Not Following Directions

April 22

Joshua 7-8

Psalm 49:16-20

Proverbs 11:27-29

Luke 14

Not Following Directions

“The Israelites, however, were unfaithful regarding the things set apart for destruction; Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and the Lord’s anger burned against the Israelites.  The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them and chased them from outside the gate to the quarries, striking them down on the descent.  As a result, the people’s hearts melted and became like water.  The Lord then said to Joshua, ‘Stand up! Why are you on the ground?  Israel has sinned.  They have violated My covenant that I appointed for them.  They have taken some of what was set apart.  They have stolen, deceived, and put the things with their own belongings.  This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies.”  Joshua 7:1, 5, 10-12 HCSB

As long as the Israelites obeyed God and followed His directions, they were able to defeat the people and take possession of the land that had been promised to them.  However, when they were disobedient and decided to take matters into their own hands, they were unsuccessful.  Achan stole some of the items that were set apart for the Lord’s house.  He not only stole something that didn’t belong to him; he stole from God.  It seems harsh that God punished all of them for the sins of one.  I cannot pretend to understand that, but it demonstrates a truth that is undisputed.  Our actions affect others.  When we sin, we are not the only ones that suffer the consequences.  Often, our loved ones also experience the pain and embarrassment of our poor choices and sinful decisions.  Thirty-six men lost their lives because of Achan’s sin. 

There was an interesting omission from the story of the Israelites defeat at Ai.  Before they went into Jericho, the children of Israel sought the Lord.  They asked Him for His guidance, and they followed His battle plan.  We see no mention in these verses that they sought God before going into Ai.  Actually, it seems that they thought they didn’t really need God’s help with this one.  They saw that Ai was small and thought they could handle this one on their own.  “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 (NIV) Obviously, they were wrong.  They needed God’s guidance and His protection every step of the way if they were going to take possession of the land.  They had to follow His directions completely.  They repented of their sin and asked for God’s guidance.  God gave them the battle plan which they followed exactly, and they were able to destroy Ai.