And the men went up and spied out Ai. And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.” So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water. (Joshua 7:2-5 ESV)
Common Sense
Among some folk today, we might be developing a Cult of Common Sense. Probably due to many silly and irresponsible activities and solutions observed in Western Culture, many are decrying the lack of Common Sense, and advocating a return to the Good Old Days of the Rein of Common Sense.
It can be observed in Politics, in Old Man porch conversations, and in Social Media bumper stickers.
But God’s Sense sits on a higher throne than Common Sense.
For the Israelites, Common Sense urged them to bring less troops to attack Small Ai. It just made sense. It was logical. It was pragmatic. It came from their recent Jerichoan experience.
But the Highter Sense could have nudge them to choose adherence to God’s Way as a path to continued progress in the Promised Land.
The Israelites left God out of the equation, and so their Common Sense was actually Foolish Sense.
For us, too, pragmatism and experience are dangerous. Not because pragmatism and experience, those things usually found under the umbrella of Common Sense, are bad things as such.
But because too often pragmatism and experience leave Christ’s power, grace, experience, and Revelation out of the picture.
May Godly Sense become so prevalent that it becomes Common Sense…