Stewarding the Devoted things
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devoted thing. 2. devotions, ban — thing devoted to ˊי: 1. thing hostile to theocracy, and therefore (in the strictest application) to be either destroyed, or, in the case of certain objects (e.g. silver and gold, vessels of brass and iron), set apart to sacred uses; esp. a. of a Canaan. city, as Jericho, incl. all inhab. (exc. Rahab’s family) and spoil; Achan
Three Questions I want us to answer...
1) What are the things we bury and hide and not willing to part with?
2) How does this effect the path/journey of my life?
3) What is the MACRO impact?
JOSHUA CHAPTER 7
Israel Defeated at Ai
1But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel.
2Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. 3And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.” 4So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, 5and 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. HOW IS IT THAT A FEW CAN DEFEAT MANY? HOW IS THIS TRUE TODAY?
6Then 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. 7And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! 9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”
The Sin of Achan
10The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. 12Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction.a I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. 13Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.” 14In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the LORD takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the LORD takes shall come near by households. And the household that the LORD takes shall come near man by man. 15And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”
16So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praiseb to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels,c then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the LORD.
Sin always has a precise pattern. Achan saw, he coveted, he took. He concealed and this pattern is repeated throughout scripture.
Sin will cost you and I. What are you willing to lose?… Achan lost, he lost big time!
24And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.d (Achor - meaning disturbance or trouble)
WHAT WERE THE EFFECTS OF HIDDEN SIN IN JOSHUA CHAPTER 7?
1) Sin has consequences - THE ARMY WAS DEFEATED BY JUST A SMALL BAND FROM THE LAND OF AI BECAUSE OF SIN INHIBITING THE BLESSING OF GOD OVER THEIR EFFORTS
2) Sin leaves us longing – See Achan could not enjoy his sin, He had to hide his sin.
3) GOD EXPOSES OUR SINS - You see sin always finds out – because - God knows.
We might hide our sin for a while, but eventually we cannot hide sin. God uncovers what we cover, and He covers what we uncover.
4) Sin will cost you more than you ever intended to pay.. He and his family were stoned. His covetous heart destroyed his family and effected his entire tribe.
5) There is a common sin pattern that still plagues you and i today. Achan Saw, He coveted, He took, He concealed. (Eve Saw, coveted, took and concealed / David saw, coveted, took and concealed
How Serious is Sin!?
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
My friend if you are stewarding your sin (more interested in concealing your sin) over honoring Gods and his commands, rest assured...... you, like Achan cannot hide from God. You may hide from your spouse, your family, your church, your employer, etc but you can not hide from God and he will not put up with it and you will not have his blessings upon your tent. You will live defeated running in fear like the defeated Israelites in the battle at Ai because God will not bless you while you protect the devoted things (the things he has called you to destroy)
Todays church is plagued by the sins of the world and Christians who are called to be stewards in the house of the Master are being drawn to sensuality like a moth to a flame.
Pride
Wrath - uncontrolled anger
Greed
Envy
Slothfulness
Lust - leads to pornography, pornography leads to adultery but like any sin it leads to death! This will destroy you, your home, your community and your country. Leading in stewardship of Gods commandments is upon your mantel in your tent, your community, and this nation!
Being mesmerized by worldliness and the desire to be lusted after over the desire to steward holiness (righteousness) will cause you to tare down your home with your own hands.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
Galatians 6:7-9
7Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. 8The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
9Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.
KING DAVID KNEW ALL TO WELL WHAT IT WAS TO WORN OUT BY SIN AND TO EXPERIENCE THE HEAVINESS OF CONVICTION. THE TORMENT OF KNOWING HE WAS NOT UNDER GODS BLESSING HIDING HIS SIN.
Psalm 32 (ESV)
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Young and old men and women of this church – what you spend your time consuming that is unholy will consume you. The choices you make in what your willing to consume when it comes to social media, the movies the shows and all the sensual entertainment this culture has to offer will be the fruit you consume. What do you steward, how tiring is it to have to justify over and over and over and over what you entertain yourself with? If you are getting offended and already thinking of a valid argument for yourself you then You Might have to say Ouch instead of Amen....
Why do we see what we can get away with rather than desiring to destroy the devoted things that wage war against our very souls?
Secret sins turn into great transgressions – you cannot fight with a guilty conscious!
2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
GOD IS CALLING US TO STEWARDSHIP. THE KIND OF STEWARDSHIP BORN OF HIS SPIRIT BEING WASHED BY HIS BLOOD. THE POWER OF CHRIST THAT GIVES US COURAGE.
A CLEAN HEART TOWARDS GOD IS A HEART THAT CAN REJOICE AND TRUSTS IN THE LORD.
CAN YOU HONESTLY SHOUT WITH THE JOY OF DELIVERANCE OR IS THE SIN OF YOUR HEART BURIED IN THE EARTH UNDERNEATH THE RUG OF YOUR TENT LIKE ACHAN? IT WILL DESTROY YOU IN THE BATTLE AND EFFECT YOUR HOUSEHOLD AND THOSE AROUND YOU.
IN JOSHUA 7 VERSE 10 GOD TOLD JOSHUA TO “GET UP”!. JOSHUA WAS IN ANGUISH ON HIS FACE BEFORE THE LORD.
GOD SOMETIMES CALLS US FIGHT FOR OUR HOMES, COMMUNITIES AND LAND THROUGH PRAYER BUT SOMETIMES HE FIRST CALLS US TO STOP BEGGING FOR DELIVERANCE WHILE HOLDING ON TO OUR SIN AND TELLS US TO REPENT!!