No One Can Sin Alone!

There is a reason the battle of Jericho is preached and taught so much.

First, A small child in Sunday school and can hear it and understand it.

Secondly, Joshua 6 and 7 teaches us some very important things about obeying God.

Thirdly, But another important thing about these two chapters is that NO ONE CAN SIN ALONE!!!

This was a tremendous victory for Israel. Everything was going well for them until one day their was a…

I. SIN PROBLEM

Sin has messed up:

• Careers

• Marriages

• Families

• Churches

• Nations

The nation of Israel was enjoying victory after victory and once sin entered they suffered a shameful defeat.

But when it comes to sin here is something we can see chapters 6 and 7 of Joshua, that is, the sins we commit certainly affect us individually, but they also affect others in our life. NO MAN SINS ALONE!!!

For example:

• The drunkard his/her sin not only affects him it affect his whole family and community. Also, thousands are killed by drunk drivers.

• The dope addict his/her sin not only affect him it affects his family and community. Again, thousands are killed by dope addicts.

• The thief his sin not only affects him it affects his neighborhood.

But something we all need to realize about sin, that is when we sin…WE NEVER SIN ALONE!!!

Illus: Look carefully in the mirror.

• Do you resemble a parent or a grandparent or even a great grandparent?

• Do you have the same color eyes, hair and skin or face shape?

Why do you look the way you do?

You look that way because your ancestors passed on their physical characteristics to you.

Illus: Dr. Odell Belger and his wife was in a restaurant and they could not help but to notice this young waitress that had this beautiful radiant smile on her face and Dr. Belger asked her, “Young lady, where did you get that beautiful smile?” She smiled even bigger as she said, “From my moma.”

We all have had things past down from our parents.

In the same way, as head of the human race, Adam passed on his spiritual characteristics to every human being. That is, Adam passed his sinful nature and his desire to sin to every one of us.

No one had to teach us how to sin, the moment we were born we began to scream and holler to have it our way.

The Bible says in Romans 5:12 Therefore, as through one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned.

When Adam sinned, we were all in the loins of Adam and when he sinned he passed down to all of us this sin nature.

• That is, WHEN ADAM SINNED HE DID NOT SIN ALONE!

• Also, this story of Achan when he sinned he did not sin alone it affected the whole nation of Israel.

THINK ABOUT THIS WITH ME…

• In Joshua chapter 6 we read about Joshua at the battle of Jericho. WHAT A VICTORY!

• Then we come to Joshua chapter 7 after Achan sin, what a shameful defeat!

These two chapters have a connection. That is:

• If Joshua 6 is the thrill of victory,

• Then Joshua 7 is the agony of defeat!

Look at Joshua 6:27 we read these words, So Jehovah was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.

After a verse like that in chapter 6, you’d expect chapter 7 to begin by saying, “So Joshua and his people rolled on from victory to victory.”

And why not? Jericho was the chief Canaanite city. And they had a tremendous victory in Jericho. TREMENDOUS!!!

The thinking is, If Jericho could fall to Joshua, what city could stand against him?

If the Jews were overconfident, one could hardly blame them. Victory after Vicory!!!

WHAT MADE THEM SO CONFIDENT?

Their great success!!!

• Up until chapter 6, victory, victory, victory!

• Then we come to chapter 7, a shameful defeat.

They became so confident at this great victory in Jericho when they had to do battle with this little nation called AI they thought this would be a easy battle to win.

Before the battle Joshua sent spies to spy the land out.

Look at Joshua 7:2 Joshua 7:2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and spy out the land. And the men went up and spied out Ai.

When the text says “Go up,” that was literally true.

• Jericho was down near the Jordan River, not far from the Dead Sea.

• Ai was up in the mountains to the north and west of Jericho.