Friday, January 13: Joshua 7- God knows.

This is a frightening account on a number of levels. Here are three observations I made.

1.      God knows the secret things we do.

2.      God will punish the secret things we do.

3.      The secret things we do affect other people.

I consider them one at a time.

The secret things we do affect other people. 36 Israelites were killed in battle and Israel was defeated. In addition to Israel’s loss of life and defeat, Ai’s victory certainly would embolden other peoples of the land against Israel making future battles more difficult. And then there was the death and destruction of Achan’s entire family. Were they co-conspirators? We do not know, but I find it unlikely that all his family knew. Achan alone committed the crime. Maybe some family member knew after the fact, but it is hard to believe that they all knew, particularly the daughters who were pretty low on the social pecking order. Sadly, his family paid dearly for his crime. The secret things we do affect other people.

God knows the secret things we do. This is the frightening part of the chapter. God knows! God always knows. God knows everything I do, every thought I have had. I cannot hide what I have done from Him. I am only fooling myself if I think I can hide from God and He plainly sees my wrongs and I can expect that...

God will punish the secret things we do. If there is one take-a-way from today’s chapter, it is that God will punish our wrong doing someday. Achan got away with it for a day or two, but eventually God decided the day of reckoning had come.

If it weren’t for Jesus on the cross and my faith in Him than Achan’s fate would be mine. But thanks be to God, Jesus offers a way out from the weight of my sin... Himself and faith in Him.

Do you believe in Jesus?

Think about this...

Oh, Lord, thank you for Jesus and the cross and salvation and redemption and ...

Through Jesus, I pray. Amen.