passover, remembering their liberation from Egypt, as prescribed in the law of Moses. And here's a significant moment: the manna, the miraculous food that sustained them in the desert, ceases. Now, they'll eat the produce of the land of Canaan. A new chapter begins.
Jericho, however, is a problem. It's tightly shut up, no one going in or out. So, God gives Joshua a rather unconventional battle plan. For six days, the fighting men are to march around the city once a day, priests blowing trumpets. On the seventh day, they march around seven times. Then, at the sound of the trumpet, the people are to shout, and…the walls will fall down.
Sound a bit… unbelievable? Yet, that's exactly what happens! Joshua follows God's instructions to the letter. On the seventh day, after the seventh circuit, he commands the people to shout. "…the walls of Jericho fell down," the text tells us, "and all the people went up, every man straight before him, and they took the city."
But there's a catch. Everything in the city is to be considered accursed, or herem in Hebrew, meaning devoted to God for destruction. The people are warned not to take anything for themselves, lest they bring a curse upon the camp. All the silver, gold, brass, and iron are to be consecrated to the Lord's treasury. They utterly destroy everything in Jericho, man, woman, young, old, even the animals. Only the precious metals are spared for the treasury.
Joshua then pronounces a curse: whoever rebuilds Jericho will lay its foundation with the loss of his firstborn son and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest. A pretty serious warning!
Tragedy strikes. Someone disobeys. Achan, from the tribe of Judah, takes some of the accursed things – a beautiful garment, silver, and gold – and hides them in his tent. This act brings the anger of the Lord upon Israel.
Next, Joshua sends men to scout out the city of Ai. They report that it's a small city, easily taken with just a few thousand men. But in the ensuing battle, the Israelites are defeated, and thirty-six men are killed. This is a major blow, and Joshua is devastated. He tears his clothes, falls to the ground, and cries out to God, "Why, O Lord, didst thou bring this people over the Jordan?"
God reveals the reason: the Israelites have sinned by taking the accursed things. He demands that they destroy the accursed things from among them, or He will no longer be with them. Joshua assembles the people and uses the Urim (a method of divination using sacred lots) to identify the guilty party. The lot falls on Achan.
Achan confesses: he saw the beautiful garment, the silver, and the gold, and he coveted them. He admits to hiding them in his tent. Joshua retrieves the stolen items and brings Achan, his family, and all his possessions to the Valley of Achor. There, they are burned with fire, and Achan is stoned to death. The place is named the Valley of Achor (meaning "trouble") because Achan’s sin brought trouble upon Israel. Only then is the Lord's anger appeased.
With the sin purged, God assures Joshua of victory over Ai. He instructs Joshua to set an ambush. Joshua follows God's plan. The Israelites pretend to flee, drawing the men of Ai out of their city. The hidden Israelite soldiers then seize the undefended city and set it on fire. Trapped between the two Israelite forces, the men of Ai are utterly destroyed. The king of Ai is hanged.
The Israelites take the cattle and spoil of the city for themselves, as God permitted. The total number of people killed in Ai is twelve thousand.
Word spreads about the Israelites' victories at Jericho and Ai. The kings of Canaan band together to fight against Israel. However, the inhabitants of Gibeon, fearing for their lives, resort to trickery. They pretend to be from a distant land and ask Joshua to make a covenant with them. Joshua and the Israelite leaders, without consulting God, make a treaty of peace with them.
Later, they discover that the Gibeonites are actually their neighbors. The Israelites are bound by their oath not to kill them, so they make them hewers of wood and drawers of water, essentially turning them into servants.
When Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, hears about Gibeon's alliance with Israel, he gathers four other kings to attack Gibeon. The Gibeonites appeal to Joshua for help. Joshua and his army march all night and surprise the five kings.
The Lord throws the Amorite kings into a panic and the Israelites inflict heavy losses, pursuing them to Beth Horon. As they flee, God sends hailstones from heaven, killing more of them than the Israelites do with their swords.
And then comes one of the most famous moments in the Book of Joshua. As the day is drawing to a close, and the Israelites are still pursuing their enemies, Joshua cries out, "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou moon in the valley of Ajalon; until the nation shall have avenged itself upon its enemies."
And the sun stands still! The text says it remained in the middle of the heavens for "six and thirty moments," and the moon also stood still. "There was no day like that," the Book of Jasher proclaims, "before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened to the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel." A truly miraculous event.
So, what do we take away from this chapter? It's a story of faith, obedience, and the consequences of disobedience. We see the incredible power of God at work, but also the very human struggles of the Israelites as they navigate their new land. Joshua emerges as a strong leader, but even he makes mistakes, highlighting the importance of always seeking divine guidance. And perhaps most importantly, it reminds us that even after great victories, vigilance and adherence to God's will are essential for continued success. The journey is far from over.