SCRIPTURE:
“But Israel violated instructions about the things set apart for the LORD.”
“Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.”
Joshua 7:1, 13 (NLT)
Joshua 7:1, 13 (NLT)
OBSERVATION:
Here in Joshua, the chapter starts with a simple statement; Israel messed up, regarding things that were set apart—that is, declared holy—for the LORD.
Now some context; Israel was on a roll, having defeated the “undefeatable” city of Jericho, completely dependent on the LORD, having marched around the city seven times, shouting out loud, then overrunning the city and all in it. In chapter 6 verse 17, the LORD expressly gave instructions to the people; “Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord....”
God gave them the victory, so everything---that is, EVERY THING—must be destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Basically, to give it as unto the LORD is to render it unusable by anyone else ever again; it is an offering of obedience to God.
Everything was offered up….except for a few things pilfered from the city by a man named Achan; probably part of the mop-up crew after the victory.
Achan found a few things he couldn’t resist; a Babylonian robe, 200 pieces of silver, and a huge bar of gold. He thought he could slip one away and everyone could still go on—after all, there was the whole city of wealth to be offered up!
But it wasn’t to be. Israel was ready to raid and destroy the town of Ai, a rather simple and almost routine battle with only a few thousand men needed in Joshua’s estimation to get the job done. Instead, God’s people got shellacked by the people of Ai, and the courage that once was in Israel was now gone.
Joshua cried out to the LORD, asking Him why this easy enemy ended up spanking them. The LORD answered them, called them out on what they did, and made it simple; you will never defeat any more enemies until you remove that which was set apart for Me, and kept for yourselves.
Joshua eventually confronted Achan through a process of elimination, and it didn’t end well for Achan.
APPLICATION:
Why did this stick out for me?
On this side of Jesus, we are chosen and adopted (part of God’s people through the spirit of adoption through Christ), freed (from the captivity of our sins) and forgiven (of our sins through repentance).
Yet, in our minds, we tend to walk in our freedom and forgiveness with a few things lodged away in the corners we think won’t be noticed. Things we know in our conscience we need to place on the Cross. Maybe it’s a little “white lie”. Maybe it's unforgiveness or being easily offended. Perhaps it’s messing with overindulging in alcohol, drugs, or pornography…things God wants us to obliterate from our minds.
And sometimes we wonder why we get spanked by life over and over again.
God’s words to Israel and Joshua echo in my mind; “You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.”
Our victory is in Jesus Christ, who made the way for us by His blood. But if I am to walk victorious in Him, I must devote to destruction, as often as necessary, the things God makes clear to me that need to be offered up to Him and removed from my thoughts and mind. Only then shall the enemies of my mind be soundly defeated.
The battlefield is my mind.
The war has been won, but until then, the battles will continue until Jesus returns to claim His victory over all. Until then, the removal process goes on.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, may the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart be pleasing in Your sight…and if that requires me to continually campaign to eliminate that which keeps me from conquering the enemies of my mind, so be it. May there be nothing hidden from You.
Give me strength and grace to win each day. Amen.
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