Joshua 7 - 9

Click the scripture above to read Joshua 7 - 9.

One of the most tragic stories of the Bible comes from Joshua 7. It tells us a couple of powerful truths about God:

1) God is sensitive about the things that belong to Him! God had explicitly told the people of Israel "not to take any of the things set apart for destruction...everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord, and must be brought into His treasury (6:18-19). But, in chapter 7, while fighting the battle, Achan saw a beautiful garment, some silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than 1 pound. He couldn't resist the temptation to take it. After all, it was lying there, nobody was around, and he could use it as a nice financial bonus for putting his life at risk. However, all of the human reasoning wouldn't make this sinful act right! Though Achan felt that he got away with something, God saw what he did and wasn't about to let him get away with it! God was very angry about it! Those things belonged to God, not to Achan!

Achan's sin cost him his life, the life of his family, and the death of 36 warriors as they ran down the hill escaping from the city of Ai. Plus, his sin caused God to pull back His blessings from Israel. Isn't it amazing what one man's sin can do to effect a lot of people, or even God's blessings?

Here's a few lessons from this story:

--- Don't take what belongs to God! He doesn't like it!
--- Your sin may do more harm than you think! It may hurt others!
--- Your sin will effect God's hand of blessing, mercy, and grace!

2) There's a time NOT to pray! As Joshua and the leaders of Israel were face down in the dust praying before the Ark of the Covenant, God said to them, "Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this...Israel has sinned?" In other words, God was telling them "Hey, this is no time to pray! This is a time to act! Israel has sinned!" Isn't it amazing that God blames the entire nation for one man's sin?

Sometimes, instead of praying, we ought to start going! I remember when I felt the Lord's leading to start a church back in 1993. But, feeling frightened about the idea and thinking that I wasn't qualified to start a church, I prayed about it for a year. I kept getting the same answer, "Start a church." For a year, God was saying to me, "Stop praying and get going!" The reason I kept praying about it was because I was afraid, and I was sure God would maybe change His mind, or that I wasn't hearing Him clearly enough. God had to use others to get me going!

What is God telling you to do? Are you still praying about it?

3) It's good to consult the Lord on everything! Israel made a mistake in chapter 9. The Gibeonites deceived Joshua and his leaders in order to preserve their own lives. And, you can't blame them! They knew they were no match for Israel's God who was obviously fighting for them. Israel was destroying everything in their path. Here's what they said in 9:24, "We did it because we...were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded...to give you the entire land and destroy all the people...so we fear greatly for our lives..." The Gibeonites exercised some good street smarts, but Joshua "did not consult the Lord" (9:14) and was horribly fooled by their good acting skills.

You know what? Things aren't always as they seem. That's why it's always important to consult the Lord about the things in your life. A new job promotion might seem like a great idea, but unless you consult the Lord you might be making a horrible decision. Here's a good question for you... "Are you taking the time and the initiative to consult the Lord in your endeavors?"

Tomorrow, we'll read about an amazing miracle God performed on the entire earth at the request of Joshua! Don't miss it!

Have a great day in the Lord!