REAL PEOPLE: Achan
The Sad Story Of Achan.
“Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction (devoted things), or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.” Joshua 6:17-19 NLT
God made His will crystal clear to everyone.
God has made His will crystal clear to you.
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But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites.
Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai… When they returned, they told Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.”
So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away. Joshua 7:1-5 NLT
There’s no such thing as a “private” sin.
Your sin has a greater impact on people around you than you realize.
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But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings.” Joshua 7:10-11 NLT
“‘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!” Joshua 7:14-15 CSB
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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 bar 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 7:20-21 NIV
How to become a hypocrite in 4 easy steps…
Step #1: Achan SAW the devoted things!
Step #2: Achan WANTED the devoted things!
Step #3: Achan TOOK the devoted things!
Step #4: Achan BURIED the devoted things!
What’s the moral of the sad story of Achan?
GOD HATES SIN
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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. Joshua 7:25-26 NIV
God so loved me that He took the stoning that I deserved!
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT
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