SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES!
SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES!
The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.” —Joshua 7:10-13
And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” —Joshua 7:20-21
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the LORD. —Joshua 7:22-23
Thirty-six men died because of the sin of one man! Achan’s sin of coveting was against the Lord and His people. His sin of coveting clothes, silver and gold caused the men of Israel to flee before the men of Ai and the death of three dozen men.
The Lord told Joshua to get up. It was not time to pray and mourn. Instead it was time to root out the sin that impacted the nation. Israel would not be able to stand before their enemies until the sin issue was taken care of. Messengers were sent to retrieve what Achan had stolen. Achan, the clothes, silver and gold were brought before Joshua and the Lord. Then Achan, his family and all that belonged to him were destroyed.
As we read how Achan’s sin impacted a whole nation and the death of his family, how can we look at our wicked sinful nation and not know that our Lord will eventually judge it and is already judging it in various ways. Blindness to truth and the execution of foolish plans is a judgment in itself. Oh, we are, like Nineveh of old, a nation that needs to repent (Jonah chapter 3). Oh that we would! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlSmG-_eJTU
Dear Father may we repent and confess our national sins. May this be brought about by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. So be it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkSBmRAVXNc