JOSHUA 7:1-26 GOD’S PRESCRIPTION FOR AN ACHAN HEART
Israel has just been involved in the greatest military conquest in their history
They have just witnessed the tremendous defeat of the city of Jericho and they are thinking of a great string of victories that would see them conquering the entire land of promise
Yet -- there was a problem ------there was sin in the camp
v.1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing:
I) The Painful Defeat -v.5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men:
a) Israel were a Confident People----v. 2-3 After Jericho the World.
Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."
b) Israel were a Conquered People—v.5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
The Timing Of Their Defeat, After Jericho
The Testing Of Their Defeat. for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down:
The Troubling Of Their Defeat. wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
1) Prayerlessness
2) Carelessness -They didn’t take the Ark of the Covenant into battle
3) Cluelessness - Israel were stumped at their Defeat.
C) Israel were a Confounded People v. 5 wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
II) The Painful Discovery v. 10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
a) God Reveals the Problem —Joshua and the Elders (leaders) react in prayer–v. 6-9
- but that prayer will avail nothing until sin has been dealt with - Sin In The Camp.
Psalm 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:"
10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
b) God Rehearses the Problem—v. 10-15
1) God knows Sin 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant
Proverbs 15:3 "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."
Hebrews 4:13 " Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
2) God hates Sin v. 11
Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
3) God has a plan for Sin v. 14-15
I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
4) God will punish Sin v. 15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
Either you will deal with sin or God will deal with it
I Corinthians 11:31 " For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
c) God Resolves the Problem—v. 15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
III) The Painful Death 16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:
a) The Sinner Is Discovered v. 18 And 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.
Numbers 32:23 " But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out."
b) The Sin Is Discussed v. 19-21
1) The Compassion v. 19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.
When Joshua speaks to Achan, he speaks with love in his heart
2) The Confession v. 20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
Achan finally confessed his sin, - however he only confessed when found out.
Proverbs 28:13 "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."
God can only bless a person who handles sin in the Biblical way.
Not the progression in Achan’s sin in v. 21 " When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it."
"I saw"-- Dissatisfaction Of Sin. God's will not enough
"I coveted"-- Desire Of Sin.
"I took"-- Decision Of Sin Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: - God calls it Sin Not Sickness.
"I hid."-- Deception Of Sin When I saw among the spoils
But God had said in 6:18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.
3) The Condemnation v. 25
c) The Sentence Is Delivered v. 25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
