Good Thursday to you my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Have you discovered how vulnerable you are after what seems like a victory? Vulnerable to what? Vulnerable to Pride, Self-sufficiency, Self-reliance, even Rebellion against what have been your highly held values, especially Truth and Integrity? Yesterday we watched as Joshua and the Israelites walked around Jericho for a week, as God had instructed them, and the walls protecting the city collapsed.
For them it was a remarkable experience. For the people living in the Land of God’s Promise, it was a great warning of the invincibility of Israel with God’s protection. But for one man named Achan, it was too great a temptation and his private, personal failure affected the entire nation of Israel!
What?! Is that possible? Can one person’s actions affect an entire nation of people? Oh yes my friends, and in fact we see it almost everyday don’t we? A single bullet fired by someone previously unknown kills a high profile leader and a nation is shaken. Indiscretion leading to moral failure destroys the life and career of a high-profile leader and greatly harms the organization they had led and, in some cases, had founded.
Joshua 7 gives us the story of Achan who understood God’s directive that EVERYTHING in Jericho was tainted by moral wickedness, and nothing should be taken by any Israelite, no matter how valuable it appeared. Achan’s weak moral character was unable to withstand the temptation, and he stole some of the booty of Jericho during its demolition and hid it under his tent. (Joshua 7:19-21) But isn’t it true that very often crimes go undetected, or criminals elude detection and justice?
Not so with deceitful Achan. But the problem for Israel was bigger than Achan. Joshua too had an early leadership failure. Following the Jericho victory of Joshua 6, which was accomplished by following God’s strategic plan to the letter, Joshua next set his sights on the nearby town of Ai. Again, Joshua sent scouts to visit Ai, and they came back with a report that it was so small only a few Israelite soldiers should be able to conquer it fairly easily. Joshua faced a significant leadership decision… and Joshua failed.
Joshua affirmed the scouting report and sent a small platoon of Israelites to accomplish what he felt would be a no-contest victory. Joshua’s leadership failure was that he did NOT inquire of God, seeking God’s guidance regarding next steps after the Jericho victory. That failure cost the lives of 36 Israelite men, as recorded in Joshua 7:4,5. Perhaps even more tragic, that failure spread paralyzing fear throughout the entire Israelite camp, including Joshua himself. (Joshua 7:6-9)
Only a few days before God had affirmed Joshua as the new leader of the Israelites and God had promised Joshua that God would protect and bless Joshua’s leadership as long as Joshua sought God’s guidance and did not veer from God’s Laws given to Moses. (Joshua 1:1-9)
Was it the thrill of victory; was it the adrenalin rush of leadership; was it vulnerability to the applause of the people? What was it that led Joshua to rush ahead, following the Jericho victory, without consulting God regarding next steps? Why do you and I so easily succumb to that very same problem? What has led you and me to making unwise, costly decisions in our lives?
Joshua’s leadership failure and Achan’s deceitful theft collided as Joshua was on his face before God seeking answers. God’s response appears harsh, but Joshua needed a ‘wakeup call’. God said to Joshua “Get up off your face! Israel has sinned; they have violated My Covenant…” (Joshua 7:6-12)
Joshua chapter 7 is a very powerful turning point for the ‘Grand Narrative’ as the people of Israel come face to face with the high price of integrity failure among the Covenant people of God, both among the common people (Achan) and among the leadership (Joshua). It’s a fundamental principle: God cannot bless sin! God will not bless the life of an unrepentant person in willful rebellion against God. God cannot bless an organization or even a nation in rebellion against God! Now ponder that for a moment and look around your city, your nation, our world. Be careful to not confuse financial gain or popularity or apparent mission success with God’s blessing. I urge you to read or listen to the Audio Bible reading of Joshua 7 carefully… and learn the important lessons found there!
Joshua chapter 8 then gives us the story of Joshua’s restored leadership alignment with God and Israel’s victory over the city of Ai. Please notice the dramatic differences between God’s strategies for conquering the city of Jericho and the city of Ai. Friends, with God we cannot make the mistake of ASSUMPTION. Don’t ever ASSUME upon God.
It’s very important, in every aspect of our lives, that we always elevate God to the highest position of supremacy and sovereignty of all things, and we always lower ourselves to servants of King Jesus, listening, learning and obeying at all times.
The latter part of Joshua 8, after the Ai victory, is very significant. “Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded…He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses…” (Joshua 8:30,31) Do you see it my friends? Joshua is learning the fundamental lesson for leadership in Israel: OBEDIENCE to GOD always!! Do you also see Moses is referred to as ‘the servant of the LORD’? Pause for reflection: if as for Moses, only 5 words could be used to summarize YOUR entire life legacy and personal reputation, what would you like those five words to be?
As you carefully review the remainder of Joshua 8 look closely to see WHAT Joshua led the people to do on Mount Ebal. This is a major ‘defining moment’ for this new generation of Israelites learning to honor God with ALL aspects of their lives, especially in OBEDIENCE, as they move into the Land of God’s Promise. What are important things you see which are keys to the nation of Israel, God’s people, as we’ve followed their story thus far in this Grand Narrative?
Can you picture the antiphonal celebration as the Law of God was read from TWO mountain tops: Mt Ebal & Mt Gerizim? Oh, the power of the closing statement of this chapter: “There was not a WORD of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among them.” (Joshua 8:35) Joshua read what may have been the ONLY copy of the Law of Moses in existence at that time! The only way the people knew God’s Law was leaders like Moses, Joshua, Aaron and others READING it to them and REMINDING them to stay faithful to God!
Now think about that… and consider what YOUR role has been in your family hearing and knowing God’s Truth? And maybe even more important, how has your coaching, mentoring, and influencing your family contributed to their learning how to live in authentic relationship with Jesus so that your daily lives reflect the integrity and glory of God?
Oh my! There are more key questions and Life Lessons in the Grand Narrative link just below and then let’s worship with this great worship song which may have been their sentiments on those mountains that day. And I’ll meet you here again tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: Joshua 7-8.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Joshua 8
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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