12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before
their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have
become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you
destroy the accursed from among you.
13 Get up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify
yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: "There
is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your
enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you."
As I have been studying Joshua 7, I couldn’t help but think
that an appropriate title for this chapter would be, “The Terrible Consequences
of Sin”. Or even, “Our Choices Have Consequences”. Sin is a word that you don’t
hear much about today in our culture and even in our churches. When was the
last time you heard a media commentator or anchor say the word “sin”. Just
because we deny it, or try to hide it, doesn't mean it is any less terrible. It
was sin that got Adam and Eve kicked out of paradise and brought all the pain,
suffering, chaos, and death into our world.
The Bible tells us that “sin is the transgression of the
Law” (1 John 3:4). Sin is also called, missing the mark, (Romans 3:23), badness,
rebellion, iniquity, going astray, wickedness, wandering, ungodliness, crime,
lawlessness, transgression, ignorance, and a falling away. No matter how you
define it or what you call it, we should never forget how terrible sin is in
the sight of a holy God. Habakkuk said it succinctly: “Thine eyes are too
pure to approve evil, and Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor” (Hab.
1:13). And sin is so damaging that only the death of God’s Son can take it away
(John 1:29).
Sin is also deceitful! It always hides its true character.
The devil always makes sure of this. Sin first blinds us, then it binds us. Sin
thrills us, then it kills us. Sin fascinates us, then it assassinate us. James
put it this way in James 1:14-16, “But every man is tempted, when he is
drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it
brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. Do not be
deceived, my beloved brethren.”
In Joshua 7, Achan is a man who basically had everything a
man should want! A wife, children, a home, a people, a country, and a covenant
with a personal God. But he thought he wanted more. And he thought he could get
it by violating the instructions of the Lord concerning the silver and gold in
the city of Jericho that had been dedicated or set aside for the Lord. What was
meant to be a blessing to all of God’s people becomes an “accursed” thing if
you take it for yourself.
There are so many applications to this great truth, room
would fail me to list them here. But here is one that we should never forget!
Jesus said it this way in Mark 8:34-37, "Whoever desires to come after
Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever
desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake
and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the
whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for
his soul?”
We can either be a blessing or we can be a curse to others
and even to ourselves. When we yield our lives and our possessions to the Lord
and His kingdom, God is honored and glorified and our family and others are blessed.
When we save them for ourselves, we become the loser, and usually cause great
pain and suffering and loss for others around us.
Our choices today have consequences for tomorrow and
eternity! What is your choice today? Jesus or self?
God bless!
