Life is not a picnic or a game
play. It’s a serious business of life and death. How much more serious it is to
those who are made righteous by the blood of Christ? A new living in the land
of Canaan represents a new life in Christ Jesus the Lord. How can we maintain
seriousness in life? Remember what the Lord said to Joshua before crossing the
Jordan River. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my
servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that
you may be successful wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7) Pay careful attention to
what the Lord said in the Scriptures and take heed to it with the thorough
understanding of the Law of God. One violation of the Law seems trivial and
insignificant, but it’s not. It happened to the Israelites right after
defeating the Jericho. One man did not take the words of the Lord seriously and
disobeyed God. His name was Achan.
“But the Israelites were
unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, 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. Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai,
which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, ‘Go up and spy
out the region.’ So the men went up and spied out Ai. When they returned to
Joshua, they said, ‘Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or
three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few
people live there.’ So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by
the men of Ai, who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites
from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the
slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.”
(Joshua 7:1-5)
Being unfaithful to the words of
the Lord is an open door for the invitation of God’s burning wrath and anger.
The Lord commanded Joshua to keep away from the devoted things in order not to
bring about their own destruction (Joshua 6:18-19). But Achan of the tribe of
Judah took some of the devoted things to the Lord. So the Lord’s anger burned
against Israel. Now Joshua sent men to spy out the region of Ai. The spies
returned to Joshua and recommended to send some two or three thousand men to
take it because only a few people lived there. They said Joshua not to weary
the whole army. It wouldn’t be necessary, they said. It seemed an easy task for
Joshua and the Israelites who just conquered the invincible city of Jericho in
a dramatic way. But it was not. They were terribly defeated and thirty-six men
were killed by the enemies. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and
became like water.
What’s happened? Why did such a
terrible defeat come to the people of the Lord? It was because they were
unfaithful to the devoted things to the Lord. Among the people, Achan son of
Karmi took some of the devoted things and hid them in his tent. Why did the
Lord punish the whole assembly of people for one man committed the crime of evil?
It’s because they’re not divided but one in the Lord, one body of the Lord. Apostle
Paul says of the church as one body with many parts because God has put the
body together, so that there should be no division in the body (1 Corinthians
12:20-25).
“If one part suffers, every part
suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1
Corinthians 12:26)
Why did the hearts of the people
in the camp of Israel melt in fear and become like water? The cause of fear was
the defeat in the battle against Ai. The cause of defeat was God’s burning
anger against the people. The cause of God’s wrath was the Israelite’s
unfaithfulness and disobedience to the words of the Lord. What is God’s wrath?
It doesn’t mean salting the burning sulfur and brimstone and thunderstorm
although they’re preserved for the judgement of God as demonstrated in the
wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It means God lifts up the constraints of
evil to those who really want to do evil and wicked things. Apostle Paul says pertinently
in the Epistle to the Romans.
“The wrath of God is being
revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who
suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is
plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.” (Romans 1:18-19)
No one can evade the wrath of
God, believers and non-believers. It’s our daily experience. That’s the reason
Apostle Paul strongly admonishes the Christians to follow Gods’ example, as
dearly loved children, and to walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us
and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God
(Ephesians 5:1-2). This is the way to eternal life in Christ. There is no other
way to the Father who gives his life unconditionally. However, those who follow
the fleshly desires of the world and do evil in the eyes of the Lord have no
inheritance in the kingdom of God in this age and ages to come.
“But among you there must not be
even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed,
because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be
obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather
thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy
person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and of God.” (Ephesians 5:3-5)
What did Joshua and the elders
of Israel do? They were terrified and fell facedown to the ground before the
ark of the Lord till evening. This was a startling moment of terror for the
entire people of Israel. So is true to all the Christians. The conversion
experience is so joyfully overwhelming and awesome that it gives birth to the
strong sense of confidence and assurance in the heart of new believers. It’s a
perfectly legitimate and normal experience for the power of God has released
the captive from the dark dungeon. The new born Christians feel that there
won’t be any more failures and trespasses down the road. However, just like the
Israelites faced it, soon or later we stumble and sin again. The old habits
rise above the surface and cause to stumble miserably. Our response is quite
similar to that of Joshua and the people of Israel. It shakes up and makes us
tremble at the failures and trespasses. Some even doubt the conversion
experience. That’s the Ai experience.
“Then Joshua tore his clothes
and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there
till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their
heads. And Joshua said, ‘Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this
people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to
destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the
Jordan! Pardon your servant, Lord. What can I say, now that Israel has been
routed by its enemies? The Canaanites and the other people of the country will
hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth.
What then will you do for your own great name?’” (Joshua 7:6-9)
On behalf of the nation Israel,
Joshua pleaded pardon and forgiveness of the Lord, saying “Pardon your servant,
Lord”. It is significant to note that he pleaded not for his name’s sake but
for God’s great name’s sake. Remember it’s not Joshua’s war but God’s holy war.
Life in Christ Jesus is not living our own lives but the exchanged lives in the
Lord who is the giver of life. What’s God’s answer to the plea?
“The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Stand
up! What are you doing down on your face? 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
own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies;
they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to
destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among
you is devoted to destruction.’” (Joshua 7:10-12)
First, God taught Joshua that
Israel had sinned, violating God’s covenant which he commanded to keep.
Specifically, God told him that they had taken some of the devoted things,
stealing, lying, and putting them with their own possessions. That’s why they
couldn’t stand against their enemies. They turned their backs and ran because they
had been made liable to destruction. God said Joshua, “I will not be with you
anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.”
“Go, consecrate the people. Tell
them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the
Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You
cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them. ‘In the morning,
present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord chooses shall come
forward clan by clan; the clan the Lord chooses shall come forward family by
family; and the family the Lord chooses shall come forward man by man. Whoever
is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all
that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done an
outrageous thing in Israel!’” (Joshua 7:13-15)
Second, God told them to
consecrate themselves in preparation for tomorrow for he was going to remove
the man who was responsible for evil by fire along with all that belonged to
him. Early next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was
chosen and finally the man Achan was chosen. Joshua had Achan tell the truth
what he had done.
“Achan replied, ‘It is true! I
have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When
I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of
silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.
They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.’”
(Joshua 7:20-21)
So Joshua sent messengers and
they ran to the tent of Achan and took the things from the tent, brought them
to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the Lord. And
Joshua did what he was told to do.
“Then Joshua, together with all
Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons
and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to
the Valley of Achor. Joshua said, ‘Why have you brought this trouble on us? The
Lord will bring trouble on you today.’ Then all Israel stoned him, and after
they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan they heaped up a large
pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce
anger. Therefore, that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.”
(Joshua 7:24-26)
Why did God punish him so
severely? That’s really what happens for anyone who violates the covenant of
the Lord because he is holy. Everyone shall experience inevitably the wrath of
God whenever they neglect and refuse to follow the Law of God. It’s just like
no one can stand against the law of gravity. If anyone does, the consequence is
to jump into conclusion. God cannot lie because he is good. He never changes
but remains the same forever as he is in the beginning. It also happened in the
first century at the first church in Jerusalem. When Ananias and Sapphira
pretended to put everything at the apostles’ feet after selling a piece of
property although they kept back part of the money for himself. Immediately
Peter recognized their hypocrisy and said that they lied not to human but God.
When they heard this, they fell down and died. Then great fear seized the whole
church and all who heard about these events (Acts 5:1-11).
There are no more records found
like these drastic events in the Scriptures. It must have been happened over
and over again. It’s happening in all churches of this age. Why then aren’t we
who commit sins punished like Achan and Ananias? Physically no but spiritually
yes. Such a drastic treatment of God teaches us that we shall not consider
committing sin lightly but very seriously because at the moment of violation of
the Law of God we’re away from Christ’s inheritance. It means we’re out of the
touch of the glorious riches of God until the trespass is removed. That’s why
our Lord Jesus says his disciples to take the drastic actions when one part of
the body causes us to stumble.
“If your right eye causes you to
stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part
of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right
hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you
to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
(Matthew 5:29-30)
This is a beautiful picture of
the Lord Jesus’ death and burial and resurrection. There is no other way for
the Lord to turn from his fierce anger until the sin is removed through the
death and burial. Although our Lord Jesus was sinless and no need to die for
himself, God made him to be sin in our place. When he was made to be sin for us
by the Father, he was put to death on a cross and buried in the tomb of rock. In
this way, our Lord Jesus was made perfect as the pioneer of our salvation
through what he suffered (Hebrews 2:10). Prophet
Hosea called the Valley of Achor a door of hope (Hosea 2:15). God opened a way to access his throne
of grace with confidence through the blood of Jesus Christ the Lord who is our
advocate and defender from all accusations and charges.
“Let us then approach God's
throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to
help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
Prayer: Thank you once again
Father in heaven for giving us the Son Jesus Christ. May God help us to keep on
admitting our faults and mistakes honestly, so that we may be made cleansed and
holy and righteous in your sight through the blood of Christ and stand in the presence
of the Lord with confidence, receiving unconditional mercy and grace in our
time of need. In Christ’s name. Amen.
March 29, 2016
© 2015-2016 David
Lee Ministries – All Rights Reserved.
