Joshua Chapter 7:19 – 26

Achan From Sin

 

We have noted that the book of Joshua is about – Laying hold of our Spiritual Inheritance – Walking in the Spirit / Enjoying the blessings

A)Up to this point in our story that is exactly what we have seen taking place w/ the people of Israel

 

B) 1st there was the Victory of Faith at the Jordan River – Step out feet wet

1)   Built a Memorial – reminder of what God has done

 

C) Next came the Victory over the mighty walled city of Jericho –

It would seem that the Children of Israel were on a role

1)   On their way – to blessings upon blessings –

 

D) But then we come to Ch.7 – where we see that Israel suffers a great set back { A brutal defeat – resulted in the loss of 36 lives

 

Now in our study on Wed. night we will consider the reasons for this defeat – this set back

A)We will look at what errors were made – how they could have been avoided – 

 

B)And We will learn some lessons about - How spiritual set backs can be avoided –

1) but also what to do when they have happened so it doesn’t become a permanent Problem or set back { JOIN US WED. Important study 

 

C) But this morning I want to consider the plight of this man named Achan who was a big part of the Problem

 

See when the Children of Israel were going into battle against Jericho the Lord specifically instructed them not to take any of the spoil for themselves { Principle of  First Fruits ………..

A)But this man Achan disobeyed that COMMAND – He took some of the Spoil and hid it in his tent

B) God revealed to Joshua that this was a big part of the problem – there was sin in the Camp –

1)   So the Lord instructed that all the tribes be gathered together

 

C) V.17 – The Tribe of Judah was Chosen / Family of Zarhites / man by man ZABDI – was selected – His sons brought man by man – Achan { V.19-26

 

There are several lessons that we can learn from this story about Sin & it’s AFFECTS  - 1st – Your sin will find you out !!!!!  Num 32:23

A)I am sure that Achan thought – No one is going to know – My little secret – That is Foolish thinking –

 

B) God’s word is clear – He Sees what we do in Secret /

                         God sees and after time it will be revealed

1)   Cain thought he had got away w/ Murder –

2)   Joseph’s brothers thought they had got away w/ Betrayal when they sold their Brother into Slavery – some 15 yrs later exposed

 

C) It is FOOLISH  to think – no one will every Know: It will catch up to you

1)   Shared on Dobson :   Couple: Surprise wedding shower –

2)   Guy From Austria – Rare Parakeet eggs from Brazil

 

A  woman, preparing to entertain guests, went to a small grocery store to buy food. She stopped at the meat counter and asked the attendant for a large chicken. He reached down into the cold storage compartment, grabbed the last chicken he had, and placed it on the scale. "This one weighs four pounds, ma'am," he said. "I'm not sure that will be enough," the woman replied. "Don't you have a bigger one?" The attendant put the chicken back into the compartment, pretended to search through the melting ice for another one, and then brought out the same bird, discreetly applying some finger pressure to the scale. "Ah," he said with a smile, "this one weighs six pounds." "I'm just not sure," the woman said with a frown. "I'll tell you what--wrap them both up for me!"

                                D) Be sure of this:  Your sin will find you out

 

2nd Your sin has an AFFECT ON OTHERS 

A)Perhaps Achan thought – no one will get hurt: This is between me and God – I am willing to take my Chances

 

B) But the Ramifications of his sin had a far reaching – affect

 

C)1ST it affected the Army: The Army suffered defeat – See because of Achan’s sin God’s hand of blessing was removed

 

D) Note V.25 Joshua said to Achan – Why have you troubled us

1)   Achan’s name means troubler – His sin brought trouble on the whole Nation

 

E) 1 Cor 5:6 A little leaven leavens the Whole Lump – In a more modern figure he was saying, “Don’t you know that one rotten apple can spoil the whole barrel?”

 

Sin is like Cancer – It spreads & it affects others – One bitter person can result in many bitter people

A)One person’s sin – can hold back the blessing of God on the whole Group –

 

B) This is something that we really need to take to heart: Our Sin has a greater affect than just to us

1)  Little sin that is undealt w/ in the heart or in the Church or in the family can go a long way

 

C) When we  you and I sin, other people are bruised and beaten and end up in the pit along with us. Sin brings pain. It’ll hurt you/ those close to you!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd Affect of sin was on Achan’s Family: the Innocent – They were Punished

A)Now there are those who read this & think – this is Harsh – Why were they Stoned & Burned

 

B)The answer to that question lies in the Principle of Precedence which says:

God will make a strong statement at ONE point in time which is to be remembered and applied to ALL points in time.

 

C) See because this was a new Country – a new time in their history: the Lord wanted to reveal from the very outset how deadly serious He was about sin.

 

D)Why? Because sin would kill them. Not just Achan — the one who committed the sin — but his whole family as well.

1)   The nation would be affected by His Sin

 

E) NT – Beginning of the Church – Similar thing – Annanias & Saphira

1) The Lord wants a Purity in His Church – Because Sin Kills

 

 

There is always a Death that is associated w/ Sin -  Death to Intimacy in the Family / Death of Trust – Death to Unity – Everyone Suspicious

A)Death of Sensitivity to the Voice of God’s Spirit / Death to a person’s Peace – They go around worrying about – Being Found out –

 

B) There is no peace / no real Joy / No Freedom – around every corner is the possibility of being found out

1) The Person becomes a Hypocrite – a Pretender:

 

 

C)There is a restaurant in New York City whose business is thriving because of hypocrisy . . .

A couple is seated and the maitre d’ hands them menus. Both contain the same items, but because the prices listed on the woman’s menu are three times higher than the prices on the man’s menu, when the man says, 'Order whatever you want,’ the woman is highly impressed.{ FAKE}

Hypocrisy may be good for the restaurant business, but it is grievous to the heart of God because hypocrisy truly kills.

 

A)This story is a good Example of that – Serve as a Warning to us about the Consequences of Sin

 

B) Sin not only RUINS US – but it burns others – they feel the heat in a way that Breaks your Heart

 

C) The Bible does declare: That the wages of sin is death – But it also says that the Gift of God is Eternal life – thru Jesus our Lord

 

This is great News: You see I should be Achan – I deserve to be burned in the Fires of Hell

A)I deserve the full burnt of God’s Wrath for my Sin – I should be stoned for my sin & my Stupidity { So should You – We deserve that

 

B) But there is one who came to take the Heat for me – for You

1)   Jesus came to this earth to take the heat – to die on a Cross – to endure the full brunt of God’s Wrath – that should have been poured out on us

 

C) He was ACHAN – He body was bruised and Broken / His Blood was flowing / His Internal Organs were Showing – Back was ripped apart

1)   And from that Cross He Cried out in Agony as he felt the full force of God’s holy Righteous Indignation being poured out on Him !!!

 

D) And when He died they took Him off the Cross & Laid Him in a Tomb

1)   They took a Stone { Just like Achan was covered in Stones } A Stone covered the Tomb –

 

E) But on the 3RD day the stone was rolled away – He Rose & Now Lives

 

And Because of that I have great News for all of us – who have been like Achan –You who have had your sin hidden away in the tent

A)You who have been affected by your sin – No peace – Joy – Freedom

B) Good news is this Jesus Paid the price for your sins – When he rose again on that first Easter morning –

1)   Indication – God accepted His Sacrifice

 

C) Which means for us: Who have sinned – Been like Achan – Sins Forgiven and Removed/ Past Present & Future/  Jesus Became our Achan

 

D) Although there are always consequences to sin & Far reaching affects of sin - We will not encounter the same fate as Achan –

1) Because Jesus Bore the Punishment that we DESERVED

 

But there is one more thing that I want you to see about this story  – You see: Forgiveness is one thing: But Restoration is another –

A)Notice the last Phrase – So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His Anger Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.

 

B) Achan means trouble & this place was named after him – the valley of troubling

 

But here is the thing that I want you to take note of – this place appears two other times in scripture { One is in Hosea 2:15

A)Hosea is a book according to G Campbell Morgan – that is best understood from the stand Pt – The Writing is looking back

 

B)The Story Chronicles the events that took place in the life of the Prophet Hosea – when His wife Gomer – leaves him to become a Prostitute

1)   His situation mirrors God’s situation as the Nation of Israel – forsook the Lord to commit – Immorality thru Idolatry w/ the other nations

 

C) When Gomer first leaves Hosea she is a very sought after woman – who commands a large Price for her sexual services

1)   She is given many valuable gifts from her – customers

 

D) And in a very perverse way – She thinks she has never had it this good

But over time her Beauty fades – and so does her appeal – She is no longer desirable even for the Minimum price

A)Which is a good example concerning what the Bible says about – Sin that it is Pleasurable for a Season

 

B) Well it is in this state when she is at her lowest that the Lord declares in Hosea 2:15 that the valley of Achor will become a Door of Hope She shall sing there as in the days of her youth

1)   Now here is the Question: How does the Valley of Achor {Troubling }

Become a Door of Hope ? Place of Sorrowing to a place of singing

 

C) Answer is this: God in His love for us – in the mist of our Rebellion – will allow us to end up in  the Valley of Troubling –

1)   Not to Kill us – but to Break us – Bring us to the end of ourselves in hopes of bringing us to our senses

 

D) The Prodigal Son – His Valley of Achor was a Famine that hit the land

1)   Money gone – so were his Friends – He ends up at his lowest – feeding pigs – but it is there in the Valley of Troubling – comes to his senses

 

E) Confession is made – along w/ Repentance – That Valley becomes the Door of Hope for his RESTORTATION

 

Listen some of you have a friend or loved one – who is currently in Rebellion to God –

A)Answer for their Situation is that they would find their Valley of Trouble Quickly –

 

B) Place where they will come to their senses and see the error of their ways

1)   Experience – not Worldly sorrow – which is sorrow I got caught – sorry It is no longer working out for me – sorry I am in trouble now

 

C) Not Worldly sorrow = but a godly sorrow that leads to Repentance –

1)   A Change – in Attitude Direction & Focus

 

See in Isa 65:10 Isaiah the prophet also mentions The Valley of Achor

He declares when true repentance takes place – the valley can become a place where the Flocks lie down & are fed & find rest

 

 

 

 

A)The Valley of Achor becomes the place of Refreshment when we are no longer striving against the Lord –

1) But when our hearts are surrendered to the Lord