Troubling

Background to passage: Children of Israel are coming into the promised land. Took Jericho, and the second city on the docket is Ai. Last week we saw where the small force dispatched to take the town was beaten, chased down the valley, with 36 men losing their lives. Joshua fell to his face, tore his clothes, repented in dust and ashes, asking God why did he allow this to happen.

Joshua 7:10–26 ESV

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. 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 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, 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.

Opening illustration: When French soccer star Zinedine Zidane head-butted Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the chest during the final 10 minutes of the 2006 World Cup he sealed his own fate and the fate of his team.

When Zidane was sent off with a red card France lost its best scorer. And this, just as the match headed into a penalty shootout.

The score was 4-3 – to Italy. If Zidane hadn’t been sent off, then maybe France would have ended the game with a draw. As it was Italian Fabio Grosso sealed Italy’s fourth World Cup championship with his second goal of the tournament.

Zidane, with all his skill and courage, had carried France to the World Cup final. They were never expected to make it. But after this foul he left the field walking past the World Cup trophy with his head down – and disappeared into the changing rooms – the game and his career were over.

One man commits a foul, is sent off the field, his team loses and a whole country blames the culprit.

Another man scores a goal and his country erupts in wild excitement and adulation.

It only takes one hole to sink a ship.

Friends, this is why it so important for us to take sin seriously. The sin of one person has sunk governments, nations, families and churches.

Sadly though, there is a popular belief today that sin is only wrong if we get caught. But sin is sin whether it’s seen or not. The Bible reminds us that God always knows about sin. God sees.

Main thought: Four ways that God dealt with the sin in the camp.

1) Consecration in Preparation (v. 13)

Joshua 7:13 ESV

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.”

1) Consecration in Preparation (v. 13)

Explanation: this is a regular practice for Israel when they are about to be in the presence of God, when he is about to do something supernatural, or when a person is being prepared for the supernatural. God was coming and judgment. Nobody needed to face God unprepared.

Matthew 7:21–23 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Illustration: 8,300 people wake up in the US everyday for the last time, 3 million people each year. The speaker in breakout session that I went to at SPARK said that on a survey that he did with over 3700 church members, the “spiritual” answer ranked only number five in the list. Nothing wrong with the other four, but why do you come here?

Application: It’s amazing how many people in our world are willing to face God unprepared. There is an eternal reality to this idea. Some of you here think that you are fine, but you have never known Christ. One of the saddest pictures in the NT is one of people who were religious, but didn’t know Jesus. We don’t know when the judgment comes. We don’t know when Christ comes. We only know that salvation is available today through Christ’s death and resurrection, and faith and repentance.

There is also a immediate reality. When you came here this morning, were you ready to meet with God? This is a place that he promises to show up to sing over his people, to dwell among the body, to do the supernatural. Many of you come needing God to work in your lives. Many of you seek something more. Many of you are alone and looking for God. We must come prepared. Spend a few moments Sat or Sunday in the word and prayer. Confess sin, get right with people. Ready yourself to receive what God has for you.

2) Exposing the Guilty (v. 14-15)

Joshua 7:14–15 ESV

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.’ ”

2) Exposing the Guilty (v. 14-15)

Explanation: God told Joshua exactly how he was going to reveal the guilty one. Tribes, clans, households, and men; that’s how it was going to roll. The Lord is going to take the guilty one each time. Kinda like the opposite of a raffle ticket. Then God tells Joshua what will be done to the guilty party. GULP. The Lord’s knowledge is absolutely complete. This exercise was more for the people than anything. The people needed

Numbers 32:23 ESV

23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.

Psalm 139:23–24 ESV

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Illustration: on social media, at school, at church, sometimes even at home, we make people see what we want them to see. We don’t let the darkness out.

Application: The fact that God knows everything doesn’t just mean he is really smart. He knows all mysteries, all causes, all creatures, things visible, invisible, heaven and earth, space, time, motion, life, death, good, evil, all ends, and all beginnings. He is never surprised, never discovers anything, nor is he amazed.

The scary part is not that God knows the hair on our head or the things we did when we were in high school. The scary part is that God knows what’s inside of us. He knows your thoughts, your heart, your motivations, your intentions, your feelings, your desires, and no action is hidden from him either. We are laid bare before God.

We have two NT advantages. 1) We have the Holy Spirit that convicts us of sin. No need to cast lots. God dwells within us to immediately convict us of wrong. It informs our conscience and applies scripture. 2) We have the body. Believers inside the church that can speak into your life when they see sin that you cannot see. When they do it with love and humility, we should receive it with joy as we receive a surgeon’s knife to remove a tumor.

3) Confession of Sin (v. 19-21)

Joshua 7:19–21 ESV

19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise 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, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

3) Confession of Sin (v. 19-21)

Explanation: Interesting here that Joshua calls Achan to confess his sin, thus giving glory to God. When we confess sin, we are agreeing with God that a certain thing, behavior, attitude, thought is wrong by his standard. Achan gives a clear, concise confession that included the items that drew his eye, the sin of coveting, then the follow-through of taking them, acting on the desire. Then for full disclosure, he tells where they are in his tent, so that an open investigation could be done, and it was.

1 John 2:16 ESV

16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

James 1:14–15 ESV

14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

2 Corinthians 7:10–11 ESV

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

Illustration: business meeting records at New River Baptist Church from the 1920s demonstrate confession to the church. The Brownwood, TX revival that began at Coggin Ave Baptist Church in 1995, began with the confession of one person during a morning service.

Application: They say that confession is good for the soul. It frees us from guilt IF we are confessing to God, pleading for forgiveness through Christ. Profession is not always possession. Worldly sorrow can be expressed without godly sorrow and repentance. God is honored as you lay down pride and rebellion, confess sin and forsake it, placing your only hope for forgiveness, righteousness, and a right relationship with him in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Great revivals in history have been characterized by massive repentance. In fact, I would say that at the core of revival is repentance. Should we see revitalization at WHBC with Refocus, it won’t be because of hard work, lots of meetings and counsel, thinking and visioneering, it will be because people seek and see the face of God which results in repentance and confession.

Some of you need to make some confession before God. You know that I am not a fan of long protracted invitations, but don’t be afraid to come to this altar and do business with God. It is a powerful, meaningful time in your life. Secret sins, continuing sins that you can’t seem to beat, problems you have in relationships. Some of you need to confess your need for Christ. I am begging you to begin a relationship with Christ today.

4) Crime and Punishment (v. 24-26)

Joshua 7:24–26 ESV

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) Crime and Punishment (v. 24-26)

Explanation: We saw and felt something like this two weeks ago with Jericho being completely wiped out. Here we see Achan, his family, and all he has, stoned and burned. This is the tough stuff. The questions flood our mind of how God could ordain the deaths of 36 people, now and entire family, because one guy stole three items. Instructions were clear, he was willfully rebellious, and justice was calculated and swift.

God’s anger is rightly against sin. Achan has offended an infinitely holy God. This deserves infinite punishment. Our wonder should be in the fact that God restrains his anger with other human sin that doesn’t get judged immediately. His mercy endures forever, he is slow to anger, however, he will take vengeance upon all sin eventually.

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Illustration: Prosecutor asking if we watched true crime TV

Application: Even though we may not comprehend why God would choose this course of action, we must avoid the accusation of injustice or sin with God. He commits no sin, nor tempts anyone to sin. All his actions are just, so we must resist the temptation to charge him with wrong. Just because we can’t think of a reason doesn’t mean there couldn’t be one. We are also not owed one by God. Who are you O man to respond back to God...

Psalm 18:30 ESV

30 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Romans 9:20 ESV

20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

Takeaways are that God’s anger is controlled and precise, but it will come against your sin. There is a holy, reverent fear of a holy, righteous God. He will right all wrongs either on the cross or in hell. Punishment will be exacted. That is the scriptural warning and reality with God.

But the comfort for us is the gospel. God has poured out his wrath upon Jesus for the sin of all those that believe. Let this incident point us to a forgiving God that has extended his hand of forgiveness to you because his desire is that all should come to repentance. God wants each of you to repent and believe, and the wrath due to your sin is absorbed by Christ, and every one of your sins that you have ever committed or ever will commit is forgiven.

Revelation 6:15–16 ESV

15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,

Closing illustration: Paul’s bread making example, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump”

WHY

Purity is important

Obedience is important

Presence is important