Josh (11-30-08)
Nov 30, 2008
“Israel’s Only Defeat .. Why” Josh 7:1-26
What we saw from God’s Word .. last week is a shuttering thought .. to think that anyone of us .. could affect so many within a .. church / business / family / life
Achan’s problem was he thought that he could get around God’s laws
1) to think that he could .. see / covet / take
without any consequences
2) that he could change God’s Word
to suit his desires
3) or to think that what he does
is not seen by God
Read Josh 7:1-26 Pray
From v6-9 Joshua falls on his face before his God & asks .. why this defeat
O Lord .. Joshua cries out in v6-9
what will You do for Your great Name why did You bring us beyond the Jordan were You going to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites & destroy us if only we had been willing to dwell beyond the Jordan
In his prayer Joshua sounded like all the other unbelieving Jews that came before him [1]
For starters I’ll tell you what God will do for His Name Joshua will not have to worry about it He is very capable of taking care of Himself
In reality who should Joshua been worried about let me tell you who … himself
( Here is lesson #1 ) had Joshua humbled himself before his God & before the battle .. as he is now ( on his face before his God ) the situation would have been different [2]
I’ll ask you a question .. do you remember how often .. “the ark of God” was mentioned or went before the children of Israel in Jericho
Joshua 6:6 ( & thruout this whole chapter )
so Joshua the son of Nun called the priests & said to them .. take up the ark of the covenant & let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before .. the ark of the Lord
I’ll tell you … if you have forgotten they took the ark of their God with them where ever they went & every time
So ask yourself .. do you see it / the ark mentioned here in the 7th Ch
NO ( & neither do I )
So God says to Joshua in the midst of his prayer v10- 13 get up off of your face / “rise up”
10) so the Lord said to Joshua .. rise up why is it that you have fallen on your face
11) Israel has sinned & they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them & they have even taken some of the things under the ban .. & have both stolen & deceived moreover .. they have also put them among their own things
12) 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
13) Rise up .. consecrate the people & say consecrate yourselves for tomorrow .. for thus the Lord, the God of Israel has said there are things under the ban in your midst O Israel .. you cannot stand before your enemies until .. you have removed the things under the ban from your midst
In essence .. God says to Joshua get up off your face & cut out all this whining in sackcloth & ashes what you need to do Joshua is to get to the root of the problem [3]
( this is a good lesson for many of us )
Jesus taught at .. The Sermon on the Mount that before .. we come to Him in prayer we ought to get ourselves right with our Lord thru confession / repentance / forgiveness with Him & those whom we have offended
Matt 5:23-24
23) therefore .. if you are presenting your offering at the altar .. & there remember that your brother has something against you
24) leave your offering there before the altar & go .. first be reconciled to your brother & then .. come & present your offering / to God
Listen Christian .. there will be times of defeat ( or what seems like defeat within our lives ) & when defeat comes .. it is essential for us to discover the reason for the failure / defeat & to seek .. there & then .. what is the cause & to seek to remove it
The main reason .. for Joshua’s failure at Ai was his failure to rely upon his God just as he did in Jericho
( in other words .. to come to Him in prayer & dependence )
Listen closely .. failure to pray always makes us vulnerable to sin & defeat
Listen .. why didn’t Joshua pray … ( most likely he was “too full of himself” ) over the victory / Jericho & thought to himself ( I got the hang of this now ) thanks God .. I can do this on my own now
How soon we forget .. it isn’t our power that makes something succeed … think about it .. Joshua didn’t do squat all he did was march around Jericho & God did the rest
Never forget what Jesus said in John 15:5 “… apart from Me .. you can do .. nothing”
Listen please .. there is no time that we are quite so vulnerable over sin / satan .. than at moment of victory
And prayer .. is the time that God normally reveals to us .. what is needed at our next step
But when the price comes to be paid v24-26 we see a terrible fate .. & that is the whole family suffers the outcome of this one sin we learn that “no man is an island” that much of what we do has implications for ourselves & for others which we seldom see at the time & often learn with horror some time afterwards
What is not seen .. is how far Joshua is implicated in all of this
When God says to Joshua v10-11
“… rise up .. why is it that you have fallen on your face .. Israel has sinned …”
He is noting the pointlessness of any sort of approach to Himself including prayer until the public record has been set straight [4]
If this is the intent of this story then it agrees with Isaiah whose prophetic protests against “the religion of Israel” Isa 1:10–17
( & our religious things done today )
Isaiah 1:10-17
10) hear the word of the Lord .. you rulers of Sodom .. give ear to the instruction of our God
you people of Gomorrah
11) what are your multiplied sacrifices to Me
says the Lord .. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams & the fat of fed cattle
& I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats
12) when you come to appear before Me
who requires of you this trampling of My courts
13) bring your worthless offerings .. no longer
incense is an abomination to Me .. new moon & sabbath .. the calling of assemblies
I cannot endure iniquity & the solemn assembly
14) I hate your new moon festivals & your appointed feasts .. they have become a burden to Me .. I am weary of bearing them
15) so when you spread out your hands in prayer
I will hide My eyes from you
yes .. even tho you multiply prayers
I will not listen
your hands are covered with blood
16) wash yourselves .. make yourselves clean
remove the evil of your deeds from My sight
cease to do evil
17) learn to do good .. seek justice reprove the ruthless .. defend the orphan plead for the widow
God makes it clear .. that all these “religious things” are rendered null & void until the evil of their doings is removed from before His eyes [5]
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[1]Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1993). Be strong (Jos 7:6). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2]Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1993). Be strong (Jos 7:6). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3]McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (2:18). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[4]Auld, A. G. (2001, c1984). Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. The Daily study Bible series (48). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.
[5]Auld, A. G. (2001, c1984). Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. The Daily study Bible series (48). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.