Let’s face it, sin is in. It’s been somewhat of a permanent trend since Adam and Eve. As long as we’re getting away with it, we buy into the lie that it makes us content. So many times I have been sorry for my sin not because I have hurt the heart of God but because I regret the punishment it brings upon me. The truth is, even the Bible admits that sin is fun for a season. Somehow we find that reason enough to engage in acts of disobedience.
In Joshua 6 we find the Israelites poised to take the land God promised them. They’ve wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, now Joshua has commanded them to march around a city six times. But then came the seventh day when they were to lay claim to Jericho. Before they began their now daily regiment, God gave a warning to His top man:
18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury." - Joshua 6
But as it was in the beginning, it only took one man’s sin to do them in. Adam sealed our fate to this day. Death is the punishment we face.
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13a for before the law was given, sin was in the world. – Romans 5
This time it was another man whose name began with an ‘A’ that would doom his fellow man. Achan chose to disobey God’s command and keep some of the devoted things for himself. Scripture says that God’s anger burned against Israel because of what he did. Yet, no one else knew and the Israelites went ahead with a plan to conquer Ai as part of their next quest. Little did they know that God would not go with them. The spies were so confident that they told Joshua not all of the men would have to go; just two or three thousand. In the end, 36 of their men died and the Israelites were chased from the city.
Isn’t that how it always is? We seem to think that our sin is our business. After all, we’re convinced it doesn’t affect anyone else. And yet here is this example that clearly shows the price we’re willing to pay to disobey. God had warned them. Yet, all it took was Achan’s act of disobedience to bring judgment on an entire nation. In the end Achan and his family paid the price with their lives. But his sin also took 36 other men.
20 When Achan son of Zerah acted unfaithfully regarding the devoted things, did not wrath come upon the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.' " – Joshua 22
Sin does not always have an obvious, direct affect. Sometimes there are repercussions that we don’t always connect. Still, they are there nonetheless.
There is something missing when you compare the Israelites’ triumphant victory at Jericho to their failed attempt in Ai. God’s blessing is blatantly absent. Here’s what He had to say before their first battle for the Promised Land:
2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. – Joshua 6
Yet, God is strangely silent as the men prepare for a second time. The Israelites were confident in their own abilities and went into battle alone. They didn’t even know that the Lord was no longer with them. That’s the way it is in our lives. We think that we can continue in sin and that God will bestow his blessings upon us. Then we’re surprised when we fail. The danger lies in this: like Israel, we are often unaware that God has left us. Our sin does us in. So, let me ask you this: Is sin really worth the high price we must pay to disobey?
In Joshua 6 we find the Israelites poised to take the land God promised them. They’ve wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, now Joshua has commanded them to march around a city six times. But then came the seventh day when they were to lay claim to Jericho. Before they began their now daily regiment, God gave a warning to His top man:
18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury." - Joshua 6
But as it was in the beginning, it only took one man’s sin to do them in. Adam sealed our fate to this day. Death is the punishment we face.
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13a for before the law was given, sin was in the world. – Romans 5
This time it was another man whose name began with an ‘A’ that would doom his fellow man. Achan chose to disobey God’s command and keep some of the devoted things for himself. Scripture says that God’s anger burned against Israel because of what he did. Yet, no one else knew and the Israelites went ahead with a plan to conquer Ai as part of their next quest. Little did they know that God would not go with them. The spies were so confident that they told Joshua not all of the men would have to go; just two or three thousand. In the end, 36 of their men died and the Israelites were chased from the city.
Isn’t that how it always is? We seem to think that our sin is our business. After all, we’re convinced it doesn’t affect anyone else. And yet here is this example that clearly shows the price we’re willing to pay to disobey. God had warned them. Yet, all it took was Achan’s act of disobedience to bring judgment on an entire nation. In the end Achan and his family paid the price with their lives. But his sin also took 36 other men.
20 When Achan son of Zerah acted unfaithfully regarding the devoted things, did not wrath come upon the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.' " – Joshua 22
Sin does not always have an obvious, direct affect. Sometimes there are repercussions that we don’t always connect. Still, they are there nonetheless.
There is something missing when you compare the Israelites’ triumphant victory at Jericho to their failed attempt in Ai. God’s blessing is blatantly absent. Here’s what He had to say before their first battle for the Promised Land:
2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. – Joshua 6
Yet, God is strangely silent as the men prepare for a second time. The Israelites were confident in their own abilities and went into battle alone. They didn’t even know that the Lord was no longer with them. That’s the way it is in our lives. We think that we can continue in sin and that God will bestow his blessings upon us. Then we’re surprised when we fail. The danger lies in this: like Israel, we are often unaware that God has left us. Our sin does us in. So, let me ask you this: Is sin really worth the high price we must pay to disobey?
1 comment:
Jared, Thanks for allowing me to "peek" at your blogsite. One thought I had on this is that we should choose our friends carefully. I have enough trouble with my own sin, I don't need an Achan helping me out. Gloria
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