He disobeyed God’s commands. Because of this, the Israelites
and Achan's family paid an incredible price!
When the walls of Jericho came tumbling down in accordance
with God’s plan, the Israelites were given specific directions to burn the
whole city, but keep the “devoted things” such as gold, silver, bronze and
iron, in a treasury for the Lord. God knew that not all of the Israelites
followed His directive for nothing can be hidden from God. He went to Joshua who was face down on the ground
before the arc of the covenant, in great despair because of an incredible loss
during battle. “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has
sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They
have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they
have put them in their own possession. That is why the Israelites cannot stand
against their enemies…..” Until this
wrong was righted, the Israelites didn’t have a prayer.
When we spend time in the
word, and are on the right track with our savior, doesn't life
go along much more smoothly? Perhaps there’s something to that. Certainly our
lives are not perfect and easy, but ponder a bit, how much worse things could
be, and likely have been in the past when we have lost sight of God’s purpose
for us. Do we not determine our own future, by making the choice to follow
or not follow God’s commands? He is all knowing regarding our actions and the true
intentions of our hearts, despite our efforts to hide from God and the rest of the world. We cannot change the fate of Achan and the other Israelites effected by his sin, but we can certainly redirect our own paths with the knowledge that we are transparent to the Lord. His promises are forever and true, as are His expectations.
Read Joshua 7:1-15 here
Listen to Joshua 7:1-15 here
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