Joshua 7:1. “But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.” THE ACCURSED THING. Confidence in God wanes and His power dismissed Self-confidence raises its swelled head Kneeling before God is replaced with a self-centered swagger A false sense of security leads to humiliating defeat
The leader didn’t lead – he sent men Torn clothes – prostrate on the ground – his face in the dirt Embarrassed and humiliated – they take the right position Then complain! As if the failure is God’s fault
God was not then, and is not now, impressed with false humility Sharp words come from divine omniscience Face sin – deal with it now and properly Arouse the people – set yourselves apart – this is important
Act now – do not wait another day when something has to be dealt with Get up early – this is a major priority – take action Identify the problem without delay – be thorough and careful Learn the solution to a problem lies in defining it – precisely
Face the problem squarely – get a confession – don’t overlook anything Take time to get all the facts in a confession – leave nothing to guesswork Emotion and sentiment have no place in this matter All the people of God are in jeopardy – deal with sin – biblically
Divine authority is given to be used – use it correctly Don’t keep or countenance the cause of sin or the sin itself Sin can never be allowed a place – don’t let the gold, silver, goods tempt Get rid of the things that caused the sin as well as the offender.
“O Holy God, impress upon me whenever necessary the need to never allow sin a place. If it is the sin of covetousness, help me to be content; if it is the sin of greed, take away whatever I should not have; if it is the sin of deceit, let me look again in the face of Him who had no guile or deceit – whatever it may be, I pray that I will be made aware of the sin and the consequences so that I will go no further in it or even in that way. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”