Timing is Everything

Joshua 8:2 “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.”

The first time Israel fought against the small city of Ai, they sent a small force and expected to win. They were soundly defeated and lost thirty-six men. So Joshua fell on his face before the Lord, and God told him there was sin in the camp. Achan’s sin was discovered, and he was executed. That is the background for Joshua 8, where God tells Joshua to go battle Ai the second time and “the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves. . . .”

Isn’t it ironic that what Achan died for in chapter seven, God provided for the children of Israel in chapter eight? Achan tried to manipulate and scheme for the spoil the first time, and it cost him his life and the lives of thirty-six men. Now, at the right time, God was providing for His people by giving them the spoils!

We can learn that a good thing at the wrong time is not a good thing. My wife just baked a coffee cake. Fresh out of the oven, it was fantastic! The next day, it will still be good-but just not as good as fresh from the oven. Anyone like month-old cake? Well, try tasting a piece of it an hour before it is done baking, and-trust me-it won’t be good either! Timing is everything.

So it is in our Christian lives. A good thing at the wrong time is not a good thing. God knows the “big picture” and controls the future-we ought trust His timing and not scheme and manipulate for a good thing at the wrong time. What was a curse in chapter seven was God’s provision in chapter eight-the difference was the timing. The “what” is important this morning, but the “when” is also important to consider.