Joshua 7:1-9
Defeat at Ai
1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel.
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.” 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
6 Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
The consequences of sin that is covered up can be quite devastating and defeating. When the children of Israel had defeated Jericho some stole accursed things, valuable items used in pagan idol worship. They had been commanded not to have any gods before the only God and not to (Exodus 20:3-4, 5, 34:13-14) bow down to idols representing them. When therefore Achan had taken this ungodly booty for his own gain and worship, the wrath of the LORD burned hot against the entire nation for the sin of the one. Sin in the church today is no different; church discipline (1 Corinthians 5:2, 11, 12-13) is required to keep the consequences of one man’s sin from spreading to others in the body just like a disease does. Like Israel of old here, the affects may cause defeat in the mission of God’s people whether in a battle as a picture of the good fight of the gospel or in the health of the body itself through compromises which lead to disobedience to God and His word. We cannot and must not blame the Lord when we are continually defeated if we root out sin and do not deal with it as in Corinth or here. We are to honor God in our individual bodies as temples of worship to Him (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and not for immorality or idolatry that affects others as well and dishonors the name of the Lord God among us. When we face such continual defeat in battles we need to see if we have kept the members from such sin by solid preaching and teaching with accountability within the church and not waste time judging those outside (1 Corinthians 5:12-13) already under condemnation apart from Christ. We do well to remember the defeat at Ai and the hidden sin of Achan and sin no more who as we deal with one another as we fall into sin.
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