Joshua
8 - Chapter 7
This time we come to the seventh chapter of Joshua. It has much to teach us about the present state of the Christian church. What happened on that distant day is being repeated in many churches all over the world. We need to take note of the lessons taught by this chapter in Joshua.
We learn first about the sin of a man called Achan. The city of Jericho had been taken by the Israelites and God had forbidden the people to take for themselves anything found there. Achan, however, disobeyed and did keep some of the spoils of war for himself. He kept his misdeed a secret, but not for long. When the Israelites sent a small force up one of the mountain passes to take a city called Ai, they received a terrible shock. Their nerve suddenly failed and they fled before their enemies, leaving thirty-six of their comrades dead as they retreated.
Joshua was devastated by the news and earnestly pleaded with God and was told that there was sin in the camp. All the people were assembled and Achan was discovered and was put to death together with his household. This was done to take away the judgement his sin had brought upon the people.
Many difficult issues are raised by the events of this chapter so we need to consider them carefully. Leaving aside the sin of Achan for the moment, and we will return to it later, we discover that when Joshua sent spies to spy out Ai and its strength, they came back full of PRIDE. They knew that Ai had to be dealt with because it lay so near to the mountain pass that led into the central highlands, a route they would have to take so as to possess the Promised Land. The modern road going from Jericho to Bethel goes along that same route.
The spies returned and in verse three of this chapter we see how self-confident they were. A small force would deal with the city, "For only a few men are there". Remember, this is just after the victory of Jericho. The Ark of the Covenant had gone ahead of them, showing it was God's presence that assured their safety. Now, in next to no time, they are talking about a few soldiers finishing off Ai. Where was their sense of dependence on God? Where was their sense of subordination to Joshua? They should just have been giving him a report not advising him on how to attack Ai.
Our most dangerous times spiritually are just after some spiritual victory. With God's help we manage to do something in church and we begin to think what a good job we made of it. We witness to someone and we think that they couldn't possibly withstand such a clear testimony. We overcome some temptation and start to believe that it is by our own power we did it. How powerful is the temptation to pride and how readily Satan uses it to bring us down so that we are defeated like those soldiers at Ai!
Lying alongside the sin of pride we find PRESUMPTION, not only in the men but also in Joshua himself. In verse 2 we find him sending the spies out, but there is no mention of him waiting on God to know what to do. We need to be careful as Christians of not running ahead of the Lord instead of waiting upon Him in prayer and testing everything by His Word.
See also the presumption of Joshua's men. As I mentioned just now, when they returned it was not simply with a report, but also with advice on how many troops to send to save using all his forces. Imagine in a modern army someone coming to a general with aerial photographs and starting to tell him what his next move should be! And yet we are guilty of that sometimes. We argue against God. We dare to suggest what He should or should not be doing, in our thoughts about Him.
Both Joshua and his men needed to wait for God's orders. We find that they are given at the beginning of chapter 8. With confidence they could go up and succeed. With presumption they would fail.
Also in chapter 7 of Joshua we see the tragedy of PURSUIT, in verse 5. About three thousand men were chased from the gates of Ai. That means they didn't even wait to see how many were coming out of the city after them! Their nerve failed them and they ran away. They had gone up to Ai in their own strength and wisdom. God was not blessing and empowering them so when the real test came they broke and fled and were cut down by the enemy as they went.
It is recorded tragically that "their hearts melted and became like water". What a striking expression that is, showing that there was no fighting spirit within them. They were simply relying on their own confidence. Sadly, this is often seem among Christians today. So many are confident and complacent. Everything is going well. They know little of life's hardships and its rough edges. Then when Satan attacks and moves in on them, they are unprepared and fall into sin or self-pity and unhappiness. If we are not making much headway against the forces of evil it is because we are not strong in the Lord and so we are easily pursued by the enemy.
Thank God, things began to change, as we discover in verses 6 to 9. We see that there is a return to PRAYER. Sorrow and humility before God are evident as Joshua tears his clothes, falls on his face before the Ark, the symbol of God's presence among them, and puts dust on his head, as do all the elders of Israel. They all know that something is seriously wrong and they want it put right. After the success of Jericho God was clearly no longer with them because He had allowed victory to pass to their enemies at Ai.
Notice that Joshua lay face down on the ground until the evening. That was when the sin offering, the sacrificial lamb, was offered to the Lord. Not until then did Joshua feel able to speak. You and I can only come into the presence of God on the basis of the perfect sacrifice for sin - the death of our Lord Jesus. There is no other way. We have no right in his presence apart from that.
Joshua pours out his complaint. He is somewhat hasty and impetuous in what he says, but behind it all is the desire for God's honour and glory. He does not want the Canaanites to be able to mock and say God could not give any more victories and so blaspheme His name. When you and I pray do we have the same kind of concern, or do we pray selfishly thinking only of ourselves?
God speaks to Joshua and we are brought face to face with a PRINCIPLE in verse 11. It is precisely this: "Israel has sinned, they have violated my covenant". God makes it clear to Joshua ( in verses 11 and 12) that there could be no victory for the Israelites because they were tainted by sin and under God's displeasure. Verse 13 applies this principle further: there would be no blessing, no victory until the evil was put away from them.
This principle searches us out today whether as individuals or as churches. God is clearly displeased with His people where they are seeing no victories and only seem to be retreating; where the world mocks and sees none of its ranks thinned by conversion and becoming followers of Christ, you have this principle at work. How we need to be pleading with God over this in our churches and seeking to put right whatever is wrong or unbiblical in our homes or in our church fellowships.
Note where God is specific. It is over PROPERTY. In verse 11 of Joshua chapter 7 His charge against them is this: "They have stolen and deceived and hidden it." There had been a breaking of a clear commandment, given in the wilderness and just before the battle of Jericho that no item was to be kept for personal gain. Metal objects were to be put in the Lord's treasury; all else was to be burned. No defilement by the evil ways of Canaan was to cling to them.
This commandment had been broken as we discover in verse 21, involving clothing, silver and gold. The tenth commandment given by God to the people through Moses prohibits coveting or longing for things we do not own. Achan had broken first of all that law which then led to his outright disobedience to the covenant commands that God gave them before the battle. How easily one evil leads to another! In this case it involved property. So many have gone astray over this, especially in this materialistic age. Things, goods, possessions have taken hold of people. They will lie, cheat, steal and even kill to get hold of things they want. Things have begun to matter more than people, yet goods and possessions will soon pass away. We leave them all behind when we leave this life. Beware of the snare of property, whether your own or someone else's.
The final and tragic element we discover in this chapter is PUNISHMENT. We read in verses 14 to 18 how that eventually Achan was found out or taken. This would be by lot or the drawing out of the sacred stones called the Urim and Thummin from the breastplate of the high priest. One stone would indicate 'No' and the other 'Yes'. Eventually from all the different tribes and families Achan was singled out.
He confessed to his disobedience and theft and all who were with him were put to death by stoning, a communal form of punishment. All he possessed was destroyed by fire and over that tragic family a memorial pile of stones was heaped. The place was named the Valley of Achan meaning "Trouble", for he had brought great trouble on Israel by his disobedience. You will recall that they were beaten at the battle for the small city of Ai.
This all seems very harsh. Some would say God never ordered it, but it is plainly recorded so in the Scriptures. It even says that once it was all dealt with, "The Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger." What, then, are the lessons we can discover from this issue of punishment?
One is, of course, the holiness of God and His absolute standards. He was openly defied and disobeyed, provoking His anger. We cannot sin against God and go unpunished or escape chastening circumstances. Is God speaking to you about something just now? Put it right with Him.
Another lesson is the unity of God's people and corporate guilt. Achan acted as a selfish individual, yet drew his family into his secret and harmed the whole of Israel. He probably did not connect the death of thirty-six of his comrades with his own wrongdoing. He had brought ruin and disaster on his fellow Israelites because God could no longer bless their exploits in battle.
Among the people of God today sin needs to be dealt with. Not by stoning, but by bringing God's Word to bear on the situation. Sadly, wrongdoing is to be found even in the fellowship of God's people. There are beliefs and practices that dishonour Him and grieve His Holy Spirit. But when sin is confessed and put away He will turn to us in mercy and favour again. Our services will be full of the presence of the Lord and sinners will be converted while Christian believers will be made glad. Are you praying for this? Are you putting things right where they are wrong?