Review: In Chapter 6, we saw the glorious victory of the Israelites taking the city of Jericho through praise and a shout by obeying the Captain of the Hosts; the Lord gave them the orders and things went well.
The city was put under the "ban" which meant that they were not to take anything for themselves as plunder or spoil; it all belonged to the Lord. The Lord was very specific in Joshua 6:17-19 that if anyone coveted and took anything under the "ban", the entire camp of Israel will become accursed and have trouble upon it.
As soon as we begin Chapter 7, we read of someone who did take something; Achan. He thought he could outsmart God and hide his sin. We see that our sin will find us out; there is no hiding from God, and the consequences of sin are always in play as well. Let us learn from this man what we need to avoid and how we can escape the judgments of the Lord.
What did the Lord tell all of Israel to be careful not to do after their victory in Jericho?
Joshua 6:16-19. Only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not covet them and take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it.
As we begin Chapter 7, how has this command been disobeyed and by whom? vs. 1
But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban.
How did the Lord react to this unfaithfulness after He had given them such a miracle in bringing down the walls of Jericho? vs. 1
The anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel.
Joshua and Israel do not realize that someone has taken something under the "ban", and so they continue with plans to conquer another city. Where did Joshua send some spies to check out? vs. 2
Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
What was the report from the spies to Joshua concerning the city of Ai? vs. 3
Do not let all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up to Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few. [NASB]
Don’t bother sending a lot of people—two or three thousand men are enough to defeat Ai. Don’t wear out the whole army; there aren’t that many people there. [MSG]
How many men did Joshua send up for the battle? vs. 4
About three thousand men.
Why did they run back from the battle? vs.4,5
The men of Ai struck down their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent. [NASB]
The men of Ai chased them from the city gate as far as The Quarries, killing them at the descent. [MSG]
How many men of Israel died there? vs. 5
About 36.
They continue to pursue Israel as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent. What did this cause the people of Israel's hearts to be like? vs. 5
The hearts of the people melted and became as water. [NASB]
The heart of the people sank, all spirit knocked out of them. [MSG]
Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothes, fell on their faces before the ark of the Lord and put dust on their heads. How long did they stay in that position of prayer? vs. 6
Until the evening.
Joshua's prayer is to question God and really blame God for not doing as "He" had promised. He said "Why did You ever bring us over the Jordan just to deliver us to the Amorites?" He wishes that they had just stayed over on the other side. (vs. 7) He is upset that Israel turned their back to their enemies because others in the land would "hear" about their "defeat", surround them, and cut their name from the earth (vs.8,9) and then, what does he ask God? vs. 9
What will You do for Your great name? [NASB]
How will you keep up your reputation? [MSG]
What is God's response to Joshua's prayer? vs. 10
Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face? [NASB]
Get up. Why are you groveling? [MSG]
What does God reveal to Joshua about "why" they had faced "defeat" against Ai? What sins were they guilty of ? vs. 11
Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. [NASB]
Israel has sinned: They’ve broken the covenant I commanded them; they’ve taken forbidden plunder—stolen and then covered up the theft, squirreling it away with their own stuff. [MSG]
Israel would not be able to stand against their enemies any longer. They had become accursed because of the sin that was in the camp. What would happen if they did not destroy the things that had been taken from "under the ban" ? vs. 12
God will not be with them anymore.
I can’t continue with you if you don’t rid yourselves of the cursed things. [MSG]
Again, God says to Joshua "Rise up!" He is to consecrate the people and tell them that there are things under the ban in their midst. What will happen to them if they do not confess and remove the things taken under the ban? vs. 13
You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst.
Obviously, Achan has not come forward with his sin. If he had, things might have turned out differently. They have to go through the process tribe by tribe, family by family, and finally person by person to discover where the sin is. (vs.14) What would happen to the person who had taken the things under the ban and why? vs. 15
The person shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.
What tribe did the sin come from? What family did the sin come from? What person did the sin come from? vs.17-18
Achan (the person), son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah (family), from the tribe of Judah.
Joshua confronted Achan and asked him to give glory and praise to the Lord by confessing to what he had done. (vs.19) At that time, did Achan confess? vs. 20
Yes - Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly, I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel."
What did Achan see among the spoil that he longed to have? vs. 21a
A beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight. [NASB]
A beautiful Shinar robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a fifty-shekel bar of gold. [MSG]
What did he confess to coveting when he saw them? vs. 21b
He coveted them and took them.
After confessing that he took the mantle (robe) and the silver & gold, what did he confess to doing as well? vs. 21c
He said, "They are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it.” [NASB]
They are buried in my tent with the silver at the bottom. [MSG]
Joshua sent messengers to Achan's tent to find the things that had been buried. They brought the items out to Joshua and poured them out before the Lord and the people of Israel to see. (vs.22, 23) Achan was taken along with his family and his animals and all that belonged to him along with the things he had stolen. Where did they take them to? vs. 24
Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor.
Joshua asked Achan "Why have you troubled us?" and then told him that the Lord would trouble him that day; the day of his judgment. What was the way that they executed people at that time? vs. 25
All Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
They raised a great heap of stones over Achan and the Lord's anger subsided. What did they name that place from that day on? vs. 26
The name of that place has been called the valley of Achor to this day.
Application
When Achan makes his confession after being 'found out through God', what steps does he say he took in the process of giving birth to sin? vs. 21
“saw … coveted … and took”
His confession of how sin "overcame him" is similar to how the apostles James describes it. Comment on the verses below, explaining how these are similar to one another.
James 1:13-16. Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. When lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
Two ways we are deceived by sin are apparent. "No one will find out". "It's not hurting anyone but myself". Both are lies that satan deceives us with. Comment on the verses below:
Numbers 32:23. ... you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.
Psalm 139:1-4. You have searched me, LORD, and you know me ... you are familiar with all my ways.
Hebrews 4:12-13. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.
1 Corinthians 5:6. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
1 Corinthians 15:33. Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
Basically, Achan's sin was coveting which led to stealing. We are commanded in the ten commandments not to covet. What does it mean? It means to be envious of another's "stuff"; to want something that we do not have. If we don't stop the sin of "coveting" through confession and repentance, it will lead to other sins. Comment on the following verses:
Romans 7:7-8. ... I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.”
James 4:1-4. ... You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it ... flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. [MSG]
1 John 2:15-17. ... If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Rather than covet, we need to be content. What does Paul teach about this?
2 Corinthians 12:9-10. ... I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Philippians 4:11-13. ... I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am ... I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
1 Timothy 6:6-10. But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.
Hebrews 13:5. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” [TNIV]
We cannot become overconfident in our abilities. Joshua's spies led him to believe that only a few could take Ai; no need to send them all. In our spiritual battles, we cannot resist the devil without first submitting to God. There is no record of them seeking the Lord about where to attack next, etc. Where does pride always take us?
1 Corinthians 10:11-12. ... if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! [TNIV]
Galatians 6:1-7. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
James 4:5-7. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
1 Peter 5:6-11. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.
As Christian soldiers, do we stay down? No, we get up! Many Christians live with hopelessness and in a spirit of defeat. Do they have to be that way? We have the world watching how we will react to our trials and defeats, and we have the Lord's Name to proclaim in this dark world. Comment on the following verses:
1 Peter 2:11-12. Abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul ... they may see your good deeds and glorify God.
1 Corinthians 10:13-14. God is faithful, He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.
Philippians 2:14-15. Prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent ... appear as lights in the world.
1 Peter 1:13 ... fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 5:8. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.
Summarize this lesson and post a prayer if you would like.
Father God, I pray ...
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