Joshua 7:1-21 – Just One Sin – Bible study

Joshua 7:1-21 Just One Sin Based off audio sermon of Dr. Curtis Hudson What harm can one sin cause? Who is going to notice one little sin? These are the kinds of questions that someone might ask who about to do something that they know they should not, something that they know is sinful. Tonight, lets see what one can cause. I. The details of the sin A. Detail Summary: Josh 7:1 But 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. B. \#19-21\ In depth details. Josh 7:21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. 1. \#21\ Notice the DRAW of Sin. a. Achan saw sin. Granted, what he saw was just stuff, but it is stuff that would become sin for him. b. Achan coveted what he saw. c. Achan took what he saw. d. Here is the formula. (1) Achan looked. (2) Achan lusted. (3) Achan latch onto. e. This is always the formula that sin uses. (1) The eyes are the most common gate to sin. They are the only gate else blind people would be sinless. I am sure the devil and the flesh will adapt to whatever gates are available but for most of us, the first attack will come through what we see. (2) Achans heart will make sin out of it. We are not totally responsible for what we see or hear, even for what we image; but we are totally responsible for what we dwell upon after we have seen it. (3) Then Achan latched onto his lust. He stole it, took it home, hid it in his tent. (a) Some wonder why the family was stoned too. (b) They likely were there when this soldier came in (while the battle was still going on) and hid the loot in the tent! f. No doubt Achan, Mrs. Achan, and even the little Achans all figured that no one would miss what Achan had stolen. (1) After all, it was just one little sin. (2) But God saw it! 2. Additional details: a. \#2\ No one was doing much praying about this battle. Josh 7:2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. (1) That would be Joshua and Israels leaders. (2) It is interesting but the only two times I can think of where Joshua made a decision without seeking God turned out to be disasters. (a) They did not seek God when the Jebusites pretended to come from afar. (b) They did not seek God before attacking Ai. b. \#3-4\ Human reason only wanted to send a few to fight with Ai. Josh 8:1 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: (1) God wanted all of the people to go up when human reason thought only a few were needed. (2) God always likes it when everyone gets involved. (3) The more hands on the plough, the easier the work and the more God blesses. c. This defeat came after one of Israels greatest victories, the fall of Jericho. (1) Jericho was the largest, most fortified city in the Promised Land. (2) \#Josh 4:13\ tells us that about 40,000 soldiers went into the battle against Jericho. (3) When the battle was over, not one Israel had died-not one. (4) At Ai, 36 men fell! (5) Could pride have played a part? d. God considered the sin was on all of Israel. Josh 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing. Josh 7:11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. (1) Lesson – You can say what you do and how you live doesnt affect anyone else if you want, but it does. (2) As authority flows from the top down so protection flows. One a person in authority sins, their wage is likely to passed down to those under authority as well. II. Debt of Sin – Does one little sin matter? What can it cause? A. \#4, 8\ Israel was defeated, bad! 1. Israel had to turn their back on their enemy. Jos 7:12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies. 2. This is the only defeat Israel suffered in the entire conquest of the land! B. \#4\ 36 people died. C. \#5, 7\ The people were depressed and discouraged. Josh 7:5 wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. Josh 7:7 would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! D. Gods name was defamed. Josh 7:9 and what wilt thou do unto thy great name? III. Deliverance from Sin A. The sinner had to be found. 1. \#6-9\ After the defeat, Israel spent some time praying. 2. I dont know how long that lasted but I believe it was long enough to Achan and his family to consider what they had done and to do something about it. 3. They did not. 4. So God had every tribe march through, every family in the tribe, and head in the family, and every individual in the family until the sinner was found it. 5. I bet a lot of people got right with God about a lot of things on that day! 6. Many had sinned but only one had caused the trouble that Israel experienced and God found him. B. The sin had to be confessed. Josh 7:19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. C. \#Josh 7:25-26\ The sin had to be paid for. 1. They stoned them all and then burned then with fire and then buried them under more stones. 2. Someone says why? Because there was no one to pay for their sins. 3. There is no record of them asking for mercy and none was given. 4. We need to understand how blessed we are that Jesus died for us.