Joshua 7:11-12 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.Are you a Christian whose world seems to be falling apart? Does everything seem to be going downhill in your life rather than uphill? Are troublesome things happening to you which you wouldn't expect God to allow to happen? Has your life suddenly taken a turn for the worse? Well, it's not the first time something like this has happened to God's children. The same thing happened to the Children of Israel just after their victory over Jericho. It was a serious problem which needed to be dealt with in a serious manner. Let me tell you the story.
It all started in Joshua, chapter six. You can read it for yourself when you have time. Joshua had just lead the Children of Israel across the Jordon River, into the promised land. God had promised that all of the inhabitants of this land would fear Joshua and his followers. So they had confidence as they marched around the walls of Jericho. But God also told Joshua to warn the people about taking any spoils from the victory over that city.
Joshua 6:18-19 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. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.The only thing they were to keep were the precious metals. And that was to be placed in the treasury of the Lord. But . . .
Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, . . . took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.A man by the name of Achan couldn't resist the some of the things he saw as they captured the city. He saw a Babylonian garment of some kind, some silver, and some gold. And he just couldn't resist disobeying God and keeping just a little for himself. He probably thought nobody would notice. There was so much to gather up. After all, God was on his side. He had destroyed these people of Jericho on Achan's behalf. God had taken care of him and his family over the past forty years. He was one of God's children. What was there to worry about?
Just a few things:
1. He was disobeying God's command. 2. He was stealing from God. 3. He was listening to the lust of his flesh rather than his conscience.
I'm sure you can come up with a longer list, but that's good enough for now.
God called the things he took for himself accursed. Achan took them back to his tent and dug a little hole in the ground and buried them. Now, stop for a minute and think: Let's say the garment was a nice leather jacket. When is he ever going to be able to wear it if he has to keep it hidden. What was he thinking? He wasn't thinking! He was lusting! Here is a picture-perfect example of GREED. He can't use it. He doesn't need it. But - he WANTS it!
He was like so many people who are so self-centered (selfish) that they spend their time looking for ways to please themselves. And after these folks have gathered all of life's pleasures to themselves, they discover that none of it really brings happiness. Just like a leather jacket buried in the dirt.
So, what's the big deal? Well, reading on through chapter seven of Joshua we find the result of Achan's sin. There was a little town called Ai. It was the next city to conquer after Jericho. And, it was Joshua's job to send an group out to conquer it in the same manner they had conquered Jericho. So he sent out a spy party to determine their strategy. The spies came back with the news that Ai was just a small community and they wouldn't need to send many soldiers to win the battle.
So Joshua sent three thousand men out to take the city. But as they approached Ai the men of Ai attacked the Israelite soldiers and overtook them. In the process, 36 Israelite solders were killed and the battle turned against them. The Bible says that the Israelite solders were so frightened that their hearts turned to water and they fled back to their camp. This was NOT how it was supposed to go.
Joshua could not understand so he went to God and prayed. Up to this point all of the inhabitants of the promised land were living in fear of the Israelites. But with the small army of Ai defeating the Israelite army, Joshua knew that word would get out and that their enemies would be much more confident and bold enough to fight a fiercer battle.
But God spoke to Joshua and explained that someone in the camp had taken the accursed thing. And until it was found and destroyed they were on their own:
Joshua 7:12 . . .neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.Take note of the word, DESTROY. You and I are not much different than Achan. There are many things in this world that we would love to own. Some of them are approved by God and some are not. Also, remember this: God does not change. He feels the same today as he did back in Achan's day. He loves each of us just as much as He loved folks back then. He also hates greed and lust just as much as He did back then. Keep that in mind as we continue the story of Achan.
While God was speaking with Joshua He explained that as long as the Israelites possessed the accursed thing they would NOT be able to stand against their enemies. Hold that thought for the next few moments also.
God told Joshua to find the person who had taken the accursed thing, get it back from him, and destroy it. So the next morning Joshua began questioning the people, “man by man.” He went to great lengths to search for the trouble-maker. He left nothing to doubt because it was important to their survival in the promised land to find whatever it was that had ruined their relationship with God. The problem was found when he finally questioned Achan.
Joshua 7:19-21 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.Do you know what happened next? Achan and his sons and daughters and all of his possessions were destroyed along with the accursed thing.
Joshua 7:25-26 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones . . . .Now, picture Achan huddled together with his family in the middle of the circle of those who were about to begin the stoning. Watch as he tries in vain to protect his children from those first few stones. Listen as he hears his children begin to cry and whimper over the next few minutes as they gradually fall unconscious and bleed to death. You can only imagine the pain in his heart. It must have been much worse than the pain of those stones hitting his body.
Was it worth it? Well, you can ask Achan yourself when you get to Heaven.
In the mean time let me ask you: Is there something in your life that you KNOW God considers to be an accursed thing?
Whatever it is that just came to mind needs to be destroyed. Just like the Israelites, we have no defense against our enemies as long as we try to hang on to it. And, just like Achan, you and I need to remember that sin eventually leads to death.
James 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.Don't be like Achan and fool yourself into thinking that you have it hidden away where nobody will ever find out about it. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you can just keep it hidden and it doesn't need to be destroyed. Remember, as long as it remains you have NO defense against your enemies.
And, who are your enemies? Right off-hand I can name three: The World, The Flesh, and The Devil. As I said at the beginning, if your life seems to be out of control, compared to how things were after you first entered the promised land, maybe you should think about it. You have absolutely NO defense against those three enemies without the protection of God, His son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
You need to be as diligent as Joshua was. Search your soul in the same way that Joshua questioned his men, one-by-one, until you are sure you have uncovered every accursed thing in your life. Then destroy it - before it destroys you.
The key word is DESTROY!
You know what to do. The rest is up to you.