June 19, 2023

Where do your trust and treasure lie?

Joshua 7

Mary Kate Feaster
Monday's Devo

June 19, 2023

Monday's Devo

June 19, 2023

Monday's Devo

June 19, 2023

Monday's Devo

June 19, 2023

Big Idea

God's definition of success is faithfulness.

Key Verse | Joshua 7:10-12

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."

Joshua 7

Israel Defeated at Ai

1 But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel.

2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.” 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, 5 and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”

The Sin of Achan

10 The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 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. 12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. 1 7:12 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction) I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. 13 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.” 14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the LORD takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the LORD takes shall come near by households. And the household that the LORD takes shall come near man by man. 15 And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”

16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18 And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praise 2 7:19 Or and make confession to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20 And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, 3 7:21 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23 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. 24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor. 4 7:26 Achor means trouble

Footnotes

[1] 7:12 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)
[2] 7:19 Or and make confession
[3] 7:21 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
[4] 7:26 Achor means trouble

"Public stoning??"

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Joshua 7

Every day I make decisions and take actions based on what I believe to be true. Some days this results in kingdom wins like sharing the gospel or giving of my time, talents, and treasures to serve the Lord. However, far more often, I make decisions and act in ways that serve myself and my earthly plans. Focusing on myself and seeking to fulfill my own needs and desires is such a waste when we consider the greater story and plan God has for us and this world. Joshua 7 is just one example of how fixing our eyes on the things of this world is so counter to the way our eternal and holy God works and calls us to live.

Achan was a man who allowed himself to be distracted from the mission the Lord called him to and was disobedient to the commands he had been given. Somewhere in the battle, he got distracted by the earthly treasures he saw in Jericho. He chose to ascribe value to them as the world does, rather than treat them as cursed things. It could have been something that he debated for a while in his mind, or maybe it looked shiny in the moment; either way, he chose to sin by taking those items and burying them.

God honors His Word and takes His commandments seriously, which is why He dealt with the sin and secrecy of Achan's decision. The penalty seems harsh, but it is such a real illustration of what our sin and secrecy can do in our lives. If we choose to focus only on this earth and what "treasure" it can provide us, we will be missing out on the eternal life that is offered in Jesus. Placing our trust and treasure in God seems so tricky when we can't always see Him and His plan, but He has given us all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Choose to see the things of this world as He does and to have a mind set on the things above (Matthew 6:33)!

This month's memory verse

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

– 1 Corinthians 15:58

Discussion Questions

1. What is the eternal life and mission the Lord has invited you into?

2. What is distracting you from being solely devoted to serving Him in that mission?

3. Are there secret sins or thoughts that you can confess to community today so that you may live freely in the mission the Lord has given you?

4. How have you been blessed by choosing to follow the Lord's commands in your life and relying on His Spirit for godliness?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

HS

Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, Mary Kate! I love your point about chasing the offerings of this world. I did it at a full sprint for 30 years. Then the kindness of the Lord was to bring me to the end of myself. The last 10 years have been living out His plan of redemption. Q1. Amazingly God has given me eternal life. In addition, He let me have the abundant life I thought materialism offered. Finding it empty, He has showed me that the bread and water He offers me is the only place where there is anything like abundant life, (John 10:10). Q2. I still have residual materialism in me. Galatians 1:10 and Psalm 51:10 convict me. Q3. I am blessed with a CG where confession is on the agenda every week. The catharsis from the process is unbelievably freeing. Q4. I spend a lot of time reflecting on the 7,487 promises God makes to me in Scripture. It’s just so ridiculous. His blessing come to me in joy, peace, and rest, (John 15:10-11, Philippians 4:6-7 and Matthew 11:28-30). Many other blessings come to me as I seek to live out His commands to proclaim, witness, and teach, (Psalm 71:18, Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19-20).
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Hugh Stephenson

Who is more faithful- -Rahab the Canaanite prostitute? OR -Achan the Israelite soldier from the tribe of Judah? Kind of crazy to think in those terms. The notes indicate the amount of money was an average worker’s lifetime earnings. In today’s terms that might be $50,000 per year for 40 years; or about $2,000,000. Constables’ notes offer this- Chapters 1—7 form a unit of text: the Jericho siege narrative. Rahab and Achan open and close this section, respectively, forming its "bookends." Rahab was a female Canaanite prostitute. Achan was an Israelite man. Rahab hid the spies under her roof. Achan hid stolen loot under his tent. Rahab, her house, and her family were saved. Achan, his tent, and his family were destroyed. The writer was teaching theology by the way he constructed his narrative.[206] In reading this passage a few years ago I was a bit surprised that Achan’s confession was not met with mercy. The notes posit that his confession came only when it was clear he had no other option. That’s too late to merit any mercy from man or God. "When he [Achan] said 'I have sinned,' he joined the ranks of seven other men in Scripture who made the same confession, some more than once, and some without sincerity: Pharaoh (Ex. 9:27; 10:16), Balaam (Num. 22:34), King Saul (1 Sam. 15:24, 30; 26:21), David (2 Sam. 12:13; 24:10, 17; Ps. 51:4), Shimei (2 Sam. 19:20), Judas (Matt. 27:4), and the prodigal son (Luke 15:18, 21)."
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Hugh Stephenson

I have a friend who works in medicine. All his work is with surgeons in hospitals. He explained recently that it is a profession where mistakes are very frequent. So much so that the only option is to confess them very quickly so that damaged is minimized. Otherwise lives can be lost and careers ruined forever. Other examples- Bad example - Exxon Valdez- https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/09/booming/lessons-from-the-exxon-valdez-oil-spill.html Good example- Tylenol deaths- https://time.com/3423136/tylenol-deaths-1982/ ------------------------------------------ But why does God command that everyone gets executed? "The Israelites executed Achan's children with him (v. 24), evidently because they had participated in his sin (cf. Deut. 24:16; Prov. 15:27).[200] It would have been virtually impossible for Achan to hide the amount of spoil he took under his tent without his family's knowledge. The people also destroyed all of Achan's animals and possessions (cf. Deut. 13:16-17). Achan's sin was high-handed defiance against God by stealing from God (cf. Num. 15:30, 35)." "Israel's defeat at Ai graphically illustrates the far-reaching impact of sin. The private sin of one or a few individuals can affect the welfare of many other people who do not personally commit that sin. There were really three causes of Israel's defeat: (1) the Israelites were self-sufficient because Ai was small, (2) they failed to wait on God, and (3) they committed a trespass in the things devoted to the LORD. "God's first revenges are so much more fearful, because they must be exemplary." Chuck Swindoll drew four lessons from chapter 7: (1) Surprising defeats can often be traced back to secret sins. (2) Very private sins can lead to very public consequences. (3) Temptation's lies can blind us to reality and deafen us to consequences. (4) Sweeping acts of disobedience call for severe responses of discipline.
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Michael Sisson

Re: Jos 7:1 Jos 7:1 (NASB) But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for >>>Achan,<<< the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, >>>took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel.<<< This is a cautionary tale about the extraordinary destructiveness of even our individual sin. Achan, an individual, violates the ban. In doing so, he kindles the anger of the L-RD against ALL Israel. “Achan” means “one who troubles.” Either this is a remarkable coincidence, or “Achan” may have been an alias assigned to this individual by posterity to commemorate his crime. See also 1Chr 2:7. Re: Jos 7:5 Jos 7:5 (NASB) The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and >>>became as water.<<< See also “wave” in Jas 1:6. Re: Jos 7:11-12 Jos 7:11-12 (NASB) >>>“Israel has sinned,<<< and >>>they<<< have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And >>>they<<< have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, >>>they<<< have also put them among their own things. “Therefore >>>the sons of Israel<<< cannot stand before their enemies; >>>they<<< turn their backs before their enemies, for >>>they<<< have become accursed. I will not be with >>>you<<< anymore unless >>>you<<< destroy the things under the ban from your midst. For the actions of Achan, the L-rd assigns guilt to Israel collectively. See Jos 7:20-21. Re: Jos 7:20-21 Jos 7:20-21 (NASB) So Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly, >>>I<<< have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and this is what >>>I<<< did: when >>>I<<< saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then >>>I<<< coveted them and took them; and behold, they are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it.” Achan acknowledges HIS sin, though one wonders how much his family knew and when. Re: Jos 7:25 Jos 7:25 (NASB) Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned *[Lit. him] >>>them<<< with stones; and they burned >>>them<<< with fire after they had stoned >>>them<<< with stones. Achan’s sin costs him not only his life, but the lives of his family as well. We can only speculate whether this reflects the family’s role as accomplices or simply the grievous destructiveness of sin. See also Pr 15:27a.
SB

Sue Bohlin

Mary Kate! Loved this: "He chose to ascribe value to them as the world does, rather than treat them as cursed things." Oooooh, such good stuff, thank you!! Yesterday at CityBridge, David Marvin taught on Jesus healing the leper, so the connection between sin and contamination are on my mind today. When Yahweh had Joshua instruct His people to destroy EVERYTHING in Jericho because it was contaminated by Canaanite sin, He wasn't just making a statement about His holiness, He was protecting His people from the consequences of disobedience. As Achan and his whole family painfully learned. I'm super thankful for Dr. Constable's insight in today's passage. He points out that Achan's whole family suffered for Achan's sin because there was no way Achan could have hidden such a huge haul without the family knowing it--and keeping silent. Just like Adam in the garden. His silence was deadly. What this tells me is that when someone we are close to, close enough to speak into a situation, is caught in sin, it is wrong not to speak the truth in love by speaking up and pleading with them, as Joshua did with Achan, to confess their sin and repent. Joshua connects the dots between confessing sin and giving glory to God. Who knew that God receives glory when we confess sin? The re:generation (biblical recovery ministry) group I am coaching is heading into inventory this week, which will lead to each lady confessing her sin to trusted friends--which will not only result in freedom and healing, but it will also glorify God. Which I have never seen so clearly before.
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Michael Scaman

Later in the prophets, God will say 'the valley of achor was a door of hope' in Hosea 2:15 Achor goes from being a place of trouble to way to move from trouble to hope. It might be a reminder of the importance of church discipline.
AL

Amy Lowther

1. The Lord invites each of us to be the best He created us to be, and the Lord supports each of us through this mission even when we make mistakes. 2. Nothing. 3. No. 4. The Lord helps me understand things. In all choices, as it says in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
CF

Collin Fletcher

Thank you for your insightful devo, Mary Kate. You made a good point when you said, “The penalty seems harsh, but it is such a real illustration of what our sin and secrecy can do in our lives.” When I first read the passage I thought, “Man, that was really harsh of God to have Achan killed after admitting his guilt.” But your point led me to think how any sin, big or small, leads to our death. So Achan dying isn’t harsh, it’s really just the norm. Thank goodness Jesus changed the game for us. Well done!