Joshua 7:1-71But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. 2And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labor thither; for they are but few. 4So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. 5And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. 6And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. 7And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! (Joshua 7:1‑7)
How little Achan thought when he took that goodly Babylonish garment, the silver, and the wedge of gold, and hid it in his tent, that he was to be the cause of a shameful defeat among the people of God. “I want that garment, and I need that gold,” he might have said to himself, but it was a sin against God, and God must deal in His government. Let us never think that we can hide anything from God, for He secs and knows all.
Achan had sinned, as we have just noticed, but up to this point no one knew it but God, and perhaps some of his household. It was all “hushed up.”
Very soon after this Joshua sent men to look at the city of Ai, planning to take possession of it as they had Jericho. They had captured Jericho so easily that the men suggested they could take the little city of Ai without any difficulty. They said that only two or three thousand men of war could take it very easily, and so Joshua sent up three thousand men, expecting certain victory. We see here how Achan’s sin was affecting all the people of God. They were becoming self-confident. They bad not asked the Lord what to do, but were making their own plans. If they had gone back to Gilgal, the place of self-judgment (in figure), and there asked the Lord what they should do, He would have told them. Achan’s sin would have been brought to light there, for the presence of God brings things to light. But they didn’t, and soon the three thousand men were put to flight by the men of Ai.
The Israel were brokenhearted, and Joshua rent his clothes showing his great disappointment and sorrow. Joshua, however, and the elders of Israel look their disappointment front the Lord. They acknowledged that He had allowed this, and that their place was to humble themselves under God’s mighty hand. They fell down before the ark of the Lord and put dust upon their heads, remaining there until evening. They asked the Lord why all this had come upon them.
Then a feeling of doubt and unbelief came into Joshua’s heart, and he said, “Would God we had been content and dwelt on the other side Jordan!” They would have escaped all this conflict if they had only remained there, and, for a moment, Joshua wished they had. Perhaps some of us have had similar thoughts at times. Surely the Word of God lays bare the inmost thoughts of our hearts, making us realize we have to do with One who knows all about us. And there is no place like the assembly of God to test the flesh, and to bring to light its activities. There were conflicts on the other side of Jordan, but nothing like the exercises and conflicts of the land of Canaan. And so if we settle down in a position where the flesh is given a place, and not put under the sentence of death, there will be less conflict than in a place where we seek to act upon the scripture, “The flesh profiteth nothing.” John 6:6363It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63). To seek to set aside the flesh altogether is sure to produce conflict, but it is the only way to enter into the enjoyment of our heavenly blessings, for the Spirit and the flesh are always opposed. This we learn from Galatians 5:1717For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Galatians 5:17). “The flesh lusted, against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” May we allow the Spirit of God to lead us into all truth!
ML 03/15/1953