Deeper than the Rest...

Joshua 7:21, “Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest” (NLT). Joshua chapter seven. It’s a difficult read. It can be hard to grapple with God’s reaction to Achan’s sin: the destruction of him and his family. I think there’s three major things we have to keep in mind here: 1). The law had not yet been fulfilled through Christ—and although a person’s eternal salvation was acquired through the hope in a future Messiah (see Hebrews) the traditional physical aspects of thlaw itself had not yet been dismantled. 2). Achan and the children of Israel had an astounding advantage when it came to having faith in God. The ten miraculous plagues in Egypt. Freedom from slavery. The parting of the Red Sea. The cloud that guided them in the day. The pillar of fire at night. The manna that fell from heaven. The birds that fell from heaven. The water from the rock. The parting of the Jordan river. So. Many. MIRACLES. So. Much. PROVISION. With the Israelites it was no question whether or not God existed. It was all about their heart condition and whether or not they were willing to trust Him and surrender their lives to Him. In John 20:29 Jesus Himself said, “…You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me” (NLT). Achan had absolutely no reason at all not to trust God. And he had every advantage over us in our day and age to trust God and surrender to Him. And he chose not to. 3). Lastly, we must keep in mind what God declared in Deuteronomy 24:16 when He said, “Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes” (NLT). We have to therefore conclude that Achan’s family helped him hide his sin and were therefore also guilty. Keeping these things in mind, let’s dive a little deeper into this story… God was giving the Israelites victory over their enemies. The dream they’d longed for for so long was finally coming true. God was giving them the Promised Land. As God leads them into victory in yet another battle, He tells them to destroy everything, except for those things (like gold, silver, bronze, and iron) that were to be set apart for the Lord’s use. The Israelites were to take nothing for themselves. But Achan did take stuff for himself. And then he hid it and lied about it. When the Israelites lost their next battle a frantic Joshua cried out to God (vs. 7) and asked Him why?? God replied, “Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.” (vs. 11-12 NLT). Then God says, “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you” (vs. 13 NLT). Ouch. Hidden among you are things set apart for the Lord. How many times do we hoard things that are supposed to be set apart for the Lord’s use? For His time and His purpose? Let’s consider this on a personal level: Relationships… sex… our bodies… our dreams… our talents… our skills… our schedules… We, as beloved children of God bought by the blood of Christ, are called to be living sacrifices (Romans 12). We’re called to glorify God with all that we have. Moreover we are promised infinite spiritual gifts of joy and peace and contentment when we choose to glorify God. Anytime we take something that was given to us to bring glory to God, and instead we choose to use it for our own selfish reasons, we not only miss out on experiencing the joy of it’s intended purpose but we end up sinning against God and robbing Him of the praise and glory that is due Him. Something else stands out here: You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you. Achan not only took things for himself that were supposed to be set apart for the Lord. He also took things that were supposed to be “set apart for destruction.” And until those things were removed the Israelites would never find victory over their enemies. The same is true for us. Our secret sins. Our addictions. Our “guilty pleasures.” As long as we have them around we will never find victory. We will never find spiritual freedom. We will never experience the abundant life God has for us. So Achan is eventually found out and he says, “Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.” (vs. 21 NLT). He hid them… and the silver he buried deeper than the rest. Are there things in my life that I’m trying to hide from God? Are there things I don’t want Him to touch or change? Am I burying them deep in my heart in hopes that He cannot access them? … And are there some things that I’m burying deeper than the rest? Did you know that the very next battle Israel fought after Achan and his family were destroyed, God told the Israelites they could take the plunder for themselves this time and enjoy it. If only Achan had waited. If only he’d taken the time to remember all the incredible, astounding ways God had proven His love for the people of Israel in years--and even months--past. If only he’d chosen to focus his memory on all the inconceivable ways God had provided for their every need… If only he had reminded himself of who God was… if only he had chosen to trust God with his desires… the very next battle he could’ve taken all that he’d wanted—in God’s way. In God’s time. Do I trust God to fulfill my desires in the best way possible if I submit to Him? Do I really believe and trust that His plan is best? Am I trying to hide things from Him? And are there some things I'm hiding deeper than the rest? Psalm 37:5-7, “Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act” (NLT). Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (ESV) Matthew 7:11, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (NIV). 1 John 5:21, “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts” (NLT).