It was an unusual situation. One evening the president of our fraternity called a special unplanned meeting. When everyone came to the room the doors were shut.
He explained the problem. Wallets were disappearing from the rooms. They were disappearing at such a rate and at such unusual times that there was no other choice but to suspect one of the members who lived in the house must be stealing the wallets. The house held 90 people.
In a very serious tone, he explained to us why the meeting was called. A wallet which was on the dresser in one of the rooms was just discovered missing. Before him was an ultraviolet light.
The missing wallet had been placed out in the open intentionally to find the culprit.
This wallet had been dusted with an ultraviolet dust. No one could leave the room without placing their hand under the ultraviolet light. The light belonged to the police department.
The guilty person was given an option, confess their sin publicly right then and the problem would remain internal. Or if no one would confess the policeman would come in and the one found with ultraviolent dust on their hands would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Imagine the horrible moment for one of the young men in that room. It was a living nightmare. His heart must've been pounding through his chest. Everyone would know his dark secret. He was a compulsive thief, even stealing from his close friends.
He chose the confession option. And what a shocker it was! It was somebody I knew. I had such respect for him. I had taken a spring break trip to Florida with his older brother. His brother had graduated from college already and was attending medical school.
How could this young man throw away his future over a few wallets? It left me feeling sick. If for me and others around him, felt that kind of shock, what must it have been for him? He must have felt like it was a horrific movie.
Think of Joshua chapter 7 where we read about hidden sin. Imagine the intensity of the man by the name of Achan. He must have wished the whole thing was only all a bad nightmare. He had a horrific dark secret sin and it was about to become public.
The background to Joshua chapter 7 is that, for Israel there have recently come to the end of an era. The forty years of wilderness experience and living by God's provision of manna was ended.
Moses recently was gone and the leadership of the children of Israel has shifted from Moses to Joshua. Just days after Joshua took leadership the Israelites crossed the Jordan River on dry ground at flood stage. The miracle was epic, to the proportion of the miracle of crossing the Red Sea.
Then the major strategic strong hold in Canaan in the promised land fell like it was nothing. At the battle of Jericho the Israelites blew their trumpets and the walls fell. All the inhabitants of the land were struck with fear of the Israelites because they served a mighty God.
You've probably seen a sporting event where right at the beginning there is such a decisive play that the spirit of the other team is broken. Jericho was that kind of a victory. It was a strategic and decisive victory that broke the spirit of everyone else who would be facing Israel in battle.
Chapters one through six of Joshua the children of Israel go from strength to strength. Then there was an unseen problem that would ruin everything. After the battle of Jericho Joshua sent spies to the next city marked for the conquest.
Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. (Joshua 7:2)
The report was that the city will be easy to take so don't even send all the men. The spies reported don't send all the men just 2000 or 3000. This was military speaking an insignificant city.
When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.” (Joshua 7:3)
It was routed the 3000 Israelites. They killed 36 men and sent off in a panic their hearts melted with fear.
So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, 5 who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water. (Joshua 7:4-5)
What happened at the battle of Ai? Why this loss to a small city after they just defeated a great city at Jericho? The blessing of God has been removed at the battle of Ai. They didn't win at Jericho because of their superior military. They won only because God gave him the victory.
Joshua could not believe it after all the miracles he had seen now to suffer such a humiliating defeat.
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads. (Joshua 7:6)
Joshua was on his face before God all day.
Joshua had been the leader of Israel for a very short time now. It was probably one of the most victorious beginnings to leadership of all history. He was still in the honeymoon period of his leadership. His name means Jesus or Jesus name means Joshua; however, you want to look at it. Both names mean savior.
Look at the accomplishments of Joshua leading up to the loss at Ai:
1. Joshua becomes leader of Israel (Joshua chapter 1)
2. Joshua sent spies to Jericho and Rehab hides them (Chapter 2)
3. Spies report, Joshua declares there will be total victory of Canaan (Joshua 2:24)
4. Israel crosses Jordan at flood stage in a miracle (Joshua 3)
5. Israel set up a memorial to never forget the Jordan crossing miracle (Joshua 4)
6. The covenant renewed; men circumcised; Israel’s reproach rolled away (Joshua 5)
7. The miraculous fall of Jericho (Chapter 6)
It was one of the biggest chains of victories in the history of spiritual leadership. Now they face a battle of a small insignificant city called Ai. They don’t even need to trouble their whole army for this one. This is going to be the easiest challenge under the leadership of Joshua.
They face a devastating defeat at Ai!
Joshua seven verse seven says we will be destroyed now. It would have been better to have stayed in the wilderness. That's what people were saying. Joshua reacts to a loss of 36 men. This was a major deal because it was the Lord that had given them victory up to this point.
And Joshua said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! (Joshua 7:7)
“There has not been a leader of God's people who did not at some time feel as Joshua did at this moment.” (Quote from Herschel Hobbs on this verse) Joshua is devastated and he spent the whole day on his face before God. Joshua is on his face all day before God.
Joshua did not overreact at the loss of Ai. The Israelites were doomed if the root problem of this battle loss was not dealt with. It was like Moses’ begging God for his presence in Exodus chapter 33.
The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? (Joshua 7:10)
The Lord First deals with Joshua. Stand up. There is a time to be on your face before God, there is a time to stand up after being on your face before God and deal with the problem. That time for Joshua to stand up is when God told him to stand up.
Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. (Joshua 7:11)
In the previous chapter there was the order from the Lord that what was taken at Jericho was only for the Lord’s treasury. Personally keeping the valuables from the victory at Jericho was expressly forbidden.
But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. (Joshua 6:18)
The Lord makes it clear why they experienced defeat. Someone in the camp is covering a hidden sin.
That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. (Joshua 7:12)
Here is a much different situation than restoring a fallen brother gently (Galatians 6:1). Here is a sin that is destroying God’s people. Failure to deal with their sin will be even more disastrous. It takes a strong leader who confronts in love for the sake of all of God's people.
The best man at my wedding was at the time recently called as pastor, his first church to pastor. After he arrived there, it came to light that one of the men on the pulpit search committee was having an affair with a woman also serving on the search committee. Both were Sunday school teachers and very involved in the church life.
He told me confronting their sin made for the toughest year of his life. After confronting the sin God blessed that church. The blessing came as this new pastor and the other church leaders under God's direction confronted and even disciplined those members. It followed with God blessing that when the church who with courage carried out church discipline they saw a spiritual blessing.
Joshua could not sweep the sin of Achan under the rug. This was not a little dirt to be swept under the carpet, it was more like a dead animal that would stink up the whole camp of Israel.
God revealed who committed the sin. God uncovered the hidden sin. It was Achan. Joshua following the leading of God gets Aiken to confess.
Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.” (Joshua 7:19)
Achan confessed that he took the plunder.
Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: 21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” (Joshua 7:20-21)
This was such an important juncture for the Old Testament people. God expects obedience. Like in the New Testament Ananias and Sapphira of Acts chapter 5. In Acts we read this couple died in holy fear. By the hand of the Lord Achan and his family were sentenced to death.
Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. 26 Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since. (Joshua 7:25-26)
After the sin had been dealt with harshly the Lord guided the military strategy like he did at Jericho. The Israelites defeated the city of Ai by the hand of the Lord this time.
Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out toward the city the javelin that was in his hand. 19 As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose quickly from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire. (Joshua 8:18-19)
Your sin affects others, and the body of Christ. Hidden sin is like gangrene that will cause ruin to the body. Don't let your sin ruin you, your family and your church.
For now your sin may be a secret covered in darkness. At any time God may bring your hidden sin to light. Like Aiken in Joshua 7 or like Ananias and Sapphira in Acts chapter 5 or like the young college man who stole the wallets. Confess your sin before God.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Despite your hidden sin you can experience the grace of God because Jesus died on the cross. He died the just for the unjust to bring us to God. Jesus came for the sinner who has hidden sin. For us the harsh judgement of our sin comes when we do not turn to Christ Jesus for forgiveness.
