The Fall of Israel

“ A life of unbroken victory over sin is the purpose of God for every child of His redeemed by the blood of Christ. However, God does not make it impossible for His children to sin. He always makes it possible for them not to sin. Defeat may happen in the life of the Christian, but it need not”.

I. DEFEAT AT AI (V. 1-9)

STARTS OFF WITH “BUT”- UP TO THIS POINT ISRAEL HAS EXPERIENCED VICTORY ..... HERE WE GET A GLIMPSE OF THE DEFEAT COMING.

MANY FAILURES COME AFTER A BIG VICTORY. ISRAEL “TRESPASSED” REGARDING THE ACCURSED THINGS. THEY INTENTIONALLY SINNED AGAINST GOD. MUCH DIFFERENT THAN TO MISS THE MARK

God’s anger burned against the children of Israel. God was angry because of the uncleaness that the people had brought into the camp .

Deuteronomy 23:14 NKJV

For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.

God had desired the people to be clean , to be sanctified, this is was part of the preparation period. They were to sanctify themselves.

ISRAEL’S FALL

-Israel’s defeat could have been avoided , but there were a series of decisions that the people made coming off of a great victory that lead to this defeat.

Self- Confidence (2-5)

coming off of victory over a large City lead the people to have self- confidence in looking at the smaller City of AI.

There can be such a dependence of the Lord when we are facing the giants and the impossiblities in our lives. yet the moment that we experience victory , or the moment that we overcome, we can assume that it was because of us.

the next situation i find myself in can be one that i feel confident in my own abilities to overcome. This is what happened to the people.

Self- Confidence stems from a false perspective of self.

2. Neglecting Prayer (v. 6-9)

Joshua failed to go to the Lord and seek Him for instruction on how to take the city of AI. If they would have done that , God would have revealed the sin within the camp and would have sparred them defeat

Redpath

“Failure to pray always makes us insensitive to sin”

neglecting prayer was a result of the self confidence.

“prayer is an expression of our dependence on God, lack of prayer is an expression of my self confidence”

3. Disobedience

Achan disobeyed God and took of the accursed things.

the great victory that the people just had was because of the obedience and trust in God’s word. That is the key to overcoming the giants in our lives, complete obedience to the word of God.

we see here the contrast, the fall of Israel was due to disobedience. Our greatest failures in live, our failure to overcome the sins in our life, will be directly connected to our disobedience to God’s word.

Results of the Sin

Sin will be Exposed

sin will always be exposed as it was for Achan

Numbers 32:23 NKJV

But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 NKJV

For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

Luke 12:2 NKJV

For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.

2. Sin Affects Others

the entire camp was affected by what Achan did. His family died. The 36 men died

We see the same picture in the life of David. When David sinned with Bathsheba, Uriah paid the price with his life, David’s son from Bathsheba died.

Repath

“No child of God can grow cold in his spiritual life without lowering the temperature of everybody else around him”.

3. Sin has Consequences

for Achan the consequences was his death. The consequences for the people was defeat. And with that defeat, the people represented God wrong. The people of the area looked at the children of Israel and learned who this God was.

at this point part of the consequences is that they tarnished the name of God. This is something that can be devastating in life as we are to be a witness for Christ, yet in times of our failures we can give God a bad name. We can make His grace look worthless to the world.

Romans 6:23 NKJV

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

Isaiah 59:2 NKJV

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

Achan’s Progression of Sin (v. 21)

He Saw

He coveted

He took

He hid

The way Back to Victory

Confession (v.19-20)

1 John 1:9 NKJV

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2. Removal of the Sin (v.13)

2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV

if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Hebrews 12:1–2 NKJV

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.