YT 22 Joshua part 17 Chapter 8

The Book of Joshua

Part 17

Joshua 8
Recapping:

After Israel’s defeat at Ai and with the trespass of the accursed thing dealt with ~
“neither will I be with you anymore except ye destroy the accursed from among you”
(Joshua 7:12), the LORD had turned from the fierceness of His anger.

The valley of Achor ~ the valley “to trouble” had become the door of hope with
the nation reconciled to God. Now comes the next step of business ~ go forward.

Chapter 8 is divided into two parts. First is the plan of attack for the city Ai and
second is the ceremony of consecration at Mount Ebal. In the remainder of the book of
Joshua, there are no more defeats recorded. All you have is victory all the way to the
end with the setting of the tribes in the land.

There are differing opinions among scholars as to the timing of the enacting of
the ceremony at Mount Ebal commanded by Moses in Deuteronomy 27:1-13. Some
believe the ceremony to have taken place after the defeat of Ai; others believe it actually
took place after the crossing of the Jordan.

It is my view in light of the fact that Moses commanded the ceremony to take
place on the day Israel passed over the Jordan and that the book of Joshua is a
military record ~ thus the insert of the information within the text is to connect it to the
previous passage concerning Ai in order to demonstrate that with the victory of Ai is
Israel’s renewed consecration unto the LORD, to go forward, and is in no way a “do
over” of the ceremony.

Because the book of Joshua is the written code of conduct and regulations that
defines the actions of the nation, as it pertains to the activity of the military, it is
important to remember the necessity of consecration.

The consecration of the personal beings for God, begins in the mind with the
work of sanctification ~ the separating of oneself unto God, thereby separating one’s
self from the world for the purpose to be made holy. The end result ~ the
transformation of the personal being.

As we consider the text of the military record of Joshua we need to bear in mind
that there are multiple pictorials contained therein.

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First, are the literal events of Joshua’s day. Next is the far fulfillment of a given
prophecy within the text ~ such as the prophecy of the man who rebuilds Jericho. And
then finally, there are the figurative pictorials of the near and far fulfillment of Jacob’s
time of trouble and the establishment of the kingdom age with the return of the
Covenant Son, as Joshua’s generation is a figure of the remnant nation.

BACK TO BASICS

Joshua 8:1-2:

“And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all
the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the
king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: 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.”

Once again Joshua and the people are back to basics ~ fear not, neither be thou
dismayed. Fear is a good thing. Without it people are inclined to do stupid things.

However, speaking directly to Joshua the LORD reiterates His command to “fear
not nor be dismayed.” Joshua leading his peers, as well as their children, undoubtedly
felt the pressure of such a venture especially with the sin of Israel still in the forefront of
his mind.

Nonetheless, unless one mixes with faith what one is taught; watering the seed
of life with Love; meditating day and night to the purpose of the bearing of the fruit of
holiness; the heart will remain dull to the teaching, and foolishness will lie therein
resulting in the leanness of the soul. Joshua must take the LORD at His word and go
forward.

Joshua has the promise of the LORD ~ take all the people of war and do to Ai
and her king as you did to Jericho. “I have given” ~ the king of Ai, his people, his city
and his land. The promise is in the past tense ~ “I have given”, not I will give. This is a
done deal with the LORD.

THE SAMENESS OF GOD

Joshua 6:21,24a:

“And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young
and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword…And they burnt the
city with fire…”

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“And they took”. They are to do the same thing to Ai with the exception that the
spoil ~ the precious vessels ~ of silver and gold and the cattle is theirs for a prize of war.
The LORD doesn’t switch the plan on Joshua. Israel’s marching orders are the same
with Ai as the first time, with the exception of the spoils mentioned.

Whereas the first time the victory was the LORD’S (Jericho), this victory (Ai)
likewise is also the LORD’S; but Israel in her obedience, is to share in the victory. This
victory of the LORD is figurative of Israel entering into the land (when the kingdom is set
up), and shares in the “wealth” as Jehovah’s virtuous Woman, whose price is far above
rubies and His servant to the other nations.

THE STRATAGEM

The LORD gives Joshua the stratagem for the victory of Ai.

Joshua 8:2b-13:

“…lay thee an ambush for the city behind it. So Joshua arose, and all the people
of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour,
and sent them away by night. And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in
wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all
ready: And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall
come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before
them, (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will
say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them.”

“Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the LORD
your God will deliver it unto your hand. And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that
ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do.
See, I have commanded you. Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in
ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged
that night among the people.”

“And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went
up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. And all the people of war that
were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the
north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai. And he took about five
thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai on the west side of
the city. And when they had set the people, all the host that was on the north of the city,
and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the
valley.”

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Three lines of attack is the stratagem commissioned by the LORD for victory.
Two involve an ambush and one is a decoy. None of the three have ever been used in
warfare by the nation.

THE AMBUSH

First ~ 30,000 men of war are sent by night as an ambush behind the city of Ai.
Thus, we have 10x’s as many men sent out as the first attack under the cover of
darkness. This is ambush one ~ on the west side of Ai.

The nighttime maneuver lends the idea of secrecy. This is a covert mission.
Which is an amazing undertaking when you consider there are 30,000 men moving into
position behind the city and not far from the city.

The object is to be very quiet and stay concealed until the signal is given the
following day at a time appointed, the stretching out of the spear held in the hand of
Joshua.

Second ~ the LORD initiates the lure of a decoy with Joshua and all the people
in the valley north of the city to flee as at the first.

This smokescreen will be used to appear as if they were beaten as before, to

entice the pride of all the men of Ai and Bethel to pursue after Israel.

Third ~ concluding this gutsy game of warfare is the second ambush of 5,000
men who are to lie in wait between Bethel, and Ai on the west of the city of Bethel.
Warfare by its nature is a competition between competitors, of not only their strength,
but more importantly their wits as well. You have to outsmart your enemy to win. Thus,
the strategy of entrapment to catch and confine the enemy has been laid out by the
LORD.

The natural man, led by the seen and felt, does not consider the hidden dangers.
Sustained and lifted by the pride of enmity and deceived by their self-confidence, the
inhabitants of Ai will walk willingly into the snare laid for them.

THE DECEPTION OF ENMITY

Joshua 8:14-17:

“And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up
early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a
time appointed, before the plain; but he knew not that there were liers in ambush
against him behind the city. And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten
before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.”

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“And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and
they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. And there was not a
man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and
pursued after Israel.”

Not knowing that Israel had liers in ambush behind him, the king of Ai runs head
strong out to “battle” assured in his mind of victory. Perhaps the king thought those in
the valley with Joshua were limited in number, evidenced by his response of attack to
pursue. This, of course, would add to the allure of the decoy.

Tempted and drawn away by his own lusts and enticed by the seeming victory
over Israel and her God this second time, the king of Ai is hot in his passion of appetite
to conquer. Hungry in his enthusiasm and zeal for victory to honor himself, the king is
unaware he is being led astray to his death by his own strong desires. Such is the
deception of enmity. God has no problem using what is in the heart of man.

THE HONOR OF LOVE

Joshua 8:18-19:

“And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward
Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his
hand toward the city. And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as
soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and
hasted and set the city on fire.”

Here is the judgment of God against this city, for the honor and Glory for the God
of Israel.

Unlike the king of Ai, Joshua is not concerned about his reputation but the honor
of his LORD and obedience to Him. Maybe you are thinking, it’s no big deal that Joshua
made like he and all Israel were beaten because they know they have the victory from
the LORD.

Really? Is it no big deal to look the fool for the honor of God and His glory? I
believe in order for a man to be willing to do such a thing, that man must have a right
understanding of who he is (a creation) and Whose he is (belongs to the Lord).

To look the fool, one must be willing to humble oneself under the mighty hand of
God, recognizing the authority of Love to rule over his life. Understanding, that by God’s
nature ~ Love cannot insist upon its own way and therefore will not override a man’s
freedom of choice. But as the Scripture says, “He giveth more grace. Wherefore he
saith, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).

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Joshua is such a man. He knows the LORD and is familiar with His ways; Joshua
refuses to allow his familiarity to cloud his judgment and think that within himself “he
knows.” Familiarity can and often does breed contempt. Disdain and disrespect
produces the willful arrogance of pride to think one knows. And so, the awful cycle is
repeated.

Joshua has learned in the very being of himself, that he is a creation ~

dependent upon God for everything. And it is this dependency that is his freedom.

It is Joshua’s reliance upon the LORD that keeps him free from himself and the
imagined sense of responsibility of others. Yet what I really like about Joshua, is his
warrior spirit. He is not a sissy. Because of his dependency, there is an underlying
courage as the result of his reliance upon God. He is bold.

This way of thinking ~ this reality of things as they are ~ takes training. Joshua
had to meditate day and night in the book of the law. But Joshua had learned that
meditating day and night, that dependency, that freedom, that reliance, was well worth
the discipline.

THE SPEAR

Holding the spear in his hand, Joshua stretched it towards the city, the mark for
the signal of attack for the ambush. Spears were used as offensive weapons. The
offensive weapons in use at that time can be divided into three categories according to
their range.

Short-range weapons were used in hand-to-hand combat and included the sword
or dagger. Medium-range weapons, the spear, were designed to be thrown at enemies
a short distance away. Long-range weapons, the javelin, could be thrown or fired at an
enemy further away.

All eyes had to be on Joshua awaiting the signal. None of the ambush could
afford to be looking elsewhere. Their eyes needed to be fixed on their leader to assure
the victory, picturing that all eyes need to be fixed on God. Having their eyes fixed on
their leader was the assurance of victory.

This would require a trained mind ~ disciplined to be steadfast and unmovable.

The leader can be willing to lead, but the followers have to be willing to wait for his
direction and then follow.

Thus, with the spear pointed towards the city, the ambush ran, entered the city,
took it, then hurried and set the city on fire. The pictorial of the ambush in the waiting,
running and hurrying is very much like the exercise of faith.

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Each action is an exercise of the warfare of the endurance of faith. Waiting is to

stay where one is, or delay action until a particular time, or until something else
happens. Running is to move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both feet on
the ground at the same time. Hurrying, is to move or do things more quickly than
normal.

The ambush of the city is figurative of the need to ambush the dwelling place of
the lusts of the heart: Setting on fire every high thing which exalts itself against the
knowledge of God (2 Cor. 10:4-5).

Burning with fire, as we learned from the lesson on the inhabitants of Jericho, is
a symbol of the judgment of the “second death”, the complete destruction of the body.
Fire is permanent. Fire is the visible effect of the process of combustion. Fire occurs
between oxygen in the air and some sort of fuel. Scientifically this is known as the fire
triangle, oxygen, fuel and heat are needed for fire to occur.

“Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrew 12:29). He is the breath, the oxygen; He
is the fuel, the energy; and He is the heat that produces the zeal of the warmth of His
love for the purging of all that is corrupt.

SMOKE FROM THE FIRE

Joshua 8:20-22:

“And when the men of Ai looked behind them they saw, and, behold, the smoke
of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way:
and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. And when
Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the
city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai. And the other issued out
of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and
some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or
escape.”

The smoke of the fire ascending to heaven is the evidence of the

pronouncement of the judgement of the God of the whole earth, the LORD God of
Israel. God has judged Ai, heap of ruins. There is the fire, judgment; and then the
smoke is a witness for miles away. God’s judgment is finished.

Much like the ascension of the Covenant Son, the crowning event of His
exaltation, the smoke of the city ascending to heaven declares the “finished work.”

With no power to flee this way or that, the Judge of all the earth shall do right. It
is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. The God with whom man must
deal. He is the creator and humanity is His creation. (Gen. 18:25; Heb. 10:31).

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THE HEAP OF RUINS

Joshua 8:23-28:

“And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua. And it came to
pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the
wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the
sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it
with the edge of the sword.”

“And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve
thousand, even all the men of Ai. For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he
stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Only the
cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the
word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua. And Joshua burnt Ai and made it an
heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.”

None of the enemies of the LORD remained or escaped but were destroyed with
the edge of the sword. The sword is figurative of the word of God, which is quick and
powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. Discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart;
and all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
The king of Ai is about to meet his maker. (Heb. 4:12-13).

As we will learn in coming lessons, the king of Ai, like the king of Jericho
represents all the kings and rulers of the earth that set themselves and take counsel
together against the LORD and against His anointed, the Covenant Son, saying “let us
break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us.” But laughter will come
from heaven.

THE LAUGHTER OF HEAVEN

Psalm 2:4-12: Read

Like the king of Ai, the kings and rulers of the earth will be brought alive to the
King of kings, the Judge of all the earth; to face the Supreme Authority Who is the God
of glory and they will be found guilty and accursed.

HANGING ON A TREE

Joshua 8:29:

“And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun
was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree,

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and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of
stones that remaineth unto this day.”

The verse sounds as though Joshua hung the king without first slaying him with
the sword. This would be a slow and unmerciful death of suffering. This was not the
practice of the nation, Israel. They always showed mercy to their enemies.

In Deuteronomy 20:10-18 are the Laws of Warfare. Verses 10-12 give the
guidelines to Israel to first offer peace to the nation in question. Should that nation
refuse to make peace with Israel, it is considered that the nation is the one making war
with Israel instead of the other way around. The Jews are not the aggressors of
humanity but the defenders. Those nations to whom Israel is offering peace have
encroached on Israel’s Land of Promise.

Likewise, when putting an enemy to death it was quick and humane. The
captain would put his foot upon the neck of his enemy and smite them with the sword,
afterward hanging them upon a tree as a sign of being accursed of God (Joshua 10:24).
Which is what Joshua would have done.

ACCURSED OF GOD

The LORD God commanded that a man having committed a sin worthy of death,
according to the law (Deuteronomy 21:22-23), should be put to death and then hung
on a tree. Have you ever wondered why?

It was meant to be seen as a twofold pictorial. First, it is a picture of the death of

the Covenant Son, accursed of God for the sins of the whole world. He who knew no
sin, did no sin, holy harmless and undefiled was hung on a tree as a criminal. Second, it
was to encourage the lawless man in Adam to bow the knee to the truth.

In the Roman mind, to be hung on a cross meant more than a crime worthy of
death had been committed. It meant that the accused was considered to be a lowly,
vile, reprehensible person, in addition to being a criminal. He was not only bad, he was
base.

Without question, death by crucifixion was the most humiliating and degrading
form of public death ever devised. Crucifixion was a very slow agonizing death and
would often last for days as the victim died more from suffocation than from bleeding.
Furthermore, hanging naked in public along a well-traveled road added immensely to
the sense of shame.

The rulers of the Jews, in the day of the Covenant Son, Jesus the Christ, wanted
more than death. What caused them to press Pilate for the crucifixion of Jesus? The
symbolism. There stood the Man Jesus, the proclaimed Messiah, crucified as a lowly,

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vile, reprehensible person, in addition to being a criminal. That was an opportunity too
great to pass up.

THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS IS A FORERUNNER OF THE RESURRECTION

OF THE COVENANT SON

John 11:47-53:

“Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do
we? For this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all will believe on him:
and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.”

“And one of them, Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto
them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man
should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.”

“And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied
that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should
gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Then from that
day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.”

WITH WISDOM GET UNDERSTANDING

Yet when we understand that God had planned this event from Eternity past
(Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8), we are also confronted with the realization
that God was in absolute control of everything that was happening. In Eternity past, the
Covenant Son knew that when He came, He was going to die on a cross.

Seen by the foreknowledge of God, was the cross that was destined to be God's
altar of sacrifice (Galatians 3:13).

With the crucifixion, the pictorial of the judgment of God, cursed is the man that
hangeth on a tree was lost; but not to the rulers of the nation. The rulers knew exactly
that they had crucified the King of the Jews; their King, the Prince of the kings of the
earth (Revelation 1:5-6).

THE PERPETRATOR OF A VAIN THING

As a perpetrator of the worst kind of sin, the rejection of the Eternal life offered in
the Covenant Son, the king of Ai was hung on a tree. He is an enemy of God because
he has refused the love that has been offered him. Ai, just like the rulers in Jesus’ day,
did not want their Sovereign, their Creator to rule over them.

Displayed by the humiliation of king Ai’s body hung in public, came the
understanding of the judgment of God's curse. It was for this reason, that Joshua hung

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the body of the king of Ai on a tree (Joshua 8:29) and the bodies of the five kings of the
southern confederacy on five trees (Joshua 10:26-27). Hanging on a tree served as a
warning.

God is not willing that any should perish but, that all should come to repentance
and receive the Eternal life offered in His seed, the Covenant Son; thereby fulfilling the
purpose of his creation to become a son of God in God’s image, after his likeness.

HIGHLIGHTING MOUNT EBAL AND GERIZIM

(Full Details Provided YT Lesson 14)

As previously mentioned, in Joshua 8:30-35 is the text of the ceremony of

consecration at mount Ebal. Because of the corruption of the land with the hanging of
the king of Ai on a tree, this is not a “do over” but a confirmation of Israel’s consecration
unto the LORD.

Thus, we will briefly consider the highlights of the ceremony in the Mounts, Ebal
and Gerizim as the testimony of the faithfulness of God to fulfill that which He purposed
in Eternity past, His Kingdom come.

Joshua 8:30-35: Read

The order and details pertaining to the ceremony recorded in Joshua are not the
same as in the book of Deuteronomy.

The order and omission of some of the details within the text of Joshua carries
significance because as stated previously, Joshua is a military record. Often when
recounting or reminiscing a particular event the emphasis is changed in light of the
circumstances of the current event.

As a result, without the understanding of the text in Deuteronomy, the highlights

of the recounting in Joshua are misunderstood to be the actual event. Consequently, in
the reading of the text in Joshua 8:32 it sounds as though Joshua wrote a copy of the
law on the altar, instead of on the great stones.

This of course, would make no sense, since he would have had to use tools; and
no tools were to be used on the altar. Also, there would have been blood on the altar, as
well as fire to consume the offerings, making it impossible to read the law which is the
purpose for writing the law. It is necessary to read the text in Deuteronomy alongside
the text in Joshua.

MOSES’ COMMAND ~ DEUTERONOMY 27:1-13

When the ceremony was enacted on the day of the nation’s crossing of Jordan
the emphasis was on the great stones plastered with plaster on which the law was

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written. The significance being the “law of the LORD” ~ the jurisdiction of authority in
the establishment of the Kingdom during Joshua’s day. Likewise, it is a figure of the
day when the King comes and the fishes of the sea of humanity are under a new
jurisdiction.

While the text in Joshua contains some of the same basic information, the
emphasis is on the stone altar of whole stones, and the offerings of burnt offerings
and peace offerings.

The mention of the altar and offerings emphasizes the victory of the work of
the Covenant Son. It pictures Israel’s rejoicing before the LORD their God in Joshua’s
day; and likewise figures the day when the King comes and Israel is the head of all
nations.

Everything in the book of Joshua is tied to the figurative fulfilment of the

Covenant Son’s plan for a kingdom of Sons of God with His nation Israel as head of the
nations.

THE STONE ALTAR and OFFERINGS

The altar of whole stones, made without any iron tool used in the making of it,
was a “natural” altar, meaning it was not man made; and is indicative that the altar of
offering was God’s design. The Burnt offering, the Meal offering and the Peace offering,
known as sweet savor offerings consumed on the altar of sacrifice were known as the
table of Jehovah (Malachi 1:7-13).

Whatever was put on Jehovah’s table was the food of God, His sustenance
(Leviticus 21:6, 8, 17, 21-22). In the sweet savor offerings, the offerings are laid one
upon another, in figure presenting the figurative message of grace upon grace as the
Covenant Son, God’s Seed, Who stands in the stead as a Man in perfect holiness.

Thus, the food on the table of Jehovah’s altar, His sustenance, is His Seed, the
Covenant Son, God’s grace upon grace: In Whom, all things concerning the Eternal
Covenant for the land, the kingdom, and Sons of God promised, are obtained.

Therefore, with this recounting of the faithfulness of God to do as He has

promised and with Israel’s renewed decision to go forward ~ the remainder of the
military account in Joshua is one of total victory without defeat.

This concludes our lesson.

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