091706

Joshua on Leadership
The Agony of Defeat


Joshua 6:18-19; 7:1-5 (Monday)
“But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury.”
Joshua 7:1-5 “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. Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, "Go up and spy out the region." So the men went up and spied out Ai. When they returned to Joshua, they said, "Not all the people will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary all the people, for only a few men are there." So about three thousand men went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted and became like water.” (NIV)
1) When you think of a thing or an object as being devoted, what thought(s) come to your mind?
2) Here, the word is cherem, which can be translated as being physically shut in (such as a fish caught in a net); an object subject to doom, or a thing appointed to utter destruction. One translation is accursed.
3) Cherem is first mentioned in Deuteronomy 7:22-26. What were these devoted things, what were the Israelites to do with them and why?
a) Oh, our idols can and do ensnare us! Where does the entrapment begin according to this passage in Deuteronomy?
i) Once we have moved past the sin of covetousness, then we sink deeper into a pit of destruction by bringing the accursed thing into our dwelling places! Big mistake! How can this bring about our own spiritual downfall?
(1) Let’s skip over the obvious idols or “gods” of this world; money, position, fame. Let’s dig a little deeper and try to uncover other “devoted things” or areas in our life that we have turned into substitute idols or “gods”. Please share if you feel free.
4) Does it seem that Joshua was spiritually tuned into this very serious situation? What may have been the reason he lacked discernment (Jeremiah 10:21)?
5) This direct act of disobedience was carried out by one man, yet these verses tell us that “the Israelites” acted unfaithfully. This implies guilt upon the entire nation. Do you believe this was just on God’s part? Oh, go back and read Joshua 6:18-19! No one in the entire camp could say that God didn’t give them fair warning! How does this speak of being “your brother’s keeper” (Genesis 4:9)? How might this scenario played out if someone had been watchful for someone else being tempted? (James 5:19-20; 1 John 5:16)
6) The Lord had promised to go before the Israelites, every piece of land they stepped their foot upon was theirs for the taking. The Israelites believed God’s word and sent three thousand men to fight—seems reasonable, or does it? How did the Israelites err in their decision making?
a) Read Numbers 14:27-45. I don’t believe many of us intentionally set out to presume upon God’s mercy and grace covering or even fully realize when we are doing so. Still, we do this grievous act of sin time and time again. What are some ways we are presumptuous in our thoughts and actions towards God’s loving kindness toward us?
7) Has you heart ever melted and become like water within you—a time when you realized that you were fighting a battle all by yourself? What were the circumstances? How did you respond? How were you able to recover? were you able to recover?
Joshua 7:6-9 (Tuesday)
“Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the LORD, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads. And Joshua said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?” (NIV)
1) Joshua and the elders were so right in falling prostrate before God. However, Joshua utters a statement that had earlier drove God to cause an entire generation to wander in the desert for 40 years (Exodus 14:10-12; Numbers 11:1-6, 18; Numbers 13:25-33, 14:1-4)! What was it that Joshua said before his God? How was his statement different from those of the Israelites coming out of Egypt?
2) Do you believe Joshua’s concern for God’s great name was the main motive at work here? If not, why was?
3) Well, whether or not Joshua’s heart was in the right place, you can bet Joshua’s leadership ability was on the line—among the Israelites, among the pagan peoples and before God!
4) Moses also expressed his concern to God about how other peoples would perceive Jehovah if He destroyed the very people He had saved (Numbers 14:11-23). Compare these two passages and note similarities and differences.
a) What do you think was Moses’ motivation?
b) What do you think was Joshua’s motivation?
i) Which seems to be more of an intercession? Does either sound in any way accusatory?
Joshua 7:10-15 (Wednesday)
“The LORD said to Joshua, "Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. "Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, `Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it. "In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD takes shall come forward clan by clan; the clan that the LORD takes shall come forward family by family; and the family that the LORD takes shall come forward man by man. He who is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the LORD and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel!” (NIV)
1) The Lord has a way of setting someone straight! My goodness! I can almost heart God telling Joshua, “What are you doing on the ground? What are the others going to think of your name? Be a leader, stand up like a man of God and take responsible action! If I made a promise and you don’t see the fulfillment, then you had better look among yourselves for the source of the problem!”
2) Well, before we get too harsh on poor Joshua, at one point God had to kick Moses into gear, too (Exodus 14:8-18)! There is a time for inquiry, a time for intercession, a time for repentance and obviously, a time for faith-filled, live it out action! Oh, there is never a time for wallowing in self-pity!
3) Whether or not Joshua had truly inquired of the Lord, God graciously reveals the source of the problem—a devoted thing is among you!
4) Now, you know God knew who took those items! So, why go tribe by tribe, clan by clan, and family by family?
5) Why would God destroy all that belongs to the man guilty of this single act of disobedience?
6) Could Achan have hidden these items without the knowledge of his family?
Joshua 7:16-21 (Thursday)
“Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was taken. The clans of Judah came forward, and he took the Zerahites. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was taken. Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me." Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw 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.” (NIV)
1) Every tribe of Israel was under suspicion. Have you ever been called out, been completely innocent and, yet still felt shame and guilt simply because you were grouped together with the real culprit? Not being guilty of this particular sin didn’t in any way stop the trembling and fear all of Israel must have been feeling standing there before the judgment of Almighty God! Why (Romans 3:10-19)?
a) What is God’s answer for this hopelessness (Romans 8:1-4)!
2) What tribe was the guilty man from?
a) Read Genesis 49:8-12. What blessing did the patriarch of our faith give unto his son, Judah?
i) Rule belonged to the tribe of Judah—it would fall to one of Judah’s descendants and it would be everlasting! To whom does the specter belong (Revelation 5:1-10)! Glory to God!
b) I’m sure it grieved the clans of this noble and royal tribe that one of their own brethren would be devoted or accursed because of this act of sin and treachery against God’s spoken commandment. Just have to make this parallel—Remember, Christ became our curse for our sin (Galatians 3:13)! In God’s grand design, the curse was necessary for one man—the God-Man, so grace could abound all the more for us! Oh, don’t get me wrong—this man sinned, and Jesus was and is the spotless, sinless One! Just something to think about!
3) This appears to be a contrite confession, right? If Achan were truly repentant, why wasn’t he the one face down before God? Why wait until his tribe, his clan, indeed, the entire nation was shamed?
a) Maybe I’m the only one, but God help me, I really do try and convince myself sometimes that I can get away with things (sins) because no one will ever find out—this man thought the same thing! What does Isaiah 29:15-16 tell us about that lie from the pit?
4) Okay, we see a devoted thing that is not necessarily what we would think of as an idol—a beautiful robe! God help me, how many “beautiful robes” fill my closets, my draws, my shoe racks!!!
5) The silver and gold were to go into God’s treasury! We would never do anything like that—would we (Malachi 3:8-10). Yes, I know—money talk!
Joshua 7:22-26 (Friday)
“So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the LORD. Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today." Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.”
1) Stoning was a punishment set aside for the most grievous of sins:
a) Sacrificing Israelite children to a pagan god (Leviticus 20:2)
b) Divination (consulting demonic spirits (horoscopes, mediums, etc.) (Leviticus 20:27)
c) Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:14) A person guilty of blasphemy had to be stone outside the camp!
d) Causing others to follow after a false god (Deuteronomy 13:6-18)
e) A rebellious and stubborn child (Deuteronomy 21:18-21) Ouch!
f) Adultery, rape, and incest (Deuteronomy 22:13-25)
i) In each of these instances, the stoning was to be done by the entire camp
(1) Special provision was made so that no one would be falsely accused. According to Deuteronomy 17:6 what was required?
2) Which of these categories would you say Achan’s sin fell into?
3) Achan lineage was completely erased from Israel! Why was God so swift to meet His full and just wrath upon this man (Deuteronomy 13:5b; 17:7b)?
4) Go back to Monday’s discussion of devoted things. As God had warned, Achan and his family became devoted things themselves. How does this family’s demise line up with God’s instructions for devoted things?
a) Aren’t you glad that God does not deal with us as our transgressions deserve, but according to His great compassion, grace and love (Psalms 103:9-14)? Thank you, Jesus!

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