Category: 260 Devotional

 

 

Joshua Chapter 16 (ESV)

 

The Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh

¹ The allotment of the people of Joseph went from the Jordan by Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, into the wilderness, going up from Jericho into the hill country to Bethel.² Then going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to Ataroth, the territory of the Archites. ³ Then it goes down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer, and it ends at the sea.

⁴ The people of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance.

⁵ The territory of the people of Ephraim by their clans was as follows: the boundary of their inheritance on the east was Ataroth-addar as far as Upper Beth-horon, ⁶ and the boundary goes from there to the sea. On the north is Michmethath. Then on the east the boundary turns around toward Taanath-shiloh and passes along beyond it on the east to Janoah, ⁷ then it goes down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, and touches Jericho, ending at the Jordan. ⁸ From Tappuah the boundary goes westward to the brook Kanah and ends at the sea. Such is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Ephraim by their clans, ⁹ together with the towns that were set apart for the people of Ephraim within the inheritance of the Manassites, all those towns with their villages.¹⁰ However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor.

 

MEDITATION:

God has commanded the Israelites to drive out all Canaanites when they capture the cities, and they must not let Canaanites live among them. However out of convenience and for their own personal benefit, the Ephraims are already disobeying God’s order. At the time it may appeared to be trivial, but as we will find out, this causes big problem for the Ephraims and all of Israel down the road.

Were there times when out of your own interest or simply for your own convenience, you disobeyed what the Lord has commanded you? Do you also overlook ‘trivial’ things and choose to disobey God?

Repent and confess the times when you rebelled and disobeyed God. Ask God’s forgiveness.

PRAYER: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (ref. Ps 139:23-24)

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 15 (ESV)

 

The Allotment for Judah

¹The allotment for the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans reached southward to the boundary of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin at the farthest south. ² And their south boundary ran from the end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward. ³ It goes out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, passes along to Zin, and goes up south of Kadesh-barnea, along by Hezron, up to Addar, turns about to Karka, ⁴ passes along to Azmon, goes out by the Brook of Egypt, and comes to its end at the sea. This shall be your south boundary. ⁵ And the east boundary is the Salt Sea, to the mouth of the Jordan. And the boundary on the north side runs from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan. ⁶ And the boundary goes up to Beth-hoglah and passes along north of Beth-arabah. And the boundary goes up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. ⁷ And the boundary goes up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and so northward, turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. And the boundary passes along to the waters of En-shemesh and ends at En-rogel. ⁸ Then the boundary goes up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the southern shoulder of the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem). And the boundary goes up to the top of the mountain that lies over against the Valley of Hinnom, on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. ⁹ Then the boundary extends from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and from there to the cities of Mount Ephron. Then the boundary bends around to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim). ¹⁰ And the boundary circles west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passes along to the northern shoulder of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), and goes down to Beth-shemesh and passes along by Timnah. ¹¹ The boundary goes out to the shoulder of the hill north of Ekron, then the boundary bends around to Shikkeron and passes along to Mount Baalah and goes out to Jabneel. Then the boundary comes to an end at the sea. ¹² And the west boundary was the Great Sea with its coastline. This is the boundary around the people of Judah according to their clans.

 

MEDITATION:

Judah was the southernmost tribe west of the Jordan. Caleb’s family and the Simeonites lived within Judah’s territory. The boundaries of the whole tribal territory was recorded first. The description proceeds counterclockwise from south (vv. 2-4) to east (v. 5) to north (vv. 5-11) to west (v. 12).

The multitudes of the Judah tribe living in this vast area would be responsible for cultivating, irrigating, and planting in order to have grain, trees and orchard. Every area has its riches and its hardship. It is through their diligent cultivating and harvesting, that the Land of Milk and Honey will appear.

For in faithfully obeying God’s commands to them, the Israelites will be blessed by God as He has promised.

PRAYER: Father, in my life, there are times in need, but at other times I have plenty. No matter what, pray to give me a thankful heart, and reverent spirit to enjoy the blessings you have prepared for me.

 

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 14 (ESV)

 

Caleb’s Request and Inheritance

⁶ Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. ⁷ I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. ⁸ But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. ⁹ And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ ¹⁰ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. ¹¹ I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. ¹² So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.”

¹³ Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. ¹⁴ Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁵ Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.) And the land had rest from war.

 

READ: MEDITATION:

Caleb was one of the 12 spies who had scouted Canaan some 45 years earlier (ce. Num 13-14). Only he and Joshua had urged Israel to trust God and invade Canaan then. Now, at 85, Caleb still actively trusted God. He asked for a parcel of land still occupied by an especially warlike people, the Anakites, and confidently said, “If God goes with me, I will drive them out, just as God said.” (v12, MSG)

One of the gifts God gives to Christians today is the privilege of being in a church where the older folks were models of the kind of faith Caleb had. Too often we tend to segregate older believers from young. Yet the young people in our church need to be exposed to godly older men and women.

Caleb was still going strong at age 85. Will you be like him? What quality of his life do you want for yourself and your family? Are you or will you be a model for the younger Christians?

PRAYER: Do you know a good Christian man or woman who is about 85 years old, or 75 years old, etc.? What is the relationship you have with him/her? Pray for this person and ask God to bless him/her.

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 13 (ESV)

 

Land Still to Be Conquered

¹ Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess. ² This is the land that yet remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all those of the Geshurites ³ (from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is counted as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim, ⁴ in the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites, ⁵ and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath, ⁶ all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. ⁷ Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

The Inheritance East of the Jordan

⁸ With the other half of the tribe of Manasseh the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the Lord gave them: ⁹ from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland of Medeba as far as Dibon; ¹⁰ and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the boundary of the Ammonites; ¹¹ and Gilead, and the region of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah; ¹² all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); these Moses had struck and driven out. ¹³ Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day.

¹⁴ To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him.

MEDITATION:

The power of the Canaanites had been broken by the power of united Israel. But there were still pockets of resistance in each area allotted to the various tribes.

The Israelites population was not large enough to fill the whole land. Each tribe was responsible to take additional land as its population grew.

If you had been a Gadite or Reubenite, what would have been the first thing you do in your new land: Build a house to live in? Have a big feast? Check out the neighbors? Look for water? (e) Gather for worship? Why?

What have you received that you feel is a specific inheritance (gift) from the Lord? What have you done with it?

Prayer: My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir! I give you my most sincere thanks. (ref. Ps 16:5-6, The Message)

 

 

Joshua Chapter 12 (ESV)

 

Kings Defeated by Joshua

⁷ And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, that rises toward Seir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments, ⁸ in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negeb, the land of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites): ⁹ the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; ¹⁰ the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; ¹¹ the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; ¹² the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; ¹³ the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; ¹⁴ the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;¹⁵ the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; ¹⁶ the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; ¹⁷ the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; ¹⁸ the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; ¹⁹ the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; ²⁰ the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; ²¹ the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; ²² the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; ²³ the king of Dor in Naphath-dor, one; the king of Goiim in Galilee, one; ²⁴ the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one kings.

 

MEDITATION:

Read the names of these kings and see if you remember any of them from study of the previous chapters 1-11. This chapter is the conclusion of the first half of the book of Joshua.

Most scholars believe that the Conquest described so graphically in these chapters, actually took about seven years to accomplish. When total victory had finally been won, Joshua carefully listed the 31 Canaanite city-states that were defeated. Israel could look back on this impressive list and be encouraged. God, who had promised victory, had kept His word. Surely God could be trusted for victory in battles yet to come.

Has God helped in your life to conquer anything: Bad temper? Shyness? Certain phobia? Smoking? Serious illness? Addiction? Marriage problems? Obesity? Poor self-image? The list could go on. Pause and recall. Write down what comes to mind in your Journal Book. If ready, share it with another Christian or in your cell.

Prayer: God, I thank you because I know in all things I am more than conquerors through him who loved me.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ref. Rom 8:37-39)

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 11 (ESV)

 

Conquests in Northern Canaan

¹ When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, ² and to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor on the west, ³ to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. ⁴ And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. ⁵ And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

⁶ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” ⁷ So Joshua and all his warriors came suddenly against them by the waters of Merom and fell upon them. ⁸ And the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. And they struck them until he left none remaining. ⁹ And Joshua did to them just as the Lord said to him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

¹⁰ And Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms. ¹¹ And they struck with the sword all who were in it, devoting them to destruction; there was none left that breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire. ¹² And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua captured, and struck them with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. ¹³ But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor alone; that Joshua burned. ¹⁴ And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the people of Israel took for their plunder. But every person they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any who breathed. ¹⁵ Just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

²³ So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.

 

MEDITATION:

It is important to note while facing the greatest warfare, Joshua followed every detailed command by the Lord. ‘He (Joshua) left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses (v15)”.Joshua carried out fully the specific orders given by God. And “the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel” (v8). We are to fight wisely and obediently, but the outcome of the battle is still entirely up to the Lord.

Do you measure yourself or other people with achievements or accomplishments? Or the faithfulness and obedience to the Lord during the process?

Prayer: Lord, do you delight in my offering of money, time and energy, as much as in my obeying your word? To you, to obey you is better than my busy ministry, and to heed your word is better than my money offering. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. If I have rejected your word, then you will reject all that I have done for your sake. (ref. 1 Sam 15:22-23)

 

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 10 (ESV)

 

⁶ And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.” ⁷ So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. ⁸ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” ⁹ So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. ¹⁰ And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

¹² At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
    and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
¹³ And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
    until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. ¹⁴ There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.

¹⁵ So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

MEDITATION:

Joshua is fighting a coalition of five city-state kings in the south and God led him to great victories. God intervened for Israel in two circumstances: hailstones killed many of the enemy, and the “sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day” so the slaughter of the Amorites could be completed.

Whether Joshua was asking for the sun to stop moving or to cease shining is hotly debated. Regardless of which answer is adopted, what we are sure of is that God intervened in the course of events at the precise moment help was needed.

Have you experienced God’s intervention in your life? Or do you sense it right now?

Prayer:

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. （ref. Ps 18:2, 3, 6）

 

 

Joshua Chapter 9 (ESV)

 

³ But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, ⁴ they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, ⁵ with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. ⁶ And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” ⁷ But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” ⁸ They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” ⁹ They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, ¹⁰ and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ ¹² Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. ¹³ These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” ¹⁴ So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. ¹⁵ And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

 

MEDITATION:

When the people of Gibeon, who lived just a few miles from the Israelite camp, heard about Israel’s conquest of Jericho and Ai, they were afraid. The Gibeonites successfully tricked Joshua and the Israelites into a treaty by presenting moldy bread and sour wine as evidence that they lived outside of Canaan. The Israelites were fooled because they “did not inquire of the LORD” (v. 14).

Deceit is Satan’s primary strategy. He often seduces us into believing that a lie is truth and evil is good.

What tricks does Satan use to keep us from seeking God’s guidance? In what areas are we often tempted to make peace with the sinful world?

Prayer: Ask God to show you where, if at all, you have rushed into any commitment without investigating further, especially by asking God about the situation? Pray for God’s mercy and wisdom to make things right with people and God.

 

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 8 (ESV)

 

¹⁸ Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. ¹⁹ And the men in the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it. And they hurried to set the city on fire. 

Joshua Renews the Covenant

³⁰ At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, ³¹ just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. ³² And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. ³³ And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. ³⁴ And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. ³⁵ There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

MEDITATION:

After the great victory at Ai, Joshua fulfilled a command given by Moses (Deut 27). Joshua set the people on two opposing mountainsides, and after sacrificing to the Lord, had them shout aloud the curses (disastrous consequences) of disobeying God’s law.

This ceremony established Jehovah as “the God of Israel” (v. 30) in the sight of the Canaanites as well as the Israelites. The people offered burnt and peace offerings on Mt. Sinai when God first gave the Law to Israel. Their offering again here recalled that previous incident and showed that this ceremony constituted a covenant renewal.

It is important for God’s people to declare their allegiance to His revealed will publicly among the unbelievers with whom we live. This helps them understand why we live as we do, and it brings glory to God when His people then proceed to live upright lives and demonstrate His supernatural power. A wedding ring similarly declares one’s commitment to their spouse publicly, and each one memorializes God’s leading and provision. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are likewise memorials for Christians.

Prayer: Dear God in Heaven, I pledge my allegiance to You. I give You my life, my work and my heart. In turn, give me the grace of obeying Your every direction to the fullest possible extent. Amen.

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 7 (ESV)

 

Israel Defeated at Ai

¹ But 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.

² Joshua 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. ³ And 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.” ⁴ So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, ⁵ 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.

⁶ 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. ⁷ And 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! ⁸ O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! ⁹ For 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

¹⁰ The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? ¹¹ Israel 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. ¹² Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. ¹³ Get 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.” ¹⁴ In 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.¹⁵ And 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.’”

MEDITATION:

When Israel was defeated at Ai, Joshua’s prayer (vv7-9) clearly revealed his panic and worry about what might lie ahead. God’s words to Joshua put a new perspective on the situation. “Israel has sinned”. Joshua was not to worry about possible consequences of defeat, but to look for the cause of defeat. Why Israel lost the battle was far more important than what the loss might mean in terms of enemy morale.

When we experience a setback, it’s better for us too to look for the cause than to worry about consequences. If we examine ourselves and find no known sin, then we can advance with confidence. If we do find sin, even unintentional sin, we need to deal with it immediately.

Are you aware of the sins you have committed? Is there any secret sins you harbor? Sit silently and invite the Holy Spirit to illumine you. If so, honestly admit them to God and ask humbly for God’s gracious forgiveness.

Prayer: Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld (your) love from me! (ref. Ps 139:23-24; 66:18-20)