The Man You Could Be - Lesson 7- “You Are Not Invincible” – Joshua 7:1-26

12-10-17

“Everyone, including you, is capable of giving in to sinful temptation that can have devastating effects on yourself and others”(Paul W Downey, The Man You Could Be; p. 41).

The children of Israel just had an incredible victory against Jericho and were ready to keep conquering. In Joshua 6:17-19, Joshua made clear to Israel that all the gold, silver, brass, and iron would be salvaged and dedicated to God. Everything else was to be burned. God was wanted Israel to demonstrate the principle of giving (tithing). Giving God the good from the first city illustrated the fact that all things belong to God. Israel was giving glory toGod for the victory over Jericho by giving the first of their “increase.” If you have income from a job or an allowance, I would strongly encourage tithing to give back to God a part of what He has given you.

Chapter seven, probably the saddest in the book of Joshua, reveals sin in Israel’s camp that was unnoticed. It soon would be noticed when Israel would lose 35 elite soldiers against a weak Ai. Achan would disobey God’s command and keep some stuff from Jericho hidden in his tent. Joshua was ready to strike immediately against Ai, having just destroyed the region’s strongest fortress, Jericho. The three thousand men dispatched by Joshua were humiliated and defeated. Joshua, not knowing of sin in the camp, blamed God (Joshua 7:7).

The problem was not a tactical problem for Israel but a spiritual problem. Unresolved sin committed during the attack against Jericho made Israel fail against Ai. Joshua had failed to make sure Israel was obedient to God’s instructions. After Ai had whipped them, Joshua was ready to withdraw and quit. He was guilty of the sin of unbelief.

Have you ever felt like giving up because you failed, making the same mistake again and again, or committing the same sin over and over? * ______

According to 1 John 1:8 and 10, do you think God knows that you have sinned? * ______

According to 1 John 1:9, what should you do about it? * ______

If you do what 1 John 1:9 says, what have God promised to do?* ______

We have to learn that not every difficultly is a defeat. We also need to realize that real defeat can come as a result of sin in some area of life.

God told Joshua to find the man guilty of taking stuff from Jericho. God already knew who he was, but he wanted to teach Israel a few things during this process.

  1. The magistrates had to learn to administer justice by God’s guidance
  2. This method would help motivate everyone in Israel to examine their own hearts for sin.
  3. It gave the guilty a lot of opportunity to confess.
  4. Once the guilty party was identified, it eliminated any question in Israel about who he was and the genuineness of his guilt. *

Not only did God demand that Israel give the good from the first city as the “first-fruits”, the best set aside for Him (the tithe), but He wanted to teach them that future victory would depend on present obedience, particularly in the matter of giving.

Do you think other victories for you might depend on your obedience to this principle? *______

Are you willing to obey God in this matter? * ______

What do you think might be the consequences of disobedience?* ______

What do you think might be some of the blessings of obedience?* ______

We can learn a few things from Achan’s bad example.

  1. The principle of giving (tithing) is important to God, and failure to give is serious. “It combines covetousness – dissatisfaction with what God has given us – with blasphemy and idolatry – keeping for ourselves what belongs to God.
  2. Trying to hide our sin from God is pointless.
  3. God hates sin in His own people as much as He hates sin in those who are not His.

Even the best of us are capable of falling into sin. We need God’s help to not live in defeat. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Project for Developing an Obedient Faith*

List a few circumstances that have brought difficulties into your life. Identify which ones were defeats, caused by sin, and which were difficulties sent to teach or strengthen you. What are some lessons you have learned from these circumstances? ______

* Questions / statements used or reworded from Lesson 5 in The Man You Could be by Paul W. Downey; BJU Press, 2007.