GOD’S PRESCRIPTION FOR AN ACHAN HEART
JOSHUA 7:1-26
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 still basking in the glow of that great event
----------but verse 1 tells us that God was upset6 with the people
They thought that they were standing on the edge of a great string of victories that would see them conquering the entire land of promise
---------yet ----what they didn’t know at this point----was that there was a problem ------there was sin in the camp
There was one in the midst who was causing a problem for the entire family of God--------expound
Things are still the same today?-----folks-we are all members of one body--------Notice I Corinthians 12:26-27
----------When one member of the body has problems----the entire body has problems
-----------What you do effects the entire Church body
My desire in preaching this message is that each of you would search your hearts and examine your life—expound
Sin causes problems-----it causes them for the sinner and for everyone else around them------remember the first trip to the Jordan
When we allow sin into our lives and when we try to hide our sins and try to cover it up----we bring pain and trouble into our lives
You see we are all Achans from time to time—and when we are----our sins causes aching in our lives----and so often in the lives of those around us
However----these verses tell us that God has a prescription for an Achan heart
I)—A Painful Defeat-----V. 2-5
a)—Israel was a confident people----v. 2-3
Israel was still basking in the glow of their victory at Jericho and they looked at Ai and felt like that little town would be no problem for such a great army
Israel was a confident people, but a closer look reveals that their confidence was misplaced-----in v. 3—they fell like that just a few of the soldiers are needed to secure a victory in little Ai-------These people are guilty of resting on their laurels
Israel did not realize it—but they are living through one of the most dangerous times of life------------you see—the time just after a great spiritual victory is a dangerous time
-----often, like Israel we will be over confident and believe that we can handle any battle that comes our way
Proverbs 16:18—"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling"
So often when God is growing you in your walk with Him or God is growing a Church------you had better watch out—satan is on his way
Confidence is a good thing as long as one’s confidence is in the right place
b)—Israel was a conquered people—v. 4-5
When Israel we4nt up to Ai -----they suffered a terrible defeat and 36 of their men were killed
----now looking more closely at their actions----it is easy to see that they made several mistakes-------------mistakes that many of us are guilty of making as well
1)—Nowhere in this passage does it even hint that Joshua and the people of Israel sought the will of God for dealing with Ai
If they had prayed------God would have revealed the problem before people died-----expound
---------It is far better to consult God before we make the mistake than it is to expect Him to clean up our messes afterwards
2)—They didn’t take the Ark of the Covenant into battle
The Ark symbolized the presence and power of God------they went into the battle in their own strength and they failed
We try to live the Christian life, fight the flesh and the devil in our own power and we fail time after time
We do not take the time to strengthen our walk with God
------When we are walking with the Lord and in His Word as we should be, He will go with us into the battle and face our enemies on our behalf
3)—Israel had their confidence in their own power and not in the Lord
They were not walking by faith----but they were guilty of trusting what they could do----they own wisdom and intellect-----making their own decisions
-------We all need the Lord if we are to walk in spiritual victory in our lives-----Philippians 4:13–"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"
John 15:5----"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing"
C)—Israel was a confounded people—v. 5
After their terrible defeat at the hands of Ai, the people of Israel are feeling the same fear that their enemies experienced
------this is one of the problems with sin----It defeats you and leaves you feeling just like a lost man-------nothing is right in the life of a believer while there is sin in his midst
Israel didn’t know at this point what was wrong------thankfully God wants His people to have the victory—not the defeat--------so He takes the necessary steps to reveal to the nation of Israel just exactly where the problem lies
II)—A Painful Discovery—v. 6-15
a)—Joshua and the Elders (leaders) react in prayer–v. 6-9
After the tragedy happens, Joshua and the elders find themselves before the Lord in prayer-------------their prayer was from a broken heart—notice v. 6------expound
There is also a hint of anger and accusation against the Lord-----but they are going to learn that prayer is the correct recourse in a time of trouble, -----but that prayer will avail nothing until sin has been dealt with
Psalm 66:18—"If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear"
Joshua wonders why Israel was powerless in the battle----the answer wasn’t to blame God----or to dispute His will----the answer was in their own camp
After we have made decisions that brought with them terrible consequences-----it is never the right time to accuse God of anything
------when there is a defeat in our lives we need to look within and see where the problem is
When there is a defeat in the Church and souls are not being saved and the ser ices are dull and lifeless, we need not blame the Lord
-----I can assure you to problem is always within
b)—God rehearses the Problem—v. 10-15
While Joshua and Israel try to figure out what is happening—God in heaven already knows and tells Joshua all about it
-----He tells him that there is sin in the camp of Israel------that it is this sin that is hindering His power and it is what is bringing about their defeat
----------He also tells Joshua how to discover the guilty party------in these words to Joshua—God gives us some insights into sin----of which we need to take note
Allow me to share with you these seven observations concerning sin and its effects in our lives
1)—God knows about our sins—v. 11
Proverbs 15:3—"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good"
Hebrews 4:13
2)—God hates our sins–v. 11
Proverbs 6:16-19
3)—God has a plan for our sins– v. 14-15
I John 1:9---------Psalm 32:5
4)—God will punish our sins—v. 15
Galatians 6:9—"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."
5)—Sin affects those around us–v. 11-12
Your sins and mine have the ability to drastically lower the spiritual temperature of the Church-----we are all one body and what effects you effects me
6)—Sin hinders God’s work—v. 12
Matthew 13:58
7)—Sin must be dealt with—v. 13
Either you and I will deal with our sins or God will deal with them----but one way or the other they will be dealt with
I Corinthians 11:31—"But if we judge ourselves rightly, we would not be judged"
Often the greatest problems faced by the Church come from within and not for without----------you see—it is not the water on the outside of the boat that causes the problems—it is the water on the inside of the boat that causes trouble
More often than not, when there are defeats and trouble in the Church----you can beat that there is someone in the Church who is out of God’s will
III)—A Painful Death—v. 16-26
In these verses —the wages of sin are put on clear display for all to see----Romans 6:23
a)—The sinner discovered—v. 16-18
God knew who was guilty----why didn’t He just tell Joshua who they were looking for?-----In my opinion, He was giving Achan time to repent and to confess his sins-----and if he had confessed and repented—it may have turned out differently
That’s the way it is in situations in God’s Church-------but sooner or later in will be dealt with
The lesson for us needs to be learned well-----God already knows your sins and His finger is getting closer and closer to your life
----------one day soon----I promise you ----it will point you out-----it is only a manner of time
It will not and cannot be hidden forever-----Numbers 32:23—"But if you will not do so behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out."
Luke 12:1b-3
b)—The sin discussed—v. 19-21
Now that the sin is out in the open it has to be dealt with
-----------so often in Church we don’t want to do that
--------------notice the two aspects of this section
1)—The Compassion—v. 19
When Joshua speaks to Achan, he speaks with love in his heart
-----He knows that Achan is condemned–but Joshua still cares for this man who brought so much trouble to Israel
--------that’s the way we should try to deal with those in the Church who have sinned
In this Joshua is a symbolic picture of God----while God hates sin with His entire being, He still loves the sinner
—even though man is the enemy of God—God still wants man to repent and to come to Him for salvation
If you have sin in your life this morning—remember God is a loving and gracious God-----you need to come to Him before it is too late
2)—The Confession—v. 20-21
Achan finally confessed his sin, —however don’t believe for a second that Achan repented
----He like some others in the Bible----only confessed his sins after he got caught in them------but was never in real repentance
God wants man to be open and honest about the sin in his life and for him to confess those things to the Lord
Proverbs 28:13—"He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion."
God’s way is for His people to throw the covers off their sins and tell God the truth that He already knows
------He can bless a person who handles sin the Biblical way
----However, the person who tries to hide his sins will never prosper, but will face God in judgement
You will confess your sins one way or another----you can confess them where the confession will make a difference or you will do it when you face the Lord in judgement
------------------------Not the progression in Achan’s sin in v. 21----"I saw"----"I coveted"---------I took"
it is and will be this way in nearly any instance of sin you can name
another problem that Achan had is found in v. 21----Achan calls the things he took "Spoils"-----this word refers to the booty that a conquering army can claim after a victory------however, these things were no spoils-------God said in 6:18-19 that these things were His---------they were to be placed within the treasury of the Lord’s House
Achan was guilty of stealing from the Lord-----are you guilty of that sin?—Malachi 3:8—"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, How have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings"
Notice this ----Achan had things buried in his tent that he could not use-----to use them would be to reveal his character to the entire nation of Israel------in other words—Achan sinned and died for nothing—the things he stole were no good to him at all
c)—The sinner destroyed—v. 22-26
These verses give us the sad conclusion to this tragic tale----Achan and all that he had were taken out and stoned to death by the people of Israel
----Now it did not have to end this way-------these verses demonstrate the horrible end that all sinners who refuse to repent will come to
the name of the valley is called "Achor"----this word means trouble
----folks if you are going to sin—especially and never repent------you need to know that you are headed for trouble
If you are God child and you have unconfessed sin----sin that you have not repented of-----sin in your life----you need to know that you sin is a hindrance to the Church
You need to get rid of that this morning----God already knows about it and is touching your heart and giving you time just as He did Achan----what are you going to do
Notice v. 24-25-------Key Point-----Deuteronomy 24:16-------Achan’s wife and children knew about the sin
Hosea 2:15–"Then I will give her her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up form the land of Egypt."
The promise here is that this place of trouble could become a door of hope------the same is true concerning your sins
folks the altar can literally become a door of hope for you right now
----if you will come to Jesus for the cleansing you need
Psalm 139:3 & 4—You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all"
