Connor delivers a sermon on Joshua 7:1-9, detailing how Achan's secret theft of devoted items from Jericho triggered divine anger, causing Israel to lose the battle at Ai with thirty-six deaths. This incident illustrates the corporate nature of sin, where one man's disobedience brought reproach upon his ancestors and the entire nation, prompting Joshua to tear his clothes and intercede before the ark. The message emphasizes that leaders must take responsibility for collective failure while urging believers to trust in God's unchanging promises despite temporary discipline, finding ultimate victory in Christ rather than fearing suffering. [Automatically generated summary]
Transcriber: CohereLabs/cohere-transcribe-03-2026, WAV2VEC2_ASR_BASE_960H, sat-12l-sm, script v26.04.01, and large-v3-turbo
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Israel's Broken Faith00:14:35
It's good to be here with you all this morning.
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Connor, and I serve as a lay elder, as Pastor Joel said, here at the church.
It's always a pleasure to get to preach from God's word on the Lord's day and to worship alongside you all.
I last preached near the end of our study through the book of Hebrews, and so now I'm excited to get to preach through the book of Joshua for the first time.
God's word does not return void, and it's been encouraging to behold all that he has taught us as we focused our attention on the book of Joshua over these last few weeks and months.
So, without further ado, we'll jump right in.
If you have your Bibles with you or a copy of the notes in front of you, please direct your attention now to the text at hand.
This week's text is Joshua chapter 7, verses 1 through 9.
And as is our tradition here at Covenant Bible Church, would you stand with me as I read the text?
When I conclude reading it, I will say, This is the word of the Lord.
And as a congregation, I will ask that we all respond by saying, Thanks be to God.
And so, this is once more Joshua chapter 7.
Verses 1 through 9.
The Bible says this But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things.
And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Avon, east of Bethel, and said to them, Go up and spy out the land.
And the men went up and spied out Ai.
And they returned to Joshua and said to him, Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai.
Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.
So about three thousand men went up there from the people, and they fled before the men of Ai.
And the men of Ai killed about thirty six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent.
And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads.
And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, why have ye brought this people over the Jordan at all to give us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?
Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan.
O Lord, what can I say when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies?
For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it.
And will surround us and cut off our name from the earth.
And what will you do for your great name?
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
You may be seated and join me now as I pray.
Father, we thank you for yet another Lord's Day.
We praise you and bless you and honor you, for you are praiseworthy, Lord.
And we thank you for the opportunity to worship you this morning in spirit and in truth.
We pray that your word would bless your people this morning.
Help us to see yet another glimpse of your glory, O God, and let us bring you praise and glory and honor this morning through the listening and through our worship.
We pray these things in Jesus' name.
Amen.
So, as we continue in our study through the book of Joshua, we are introduced to Israel's first defeat since entering into the promised land.
This takes place here in Joshua chapter 7 and will be the focus of today's sermon.
If you've worshiped with us over the last few weeks, you may remember that the nation of Israel, under Joshua's leadership, Had been given a number of sure promises from the Lord, namely that they would be heirs of the land of Canaan.
They would have to reclaim the land of their inheritance by force and be faithful to be obedient to God in the process.
But as they did so and remained strong and courageous, they would be witnesses to God's magnificent power to work on their behalf and bring Himself glory.
And up until this point, Joshua and Israel had met with great success.
In the preceding chapters, we read that Israel, through Joshua, had been directly commissioned by the Lord for this task.
That's Joshua chapter one, had found favor with Rahab and gained valuable intel regarding Jericho, chapter two.
Crossed over the Jordan safely as the waters were held back, chapters 3 and 4, and were consecrated through the reinstitution of circumcision, chapter 5.
Just prior to the battle with Jericho, Joshua was visited by the commander of the Lord's army, a theophany of Christ himself, who promised that the Lord and his hosts would be with Israel in strength and bring about a miraculous victory on their behalf.
Over the preceding weeks, we focused our time in Joshua chapter 6.
In which we, along with all Christians throughout all history, marvel at how Jericho's walls came crumbling down through marching and the sound of trumpets.
Israel merely watched as God fulfilled his promise given to his people in Joshua 6 2.
See, I have given Jericho into your hand with its king and mighty men of valor.
As a result, the fear of Israel spread throughout the nations.
And Joshua 6 ends with the statement So the Lord was with Joshua.
And his fame was in all the land.
Joshua 6 27.
Fear and fame.
The Lord's enemies were marked by fear and dread, while his people were marked by fame and faithful obedience.
That is until Joshua chapter 7.
In this chapter, Israel pumps the brakes hard.
As I mentioned previously, Joshua 7 marks the first instance in which the nation of Israel was disobedient to the Lord since entering the promised land.
As a result, the people were defeated at Ai, which is the subject of the text at hand.
And much of the latter half of chapter 7, which we will focus on in the coming weeks.
In verse 1, we learn from the outset what act of disobedience occurred to elicit God's holy displeasure.
But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan, the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things, and the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.
This verse adds new information for us as God's people.
And our understanding of the great victory that took place at Jericho.
The walls had come crumbling down, Jericho's inhabitants had been destroyed, and Israel's fame had spread throughout all the land.
This is clear from the conclusion of the prior chapter.
But we learn that despite all of this great success, the people of Israel had still broken faith in regard to the devoted things.
The great victory was marred by disobedience, by sin in regard to God's commands.
And for this reason, the Lord's anger burned against the people.
Of Israel.
And first of all, this verse is not offered as a reinterpretation of all that occurred in the prior chapter.
Make no mistake, Israel's conquest of Jericho was righteous and good.
It was commanded by God and brought about by his means.
The victory was part of God's providential plan to put an end to evildoers and exalt his name and his people.
It was a further fulfillment of the promise given to Israel that the living God would be among them and that he would, without fail, drive from before them.
The Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
Joshua 3 10.
The Lord had promised to do this, therefore, it was a sure and guaranteed reality.
For this reason, God is to be praised among his people, especially any time we see visible evidence of the fulfillment of his promises, and the conquest of Jericho is a shining example of this.
Yet, in spite of this reality, we learn from Joshua 7, verse 1, that Israel's victory was not without sin.
Specifically, it was one man, Achan the son of Carmi, who was guilty of taking some of the devoted things.
This was in direct opposition to Joshua's orders found in chapter 6.
But you keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them, you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it.
But all silver and gold and every vessel of bronze and iron are holy to the Lord.
They shall go into the treasury of the Lord.
Joshua 6, verses 18 and 19.
Achan had surely heard these instructions and was among those who shouted in agreement in Joshua 6 20.
But despite this, we learn that he took from the spoils of Jericho a cloak that was to be devoted to destruction and precious metals which were to be devoted to the Lord's treasury.
This was not apparent to us in chapter 6, but was revealed in chapter 7, likely for the same reason that it was not immediately apparent to Israel.
Achan's sin was secret and became plain only after Israel was defeated at the hands of Ai.
A settlement they should have on paper easily defeated.
This is reminiscent of the sports team that wins an upset victory over a much better and heavily favored team, only to lose to the cupcake or much worse team in the following week.
Such defeats reveal more questions than answers and force us back to the drawing board.
In these moments, we have to evaluate what went wrong and shore up previously hidden points of weakness.
Many times, these moments reveal even deeper problems.
Oftentimes, a lack of discipline or presumption upon God's grace.
In the case of Israel's defeat at the hands of Ai, the Lord used it to reveal Achan's sin and his great displeasure with it.
This account stands out as a reminder for the people of Israel to take great care to obey the Lord in all that he commands.
Because of this sin, Achan and his family were put to death, and Israel too suffered under the hand of God's judgment until the sin was accounted for.
This instance is later held up as a warning for Israel to be obedient to the Lord in their pursuit of the promised land.
Only do not rebel against the Lord or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God.
Did not Achan, the son of Zerah, break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel?
And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.
Joshua 22, verses 19 and 20.
Indeed, it was not enough for Israel to bear the name of the Lord and not be obedient to his commands.
Similarly, it is not enough for us to bear the name of Christ and not be obedient to all that he commands.
If we are to follow Christ and be considered his disciples, we must have faith in him and trust in his finished work on our behalf, but so too we must be careful to observe all that he has said and seek to obey him.
This is one great lesson that is put before us here in the text today.
But this point aside, when we consider the full scope of what is laid out here in Joshua 7, verses 1 through 9, I endeavor to make three primary points this morning, and I lay them before you for your careful consideration.
The first is the corporate nature of sin, namely, that our sin does not just happen in a vacuum, but has an effect on every aspect of our life, including those that we are in relationship with.
The second is repentance begins from the top down.
Namely, that as sin brings reproach on corporate entities such as marriages, families, churches, nations, etc., those who hold the hierarchical positions of authority must be the first to lead in repentance and take the necessary steps to turn back to the Lord.
And the last point that I seek to make is the surety of God's promises.
Despite unfavorable circumstances or reproach for sin, this should not cause us as God's people to doubt his promises.
In fact, in our turning back to the Lord, this should cause us to abound in hope, knowing that He uses such instances to refine us as gold through fire and make us more fit to bring Him honor and proper worship, that the tested genuineness of your faith may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1, verse 7.
Such promises should cause us not to waver in our pursuit of Christ or in doing good to our families.
In our business and to our neighbor.
And so as we move forward now, let's consider the first point in the text today, namely the corporate nature of sin.
I believe as we do so, it will be helpful for us to look again at verses one through five.
So I place them once more before you for your consideration.
But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things.
For Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things.
And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Avon, east of Bethel, and said to them, Go up and spy out the land.
And the men went up and spied out Ai.
And they returned to Joshua and said to him, Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai.
Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.
So about three thousand men went up there from the people, and they fled before the men of Ai.
And the men of Ai killed about 36 of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent.
And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
The resultant shame and reproach that came upon Israel was the result of one man's sin.
This is obvious from these verses.
Sin Reflects on Ancestors00:07:39
We first read that Israel sinned and broke faith with God as a result of Achan's sin, who took some of the devoted things when he was instructed to do otherwise.
Though he was commanded to devote some of Jericho's spoil to destruction and some of it to the Lord's treasury, Achan disobeyed and took some of that spoil for himself.
Here, Achan is guilty of breaking at least two commandments found in the moral law first, that he coveted what was not rightfully his, and second, that having coveted what was to be given for the Lord's purposes and possession, he then stole a cloak and precious metal from the Lord and hid them in the earth inside his tent.
Achan's actions bear witness to the fact that he knew it was wrong for him to take from the devoted things, and that by hiding them, he might keep them without anyone knowing what he had done.
But as Paul wrote to Timothy, the sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.
1 Timothy 5 24.
For all we know, Achan acted alone in his covetousness, theft, and deception.
And though for a time his sin was hidden, being that he literally buried the stolen possessions in the dirt under his tent, his sin certainly appeared later.
The revealing of his sin did not have effects on Achan only, but on his family.
On Israel's leaders, and on the nation as a whole.
If there was any doubt about this point, we see Achan's actions imputed to the nation as a whole from the outset.
Achan was the one guilty of committing the sinful action, but verse 1 informs us that it was the people of Israel who broke faith in regard to the devoted things.
And from this section of the text, we will see the ways in which Achan's sins had corporate effects.
First of all, one of the initial descriptions that we read about Achan was that he was the son of Carmine.
Son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.
Israel was uniquely divided into tribes, 12 of them to be exact, and amongst these tribal divisions, the people were further divided into clans and families and households.
This made for a unique chain of command and a way of identifying individuals and responsibilities within the members of the nation.
As you will see next week, Joshua engages in the process of setting aside these tribes, clans, Families, and so forth, in order that Achan might be identified as the perpetrator.
In this instance, this method of organization was employed so that the evildoer might be discovered.
On the other hand, though, Achan's fathers and tribe are mentioned in order that we might see the ways in which Achan's actions reflect shamefully on his ancestors.
According to Proverbs 17, verse 25, a foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
This is the first way in which we see the corporate nature of sin displayed.
Achan coveted and stole and did so secretly, but these actions brought reproach not only on himself, but on his fathers, who are mentioned here and identified with the lawbreaker.
Our actions, you see, whether sinful or righteous, can reflect on our fathers in the same way.
Many of you may be familiar with the genealogies found in the scriptures.
Some of the most notable examples of these are found in the book of Genesis and in places like Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 3.
In these genealogies, some of the names listed do stand out to us, especially as their lives, their courage, or their faith are brought to our remembrance.
This is true in many cases.
But even more so, many of the names listed in these famous genealogies are names of people whom we are not familiar with.
They have no account given to them in Scripture other than their name being included in the genealogy.
By way of being included, though, we recognize that God worked in their seemingly ordinary lives to bring about great good.
For example, in Matthew chapter 1, many of us may never know this side of eternity who Akim or Eliad are, but through the scripture we learn that these men were eventual fathers to Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom Jesus was born.
The lives of such men are not known in detail, but by virtue of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, they are held up here as models of faithfulness.
Similarly, many of us may never know in detail the lives of Carmichael, Zabdi, or Zarah.
But by virtue of Achan's actions and the reproach he brought upon the people of Israel, the only context we have in regards to these men and their lives is their son's sin.
It is an unfortunate reality, but in some sense, these men will be remembered by many by reproach, by shame, and by grief.
It is in this sense in which the proverb could not ring more true.
And so, as we linger on this point for just a little while longer, I believe this is an important application for us to consider.
Because we are made in the image of God, each one of our lives is precious and of great significance.
With this in mind, in the annals of eternity, many of us will be considered to have lived ordinary lives.
Not insignificant, but ordinary lives.
Like many of these men and women who are recorded in Scripture, we might not be remembered for working great miracles, standing before kings, or conquering enemy lands, but simply for being a father or a mother.
This is why I stress the word ordinary here.
Because the work of fathers and mothers is highly significant.
But in some sense, it is ordinary, because many are called to it.
And the legacy that many leave behind in the world, for many, is the lives of their children, for better or for worse.
And so, as I speak to you now, O Church, I say not every one of you is a parent or a grandparent, though many of you are, but every one of you is a son or a daughter of someone.
Some of you came from godly Christian homes, while still others came from wicked, broken homes.
Praise God, some of you here are marked by being redeemed from a pattern of familial sin and are the first Christians in your families.
In many ways, this is the story of my parents.
I'm incredibly grateful that God saved them, not only because He saved them from what would have been a guaranteed path of destruction, but because in doing so, He changed the pattern and path of not only their lives, but of mine and of my children as well.
And by God's grace, I will continue in their train.
And so, the charge that comes to us is to remember that what we do today will have profound effects.
On both the prior and future generations.
Let us strive to live by faith and walk in obedience today, knowing that how we live and what we impart to our posterity will one, reflect honorably or dishonorably on the lives of our fathers and predecessors, and two, result in future generations that fear and praise the Lord.
Let us tremble lest we become like Achan and by sowing unrighteousness bring our fathers' gray hairs down to Sheol.
Let us look to Christ and remember that even when we sin in this life and repent, our crucified and risen Savior forgives us and bids us back into a life of faith and obedience.
The Cost of Disobedience00:03:44
And lastly, let us heed Achan's warning in this matter.
The next instance in which we see the corporate effects of Achan's sins is a little more obvious from the text today.
If we look back again, I'm going to read these verses starting in verse 2.
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Avon. East of Bethel, and said to them, Go up and spy out the land.
And the men went up and spied out Ai.
And they returned to Joshua and said to him, Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai.
Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.
So about three thousand men went up there from the people, and they fled before the men of Ai.
And the men of Ai killed about thirty six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim.
And struck them at the descent, and the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
This portion of the text has to do with Israel's defeat at AI.
As we said before, Israel had just experienced the joy and awe of Jericho's conquest and witnessed God's power on their behalf in chapter 6.
Now in chapter 7, they found themselves face to face with the next roadblock, AI.
In response, Joshua engages very much in the same process as he did with Jericho.
He sends out spies to do reconnaissance and prepare a report on their next foe.
Upon their return, the spies bring a favorable report.
AI is not a formidable foe, and victory is almost sure.
In fact, the spies announce that the people are few and suggest that the ranks be reduced in order to not waste additional resources.
The spies suggest that only about 2,000 or 3,000 men should go up to AI.
AI's ranks were few, and so less troops were needed for the battle.
And after all, the Lord was with them.
Surely they would only have to march to the city.
And victory would be all but assured.
But here Israel was wrong.
First of all, there's nothing to suggest that the spies were haughty or that they brought a dishonest report to Joshua about AI.
In chapter 8, we learn that AI had a population of 12,000, including women and children, and so it would not be unreasonable to think that a force of 3,000 soldiers could conquer it.
Also, the spies were likely exercising faith in God, recognizing that the victory at Jericho was a result of God's power.
And so, surely Israel could defeat a less formidable foe with the Lord on their side.
But Joshua and Israel were unaware that the Lord was not with them in the initial pursuit of Ai.
Because of Achan's sin, the Lord's anger burned against the people of Israel.
As a result, the army of 3,000 was put to flight and 36 were killed.
In this case, God's displeasure with Israel was more evident not in the defeat itself, but in the manner of the defeat.
Israel did not suffer many casualties, but was punched in the mouth by a lesser enemy.
And not only this, Israel fled from them in embarrassment.
The text says that the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
The fact that Israel was marked by fear and embarrassment was a clear indication of God's judgment.
The people had just experienced an awesome display of God's power at Jericho, only to tremble and melt in fear a short time later at the hand of a lesser foe.
These events were a result of Achan's sin, which reflected on the nation of Israel as a whole.
Corporate Effects of Sin00:03:09
On the spectrum of sins, many would not consider covetousness or theft to be that serious in comparison to others.
For example, one could ask modern cities like San Francisco or Portland their opinions on the matter, where theft, among many sins, have essentially made a once beautiful city a lawless place.
Consider the effect, though, that Achan's sins had.
His actions caused the death of 36 men.
Brought shame and embarrassment on the nation and resulted in the outpouring of God's anger and judgment.
Now, this doesn't mean that covetousness or theft will always cause this kind of result, praise God.
But the point is clear that sin brings about judgment or reproach while obedience brings blessing.
This is true in the lives of individuals, but this will always have downstream effects.
Consider what the Proverbs say in regard to nations righteousness exalts a nation.
But sin is a reproach to any people.
Proverbs 14, 34.
In the same way that Achan's sins brought about reproach for the people of Israel, individual sin will have corporate effects.
When a person sins, this affects not only that person, but that person's family, that person's community, and that person's nation, for example.
We have to remember this when we are tempted to sin.
First of all, we must remember that the ways in which we sin will not only destroy us, but will hurt our spouses, damage our children, alienate our friends.
And bring reproach on our homes.
This carries significant weight.
Therefore, we must remember this day to day.
Your patterns of sin now will have tremendous negative effects on those around you.
For example, men who secretly lust in their hearts tread along the path of death, bringing their wife and children along with them.
The quarrelsome and nitpicking wife drives her husband and likely her children to the corner of the housetop.
We have to consider these profound negative effects even when we consider sins that we may be more merciful towards.
Such as jealousy, gossip, discontentment, and slothfulness, to name a few.
What downstream effects might these sins be having on those we love and on the precious gifts that God has given us?
I pray that this thought makes you shudder like it does me.
On a larger scale, I repeat Proverbs 14 34.
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
The acts of individuals will reflect on the community and the nation in which that person lives.
We cannot incentivize abortion and all manner of sexual perversion and expect to be a nation that receives blessing from the Lord.
We must turn back to the Lord in humble repentance.
When we are faithful to preach the truth to one another and be honest about our sin, God grants us grace to repent and receive his forgiveness in Christ.
This is one of the many promises that God gives us in his son Jesus.
Seeking Divine Mercy00:15:12
But where does repentance begin at the macro level when we consider the effects of sin on these corporate entities?
Where does repentance begin when sin is present in a home, in a business, or in a nation?
This is the subject of the next point, which we will consider now.
As we move to this next point, which is entitled Repentance Begins from the Top Down, let us consider once more verses 6 through 9 in our text today.
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel.
And they put dust on their heads.
And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us?
Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan.
O Lord, what can I say when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies?
For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth.
And what will you do for your great name?
In response to the defeat, Joshua and the elders of Israel present themselves in a posture of repentance before the ark, the symbol and place where God's presence was.
Having received the news of the crippling defeat at the hands of Ai, Joshua's first response was to gather the leaders and meet here so that they might seek the Lord.
We can assume that he likely reviewed the events of the battle to see if there had been any information or variable that was previously overlooked.
But upon doing so, he would have noticed that, like the victory over Jericho, this defeat had come from the hand of the Lord.
Israel clearly overmatched Ai and should have easily handled it in battle.
Therefore, the embarrassing defeat was clearly purposed by God for some sovereign reason.
Joshua, as a good leader, comes with the officers before the Lord to seek his guidance in the matter.
The text says that Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth, and he and the elders put dust on their heads before the ark until evening.
This was in a spirit of mourning, grieving the defeat.
And recognizing that it was likely due to the presence of some hidden sin.
He remembered his warning to the people found in chapter 6 that if anyone were to take from the devoted things, they would make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it.
At this point, Joshua recognizes Israel's helplessness before the Lord.
He pleads with the Lord for ultimately his mercy.
He recognizes that Israel's unfaithfulness to the Lord was certainly grounds for judgment.
Lamenting the fact that the nation even crossed over the Jordan.
He says, Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all to give us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?
Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan.
O Lord, what can I say when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies?
This verse is evidence for us that Joshua understood, though not completely, that Israel's defeat was due to the presence of sin.
We can be sure of this in some sense because he not only remarks that Israel had turned their backs on their enemies, but had turned their backs on the Lord.
This was the primary reason for the defeat.
And being Israel's leader, he recognizes that this is something he was ultimately responsible for.
He prays, Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us?
Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan.
As any good leader does, Joshua looks first at himself.
And his leadership, recognizing his ultimate responsibility for the poor outcome and showing against AI.
He reckons that the defeat will bring additional challenges, knowing that the nations of the land will be enticed to attack Israel, incorrectly presuming that Israel had been defeated due to God's abandonment or impotence.
He regards this as the most important aspect of all, ending his prayer by focusing on God's glory in it all.
He asks, And what will you do for your great name?
in Joshua 7, verse 9.
He asks that God's name might not be profaned by their actions and that he might be shown to be truly glorious after all.
Moreover, Joshua not only takes responsibility for Israel's actions, but also intercedes on their behalf.
He prays for his people, asking that God might be merciful towards them to remember his promises and covenant.
This moment is reminiscent of Moses' intercessions for the people of Israel found in Numbers chapter 14.
After being found guilty of murmuring and grumbling against the Lord, Moses pleads through intercession for the people, asking God that he might forgive Israel's sins in order that the nations might not presume God helpless to bring his people safely into Canaan.
If you have your Bibles with you or the copy of the notes, direct your attention to Numbers chapter 14.
I'm going to turn there as well.
So, Numbers chapter 14, starting in verse 13.
This text says But Moses said to the Lord, Then the Egyptians will hear of it.
For you brought up this people in your might from among them, and they will tell the inhabitants of this land, they have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people.
For you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.
Now, if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them, that he has killed them in the wilderness.
And now, please let the power of the Lord be great, as you have promised, saying, The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation.
Please pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt until now.
As we see, Moses' prayer here, an intercession on Israel's behalf in Numbers chapter 14, is incredibly similar to the confession that we see in Joshua chapter 7.
As we direct our attention back to Joshua chapter 7, Joshua accepts responsibility for the sin, but also prays on behalf of the people out of a concern for God's name and glory.
He pleads for them that they might be preserved and that God might do so for their good and for the glory of his name, and so that the nations of the land might not suppose that God was unable to fulfill his promises.
Like Moses, he pleads that God would be merciful and gracious with them, trusting that despite the egregiousness of their sin, God would not make void on his promises to them.
This essentially ends the text for us this week as we will pick up on God's response to Joshua's intercession beginning in verse 10 next week.
But as we seek to apply Joshua's intercessions here from verses 6 through 9, we can draw out a few relevant applications.
As I stated in the first point, any individual sin will have corporate downstream effects.
Therefore, when these sins are revealed and come to light, It is the responsibility of the individual party first to repent and take responsibility for the sin.
But furthermore, when this sin is revealed or propagated in a corporate entity, it is imperative for the leaders or covenantal heads to lead in repentance.
In today's text, we understand clearly that it was Achan who sinned, and Achan's actions caused downstream effects on the nation of Israel, namely, bringing about God's wrath and judgment.
In order to right the ship, it was necessary for Achan to repent individually for his own actions, but it was also necessary for Joshua to lead in repentance, though he did not commit the sinful act, but he was the one who bore responsibility for the condition of the nation and was to facilitate turning Israel's hearts back to the Lord.
This is true in many instances in which we live and find ourselves today.
When sin is present in a marriage or a family, it may have been any one of the husbands.
Wife or children who is guilty of committing a particularly sinful action.
But the onus falls on the husband as the leader of the home to facilitate and lead the family in repentance.
He may not be guilty of committing the sinful act, but he is responsible for the condition of the home, including those whom he has been charged to both physically and spiritually provide for and protect.
On a lesser scale, an individual athlete may fail to follow through on his assignment, but it is the coach who is responsible for his athlete's preparedness and discipline.
If a wide receiver drops a wide open pass in the end zone, the mistake was his.
But the coach, in this example, ultimately must be held accountable for the team's loss.
Going further, this is true in churches and in our governmental authorities.
How powerful could it be if our nation's leaders stepped up and said something along the lines of We just can't do this anymore.
We are languishing under the hand of God's judgment for our many sins.
We have too long permitted or celebrated what God hates and punished what God has said is good.
The only way out of this is to turn back to the Lord.
We repent.
How might our land and people be blessed if we had civil leaders like that?
How might the church flourish under leaders who repent for their lack of courage and scriptural convictions?
Many examples we saw over the last few years.
These are questions that could be answered by the text before us today.
We see that Israel was blessed because Joshua, as a type of Christ, interceded for the people as he led them in corporate repentance.
For those of you here today who are fathers, one of the ways that you can wield your office powerfully and honorably is through being patient and consistent in your home.
Create and foster a home that is warm, cheerful, honest, and courageous.
When any problems present themselves in the home, be quick to take responsibility for it.
Don't make excuses, place blame elsewhere, or lose your temper.
It is, of course, right and good to call others in the home to repentance when guilty of wrongdoing, but set the direction and course of your home and family by leading through accountability and initiating repentance from the top down.
In his book, Reforming Marriage, Douglas Wilson writes, He, the husband, must be a rock in his home, a small pebble that somehow, by the grace of God, pictures the rock that is Christ.
And so, as we close with our third and final point for consideration, we now look to the surety of God's promises.
This has been somewhat of a consistent theme throughout the book of Joshua, and it is a thrust that is continued in today's text, even though the events surrounding it are much different than before.
Up until this point in the book, Israel had experienced much success and encouragement from the Lord that He was, in fact, giving them the land of Canaan.
It seemed that all they would have to do would be slowly march into the land and watch their enemies fall by the wayside.
And for most of the book, this was the case.
That is until these events we have focused on here in chapter 7.
The defeat at Ai was one of the first trials that Israel faced since entering the land and certainly posed a challenge to their understanding of God's faithfulness to them and to His covenant.
Would the Lord grant Israel land after all?
Had he brought the people this far to give them into the hands of the Amorites?
Why did the road to conquering the land have to be so painful?
This is essentially the heart of the question that Joshua asks the Lord in verse 7.
And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all to give us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?
This question, why? Has been a question asked by many faithful followers of the Lord over the course of history.
Many have asked this question when struggling to grasp or understand the secret purposes of God.
And still others ask this question, fully aware of God's purposes and promises, when the burden of pain and suffering makes it difficult to see the fulfillment of those promises.
Joshua's questions represent the latter of the two.
Joshua remembered the promise given to his fathers.
To Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob.
He remembered the promise given to Moses in Deuteronomy.
Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours.
Your territory shall be from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the river, the river Euphrates, to the western sea.
No one shall be able to stand against you.
The Lord your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you.
Deuteronomy 11, verses 24 and 25.
Joshua also remembered the promise that was given to him back in chapter 3 how the Lord promised to drive out all the nations.
Of the land from before Israel without fail.
He and the people clung to these promises and had witnessed great success throughout the journey.
And surely he knew that the Lord had not brought Israel this far to give them into the hands of the Amorites.
But he still grappled with the pain and humiliation of defeat and the realization that Israel was still in need of purification.
He implored the Lord to deal mercifully with the people and to remember his promises, which he had given for years and generations.
This is an appropriate place for us to end because we recognize in large part that these events happened for the Lord to sanctify and purify his people.
They were a people whom God's promises had been given, and faith and obedience were expected.
When disobedience and sin are embraced, the Lord, as a loving father, brings discipline that is meant to bring correction.
As we will see next week, Achan and his family will die as a result of his sin, and the rest of the congregation stands.
In fear.
Anchored in God's Promises00:04:26
These purposes are clear, and we remember this because we have the benefit of seeing the fulfillment of God's promises in the rest of the scripture.
Despite the crippling defeat, we see God's promise to give the land of Canaan to Israel ultimately fulfilled.
Israel, for a time, had great success in the land and became the place where our Lord was born, lived, died, and rose from the dead in power.
Israel will have a difficult time seeing the fulfillment of these promises after experiencing defeat at the hands of Ai.
They would need to see them with the eyes of faith and through the help of leaders like Joshua, who would remind them of the Lord and his purposes.
As we consider these points, we have to remember that God's promises are sure.
When our circumstances in life become tough, when our troubles seem to multiply, or when we find ourselves under the hand of God's fatherly displeasure, we have to resolve to cling to God's promises and remember that they will, in fact, find their fulfillment.
Like Israel in Joshua's day, this is the blueprint we find for conquering the land, and it provides the fuel for a hopeful eschatology.
Christ rules and reigns now, and promises that the church will one day reign with him.
The Great Commission will be successful, and one by one, Christ's enemies will be placed under his feet.
These promises will find their fulfillment, and this provides the basis for hopeful, obedient Christian living today.
When we experience times of sorrow or agonizing defeat, We must reassure ourselves with these promises.
And remember that no matter how bad it looks, we keep our eyes fixed on Christ and entrust ourselves to a faithful Creator while doing good.
What are some ways in which we can do this?
One way that has stood out to me over the years was a scriptural meditation that was found from a great book that I know some of you may have read.
This book is The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, which was written by a Puritan, Jeremiah Burroughs, is his name.
In the book, Burroughs challenges Christian readers to a life of contentment.
And warns them against the dangers of grumbling and complaining, especially amidst bitter circumstances.
One of the promises that he points to in Scripture is found in Proverbs 15, verse 6.
In the house of the righteous, there is much treasure.
In pointing to the Scripture, he reminds Christians to cling to it, to believe in it, trust in it, remembering that even when they have a meal of measly crumbs or only a poor wooden stool to sit on, their house is truly furnished with much treasure.
Such promises are not meant to lead us to naivety.
The pauper should recognize the poor condition of his home and strive to work even harder to supply a better meal than crumbs for his family.
But at the end of a long day of difficult labor, he must not allow his circumstances to interpret the trajectory of his life.
He ought to remember that even the little he has has been given to him by God and is, in fact, much treasure.
Remembering God's promises at these points are what cause us to grow in contentment and gratefulness to God, Burroughs says.
Prices at the grocery store may have caused you recently to tighten your already strict budget or work overtime, but we cannot forget that even the little we have is a gift from God to be heartily enjoyed.
Such is the spirit that should pervade the times we live in.
We should diligently seek to understand the times and learn from the lessons God may be providentially teaching us.
But even bumps in the road and sharp detours cannot detract us from the surety of God's promises.
His church and kingdom will be victorious.
When it seems that the powers of evil and darkness are prevailing, or when we look foolish when we sin and have to repent, we must refresh ourselves with such promises as these The meek shall inherit the earth.
I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
In my Father's house are many rooms.
If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
May you see your children's children, and the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.
Closing with Hope00:01:29
As the waters cover the sea.
As we close for today, I want to stir you up with the words of one last biblical promise found in 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 9 through 11.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live with him.
Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing.
Let's pray.
Father, we thank you for your word, which shines to us and even warns us, as today's text does, Lord.
We tremble in fear when we consider Achan and consider his fate.
We pray, Lord, that you would keep us from such sin, from being presumptuous, from hiding sin.
We ask that you would help us to be quick to repent, as we did, as we're reminded in Psalm 32 today, being reminded that when we kept secret our sin, our bones wasted away.
But then when we confess our sins, we find.
We find redemption.
We find mercy.
We find deep joy being in your presence, Lord.
And so we have great confidence today, Lord, knowing that we stand in Jesus Christ.
And so it's him that we praise, him that we worship today, Lord.
We pray that you would have been honored today through the preaching of your word.
And we pray that we would continue in worship to you now, Lord, on this Lord's day.
Be glorified and be with the hearts of your people.