Steven A. Bush - November 12, 2023
Achan For Trouble
Following Israel's great Jericho victory, their next target was a little place called Ai. Joshua 7:4-6 reveals the outcome: "So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water. Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the Ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads." (ESV) So what went wrong? A man named Achan stole forbidden plunder from Jericho's ruins. Considered stealing from God, Achan's sin negatively impacts not only his family, but his whole nation! As a consequence, he suffers a harsh judgment and gruesome death. We can certainly learn from this. Sometimes we deem acceptable what God considers unacceptable. Sometimes we approve what God's deems offensive. Sometimes laws are passed that God still considers unlawful. Sometimes common practices our culture celebrates, God finds detestable. We may grimace so much at God's wrath that we miss His unfathomable love. The two actually meet up. Where? At the cross! Achan paid for his sin. Jesus paid for ours!
Scripture References: Joshua 7:1-26, 1 Corinthians 12:26