Seven words that describe the journey of Israel from failure back to victory. These seven words frame the story of the two battles for one little city called Ai . They also suggest a framework for our journey from failure to victory, from defeat to devotion.
For your reflection, and to share your comments if you wish:
- how has your disobedience of God's clear will led into failure?
- how has defeat led you, in dismay, to cry out to God?
- how has God met you in defeat, given direction towards discovery of a root of sin and what needs to change?
- how has God's gracious victory in an area of life led you into renewed devotion to Him?
5 comments:
I see parallels in this passage to what Paul said in 2 Cor., when I am weak then I am strong. I have found in my life that when I am weakest or defeated and I admit that to God, that is when He works in me and shows me what He has for me.
Seems like weekly now we see headlines of morality failures of politicians or preachers that leads to remorse of getting caught. Achan would not trust God in His perfect provision, he had to take what was God’s for himself. Even when the exposure process became clear that Achan would sound be found out, instead of jumping in to stop the process, admitting his sin, accepting his fate for the sake of a nation, he waited, until it was too late and his whole family suffered for it.
I find myself in Achan’s position with my mask on looking like everything is great outwardly appearing to please God when deeper guilt of past sin issues drag me down. Not until I am confronted with fear of getting caught would I ever come to terms with or confess my sin. After all, this is what our culture has taught me. Be strong in myself, show no signs of weakness. A “real” Christian should not struggle with past sin. Right? Am I any different than Achan, just not found out yet? You ask what needs to change? Seems like I am just now learning to truly trust God, coming to terms with grace and Christ at my side.
Achan's sin sounds similar to how I used to handle personal finances, I found on paper that tithing our first fruits off the top was too hard. I can’t afford it with so many bills. Sure I gave regularly (perhaps out of guilt) but never really true tithes and offerings off the top. Yet I can drive a decent car and live in a nice house. Why did I have such a hard time holding on to these first fruits/tithes, trusting God (not the credit card) for His perfect provision? When I finally got serious about this, I found we never had to worry (just like the Israelites). Yes, it takes personal sacrifice but God has always been faithful.
this Joshua study complements perfectly, week by week, our ladies' Bible study on Believing God. last week we studied about Cain and Abel's sacrifices. one thing that your message really made clear was what is meant by, "Christ's blood speaks a better word." how precious that is to me that, although like Cain, i have failed to obey God in attitude as well as action so many times,and deserve the condemnation that Abel's blood cries out...Jesus endured the cross for me, and His blood cries out, "Forgiven!" wow. what can I say to that kind of LOVE? it brought me from death to life...and gives me hope and strength each day. may my life correctly represent Him so others can be rescued and live in His Life, also.
Recently God disciplined me for a compromise in integrity that I was trying to rationalize. When He did, it was like nothing I have ever experienced from Him...I felt the fear of God come over me like never before...and I was reminded of the children of Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai. I knew that God was doing it to protect those under my authority who were innocent and righteous, but who would be affected if I continued to excuse my sin. I resolve never to forget the absolute dread of realizing that if I don't change, God will have to chastise me. I was so glad that He disciplined me before this message about Achan!
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