Victory in the place of Defeat

You will remember the Israelites after capturing Jericho, attacked Ai, but were handily whipped and turned to flight. During the losing campaign, 36 Israeli soldiers were killed.
It wasn’t unto after the defeat that it was discovered that a man named Achan had broken God’s law, and taken of the accursed thing, as well as having stolen from God.
God then directs the people to deal, in a very sharp manner, with Achan and to rid the nation of this offense.
The people, having dealt with the sin of Achan, are now told to go back to war against Ai.
They are going back, to fight an enemy that they had already faced before and lost. Yet, they are told by God to go back and make war again. Here they will find Victory in the place of defeat.