Joshua Bible Study Lesson 8
1.What did God tell Joshua in chapter one about His presence?
God said to Joshua, (v. 5) "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." These words were echoed in the book of Hebrews, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) And they're similar to the last words spoken by Jesus on planet earth: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)
Believers, whether you realize it or not, whether you acknowledge it or not, you are never out of God's sight. He sees you all the time. He's with you all the time. He watches over you all the time
God said to Joshua and the people of Israel ... and he's saying to you: "Every step you take, every place you go, I am with you. In your victories and defeats, in your good times and your bad times, in your dark days and in your bright days, I am with you. You can count on me."
A place of promise awaits you: a place of contentment and joy and peace and abundance and satisfaction. It's a land flowing with milk and honey. And God is waiting for you to enter. It's time for you to make your move. This is how you begin to experience the fullness of God's promises.
God promised that He would be with Joshua as He had been with Moses. He would not leave nor forsake him. The result would be that no one would be able to stand before him throughout his whole life – i.e., no one could withstand or successfully oppose him in the work he did for the Lord.
Because of God’s protection and provision, Joshua would succeed in bringing Israel into the promised land. God gave him this task and assured him it could be done. This would fulfill the promise to Abraham and the fathers to give this land to them.
However, the promise was conditional. There were things Joshua would need to do to be successful. Remember, Israel had attempted to do this once before but failed because of fear [Num. 13:31,33; 14:6-9]. So three times God told Joshua to “be strong and of good cour-age” (v6,7,9).
2.What happened at the battle of Jericho and why did Israel have victory?
How do you think the wicked kings of Canaan felt when they heard the God of Israel had dried up the swollen Jordan River so His people could go through on dry land? The Bible tells us, “Their hearts melted and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.” They must have wondered what would happen next! The Israelites were camped at Gilgal across from Jericho, but God was not ready for them to march against Jericho yet. He wanted them to remember Him again in the special ways He had given their fathers. There in the plains of Jericho they kept the feast of the Passover. And that day they ate food from the land instead of the manna which had fallen during their wanderings in the wilderness.
Joshua must have wondered how they would ever capture the city of Jericho. Maybe he could even see its thick stone walls from their camp. How would he ever get enough men inside to take it over? They had no battering rams or any other weapons strong enough to break through its walls. Joshua knew one thing for sure, though - - if God fought for them, no walls in the world were strong enough to stop them.
Joshua had sent spies into Jericho to get information before they crossed the Jordan. When the king tried to capture the spies, a woman named Rahab hid them under flax stalks on her roof.
Before they lay down, Rahab came up to the roof and said, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us . . . for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath.” Not only had the people of Jericho heard what happened at the Jordan River - - they also knew how God had divided the Red Sea. And everyone was afraid.
The king had locked the gates to trap the spies inside Jericho, and Rahab offered to help them escape on one condition - - when the city fell, she and her family would be saved alive. The spies agreed to do this, then she let them down by a rope through a window. Since her house was on the outside of the wall, they could get away and run back to the camp at Gilgal. Before they left, however, they told Rahab to hang a scarlet cord from that same window so the army of the Israelites would not hurt them.
The spies had good news for Joshua. “Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”
The king of Jericho shut up all the gates so no one could go out or come in. Then God told Joshua exactly how to capture Jericho, commanding, “You shall march around the city . . . you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do for six days.” On the seventh day they marched around the same way seven times, but on the seventh time, everyone would shout and the walls would fall down.
In the march, the soldiers would come first, followed by seven priests blowing on trumpets made from rams’ horns. Next would come the ark of the covenant, with the rest of the people last. And, except for the priests blowing their trumpets, nobody was to say a word.
What do you think the people of Jericho thought? They could look out from the wall and see this strange parade - - day after day, silent except for the blowing of the priests’ trumpets. What was going to happen?
On the seventh day they found out. The Israelites started about daylight that day, going around six times instead of one time as they had done before. On their seventh round, Joshua commanded them, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!”
The Bible says when “the people shouted with a great shout that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” But they saved Rahab and her family alive.
Hebrews 11:30 tells us that faith brought those walls down. The Children of Israel marched around Jericho in silence, with only the trumpets sounding each day. As the soldiers marched, their faith grew. While they were silent, they were unable to start murmuring or doubting God’s plan. By the seventh day their faith was alive. They could see the victory and expected it. By the time they circled the city that seventh time, in their hearts they knew the city was theirs. Joshua gave the order to shout and every man let loose a victorious faith-filled shout that brought those walls right down. Faith spoken from the heart will still move any obstacle you’ll ever face in life.
Faith will still move mountains, bring down walls, heal you and remove all obstacles in your path.
3.What happened at the battle of Ai and why did they face defeat?
Joshua 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.”
Moses is dead, and a new commander has taken over for the people Israel…Joshua. Joshua’s charge is to follow the Lord’s direction and lead His people into the promise land. God has given it to them, but they have to take it! The first challenge is the mighty walled city of Jericho. God showed His mighty right hand and delivered the city into their hands. God however warned the people that all of the spoils of this first victory belonged to Him.
When the battle was over, one man out of the entire nation sinned. His name was Achan (His name means troublesome in Hebrew). He had taken a few trinkets and hidden them under his tent without the rest of Israel knowing it. So the next town on the promise land ‘to conquer’ list was an infant compared to Jericho; it was called ‘AI.’ Joshua sent spies to evaluate the city and they brought back the following report, “Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.” (7:3)
So what was the result of the first battle with AI? Read for yourself: “Joshua 7:5 “And the men of Ai smote of [ISRAEL] 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.” Israel lost 36 warriors and retreated like cowards. So why did these men die? Joshua rent his clothes and cried out to God with the same question. God’s simple answer was that there was sin in the camp; that was why the lost the battle.
Next we see that after they go through all of the tribes and families to see who’s fault it was, Achan was found guilty. Notice the judgment handed down by Joshua, “And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25And 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.”
So one man sinned and 36 soldier, plus the sinners children and his animals die as a result. An important lesson to remember is that as a Christian, we are all part of a body. What one part does affects the rest of the body. The effects of our sin can and will ripple out beyond us. It will affect those we love.
There are other factors that may have contributed to the children and 36 men dying as well. The children, since they lived in their father’s tent, may have had knowledge of the sin and even condoned it. The army was prideful in assuming they only needed three thousand men against an entire city. They also did not seek counsel from God on the decision to attack AI. They presumed upon God and moved ahead of Him. If they had sought His counsel, He would have revealed the sin before the loss of life.
The bottom line is, if there is sin in the camp, it will affect the entire camp. Cleanse and purify yourselves o ye saints of God.
4.What does God tell Joshua to do about the defeat at Ai?
Defeat at Ai.
1. (1) Not all of Israel obeyed the law of the devoted things.
But 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.
a. The children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things: Joshua commanded the nation in Joshua 6:18 that they should not take of any of the accursed things, those things that were associated with the demonic and debasing worship and practices of the Canaanites.
b. The accursed things: The wars fought by Israel in Canaan were not to be plundering wars of personal gain; they were an unusual, sacred instrument in God’s hand, used for judgment against a society ripe for judgment.
c. So the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel: Israel could not be defeated by the Canaanites, but they could defeat themselves by alienating themselves from God’s plan and power.
2. (2-3) Spies report from the city of Ai.
Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.”
a. The recommendation to send only two or three thousand men was either a response of faith or self confidence. In the end it did not matter; in their disobedience, they could have sent 100,000 troops and it would have made no difference.
b. Israel’s success depended on their own state of being conquered by God; Achan’s rebellion showed that in that respect, they were not conquered by Him - and therefore open to defeat.
3. (4-5) Israel is defeated at Ai.
So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
a. So about three thousand men went up there from the people: Joshua, a wise military leader, commands the larger number recommended by his military intelligence to be sent - but it makes no difference. They fled before the men of Ai.
b. And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men: The thirty-six men killed were thirty-six more than were killed at Jericho, which was thought to be a much more difficult city to conquer. Though this number was small from a military standpoint, what it meant was staggering to Israel. It meant that Israel could be defeated in the Promised Land.
i. The defeat at Ai showed that what mattered was not the strength of the opponent, but the help of God. Without God’s help, all would be lost.
c. Therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water: The people of Israel had good reason to be afraid. Their panic was completely logical, because if God did not fight for them, they had nothing to expect but defeat.
B. Joshua goes before the Lord in time of crisis.
1. (6-9) Joshua fears that it was unfaithfulness on God’s part that had caused the defeat.
Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all; to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
a. Then Joshua tore his clothes: To tear your clothes and to put dust on your head both displayed mourning. Joshua is not only mourning the death of thirty-six men, but more so, he and the elders of Israel mourn the loss of the blessing and guidance of God.
b. Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all: For Joshua and the elders of Israel, this defeat was a national calamity. They do not take this defeat in stride; there is no “win a few, lose a few” mentality at work. They know that every battle matters, and there is always a reason for defeat, it doesn’t “just happen.”
c. Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! Joshua well knows that if God’s hand of blessing and guidance is not there, it would be better that they had come to the Promised Land. If God will not deliver them, all will be lost.
i. How different from so much of Christianity today! We are often so filled with man’s programs and power, that if God withdrew His blessing and guidance, it wouldn’t be missed for a long time.
d. Then what will You do for Your great name? This shows that Joshua’s over-riding concern was for the glory of God. Our greatest disappointment when we stumble should be that we have possibly caused reproach on the great name of God.
2. (10-11) The real reason for defeat: Israel has sinned.
So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.”
a. Israel has sinned: The good news was that God had not failed the nation. The bad news was that this defeat was due to the sin of Israel. Joshua doesn’t need to fear that the problem is with God - it is almost comforting to find that the problem is with us!
i. This is why God tells Joshua to get up. He doesn’t need to beg God to change His heart towards Israel. Joshua must change Israel’s heart before God.
ii. God’s provision is for us to live a life of unbroken victory. But He will not make defeat impossible, taking away our ability to choose good or evil. He always makes it possible for us not to sin; here, Israel sinned, but they didn’t have to.
b. Israel has sinned . . . they . . . they . . . they also: God says that Israel had sinned, not only one man. It is staggering to think that the whole nation was found guilty, and thirty-six men were dead, all for the sin of one man and his family.
i. Paul speaks in similar terms concerning sin in the church; regarding sin among the Corinthian church, he says Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (1 Corinthians 5:6) A small amount of sin accepted and tolerated among believers can infect the whole group.
ii. In this sense, the acceptance and toleration of the sin is worse than the sin itself, so it must be dealt with strictly.
c. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived: We should understand exactly what the sin was. Someone in Israel took things that were devoted to God, devoted either by their giving to His tabernacle, or by their complete destruction. One man stole from God, in the same way we steal from Him when we do not give Him what he directs us to give.
i. Leviticus 22:14, 27:15, 27:19, and 27:31 each demonstrate that in Israel, if you wanted to keep something that belonged to God, you had to pay a 20% (one-fifth) penalty. This was the same amount required for restitution in theft (Leviticus 6:4-5).
ii. The New Testament teaches us that giving should be regular and proportional (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), that it should be generous, purposeful, and cheerful (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). When we don’t give as God directs us, we must regard it as sin and repent of it.
3. (12-13) The effect of the sin: they now have no power before their enemies.
“Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. 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.”
a. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies: Israel could not fight in God’s power and presence unless they walked in obedience to God. Israel was under a covenant with God that promised blessing on their obedience, and also promised curses upon their disobedience.
i. We are not under that kind of covenant. Our position with God is made by the work of Jesus on our behalf, not our own works. Yet if we want God’s power and presence in our own battles, we must walk in fellowship with Him, and this fellowship is hindered by our own sin and rebellion.
ii. Our position before God is secure in Jesus; but our fellowship with Him is hindered by our own sin (1 John 1:6). This fellowship with God is our wellspring of power to live in the Spirit.
b. They have become doomed to destruction: It is sobering to realize that a body in sin has no power before their enemies. It is wonderful to realize that once the sin has been dealt with, God’s power can again flow in our Christian life.
c. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you: When God deals with a particular area of sin, and when resist His work, His mercy makes us to fail in battle. We are most dangerous when we think we are “winning” battles with our own self-reliance.
4. (14-15) Instructions for judgment of the sin.
“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. 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.”
a. The tribe which the Lord takes: Though the identity of the sinning family was unknown to Joshua, it was known to God. Secret sin on earth is an open scandal before God. Therefore, we should therefore live our lives with “one set of books,” with one kind of life that can be seen by anybody, anywhere.
b. Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire: Once God dealt with the one sinning individual, blessing could come again on the whole nation.
C. Achan’s sin publicly judged.
1. (16-18) God exposes the identity of the head of the family that had sinned.
So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 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. 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.
a. Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken: This must have been an excruciating experience for Achan. How much better to simply walk in obedience to God!
b. All this time, Achan certainly remembered exactly what he had taken, and how he wished he had not taken it. But he - and we - should remember the regret of sin before we sin, not after.
i. Sin does have its pleasures. Taking those things gave Achan a good feeling. But the penalty of sin, both within us and upon us, outweighs any of the fleeting pleasures of sin.
2. (19-21) Joshua confronts Achan, and he confesses.
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.” And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 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.”
a. My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to Him: Even when we sin and try to cover our sin, we can still give glory to the Lord by openly and honestly confessing our sin. Hidden sin always has a special power over us.
b. A beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels: Measured against the lives of thirty-six men and the welfare of the entire nation, what Achan gained was pretty insignificant. Truly, the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10).
c. Think of how Achan could have rationalized his sin: “No one will know.” “These things won’t be missed.” “Think of how I’ll be admired in this beautiful Babylonian garment.” “I’m not hurting anyone.” “I deserve this.” The excuses can go on and on, but they all fall short.
d. When we are at the terrible place Achan is, we all feel terrible about our sin, wishing we had never done it - may God help us to feel terrible about our sin before we do it!
2. (22-26) The confession confirmed and judgment executed.
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it. 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. 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. 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. 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.
a. His sons, his daughters: Achan’s sons and daughters had specific knowledge of the sin, because it is unlikely that he could bury so much under their tent without their knowledge. At the same time, they were not necessarily stoned with Achan. Instead of being killed with their father, Achan’s children were probably called forth to witness the judgment against their father.
i. We notice the use of the singular in Joshua 7:25 and 7:26 (you . . . you . . . him . . . him), in reference to a person being stoned. The use of the plural in Joshua 7:24 and 7:25 (them . . . them . . . them) probably has reference to Achan’s possessions, not his children.
b. The Israelites aptly named this place Valley of Trouble (or, disaster, as it is in the NIV).
c. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger: Even this kind of sin, when it is dealt with, can be a spring board to victory again. Now Israel was again in position to walk in the power and guidance of God, after they had been conquered by God again.
i. This kind of victory only comes after a death. We need to die to such besetting sins, know that those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24) - the power and victory of Jesus’ resurrection are ours as we crucify our flesh with Him every day.
5.Why was God not with them at Ai? Did God violate His promise not to leave or forsake them or was there conditions that Israel broke (Israel forsake God)? Explain your answer.
But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel.
Chapter 7 opens with the little but ominous word, “but.” This word contrasts this chapter with the preceding, but particularly 6:27. First, there was the thrill of victory, but now there is the agony of defeat. This little conjunction of contrast is designed to drive home an important truth—the reality of the ever present threat and contrasts of life—victory is always followed by at least the threat of defeat.
Never is the believer in greater danger of a fall than after a victory. We are so prone to drop our guard and begin trusting in ourselves or in our past victories rather than the Lord. One victory never guarantees the next. Only as it builds our confidence in the Lord and develops our wisdom in appropriating God’s Word do our victories aid us for the next battle. Always, the basis of victory is the Lord Himself and our faith/dependence on Him. A New Testament chapter that deserves consideration here is 1 Corinthians 10, especially verse 12. The problem is clearly stated in the words, “The sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard …” Let’s note several things about this problem facing the Israelites as a nation.
(1) The word “unfaithfully” represents a Hebrew word that means “to act underhandedly.” It was used of marital infidelity, of a woman who was unfaithful to her husband. The sin here was both an act of spiritual infidelity, being a friend of the world rather than a friend to the Lord (Jam. 4:4), and a faithless act, seeking happiness and security from things rather than from God (1 Tim. 6:6f).
(2) We see that the Lord held the whole camp of Israel accountable for the act of one man and withheld His blessing until the matter was corrected. There was sin in the camp and God would not continue blessing the nation as long as this was so. This does not mean this was the only sin and the rest of the nation was sinless, but this sin was of such a nature (direct disobedience and rebellion) that God used it to teach Israel and us a couple of important lessons.
God viewed the nation of Israel as a unit. What one did was viewed as a sin for the whole nation because Israel’s corporate life illustrates truth and warnings for us as individuals (1 Cor. 10). As a warning for the church, it shows us we cannot progress and move ahead for the Lord with known sin in our lives because that constitutes rebellion against the Lord’s direction and control (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19). It is a matter of loving the world—and to do so is to make one behave as though he or she was an enemy of God (Jam. 4).
Achan’s behavior also illustrates how one or a few believers out of fellowship, when pursuing their own selfish desires and agendas, can negatively impact an entire group. Such behavior can create trouble for the rest. Achan’s name, the Hebrew, akan, is a play on the word akor, which means “trouble.” So Joshua would declare that the Lord would bring trouble (akor) on Achan who had become a “troubler” to the nation because of his sin (cf. 7:24-25). Thus, the site of Achan’s death and grave was called, “the valley of Achor” (Hebrew, akor, “disturbance, trouble”). Though the crime was committed by one person, the whole nation was considered guilty. The nation was responsible for the obedience of every citizen and was charged with the punishment of every offender. This should call to mind the following verses:
See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal (Hebrews 12:15-16).
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).
The apostle Paul saw the same principle of solidarity at work in the church (1 Cor 5:6-13). Unjudged sin contaminated the whole assembly—”Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?” (v. 6).34
(3) We also are reminded how nothing escapes the omniscience of God (Psa. 139:1f). Sin never escapes His watchful eye. We can fool ourselves and others, but never the Lord. God sees the sin in our lives and desires us to deal with it, not hide it. Hiding it only hinders our progress in God’s will and plan (Prov. 28:13) and creates trouble for others. Numbers 32:23 reminds us, “be sure your sin will find you out.” This is similar to the idea of reaping what we sow because of the natural consequences of God’s spiritual and moral laws and because of God’s personal involvement. The Numbers text, however, does not just teach that sin will be discovered but that the consequences of our sin become active agents in discovering us (see Gal. 6:7-8).
(4) The words, “therefore the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel,” dramatically call our attention to the holiness of God. Sin is no small matter with God because sin is rebellion and rebellion is as the sin of divination (1 Sam. 15:23). Even though Christ died for our sins and stands at God’s right hand as our Advocate and Intercessor, God does not and cannot treat sin in our lives lightly. It is against His holy character (His holiness, righteousness, love, etc.) and against His holy purposes for us because it hinders His control and ability to lead us.
Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning?” But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:5-6, the NET Bible, emphasis mine).
Thus, God must deal with us and the sin in our lives; He deals with us as a Father and as the Vine Dresser, but He nevertheless deals with us (John 15:1f; Heb. 12:5).
6.God makes a similar promise to the New Testament believers. Are there conditions stated or implied? Can we learn a lesson from the story of Ai? What would it be?
The book of Joshua records the results of people either trusting and obeying God (the taking of Jericho) or not obeying (Achan and the initial defeat at Ai) or the consequences of believing ones eyes rather than the wisdom of God (The Gibeonites).
As 1 Corinthians 10 reminds us, what happened to Achan is recorded for our warning and instruction to remind us of one of the processes to sin. The process to Achan’s sin was a familiar one. He saw, he coveted, and he took. It was the same with Eve (Gen. 3:6) and with David (2 Sam. 11:2-4) and it is the same with us. Joshua’s approach was tender, yet firm. He hated the sin, but loved the sinner. Achan’s confession while honest, was too late and it was the product of discovery. It was not an act of repentance or godly sorrow that leads to repentance (2 Cor. 7:8-11).
Certainly there are some important lessons here:
(1) Confession without repentance or a genuine change of mind is hollow. It does not restore us to fellowship not because repentance is a work we must do to gain God’s forgiveness, but because without it we retain a wrong attitude which keeps a barrier between us and the Lord.
(2) Sometimes confession is too late to stop the discipline as in the case with David. The primary purpose of confession is not to get out of trouble or to keep us out of God’s woodshed. The purpose of confession is to reestablish fellowship and turn our lives over to God because we want to walk with Him under His control, going in His direction (Amos 3:3).
Perhaps the most practical need here is for us to note the process to see if we can discover what led to Achan’s choice and sin. The fact Achan hid the plunder shows he clearly knew he was doing wrong. So, why did he go ahead and do it? Well, why did Eve sin and fall for the deceptions of the serpent?
In answer to this, we might first take note of what Achan took. He took gold and silver which suggests materialism, trusting in riches for our security and happiness. But he also took a beautiful robe which came from Babylon. This not only points to materialism, but the desire to be fashionable and gain the approbation of men, seeking our sense of significance from the praise or applause of others.
Principle: These desires (lust patterns) illustrate the various lust patterns we all face and which, if not dealt with in faith, can dominate our lives. They include things like desire for position, power, prestige, pleasure, possessions, praise or applause, and recognition, but they are nothing more than human solutions or protective strategies we use to find security, significance, and satisfaction apart from God. Jeremiah calls them broken cisterns. “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13).
These lust patterns have their source in: (a) The sinful nature with its faulty thinking and reasoning (Isa. 55:8f; Prov. 14:12; Rom. 1:18f; Eph. 4:17f). (b) The world and its human reasoning or viewpoint that seeks to live life apart from God and His revelation and plan (Rom. 12:2). (c) False belief structures which, thinking with man’s viewpoint and believing the delusions of the world and Satan, believe that these things will meet our needs like security or happiness. (d) Unbelief in God’s goodness, wisdom, and timing in the way He supplies our needs.
Achan, as with Eve, was dissatisfied, impatient, and self-reliant. He was believing, trusting and using his own protective strategies to get what he wanted out of life. Ironically, God was in the process of taking all of Israel into the land where each man would have his own land, house, and abundant blessings. But dissatisfaction caused by failure to find his happiness in the Lord produced impatience which caused him to covet and run ahead with his own solutions. Though the command against coveting is only one of the Ten Commandments, it is the root sin against which most of the others were given and the root cause behind most of our sin.
Coveting stems from being dissatisfied with our lot in life and from our failure to seek our happiness in the Lord and to trust Him as the source of our needs for security, significance, and satisfaction. The New Testament defines coveting as idolatry (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5). In the final analysis, idolatry is seeking from things what only God can give. An idol may be (a) an impotent graven image made of wood or precious metal to which one prays and seeks help, (b) but it may also be materialism, that way of life that seeks security and significance from money, possessions, power, prestige, and pleasure. (c) It may also be secularism, a philosophy of life by which men seek to live apart from dependence on God, or (4) it may be the approbation of men, seeking satisfaction and security from the praise of others. Campbell writes:
It has been estimated that Americans are bombarded by 1,700 advertisements a day via various forms of the media. While there is no danger of our purchasing all 1,700 items, there is the possibility of our accepting the philosophy behind those advertisements—that we will have complete, fulfilled, satisfied lives if only we drive this car, use this hair spray, or drink that beverage.40
7.God had not only Achan stoned, but his family also. Do you see how this might apply to church discipline and how a church is punished for not disciplining a member? Explain you answer
1) Our sin needs to be dealt with honestly and decisively.
(2) Achan’s choice grew out of the soil of dissatisfaction. How could there be dissatisfaction in view of all he had learned and seen as one of the privileged people of Israel? We don’t know, but for whatever reason, Achan was dissatisfied with his lot in life because he failed to rest his life in God’s providence and goodness. His failure to walk by faith led to seeking satisfaction, security, and significance in the material world so that, lusting after things, he chose to take the things under the ban. It was this spiritual condition of dissatisfaction and independent living that led him to take matters into his own hands believing he could meet his wants by his own solutions. Our failure to find our contentment in the Savior and His love and grace is surely the cause of a great deal of our own self-made misery and sinful behavior. The Lord highlighted this very thing in Matthew 6 when He warned the disciples against storing up treasures on earth and against worrying about the details of life—drink, food, and clothing. In the process, He defined the pursuit of the details of life at the expense of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness as a simple matter of not truly trusting in God’s supply. The issue is one of having too little faith. After pointing to the way God cares for the birds and clothes the grass, He said,
“But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith? 31 “Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’” (Matt. 6:30).
(3) It would be helpful to note that when Achan sinned and there was sin in the camp of Israel, the blessing and strength of God was halted and the nation met with discipline and failure. But once the sin was dealt with as the Lord commanded, by His grace the blessing and strength of God resumed. Again we are reminded that known sin in our lives creates a barrier between us and the Lord because it shows our commitment to go our own way and to handle our own lives by our own strategies.
8.How about a nation? Could the USA be held accountable by God and disciplined because of our allowing such sin to run rampant in the USA?
God hates sin. Is America a good nation? Or is it corrupt? Do we not kill our babies and are we not starting to let gay people get married in God's house? Over time, slowly but surely America turned it's back on God--we are a nation full of sin--and I believe God has turned his back on us now. Watch CNN --look at America right now---does it look like we are in God's grace? I (think) God will allow everyone to reap a little of what this country has sown, but he will judge people individualy also.
God's judgment is already upon this nation and the wicked man. And you must stay tuned it will get worse. I serve a holy God, a God who hates sin and will punish man for their sins.
9.Leviticus 18 listed the sins of the Amorites, which prompted God not only to take their land, but also tell Israel to kill them. List some of their sins and indicate which ones the USA is guilty of doing.
1)Incest among immediate family prohibited 2) God condemns sexual relations between many different family relationships:
2) Grandparents and grandchildren (by blood or by marriage)
• Uncles, aunts, and nieces, nephews
• Parents and the spouses of their children
• Siblings and the spouses of their other siblings
• The children of a spouse
• The sibling of a spouse
3)Prohibition of violating a woman’s time of customary impurity
4) adultery.
5) Command against Molech worship
6) Command against homosexual sex.
7) Command against bestiality - sexual relations with animals.
8)sexual immorality
Almost all above things are USA is guilty of it.
This website has details of it.
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/america_is_immoral.htm
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/evils_in_america.htm
10. Pick a section of Scripture from the first 7 chapters of Joshua. Do a sermon outline with at least three major points and each major point with two sub points, plus an introduction and conclusion. Pick a theme or central verse as the focal point of sermon.
A. Israel Enters Canaan (Joshua 1-5)
* Joshua appointed to replace Moses to lead Israel into Canaan — Num. 27:18-23; 34:17; Deut. 1:38; 3:21,28; 31:3,7,14,23; 34:9; Josh. 1
* Two spies sent into Jericho spared from capture by Rahab (Josh. 2)
* Israel allowed to miraculously cross the Jordan River on dry ground; memorial of 12 stones (Josh. 3&4; note 3:14-17; 4:1-9)
* Circumcision of males (ch. 5)
B. Israel Conquers Canaan (Joshua 6-12)
* Conquest of Jericho — (Josh. 6; note 6:1-5,20-23)
* Sin of Achan & defeat of Ai (Josh. 7&8; note 7:16-26)
* Alliance with Gibeonites (Josh. 9)
* Southern conquest; sun standing still (Josh. 10; note 10:9-13))
* Northern conquest (Josh. 11)
C. Israel Divides Canaan (Joshua 13-24)
* Division of the land among the tribes (Josh. 13-22), including appointing the cities of ref-uge (ch. 20)
* Joshua’s final discourses (Josh. 23,24)
God said to Joshua, (v. 5) "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." These words were echoed in the book of Hebrews, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) And they're similar to the last words spoken by Jesus on planet earth: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)
Believers, whether you realize it or not, whether you acknowledge it or not, you are never out of God's sight. He sees you all the time. He's with you all the time. He watches over you all the time
God said to Joshua and the people of Israel ... and he's saying to you: "Every step you take, every place you go, I am with you. In your victories and defeats, in your good times and your bad times, in your dark days and in your bright days, I am with you. You can count on me."
A place of promise awaits you: a place of contentment and joy and peace and abundance and satisfaction. It's a land flowing with milk and honey. And God is waiting for you to enter. It's time for you to make your move. This is how you begin to experience the fullness of God's promises.
God promised that He would be with Joshua as He had been with Moses. He would not leave nor forsake him. The result would be that no one would be able to stand before him throughout his whole life – i.e., no one could withstand or successfully oppose him in the work he did for the Lord.
Because of God’s protection and provision, Joshua would succeed in bringing Israel into the promised land. God gave him this task and assured him it could be done. This would fulfill the promise to Abraham and the fathers to give this land to them.
However, the promise was conditional. There were things Joshua would need to do to be successful. Remember, Israel had attempted to do this once before but failed because of fear [Num. 13:31,33; 14:6-9]. So three times God told Joshua to “be strong and of good cour-age” (v6,7,9).
2.What happened at the battle of Jericho and why did Israel have victory?
How do you think the wicked kings of Canaan felt when they heard the God of Israel had dried up the swollen Jordan River so His people could go through on dry land? The Bible tells us, “Their hearts melted and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.” They must have wondered what would happen next! The Israelites were camped at Gilgal across from Jericho, but God was not ready for them to march against Jericho yet. He wanted them to remember Him again in the special ways He had given their fathers. There in the plains of Jericho they kept the feast of the Passover. And that day they ate food from the land instead of the manna which had fallen during their wanderings in the wilderness.
Joshua must have wondered how they would ever capture the city of Jericho. Maybe he could even see its thick stone walls from their camp. How would he ever get enough men inside to take it over? They had no battering rams or any other weapons strong enough to break through its walls. Joshua knew one thing for sure, though - - if God fought for them, no walls in the world were strong enough to stop them.
Joshua had sent spies into Jericho to get information before they crossed the Jordan. When the king tried to capture the spies, a woman named Rahab hid them under flax stalks on her roof.
Before they lay down, Rahab came up to the roof and said, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us . . . for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath.” Not only had the people of Jericho heard what happened at the Jordan River - - they also knew how God had divided the Red Sea. And everyone was afraid.
The king had locked the gates to trap the spies inside Jericho, and Rahab offered to help them escape on one condition - - when the city fell, she and her family would be saved alive. The spies agreed to do this, then she let them down by a rope through a window. Since her house was on the outside of the wall, they could get away and run back to the camp at Gilgal. Before they left, however, they told Rahab to hang a scarlet cord from that same window so the army of the Israelites would not hurt them.
The spies had good news for Joshua. “Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”
The king of Jericho shut up all the gates so no one could go out or come in. Then God told Joshua exactly how to capture Jericho, commanding, “You shall march around the city . . . you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do for six days.” On the seventh day they marched around the same way seven times, but on the seventh time, everyone would shout and the walls would fall down.
In the march, the soldiers would come first, followed by seven priests blowing on trumpets made from rams’ horns. Next would come the ark of the covenant, with the rest of the people last. And, except for the priests blowing their trumpets, nobody was to say a word.
What do you think the people of Jericho thought? They could look out from the wall and see this strange parade - - day after day, silent except for the blowing of the priests’ trumpets. What was going to happen?
On the seventh day they found out. The Israelites started about daylight that day, going around six times instead of one time as they had done before. On their seventh round, Joshua commanded them, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!”
The Bible says when “the people shouted with a great shout that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” But they saved Rahab and her family alive.
Hebrews 11:30 tells us that faith brought those walls down. The Children of Israel marched around Jericho in silence, with only the trumpets sounding each day. As the soldiers marched, their faith grew. While they were silent, they were unable to start murmuring or doubting God’s plan. By the seventh day their faith was alive. They could see the victory and expected it. By the time they circled the city that seventh time, in their hearts they knew the city was theirs. Joshua gave the order to shout and every man let loose a victorious faith-filled shout that brought those walls right down. Faith spoken from the heart will still move any obstacle you’ll ever face in life.
Faith will still move mountains, bring down walls, heal you and remove all obstacles in your path.
3.What happened at the battle of Ai and why did they face defeat?
Joshua 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.”
Moses is dead, and a new commander has taken over for the people Israel…Joshua. Joshua’s charge is to follow the Lord’s direction and lead His people into the promise land. God has given it to them, but they have to take it! The first challenge is the mighty walled city of Jericho. God showed His mighty right hand and delivered the city into their hands. God however warned the people that all of the spoils of this first victory belonged to Him.
When the battle was over, one man out of the entire nation sinned. His name was Achan (His name means troublesome in Hebrew). He had taken a few trinkets and hidden them under his tent without the rest of Israel knowing it. So the next town on the promise land ‘to conquer’ list was an infant compared to Jericho; it was called ‘AI.’ Joshua sent spies to evaluate the city and they brought back the following report, “Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.” (7:3)
So what was the result of the first battle with AI? Read for yourself: “Joshua 7:5 “And the men of Ai smote of [ISRAEL] 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.” Israel lost 36 warriors and retreated like cowards. So why did these men die? Joshua rent his clothes and cried out to God with the same question. God’s simple answer was that there was sin in the camp; that was why the lost the battle.
Next we see that after they go through all of the tribes and families to see who’s fault it was, Achan was found guilty. Notice the judgment handed down by Joshua, “And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25And 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.”
So one man sinned and 36 soldier, plus the sinners children and his animals die as a result. An important lesson to remember is that as a Christian, we are all part of a body. What one part does affects the rest of the body. The effects of our sin can and will ripple out beyond us. It will affect those we love.
There are other factors that may have contributed to the children and 36 men dying as well. The children, since they lived in their father’s tent, may have had knowledge of the sin and even condoned it. The army was prideful in assuming they only needed three thousand men against an entire city. They also did not seek counsel from God on the decision to attack AI. They presumed upon God and moved ahead of Him. If they had sought His counsel, He would have revealed the sin before the loss of life.
The bottom line is, if there is sin in the camp, it will affect the entire camp. Cleanse and purify yourselves o ye saints of God.
4.What does God tell Joshua to do about the defeat at Ai?
Defeat at Ai.
1. (1) Not all of Israel obeyed the law of the devoted things.
But 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.
a. The children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things: Joshua commanded the nation in Joshua 6:18 that they should not take of any of the accursed things, those things that were associated with the demonic and debasing worship and practices of the Canaanites.
b. The accursed things: The wars fought by Israel in Canaan were not to be plundering wars of personal gain; they were an unusual, sacred instrument in God’s hand, used for judgment against a society ripe for judgment.
c. So the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel: Israel could not be defeated by the Canaanites, but they could defeat themselves by alienating themselves from God’s plan and power.
2. (2-3) Spies report from the city of Ai.
Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.”
a. The recommendation to send only two or three thousand men was either a response of faith or self confidence. In the end it did not matter; in their disobedience, they could have sent 100,000 troops and it would have made no difference.
b. Israel’s success depended on their own state of being conquered by God; Achan’s rebellion showed that in that respect, they were not conquered by Him - and therefore open to defeat.
3. (4-5) Israel is defeated at Ai.
So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
a. So about three thousand men went up there from the people: Joshua, a wise military leader, commands the larger number recommended by his military intelligence to be sent - but it makes no difference. They fled before the men of Ai.
b. And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men: The thirty-six men killed were thirty-six more than were killed at Jericho, which was thought to be a much more difficult city to conquer. Though this number was small from a military standpoint, what it meant was staggering to Israel. It meant that Israel could be defeated in the Promised Land.
i. The defeat at Ai showed that what mattered was not the strength of the opponent, but the help of God. Without God’s help, all would be lost.
c. Therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water: The people of Israel had good reason to be afraid. Their panic was completely logical, because if God did not fight for them, they had nothing to expect but defeat.
B. Joshua goes before the Lord in time of crisis.
1. (6-9) Joshua fears that it was unfaithfulness on God’s part that had caused the defeat.
Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all; to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
a. Then Joshua tore his clothes: To tear your clothes and to put dust on your head both displayed mourning. Joshua is not only mourning the death of thirty-six men, but more so, he and the elders of Israel mourn the loss of the blessing and guidance of God.
b. Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all: For Joshua and the elders of Israel, this defeat was a national calamity. They do not take this defeat in stride; there is no “win a few, lose a few” mentality at work. They know that every battle matters, and there is always a reason for defeat, it doesn’t “just happen.”
c. Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! Joshua well knows that if God’s hand of blessing and guidance is not there, it would be better that they had come to the Promised Land. If God will not deliver them, all will be lost.
i. How different from so much of Christianity today! We are often so filled with man’s programs and power, that if God withdrew His blessing and guidance, it wouldn’t be missed for a long time.
d. Then what will You do for Your great name? This shows that Joshua’s over-riding concern was for the glory of God. Our greatest disappointment when we stumble should be that we have possibly caused reproach on the great name of God.
2. (10-11) The real reason for defeat: Israel has sinned.
So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.”
a. Israel has sinned: The good news was that God had not failed the nation. The bad news was that this defeat was due to the sin of Israel. Joshua doesn’t need to fear that the problem is with God - it is almost comforting to find that the problem is with us!
i. This is why God tells Joshua to get up. He doesn’t need to beg God to change His heart towards Israel. Joshua must change Israel’s heart before God.
ii. God’s provision is for us to live a life of unbroken victory. But He will not make defeat impossible, taking away our ability to choose good or evil. He always makes it possible for us not to sin; here, Israel sinned, but they didn’t have to.
b. Israel has sinned . . . they . . . they . . . they also: God says that Israel had sinned, not only one man. It is staggering to think that the whole nation was found guilty, and thirty-six men were dead, all for the sin of one man and his family.
i. Paul speaks in similar terms concerning sin in the church; regarding sin among the Corinthian church, he says Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (1 Corinthians 5:6) A small amount of sin accepted and tolerated among believers can infect the whole group.
ii. In this sense, the acceptance and toleration of the sin is worse than the sin itself, so it must be dealt with strictly.
c. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived: We should understand exactly what the sin was. Someone in Israel took things that were devoted to God, devoted either by their giving to His tabernacle, or by their complete destruction. One man stole from God, in the same way we steal from Him when we do not give Him what he directs us to give.
i. Leviticus 22:14, 27:15, 27:19, and 27:31 each demonstrate that in Israel, if you wanted to keep something that belonged to God, you had to pay a 20% (one-fifth) penalty. This was the same amount required for restitution in theft (Leviticus 6:4-5).
ii. The New Testament teaches us that giving should be regular and proportional (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), that it should be generous, purposeful, and cheerful (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). When we don’t give as God directs us, we must regard it as sin and repent of it.
3. (12-13) The effect of the sin: they now have no power before their enemies.
“Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. 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.”
a. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies: Israel could not fight in God’s power and presence unless they walked in obedience to God. Israel was under a covenant with God that promised blessing on their obedience, and also promised curses upon their disobedience.
i. We are not under that kind of covenant. Our position with God is made by the work of Jesus on our behalf, not our own works. Yet if we want God’s power and presence in our own battles, we must walk in fellowship with Him, and this fellowship is hindered by our own sin and rebellion.
ii. Our position before God is secure in Jesus; but our fellowship with Him is hindered by our own sin (1 John 1:6). This fellowship with God is our wellspring of power to live in the Spirit.
b. They have become doomed to destruction: It is sobering to realize that a body in sin has no power before their enemies. It is wonderful to realize that once the sin has been dealt with, God’s power can again flow in our Christian life.
c. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you: When God deals with a particular area of sin, and when resist His work, His mercy makes us to fail in battle. We are most dangerous when we think we are “winning” battles with our own self-reliance.
4. (14-15) Instructions for judgment of the sin.
“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. 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.”
a. The tribe which the Lord takes: Though the identity of the sinning family was unknown to Joshua, it was known to God. Secret sin on earth is an open scandal before God. Therefore, we should therefore live our lives with “one set of books,” with one kind of life that can be seen by anybody, anywhere.
b. Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire: Once God dealt with the one sinning individual, blessing could come again on the whole nation.
C. Achan’s sin publicly judged.
1. (16-18) God exposes the identity of the head of the family that had sinned.
So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 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. 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.
a. Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken: This must have been an excruciating experience for Achan. How much better to simply walk in obedience to God!
b. All this time, Achan certainly remembered exactly what he had taken, and how he wished he had not taken it. But he - and we - should remember the regret of sin before we sin, not after.
i. Sin does have its pleasures. Taking those things gave Achan a good feeling. But the penalty of sin, both within us and upon us, outweighs any of the fleeting pleasures of sin.
2. (19-21) Joshua confronts Achan, and he confesses.
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.” And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 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.”
a. My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to Him: Even when we sin and try to cover our sin, we can still give glory to the Lord by openly and honestly confessing our sin. Hidden sin always has a special power over us.
b. A beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels: Measured against the lives of thirty-six men and the welfare of the entire nation, what Achan gained was pretty insignificant. Truly, the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10).
c. Think of how Achan could have rationalized his sin: “No one will know.” “These things won’t be missed.” “Think of how I’ll be admired in this beautiful Babylonian garment.” “I’m not hurting anyone.” “I deserve this.” The excuses can go on and on, but they all fall short.
d. When we are at the terrible place Achan is, we all feel terrible about our sin, wishing we had never done it - may God help us to feel terrible about our sin before we do it!
2. (22-26) The confession confirmed and judgment executed.
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it. 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. 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. 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. 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.
a. His sons, his daughters: Achan’s sons and daughters had specific knowledge of the sin, because it is unlikely that he could bury so much under their tent without their knowledge. At the same time, they were not necessarily stoned with Achan. Instead of being killed with their father, Achan’s children were probably called forth to witness the judgment against their father.
i. We notice the use of the singular in Joshua 7:25 and 7:26 (you . . . you . . . him . . . him), in reference to a person being stoned. The use of the plural in Joshua 7:24 and 7:25 (them . . . them . . . them) probably has reference to Achan’s possessions, not his children.
b. The Israelites aptly named this place Valley of Trouble (or, disaster, as it is in the NIV).
c. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger: Even this kind of sin, when it is dealt with, can be a spring board to victory again. Now Israel was again in position to walk in the power and guidance of God, after they had been conquered by God again.
i. This kind of victory only comes after a death. We need to die to such besetting sins, know that those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24) - the power and victory of Jesus’ resurrection are ours as we crucify our flesh with Him every day.
5.Why was God not with them at Ai? Did God violate His promise not to leave or forsake them or was there conditions that Israel broke (Israel forsake God)? Explain your answer.
But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel.
Chapter 7 opens with the little but ominous word, “but.” This word contrasts this chapter with the preceding, but particularly 6:27. First, there was the thrill of victory, but now there is the agony of defeat. This little conjunction of contrast is designed to drive home an important truth—the reality of the ever present threat and contrasts of life—victory is always followed by at least the threat of defeat.
Never is the believer in greater danger of a fall than after a victory. We are so prone to drop our guard and begin trusting in ourselves or in our past victories rather than the Lord. One victory never guarantees the next. Only as it builds our confidence in the Lord and develops our wisdom in appropriating God’s Word do our victories aid us for the next battle. Always, the basis of victory is the Lord Himself and our faith/dependence on Him. A New Testament chapter that deserves consideration here is 1 Corinthians 10, especially verse 12. The problem is clearly stated in the words, “The sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard …” Let’s note several things about this problem facing the Israelites as a nation.
(1) The word “unfaithfully” represents a Hebrew word that means “to act underhandedly.” It was used of marital infidelity, of a woman who was unfaithful to her husband. The sin here was both an act of spiritual infidelity, being a friend of the world rather than a friend to the Lord (Jam. 4:4), and a faithless act, seeking happiness and security from things rather than from God (1 Tim. 6:6f).
(2) We see that the Lord held the whole camp of Israel accountable for the act of one man and withheld His blessing until the matter was corrected. There was sin in the camp and God would not continue blessing the nation as long as this was so. This does not mean this was the only sin and the rest of the nation was sinless, but this sin was of such a nature (direct disobedience and rebellion) that God used it to teach Israel and us a couple of important lessons.
God viewed the nation of Israel as a unit. What one did was viewed as a sin for the whole nation because Israel’s corporate life illustrates truth and warnings for us as individuals (1 Cor. 10). As a warning for the church, it shows us we cannot progress and move ahead for the Lord with known sin in our lives because that constitutes rebellion against the Lord’s direction and control (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19). It is a matter of loving the world—and to do so is to make one behave as though he or she was an enemy of God (Jam. 4).
Achan’s behavior also illustrates how one or a few believers out of fellowship, when pursuing their own selfish desires and agendas, can negatively impact an entire group. Such behavior can create trouble for the rest. Achan’s name, the Hebrew, akan, is a play on the word akor, which means “trouble.” So Joshua would declare that the Lord would bring trouble (akor) on Achan who had become a “troubler” to the nation because of his sin (cf. 7:24-25). Thus, the site of Achan’s death and grave was called, “the valley of Achor” (Hebrew, akor, “disturbance, trouble”). Though the crime was committed by one person, the whole nation was considered guilty. The nation was responsible for the obedience of every citizen and was charged with the punishment of every offender. This should call to mind the following verses:
See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal (Hebrews 12:15-16).
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).
The apostle Paul saw the same principle of solidarity at work in the church (1 Cor 5:6-13). Unjudged sin contaminated the whole assembly—”Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?” (v. 6).34
(3) We also are reminded how nothing escapes the omniscience of God (Psa. 139:1f). Sin never escapes His watchful eye. We can fool ourselves and others, but never the Lord. God sees the sin in our lives and desires us to deal with it, not hide it. Hiding it only hinders our progress in God’s will and plan (Prov. 28:13) and creates trouble for others. Numbers 32:23 reminds us, “be sure your sin will find you out.” This is similar to the idea of reaping what we sow because of the natural consequences of God’s spiritual and moral laws and because of God’s personal involvement. The Numbers text, however, does not just teach that sin will be discovered but that the consequences of our sin become active agents in discovering us (see Gal. 6:7-8).
(4) The words, “therefore the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel,” dramatically call our attention to the holiness of God. Sin is no small matter with God because sin is rebellion and rebellion is as the sin of divination (1 Sam. 15:23). Even though Christ died for our sins and stands at God’s right hand as our Advocate and Intercessor, God does not and cannot treat sin in our lives lightly. It is against His holy character (His holiness, righteousness, love, etc.) and against His holy purposes for us because it hinders His control and ability to lead us.
Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning?” But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:5-6, the NET Bible, emphasis mine).
Thus, God must deal with us and the sin in our lives; He deals with us as a Father and as the Vine Dresser, but He nevertheless deals with us (John 15:1f; Heb. 12:5).
6.God makes a similar promise to the New Testament believers. Are there conditions stated or implied? Can we learn a lesson from the story of Ai? What would it be?
The book of Joshua records the results of people either trusting and obeying God (the taking of Jericho) or not obeying (Achan and the initial defeat at Ai) or the consequences of believing ones eyes rather than the wisdom of God (The Gibeonites).
As 1 Corinthians 10 reminds us, what happened to Achan is recorded for our warning and instruction to remind us of one of the processes to sin. The process to Achan’s sin was a familiar one. He saw, he coveted, and he took. It was the same with Eve (Gen. 3:6) and with David (2 Sam. 11:2-4) and it is the same with us. Joshua’s approach was tender, yet firm. He hated the sin, but loved the sinner. Achan’s confession while honest, was too late and it was the product of discovery. It was not an act of repentance or godly sorrow that leads to repentance (2 Cor. 7:8-11).
Certainly there are some important lessons here:
(1) Confession without repentance or a genuine change of mind is hollow. It does not restore us to fellowship not because repentance is a work we must do to gain God’s forgiveness, but because without it we retain a wrong attitude which keeps a barrier between us and the Lord.
(2) Sometimes confession is too late to stop the discipline as in the case with David. The primary purpose of confession is not to get out of trouble or to keep us out of God’s woodshed. The purpose of confession is to reestablish fellowship and turn our lives over to God because we want to walk with Him under His control, going in His direction (Amos 3:3).
Perhaps the most practical need here is for us to note the process to see if we can discover what led to Achan’s choice and sin. The fact Achan hid the plunder shows he clearly knew he was doing wrong. So, why did he go ahead and do it? Well, why did Eve sin and fall for the deceptions of the serpent?
In answer to this, we might first take note of what Achan took. He took gold and silver which suggests materialism, trusting in riches for our security and happiness. But he also took a beautiful robe which came from Babylon. This not only points to materialism, but the desire to be fashionable and gain the approbation of men, seeking our sense of significance from the praise or applause of others.
Principle: These desires (lust patterns) illustrate the various lust patterns we all face and which, if not dealt with in faith, can dominate our lives. They include things like desire for position, power, prestige, pleasure, possessions, praise or applause, and recognition, but they are nothing more than human solutions or protective strategies we use to find security, significance, and satisfaction apart from God. Jeremiah calls them broken cisterns. “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13).
These lust patterns have their source in: (a) The sinful nature with its faulty thinking and reasoning (Isa. 55:8f; Prov. 14:12; Rom. 1:18f; Eph. 4:17f). (b) The world and its human reasoning or viewpoint that seeks to live life apart from God and His revelation and plan (Rom. 12:2). (c) False belief structures which, thinking with man’s viewpoint and believing the delusions of the world and Satan, believe that these things will meet our needs like security or happiness. (d) Unbelief in God’s goodness, wisdom, and timing in the way He supplies our needs.
Achan, as with Eve, was dissatisfied, impatient, and self-reliant. He was believing, trusting and using his own protective strategies to get what he wanted out of life. Ironically, God was in the process of taking all of Israel into the land where each man would have his own land, house, and abundant blessings. But dissatisfaction caused by failure to find his happiness in the Lord produced impatience which caused him to covet and run ahead with his own solutions. Though the command against coveting is only one of the Ten Commandments, it is the root sin against which most of the others were given and the root cause behind most of our sin.
Coveting stems from being dissatisfied with our lot in life and from our failure to seek our happiness in the Lord and to trust Him as the source of our needs for security, significance, and satisfaction. The New Testament defines coveting as idolatry (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5). In the final analysis, idolatry is seeking from things what only God can give. An idol may be (a) an impotent graven image made of wood or precious metal to which one prays and seeks help, (b) but it may also be materialism, that way of life that seeks security and significance from money, possessions, power, prestige, and pleasure. (c) It may also be secularism, a philosophy of life by which men seek to live apart from dependence on God, or (4) it may be the approbation of men, seeking satisfaction and security from the praise of others. Campbell writes:
It has been estimated that Americans are bombarded by 1,700 advertisements a day via various forms of the media. While there is no danger of our purchasing all 1,700 items, there is the possibility of our accepting the philosophy behind those advertisements—that we will have complete, fulfilled, satisfied lives if only we drive this car, use this hair spray, or drink that beverage.40
7.God had not only Achan stoned, but his family also. Do you see how this might apply to church discipline and how a church is punished for not disciplining a member? Explain you answer
1) Our sin needs to be dealt with honestly and decisively.
(2) Achan’s choice grew out of the soil of dissatisfaction. How could there be dissatisfaction in view of all he had learned and seen as one of the privileged people of Israel? We don’t know, but for whatever reason, Achan was dissatisfied with his lot in life because he failed to rest his life in God’s providence and goodness. His failure to walk by faith led to seeking satisfaction, security, and significance in the material world so that, lusting after things, he chose to take the things under the ban. It was this spiritual condition of dissatisfaction and independent living that led him to take matters into his own hands believing he could meet his wants by his own solutions. Our failure to find our contentment in the Savior and His love and grace is surely the cause of a great deal of our own self-made misery and sinful behavior. The Lord highlighted this very thing in Matthew 6 when He warned the disciples against storing up treasures on earth and against worrying about the details of life—drink, food, and clothing. In the process, He defined the pursuit of the details of life at the expense of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness as a simple matter of not truly trusting in God’s supply. The issue is one of having too little faith. After pointing to the way God cares for the birds and clothes the grass, He said,
“But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith? 31 “Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’” (Matt. 6:30).
(3) It would be helpful to note that when Achan sinned and there was sin in the camp of Israel, the blessing and strength of God was halted and the nation met with discipline and failure. But once the sin was dealt with as the Lord commanded, by His grace the blessing and strength of God resumed. Again we are reminded that known sin in our lives creates a barrier between us and the Lord because it shows our commitment to go our own way and to handle our own lives by our own strategies.
8.How about a nation? Could the USA be held accountable by God and disciplined because of our allowing such sin to run rampant in the USA?
God hates sin. Is America a good nation? Or is it corrupt? Do we not kill our babies and are we not starting to let gay people get married in God's house? Over time, slowly but surely America turned it's back on God--we are a nation full of sin--and I believe God has turned his back on us now. Watch CNN --look at America right now---does it look like we are in God's grace? I (think) God will allow everyone to reap a little of what this country has sown, but he will judge people individualy also.
God's judgment is already upon this nation and the wicked man. And you must stay tuned it will get worse. I serve a holy God, a God who hates sin and will punish man for their sins.
9.Leviticus 18 listed the sins of the Amorites, which prompted God not only to take their land, but also tell Israel to kill them. List some of their sins and indicate which ones the USA is guilty of doing.
1)Incest among immediate family prohibited 2) God condemns sexual relations between many different family relationships:
2) Grandparents and grandchildren (by blood or by marriage)
• Uncles, aunts, and nieces, nephews
• Parents and the spouses of their children
• Siblings and the spouses of their other siblings
• The children of a spouse
• The sibling of a spouse
3)Prohibition of violating a woman’s time of customary impurity
4) adultery.
5) Command against Molech worship
6) Command against homosexual sex.
7) Command against bestiality - sexual relations with animals.
8)sexual immorality
Almost all above things are USA is guilty of it.
This website has details of it.
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/america_is_immoral.htm
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/evils_in_america.htm
10. Pick a section of Scripture from the first 7 chapters of Joshua. Do a sermon outline with at least three major points and each major point with two sub points, plus an introduction and conclusion. Pick a theme or central verse as the focal point of sermon.
A. Israel Enters Canaan (Joshua 1-5)
* Joshua appointed to replace Moses to lead Israel into Canaan — Num. 27:18-23; 34:17; Deut. 1:38; 3:21,28; 31:3,7,14,23; 34:9; Josh. 1
* Two spies sent into Jericho spared from capture by Rahab (Josh. 2)
* Israel allowed to miraculously cross the Jordan River on dry ground; memorial of 12 stones (Josh. 3&4; note 3:14-17; 4:1-9)
* Circumcision of males (ch. 5)
B. Israel Conquers Canaan (Joshua 6-12)
* Conquest of Jericho — (Josh. 6; note 6:1-5,20-23)
* Sin of Achan & defeat of Ai (Josh. 7&8; note 7:16-26)
* Alliance with Gibeonites (Josh. 9)
* Southern conquest; sun standing still (Josh. 10; note 10:9-13))
* Northern conquest (Josh. 11)
C. Israel Divides Canaan (Joshua 13-24)
* Division of the land among the tribes (Josh. 13-22), including appointing the cities of ref-uge (ch. 20)
* Joshua’s final discourses (Josh. 23,24)
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