Sermon Text: Joshua 7:1-26
Sermon Type: Narrative
Sermon Title One bad apple spoils the whole bunch
Biblical Problem: Achan coveted and did not obey the Lord; causing the death of soldiers as well as his family.
Biblical Solution: Repentance Purging, and obedience bring about restoration.
Contemporary Problem: As a nation we are an covetous people, bring about our destruction
Contemporary Solution: Repentance and returning to God will bring about restoration.
One bad apple spoils the whole bunch
My name is Caleb, I have been with the children of Israel for sometime now. I am a child born in the wilderness just like our leader Joshua. I have been taught from young of how God has delivered this people, my people from the bondage in Egypt with mighty works and brought us to this place. Right now we are on the other side of the Jordan, in the Promised Land. God has promised this land to our Father Abraham and all his descendants, of which I am one. Many things happened on this journey, some were good, like the walls of Jericho falling down, the Jordan parting so we could cross, like manna and quail coming from the sky to feed us. But some of the things that happened were not all that good. Some time ago there was a man named Achan, he was the son of Zimri of the tribe of Judah. He was with us when we, with the Lord’s help, took Jericho. The Lord had ordered all of us not to take any plunder, all was to be devoted to the Lord. Achan did not obey this command, he took a beautiful Babylonian robe as well as a wedge of gold weighing about fifty shekels and tow hundred shekels of silver. To this day I am not sure what Achan was thinking, would not God give us all we need if we obey him, why did he have to take those devoted things. No one except maybe his family knew what Achan had done.
Later Joshua sent some men out to spy on Ai. They came back with the report that we only needed to send a portion of the army. So Joshua sent out three thousand men to take Ai. The report that came back was terrifying, thirty six men were killed by those of Ai, their army chased our army to the stone quarry and struck them down on the slopes. Why what has happened ? the people asked, some wondered where was the Lord during all this, did He lead us this way to destroy us.? This was very terrifying to us.
Joshua, along with myself and the other elders tore our clothes and sprinkled dust on our heads mourning and throwing ourselves facedown before the ark of the LORD.
Joshua cried out “Why Sovereign Lord did you bring us across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? He lamented “If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan, Lord what can I say now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? Now they will hear about this and unite, surrounding us and then wiping us out. What then will you do for your own great name?” With that the LORD ordered Joshua to stand and he did, as did the rest of us. The Lord then told us that Israel has sinned, they have violated His covenant and had taken for themselves some of the devoted things. Because of this sin Israel will not be able to stand against her enemies. Then the Lord said “I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.” Well now all we had to do was find out who took the devoted things, destroy it and all will be well, right? It wasn’t going to be that easy. The LORD said “In the morning present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD takes shall come forward clan by clan: the clan that the LORD takes shall come forward family by family; and the family that the LORD takes shall come forward man by man. He who is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the LORD and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel. I can remember shaking in fear at this. What a harsh sentence to the guilty one. I the Lord doing something just like this at the Mountain of the LORD when Moses went up to receive the Law from the LORD, all the camp had sinned and created an idol to worship. Moses came down and saw this and he was angry with Aaron and the people. He stood at the entrance of the camp and said “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me” all the Levites came to him. Moses then told them to take their sword and go through the people from on end to the camp to the other and kill brother, neighbor, and friend. On that day about 3 thousand people died. This was not going to be any different.
The next morning Joshua had the people do exactly as the LORD commanded. Each tribe came to the front of the tent. The tribe of Judah was taken by the LORD. Then the tribe of Judah presented themselves clan by clan until the clan of Zerahites and the family of Zimri were taken. Finally Achan the son of Zimri was taken.
Joshua said to Achan, “My son give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me”
Achan was overcome and confessed that it was he who had taken plunder, a Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels of silver and a gold wedge weighing about 50 shekels, then he told us we can find them buried in the ground of his tent.
Joshua sent messengers to Achan’s tent and they found the devoted items just as Achan had told Joshua. What happened next was very terrifying to me, the people took Achan and his family and all the livestock he owned to the Valley of Achor and stoned them all to death. Then we burned them and heaped a large pile of rocks on top of Achan. It is still there today. Afterwards the LORD being faithful to His word as He always is turned from his fierce anger. I have learned a great deal from all of this. The Lord means what He says, and His commands are not to be taken lightly. All it takes for one to turn to bring trouble on many, Adam and Eve sinned and the whole world has suffered, Achan sinned and the whole Israel camp suffered. Today what will you do. It only takes one to spoil the whole bunch.
