“And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.” (Joshua 8:14, ESV).
The ESV has a footnote noting that the Hebrew is ‘appointed time’ (not place). The word is used in Joshua 18:1 and translated ‘Tent of Meeting’: Meeting God in the tabernacle.
Here in Joshua 8:14 it is the appointed time for the King of Ai – his MEETING date – his day of judgement. The Hebrew word ‘moed’ is used in Habakkuk 2:3 of the appointed time – the key gospel verse which Paul quotes in his thematic opening concerning the righteousness of God in Romans 1:16.
“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:3-4).
“I am not ashamed of the gospel…For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16-17).