After Jericho\u2019s miraculous defeat – Joshua\u2019s fame spread. Everything was going well and according to God\u2019s plan. However, chapter 7 begins with a \u2018BUT\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we obey God, we shall have success in that God\u2019s Way will be done \u2014 it might not be success from our personal point of view or how the world may see it – but God\u2019s will is<\/a> paramount and doing that IS SUCCESS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018BUT\u2019 someone sinned. “Achan took the accursed things”<\/em>(v1). The margin says that \u2018accursed\u2019 could be translated \u2018devoted\u2019 – this would make more sense because the silver and gold etc. was to be taken and put into the treasury of The<\/a> LORD. How could it be accursed and yet be given to The LORD?<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is still a lesson for us. Something which is God\u2019s but is held back by us for ourselves can turn out for our curse. Things which are perfectly legitimate in our lives, if not given to God when they should be, can become idols and lead to our shame and ineffectiveness in our Christian lives \u2013 not only to our personal defeat, but to the defeat of our brothers and sisters in Christ and to the testimony of our LORD Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am not going to list such things, but The Spirit of God will point them out to you if you are willing to listen to Him. There are things which may be perfectly legitimate but there may also be things which are not. You know what they are in your particular lives. Achan sinned in this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Chronicles 2 v3-7 tells us who Achan was and his family line – Judah gave birth to Zerah (by Tamar (daughter-in-law, thus illegitimate). Down the line was Zimri (or Zabdi) – Carmi – Achan. Achan\u2019s grandfather Zimri (commander of half the chariots of King Elah) had committed treason and was king in Israel for one week and then committed suicide (1 Kings 16). Achan had a mixture of advantages and disadvantages in his family line, but he failed to respond to the advantages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Defeat at Ai<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7v2 Spies were sent to Ai – as its name suggests – a very small place and the spies returned super-confident that they would defeat Ai with a small section of lsraeI\u2019s army – “Do not weary all the people\u201d <\/em>(v3), but it led to an embarrassing defeat, 36 men killed and Israel fled before the small army of Ai. \u201cAt this the hearts of the people melted and became like water\u201d <\/em>(v5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pardon the pun, we are faced with AI today, artificial intelligence, but that led to defeat for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What can we learn?<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. This came on the back of a great victory. Jericho had been defeated miraculously – and they were riding high; so confident that they could defeat anybody. We must be careful of confidence in ourselves, especially after great victories. The devil can so easily deceive us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. They forgot that God had won the victory over Jericho for them; all they did was to obey. All the people had been involved, now they thought they only needed a small army! We must never go in our own strength, but in the Name and power of The LORD; and we must never understate the power of working together with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. They underestimated the enemy \u2013 or did they? Maybe they didn\u2019t! But the problem here was that they left God out. In Numbers 27v21 at Joshua\u2019s commissioning he was to always seek the will of The LORD before initiating battle. Here in ch.6v2 God gave the instructions to Joshua, but there is now no mention of God\u2019s strategy here. If God had said only send a small army that would have been fine, but it appears to have been their own strategy. If we are doing things for God (and we should all be serving Him in some way) we must always seek Gods face and go His way. This applies to every part of our lives \u2013 relationships, jobs, money etc. I\u2019ve said it before, young people (but applies to all) don\u2019t look for a partner in the world, the devil will see to it you that find one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. They thought that some could have a rest while others fought. We must beware of resting when there\u2019s a battle to be fought. David made this mistake some years later when his army was engaged in battle he remained at home (2 Samuel 11) and as usual \u2018the devil finds work for idle hands\u2019 He fell into sin with Bathsheba and all that ensued from that. We are in a battle, a constant battle, and we need to be alert and in the centre of God\u2019s will. If God gives us rest that\u2019s fine, but the danger comes when we decide to rest whilst allowing others to do all the fighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. But the real reason for defeat was sin. One man\u2019s sin at that, causing an ignominious defeat – 36 lives lost and a whole nation\u2019s hearts to melt in fear (v5). How vital it is that we, each one of us, confess our sin to God; and to one another if necessary, and put that sin away. Achan had taken some of God\u2019s treasury for himself and what\u2019s more it wasn\u2019t much use to him because he had had to bury it in the soil in his tent. All one could say is that he was saving it for a rainy day: But it wasn\u2019t much use to him when the \u2018rainy day\u2019 came. Are you harbouring something in your heart? However<\/a> legitimate it might be! You might not be using it now, but it\u2019s there just in case, to use as and when. If that is taking the place of God, it is something disapproved by God and it will stop the blessing. It will lead to defeat not only personally, but, possibly collectively as a Fellowship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. What did Joshua do? He went to God to find out the problem. He and elders of the people fell down before God to seek His face. (v6) Always the best course of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJoshua tore his clothes and fell on his face before the Ark of The LORD.\u201d <\/em>(v6) \u201cThe elders of Israel did the same and sprinkled dust on their heads.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Joshua even slips into doubt (v7). He comes close to blaming God and asks why God has done this saying that they may as well have stayed across the Jordan. It is hard being a leader, Joshua was chosen by God because of his reliance and trust in God, but he\u2019s beginning to sound like the rest who often complained and doubted and said that they would have been better off still in Egypt. I can assure you that it can sometimes make you like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Joshua is more worried about the shame this has upon them in the face of their enemies (v8,9) but then, even more importantly, in (v9b) he shifts towards concern over The LORD\u2019s Name and reputation. It is understandable that he wants to avoid humiliation, but more important that The Name of The LORD is upheld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then he recognises that God can protect His own Name (v9b) \u201cThen what will You do for Your great Name\u201d<\/em>. But I think there’s also recognition there that we can bring dishonour on the name of The LORD; that God is in some way dependant upon us to see that dishonour does not come to His Name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In v10 The LORD answered and said \u201cStand up! What are you doing on your face? Israel has sinned\u201d. <\/em>Now this is NOT saying that we shouldn\u2019t pray and bring matters before God, but when we do there is usually some action to follow on our part.There is a time to be on your knees before God, but there is also a time to get up and do something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One mans sin affects the whole. And the whole is responsible – God says \u201cIsrael has sinned\u201d <\/em>Achan is later identified as the offender, but the sin affected the whole nation. That can happen to us all today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joshua must have been petrified to hear God\u2019s next words (v12) \u201cI will not be with you anymore\u201d. <\/em>Joshua was questioning the presence of God, but God was indicating that something had occurred which put a barrier between the people and Himself. It was not that God wasn\u2019t with them, they weren\u2018<\/a>t with Him. Sin had come between. \u201cThe people have disobeyed <\/em>(v11) It must be removed <\/em>(v13)\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n God told Joshua how to go about discovering who the offender was. Achan was identified and the punishment was severe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n