Many churches, many peoples, many nations today are in search of God's blessings. We hold prayer vigils, days of fasting, all sorts of things to try to get that blessing. I wonder though, if any of us have considered if some of us are still engaged in sinful activities that we keep hidden from the eyes of our Christian brothers and sisters? Consider this passage from Joshua:
"But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things, Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord's anger burned against Israel." Joshua 7:1.
Joshua's army has just witnessed an awesome miracle of God. They followed God's commands and marched around Jericho for seven days according to the Word of the Lord. On the seventh day, God caused the walls to fall and Jericho was taken. Joshua's army devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it. All the gold, silver and bronze were put into the Lord's treasury. Before this great battle, God had instructed Joshua to instruct the people that they were to keep away from the devoted things, otherwise, the camp of Israel would be liable to destruction.
After Jericho, Joshua's army marched against the city of Ai. But this time, Joshua's army was defeated. Joshua couldn't understand what had happened. The Lord had told him that He would be with them and they would enjoy victory, but now to suffer defeat? Joshua cried out to God for understanding, and God told him that Israel had sinned. They had violated the covenant that God had commanded them to keep. Someone had taken the devoted things.
God will not bless sin! There are many superficial Christians in our world today. They are in our governments, our churches, even in our pulpits. They appear holy on the outside, but on the inside they may be engaged in activities that we know nothing about. Here in Joshua, one man kept the whole nation of Israel from enjoy God's blessing:
"Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw the in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath." Joshua 7:20-22.
Friends, God knows that we are sinners. The reason that Christ came was to pay the punishment for our sin. However, that doesn't give us a free ticket to do as we please. God has instructed us to be holy as He is holy. We must have a heart of repentance and a spirit of confession in all that we do. Achan and his entire family suffered death due to his sin. We most likely will not suffer death, but we must understand that when we sin, others around us are affected by our sin, just as Achan's family, just as the nation of Israel. This one man's disobedience cost the whole of Israel God's blessing.
As Christians, we need to practice accountability. As we seek to understand why God might not be present in our churches, in our homes, in our nations, we must ask the question: Who among us is outside the will of God? We need to hold our brothers and sisters accountable for their actions. When they sin, we love them them, and help them to confess and repent. We help them to get right with God. God is with us, and God wants to bless us, but He cannot if we or others among us are knowingly sinning against Him. Maybe you are engaged in activities that you know are not right, and you keep hidden from others. Ask God to help you to get right with Him, then ask others to hold you accountable for your actions. As believers we must walk in God's holiness and not in Achan's sin!
May God richly bless you today!! H Trent!
"But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things, Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord's anger burned against Israel." Joshua 7:1.
Joshua's army has just witnessed an awesome miracle of God. They followed God's commands and marched around Jericho for seven days according to the Word of the Lord. On the seventh day, God caused the walls to fall and Jericho was taken. Joshua's army devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it. All the gold, silver and bronze were put into the Lord's treasury. Before this great battle, God had instructed Joshua to instruct the people that they were to keep away from the devoted things, otherwise, the camp of Israel would be liable to destruction.
After Jericho, Joshua's army marched against the city of Ai. But this time, Joshua's army was defeated. Joshua couldn't understand what had happened. The Lord had told him that He would be with them and they would enjoy victory, but now to suffer defeat? Joshua cried out to God for understanding, and God told him that Israel had sinned. They had violated the covenant that God had commanded them to keep. Someone had taken the devoted things.
God will not bless sin! There are many superficial Christians in our world today. They are in our governments, our churches, even in our pulpits. They appear holy on the outside, but on the inside they may be engaged in activities that we know nothing about. Here in Joshua, one man kept the whole nation of Israel from enjoy God's blessing:
"Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw the in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath." Joshua 7:20-22.
Friends, God knows that we are sinners. The reason that Christ came was to pay the punishment for our sin. However, that doesn't give us a free ticket to do as we please. God has instructed us to be holy as He is holy. We must have a heart of repentance and a spirit of confession in all that we do. Achan and his entire family suffered death due to his sin. We most likely will not suffer death, but we must understand that when we sin, others around us are affected by our sin, just as Achan's family, just as the nation of Israel. This one man's disobedience cost the whole of Israel God's blessing.
As Christians, we need to practice accountability. As we seek to understand why God might not be present in our churches, in our homes, in our nations, we must ask the question: Who among us is outside the will of God? We need to hold our brothers and sisters accountable for their actions. When they sin, we love them them, and help them to confess and repent. We help them to get right with God. God is with us, and God wants to bless us, but He cannot if we or others among us are knowingly sinning against Him. Maybe you are engaged in activities that you know are not right, and you keep hidden from others. Ask God to help you to get right with Him, then ask others to hold you accountable for your actions. As believers we must walk in God's holiness and not in Achan's sin!
May God richly bless you today!! H Trent!
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