Sermon Tone Analysis

*Hidden Sin is a Killer*

 

 

*Introduction*

 

I love reading and studying the Old Testament.

I think that I learned to love the O.T. from the preaching of my former pastor, Charles Scheide.

Pastor Scheide used to preach often from the O.T. and when he did, he made it clear that the things that the nation of Israel went through were recorded for our benefit; to be an example to us of how to live a life that is not only pleasing to God but also a life that is happy, prosperous and fulfilling.

Pastor Scheide used to say “when you read the Old Testament and come across the word “Israel”, substitute your name for “Israel”.

So, for example, I might read “Israel has sinned…”   and substitute “Brent has sinned…”  Or, “God’s anger burned against Israel” and substitute “God’s anger burned against Brent”.

You get the idea.

It’s quite an eye-opener when you personalize the scripture in this way.

You see that the victories and defeats that Israel faced are very much the same as what you and I face everyday in our Christian lives but on a different scale.

Now you do have to be careful with this personalization as not every covenant, promise or prophecy in the O.T. is applicable to the Church.

Some things are meant specifically for Israel and Israel alone.

But, in general, you can use this little technique to gain some insight into yourself and your own spiritual issues.

Israel, like you and me, had a tendency to run to God when things were bad but as soon as things were good again, they forgot about Him and chased after other gods.

Just like us, Israel struggled with sin.

They fell into sin time and time again.

Sometimes their sinfulness resulted in disastrous consequences.

The passage we’re looking at today deals with just that situation.

There was hidden sin within Israel’s camp and *hidden sin is a killer*.

*Background story-Summarize*

 

*The Exodus*

*Wandering in wilderness*

*Victory at Jericho*

*God’s stipulation regarding Jericho’s booty*

* *

    6:17The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD.

Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.

18But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them.

Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.

19All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury.”

So God gave Israel very specific instructions regarding the devoted things.

They were His and His alone.

All of Jericho’s spoils were to go into the LORD’s treasury.

*Joshua 7:1-26*

 

1But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them.

So the LORD’S anger burned against Israel.

2Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.”

So the men went up and spied out Ai.

3When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the people will have to go up against Ai.

Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary all the people, for only a few men are there.”

4So about three thousand men went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, 5who killed about thirty-six of them.

They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes.

At this the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the LORD, remaining there till evening.

The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads.

7And Joshua said, “Ah, Sovereign LORD, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?

If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!

8O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies?

9The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth.

What then will you do for your own great name?”

10The LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up!

What are you doing down on your face?

11Israel 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 with their own possessions.

12That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction.

I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

13“Go, consecrate the people.

Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among you, O Israel.

You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it.

14“‘In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe.

The tribe that the LORD takes shall come forward clan by clan; the clan that the LORD takes shall come forward family by family; and the family that the LORD takes shall come forward man by man.

15He who is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him.

He has violated the covenant of the LORD and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel!’”

16Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was taken.

17The clans of Judah came forward, and he took the Zerahites.

He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was taken.

18Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

19Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him the praise.

Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

20Achan replied, “It is true!

I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel.

This is what I have done: 21When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.

They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.

23They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the LORD.

24Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor.

25Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us?

The LORD will bring trouble on you today.”

Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.

26Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.

Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger.

Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

*Israel** Defeated at Ai*

 

*A.

The Problem: Hidden Sin (Achan’s Sin)*

 

1But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them.

So the LORD’S anger burned against Israel.

So we find out here that Achan violated God’s instructions regarding the devoted things.

He took some of the spoil and hid it for himself.

Why would Achan do such a thing?

Because…

 

*1.

**Hidden sin looks attractive*

20     So Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I did:

21 *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.”

Sin always comes in a pretty package.

Achan was taken in by a beautiful robe and the sparkle of silver and gold.

He was blinded so badly that he was willing to put all of Israel, his family and his life at risk.

* *

*Introduce clip…summarize “A Simple Plan” movie*

* *

When three men (brothers Hank & Jacob & mutual friend Lou) find a body and a bundle of cash in a downed plane, they plot to hide the loot and split it later.

It's a simple plan …no one would get hurt.

Or so they thought…