Is there sin in the camp?
Theme: To show the devastating affects of sin in life and in the church.
Text: Joshua 6:27 - 7:1-26
Joshua 6:27 So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout all the country. 7:1But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel.
Introduction
At this point Israel had been on a emotional and spiritual high. In the last few chapters we have seen two of the greatest miracles in the Bible. First God split open the Jordan river, at its fullest capacity, and they walked across on dry ground. Now I know that the Jordan was not the Red Sea yet God, before their eyes caused the river to split and they walked though. What I love is the test of faith that God showed by telling the priest to step into the water and it wasn’t until they stepped into the water, by faith, that the river split.
Next in chapter 5 & 6 we read that God gave Israel a great victory by causing the great walls to fall flat. Jericho was surrounded by two walls of defense. One was about 12 feet high and the other, about 15 feet back, was over 30 feet high. 20,000 people who occupied Jericho
By this time Israel must be thinking, “nothing is impossible with God”. I will repeat that to you because I know that it is true, “nothing is impossible with God”. With God all things are possible. I have seen God do many things just in my life time.
Sin in the Camp
Yet by the time we get to chapter 7 Israel runs into a snag. They saw the city of Ai and Joshua draws up the usual battle plan. As he did at Jericho he sent spies into the city to find out how big they were and to figure out what the strategy would be. The spies came back and told Joshua, “Ah don’t worry too much, this will be a cake walk compared to the rest. Why should we all get tired, just send in 2 to 3 thousand. That should do it.” Well Joshua went with the higher number and to their dismay 36 people were killed and on top of that Israel fled before this city.
You got to understand this generation didn’t know the word defeat. They had seen the miracles of God. Yet this was a defeat and it melted the heart of God. Joshua knew something was up and he tore his close, as a symbol of distress and went directly to the Lord.
Joshua did what we all should do when we know something is not right and that is go to the Lord. Find out what is wrong. With this Joshua appealed to God’s reputation and what the nations would think about him and God told him, “There is sin in the camp”.
This was the problem sin had entered the camp. You see God had commanded that none of Israel would posses any thing from Jericho. Either it was to be destroyed or dedicated to the work of the Lord. This was a direct command from God himself. It was not a command for every city, there would be times when Israel could take what they wanted and keep it for themselves. This would happen often. By the time we get to King Saul and David Israel had collected much treasures from their defeat foes.
But as for Jericho nothing was to be kept. This was God’s command. And this might sound strange but “true freedom comes from obeying God’s command”.
True freedom is following the commands of Christ
Some people are afraid to be a Christian they say that they enjoy their freedom. Yet Christ says, “ If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
Earlier he said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32 AV)
Paul put it this way, “Stand fast therefore in the freedom wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1 AV)
For some it is hard to grasp but true freedom comes from following the ways of God. Why? Because it sets us free from the passions that want to control us. It releases us from the sins that want to rule us. We know what it is like to have this battle of the flesh and to give into things that we know is just plain wrong yet the allurement just entices us.
I want you to notice how God showed to Joshua who the person was. He did not directly tell him that it was Achan but he went through a process. A process of elimination.
Many times the sin in our life is just a symptom of a bigger issue. Maybe it is not pornograhpy maybe it is lust, etc. We need to get to the root of the sin and deal with it, not just deal with the symptom.
Joshua 7:13 "Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ’Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: "There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you." 14 ’In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the LORD takes shall come according to families; and the family which the LORD takes shall come by households; and the household which the LORD takes shall come man by man. 15 ’Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’" 16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 He brought the clan of Judah, and he took the family of the Zarhites; and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18 Then he brought his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 Now Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I beg you, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me." 20 And Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 21 "When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it."
Note: If you have got to hide it then you don’t need to do it.
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it. 23 And they took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. 24 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day." So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. 26 Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.
The problem with sin is getting to the bottom of it.
Principles of Sin
1. Sin affects others
Achan’s sin caused 36 people to die on the battlefield in defeat and a whole nation to lose faith. Our sin may not have this great affect on others but there are many people who is affected. Whether it is that father who has a drug or alcohol problem or that temper problem. Don’t think it don’t rub off because it does.
Sin affects the church. It happened in the church of Corinth when they gave into the sins of those in the church. Paul rebuked them.
2. All sin will be uncovered
All sin will be uncovered by God. As Numbers 32:23 tells us, ““be sure your sin will find you out.”
It will happen sooner or later. You can’t hide forever.
Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. (grace).
3. Sin is alluring
Third principle that we learn about sin is that sin is alluring. I am not going to stand here and tell you that if you are having fun you are in sin. I believe that you can have fun as a Christian but I do know that in the moment sin can seem like a lot of fun.
4. Sin has its consequences
Sin has its consequences. Paul said, “For the wages of sin is death.” The penalty for sin is death.
5. Sin is bondage
Sin is bondage. Achan was under bondage. You know he was looking over his shoulders in fear wondering if people would find out.
6. Sin will keep you from receiving all that God has in store for you.
Finally notice that sin will keep you from receiving all that God has in store for you. Sin hinders the blessings of God.
7. Sin will take you farther than you want to go.
Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay.
Sin will cost you more than you want to pay.
“Sin will keep you from this book or this book will keep you from sin”
Conclusion
Let me ask you, “Is there sin in the camp?” Is there something in your life that you need to get rid of now? Is there as sin that is holding you down.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jo 1:9
I wonder if there is one here today who is battling the bondage of sin. They know that they are wrong and yet they give in. Christ can forgive you.
Maybe there is one who is a Christian and fell under that bondage. You are holding onto a hidden sin. It has been your weakness. You need to let it go. I may not know but God does.
