SOME THINGS CAN’T BE HIDDEN

SOME THINGS CAN’T BE HIDDEN

Joshua 7:1-26

Intro: Israel has just been involved in a great military conquest. They witnessed the amazing defeat of the city of Jericho. They marched around a city thirteen times over six days, they shouted, they blew their trumpets, and the city walls fell flat. They conquered Jericho without firing a shot! They are still basking in the glow of that great event. They are sure that they are unbeatable. They are certain that every obstacle in their path will be moved out of their way.

Verse 1, however, reveals the truth that God is upset with Israel. Israel thought that everything was all right. They thought that they were standing on the edge of a great string of victories that would see them conquering the entire land of promise. The word “but” in verse 1 signals a change of fortunes for Israel. Up until now they had been blessed and used greatly of the Lord, but now things have changed! They thought they were unstoppable, but what they did not know was that there was a serious problem in their midst. There was one man among them who was causing a problem for the entire family of God.

Q: The Bible classifies Achan’s sin as that of the “children of Israel”, what lesson can we draw from there?

The fact is, there are some things you just can’t hide. If you eat raw onions or garlic, others will know about. If you stop bathing or using deodorant, you won’t hide that for long. If you eat Cheetos, your orange fingertips will give you away. If you try to hide sin in your life, your secret will eventually get out, because your sin will affect you and all those around you. Num. 32:23b, “…and be sure your sin will find you out.”  Psa. 90:8, “Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.”

We might not want to admit it, but we all know that sin causes problems. It causes problems for the one sinning and it causes problems for everyone around them. It’s like throwing a pebble into a pond. Song of Solomon 2:15.

Q: Give instances in the Bible that show that no sin can be hid from God, and what lessons can we draw from them.

Most of us are just like Achan from time to time. We allow sin into our lives; we try to hide those sins; and we try to cover them up. When we do, we bring pain and trouble into our lives. These verses teach us that some things can’t be hidden. Notice with me the truths revealed in these verses.

I. v. 2-5  ISRAEL ENDURED A TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER

A. v. 2-3 Israel Was A Determined People –Israel was still basking in their victory at Jericho when they looked toward Ai. They were certain that a little town like Ai would be no problem for such a great army. Israel was a confident people, but a closer look reveals that their confidence was misplaced. In verse 3, they believed that just a few soldiers are needed to secure a victory in little Ai. Israel was guilty of resting in their past successes.

Israel did not realize it, but they were living through one of the most dangerous times of life. The time just after a great spiritual victory is a dangerous time. Often, like Israel, we will be overconfident and believe that we can handle any battle that comes our way, Pro. 16:18. When we believe that, we are about to suffer our greatest defeat.

Confidence is a good thing as long as one’s confidence is in the right place. When we are walking with our hope and our confidence in the Lord, we will be victorious; but when our confidence is in our ability and in the power of our flesh, then we are destined to fail, 1 Cor. 10:12.

B. v. 3-5a Israel Was A Defeated People – When Israel went up to Ai they suffered a terrible defeat and 36 of their members were killed. This must have been devastating to the Israelites. Because there was sin in the camp, thirty-six men died. Thirty-six sets of children lost their fathers. Thirty-six mothers lost their sons. Thirty-six wives became widows. It was a very high price to pay for sin.

When we take the time to look more closely at their actions, it is easy to see that they made several mistakes:

1.  Nowhere in this passage does it even hint that Joshua and the people of Israel sought the will of God for dealing with Ai. They didn’t even pray about the matter. If they had, God would have revealed the problem before people died. How many times are we guilty of jumping ahead of the Lord and His will? We will rush headlong into life and expect the Lord to bail us out of the messes we make. It is far better to consult God before we make the mistake than it is to expect Him to clean up the mess afterward.

2.  They didn’t take the Ark of the Covenant into the battle. The Ark symbolized the presence and power of God. They went into the battle in their own strength, without the power of God, and they failed! Here is an area where we could all use help. We try to live the Christian life, fight the flesh, and the devil in our own power and we fail time after time. The reason? We do not take the time to strengthen our walk with God! When we are walking with the Lord and in His Word, as we should be, we can be confident in the battles of life and face our enemies in the strength of God. We fall when we fail to utilize the whole armor of God, Eph. 6:10-18. Who killed the giant, David, or God? David himself answers that question in 1 Sam. 17:47.

3.  Israel had their confidence in their own power and not in the Lord. They were not walking by faith, but they were guilty of trusting what they could do. How many times have we suffered defeat because we believed we could take care of matters ourselves. We can’t do the job! We all need the Lord if we would enjoy spiritual victory in our lives, Phil. 4:13; John 15:5.

4.  Israel was not willing to put everything they had into the job they were called to do. In verse 3, the spies who went to Ai returned and said, “…make not all the people to labor thither…” The city of Ai was located at about 1,700 feet above sea level. Their camp in Gilgal was located at about 800 feet below sea level. It would have been a climb of some 2,500 feet. It would have been a very tiring climb. The people of Israel could not see the point in all the fighting men having to work so hard. They did not see the task at hand as being worth the effort it would require!

When we start looking for ways to get out of our responsibilities before the Lord, we are headed for trouble. He is worth every ounce of our effort. Gal. 6:9

C.  v. 5b Israel Was A Distressed People – After their terrible defeat at the hands of Ai, the people of Israel are feeling the same fear their enemies experienced, Josh. 2:9; 5:1; 6:1. This is one of the major problems with sin. It defeats you and leaves you feeling broken, used, and confused. Nothing is right in the life of a believer while there is sin in his heart!