Think about that. If anything demonstrates our extreme weakness when we appear to be strong, it's the story found in Joshua 7. Victories tend to make us overconfident in our own strength...which is a set up for a fall. And disobedience ...even well hidden disobedience...pulls us out from under the umbrella of God's protection and blessing.
But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan, son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD's anger burned against Israel. - vs. 1
Israel was blissfully ignorant of the fatal flaw in their support structure. After the complete and utter destruction of Jericho, they looked around for their next target.
Notice...there is no evidence here that they thanked God for the victory and inquired of Him what to do next. Had they done so, they might have heard something they didn't expect to hear.
But, confident that God was with them, they didn't ask for direction. Joshua sent some folks to spy out the region around the next little town and got the report that Ai was so small, they wouldn't even need to send the whole army, just a couple of thousand warriors would be enough (out of the over 600,000 men of fighting age).
Again, they did not seek God or inquire of Him what to do next or how to do it. They thought they had it.
They were beyond shocked when the little town of Ai routed their attackers and killed 36 of them.
They had forgotten that the Captain of the Hosts of the Lord was neither for them or for their enemies. And they thought they were capable of conquering the land on their own.
Joshua was distraught and ...THEN...he fell on his face and asked God what was going on, why He allowed the nobodies to beat them.
God's reply is the same as it would have been had they asked for guidance BEFORE they took off into battle on their own:
"Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their on possessions. This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies...they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction." (vs. 11 - 12)
God then instructs them on how to find the guilty: the people were instructed to consecrate themselves overnight, and then present themselves before Joshua and the LORD the next morning, beginning with the tribal leaders. Punishment would be swift and total: anyone caught with the plunder would be destroyed, along with everything that belonged to him...wife, children, animals, household goods.
Did you catch that? The one who is caught...in the morning.
God could have ordered the sifting process to begin right that moment, but instead He sent everyone to their tents to consecrate themselves...to determine if they had broken the covenant.
Because I think that if the guilty party had confessed, there might have been mercy. The sentence of destruction was against the one who was caught in the morning.
What do you suppose Achan, son of Carmi, did that night? Did his wife know? Did he hug his kids? Or did he believe that it was so well hidden that nobody would find it? Did he expect to escape? Did he believe that God didn't see his sin?
Whatever. He sat tight at home all night and said nothing.
The next morning, the twelve tribal leaders presented themselves to Joshua, and, by whatever process they used, the leader of the tribe of Judah was selected. So all the leaders of the clans of Judah presented themselves, and the leader of the clan of the Zerahites was selected. The heads of the families in the Zerahite clan came forward, and Zimri was taken. Then each man in the household of Zimri came forward...and Achan was selected.
Be sure, your sin will find you out. When did Achan begin to feel like maybe he wouldn't get away with it after all? Do you suppose he believed right up till his name was called that no one could tell it was him? Or at that point did he see it as inevitable, as the process had marched the guilt right to his face?
At least he answered Joshua's questions honestly.
I saw...I coveted...I took...I hid (vs. 21)
That will preach in and of itself; the progression of sin. Adam and Eve, David and Bathsheba...same pattern.
The messengers ran to his tent, dug up the newly turned earth, and came back with a robe, silver coins and a wedge of gold.
Achan, all his family and animals and goods were taken to the Valley of Achor. The people and animals were stoned, then all his goods...including the plunder he'd taken...was burned. Finally a cairn of stones was piled above the rubble and left as a memorial...and a warning.
Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. (v. 26)
What am I facing that I think, even just a little, 'I've got this'...and don't even think to ask for guidance or direction? Or, what have I done that I should not have done that I'm trying now to cover up? Am I pretending, even to myself, that God's instruction doesn't really matter? If I cannot stand before my enemies with 'things under the ban' in my life...what do I need to confess and give up to restore my relationship to what it ought to be?
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