Richard Nixon was a man of many gifts and abilities. Zeal, enthusiasm, and hard work enhanced his political career and he made it to the top. Even with all his accomplishments, well begun was not enough. We're all like Richard Nixon in that transitions should lead us closer toward the goal, whether the goal is to be president of the United States or a good husband or a faithful believer. The principles that guide the direction of progress toward a goal are the same for all classes of people. These principles transcend time and space. We, like the Apostle Paul, are challenged to "press on toward the goal for the prize."
The leadership of Joshua was blessed by God. Joshua's track record was excellent until he engaged in a little skirmish with the folk at Ai. The defeat at Ai was a transition for sure, but without the favor of God. "Why did this happen to me?" is a question we've all asked at one time or another. Joshua was a bit more pious, but fundamentally that was his question to God when Ai defeated Israel.
The narrative in Joshua chapter seven has a literary style typical to Old Testament Hebrew. The chapter begins with a problem: "the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel" (Josh. 7:1). The chapter ends with a solution: "the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger" (Josh. 7:26). The verses in between explain through a series of smaller transitions how the Israelites made it through a major transition. The fundamental lesson we learn from this chapter is that we must be aware of the dangers during the transitions of life.
Danger Number One: Failure to Acknowledge Sin
A pastor friend vividly described an assault made against his character by someone in the congregation. I asked my friend if the person was a Christian? He laughed, as if I was asking a stupid question, and said "he is an elder in the church." I responded by pointing out that my question had nothing to do with his office in the church. Sometimes we all forget that we're sinners. I simply wanted my pastor friend to admit that the elder was a sinner and he needed to acknowledge his sin.
Eve saw the fruit. Eve lusted after the fruit. Eve took the fruit. King David, the apple of God's eye, saw the beautiful woman. King David lusted after the beautiful woman and he took the beautiful woman. The pattern of sin has not changed since the fall of the human race. Transitions will spring from the rebellious sinful nature, so be prepared to identify the root of these sins. If you can identify the root of these sins, then you can acknowledge the sins and turn a negative transition into a positive growing experience.
God told the Israelites to "keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction. . ." (Josh 6:18). The Israelites responded by acting "unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things" (Josh. 7:1). The "devoted things" in Jericho were detestable to God except for some metals that could be purified for the Lord's use. Achan sinned by stealing from the Lord. This sin involved a breech of the covenant to keep God's commandments. The continued success of the Israelites was contingent upon their faithfulness.
The unexpected fall is the most painful fall. Joshua and his company experienced the over throw of Jericho with astonishing success. Ai was smaller and less fortified than Jericho, yet the Israelites suffered a tremendous loss. After a successful win at Jericho, the response was "do not weary all the people for only a few men are there. . ." (Josh.7:3). Pride and arrogance seemed to overtake the Israelites. How quick the Israelites forgot God's grace and tried to replace God-power for man-power. A major victory or a time of prosperity for the Christian may be the most vulnerable for the sin of pride to raise its ugly head.
Pride is the intolerable sin. It drives us away from a close warm relationship with God. A few years ago a young couple asked me to counsel them. It was a major transition for them, because divorce was on the horizon. This couple was aware of their biblical responsibilities and they were seeking help. Every counselling session was a challenge to both of them, but they ignored the challenges. Each session ended with a sense of uncertainty. For me, because I didn't think they were telling the whole truth. For them, because they would not make any commitment. They abandoned the effort and got a divorce. As it turned out, sexual sins, on the part of the young man, were the root of the problem. Were sexual sins the problem? No, the root problem was his pride which caused him to cover up the sin. By the time he confessed, it was too late.
Unfaithfulness and pride will destroy Christians, if they fail to acknowledge these sins. Achan's record of unfaithfulness and pride should be sufficient to teach us not to make the same mistake. Moving through the transitions of life are not easy. In the providence of God, there are hills and valleys in the Christian experience. There is a sense of unpredictable inconsistency in the Christian experience. When we are on a high, we think "we can do it." We forget that we can't, but God can. No matter how good things look around us, unfaithfulness and pride hide in the victory to deceive us. Acknowledge these sins and let the transitions of life be a blessing from God.
Joshua was wise to identify the source of the sin as unfaithfulness and pride. Equally important was his reaction to these sins. Joshua responded to the transition with a sense of anger and defeat. Joshua and the elders tore their clothes and put dust on their heads. This symbolic act of sorrow and grief is followed by a question to the Lord. "Why did You bring us here to destroy us?" The fundamental idea is to blame God. The idea is a contradiction and the statement is a paradox. How can anyone blame a blameless God? Christians commit this act of treason and never think twice about it. When God confronted Adam for violating God's command, Adam said "the woman you gave me, its her fault." When God turned to the woman she said "The serpent deceived me, its his fault." Our sinful nature looks for a coverup when we sin. When we sin we act like its God's fault. God slaps our hands, we blame God and then get angry because we've been accused. This brings on another "Lord why is this happening to me" reaction. The reaction should be: Lord, I acknowledge my sin, please forgive me.
Joshua and the Israelites were victims of the sins of Achan. The twentieth century has ushered in the age of victimizationalism. The news media and talk show hosts spend a major part of their air time informing the public of a poor soul who was victimized by society. The victims accuse parents of child abuse. Employees charge employers with sexual abuse. One race charges the other with racial discrimination. The real victims are the ones who are involved in litigation. These are complicated transitions. The remedy to these and other such problems will be found by acknowledging the sin of anger and asking God for forgiveness.
Joshua not only felt victimized, there was a sense of defeat and despair. "And Joshua said, 'Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the jordan to deliver us into the hands of the amorites to destroy us?'" Joshua uses the interjection, Ah, but I'm not sure why he uses it. Interjections are used in most languages to express an emotion or to get attention. In English we use interjections like oh, hey, hello, yes or no. Joshua does not use the interjection, Ah, any other place. Other Old Testament authors used the word to express excitement or a sudden surprise. For instance, when Gideon saw the angel of the Lord he exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face!" Was Joshua excited or did he just want to get the Lord's attention? Probably both! In any event, the context indicates that Joshua spoke from a state of confusion. When the whole world around us is falling apart and we're in the middle, we too cry out, "hey Lord, give me a break. This is a big time transition for me." For the Christian, defeat and despair is like an illusion. The circumstances are real, but they are temporary. God is in control.
Joshua calls on the "Sovereign Lord." Sovereign is translated from the Hebrew word adoni and primarily refers to God, the creator and owner of the Universe. It indicates the fulness of His majesty. Joshua also calls on the Lord, that is Jehovah, the personal God of Israel. Joshua didn't need therapy. He didn't need to file a lawsuit to get even with the folk at Ai. Joshua did the right thing. He called on God!
I arrived at the hospital to visit a friend diagnosed with lymphoma and brought with me a heavy heart for my friend. Instead of finding gloom and despair, the room was filled with hope and stability. After a brief visit, my friend said, "God does not make mistakes and this is happening for a reason." I was overwhelmed by the genuine expectation of God's mercy and grace. This dear Christian was able to resist the seductive nature of Satan and embrace the reality of God's presence. Your confidence in Christ will see you through the dark transitions of defeat and despair. Acknowledge your need and let your self-confidence become Christ-confidence.
Danger Number Two: Disgraceful Devotion
Idol makers are not new or unique to this present generation. Idolatry is the act of devotion to the imaginary. To worship an idol means to give reverence to a fantasy or a spurious notion.
Hollywood producers have exaggerated the limits of fantasy in the film making industry. They have lost touch with reality by creating illogical sequences and images of absurdity. I walked into the den to find Clint Eastwood playing on a movie depicting the good guy. He was driving a bus across town in an attempt to reach the courthouse to expose a bad guy. The police mounted a team to prevent Eastwood from making the trip. The large police force (it seemed like 1000's of policeman) used pistols and rifles to try and stop the bus. They must have shot tens of thousands of bullets in the bus. However, they never hit Eastwood or shot the tires on the bus. The movie was beyond fantasy. It was literally the impossible image. Achan fell prey to this type of idol making. Christians today are no less subject to fall into this trap.
The story of Achan's sin is a story about idol making or disgraceful devotions. Improper devotions toward "people" or "things" are not only disgraceful, they are dangerous. They are so dangerous that the Lord told Joshua that the Israelites could not stand against their enemies. For the Israelites the enemy was all the different tribes living in the land that was promised to the Israelites. The enemy for the Christian is just as real and just as powerful as the enemies of the Israelites. Christians must deal with the enemy which takes the form of cultural wars, disenchanted special interest groups, religious ideologies and a host of other perversions.
The appropriate response to disgraceful devotions is to consecrate yourselves in preparation for the Lord to help you through the transition. This means we have a sense of holiness toward God. The holiness of God denotes his majesty, purity, and dignity. It is important for Christians to reflect on God's character so they can see how far they are from God. Then Christians can begin to "consecrate themselves." The act of consecration means to "get your act together." My childhood was filled with playtime. Most children playing outside generally get dirty and sweaty and I was no exception. One day my dad told me we were having visitors for the evening meal. My first question was: "do I have to take a bath?" Not only did I have to take a bath, I had to wear nice clothes and stay clean. I consecrated myself so I would be presentable to our guests. As Christians, we need to present ourselves to the Lord after we have examined our lives and made proper preparation for the Lord's visit to us. This is the beginning of the process to get prepared to "stand against your enemies."
Preparation is not enough. The holiness of God demands confession. I've often wondered what would have happened if Adam had confessed his sin immediately to God. Or to Saul if he had confessed his sin. Listen to David's response in Psalm 51 when he was confronted: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. . . .7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. . . .10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
That is what God wants! Cry out to God for peace, grace, joy, and forgiveness.
Danger Number Three: Private Sins
We're living in the age of "rights." Such expressions as "I want to do my own thing" or "I've got to be me" are part of this individualistic revolution. Although Christians are not required to sin, they do sin. One of the dangers for Christians is to believe that private sins do not militate against the community of believers at large.
The question Joshua put to Achan was: "Why have you brought this trouble on us?" Achan's sin affected the whole nation of Israel. Why? Because Christianity is not a democracy.
When God made the promise to Abraham, it was to Abraham and all his descendants after him. I'm not thinking of his physical descendants, I'm thinking of his spiritual descendants and that includes you and me. We are individual Citizens in the kingdom of God, but not only individuals. We are a part of the larger community. In the New Testament there are about two dozen reciprocal commands (i.e. - love one another, pray for one another, etc.). The command to "bear one another's burdens" in Galatians 6:2 is often either ignored or misinterpreted. The context demands Christians to bear the burden of sin for other Christians. This, like other one another commands, indicates a community of believers. My sin is not just my sin. It is also your sin. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link. When the pressure is on then the weakest link will break and the whole chain is disabled. The repair was made and the chain was useful once again, but the whole chain was affected.
Another danger about private sin is that it is more difficult to confess. One reason is that private sins are easier to commit. Repeat offenders will be desensitized to sin and will not make a conscience attempt to resist the sin. Don't get caught in that trap. Find someone you can trust and confess the private sins to God, so your brother will be able to help you with your burden of sin. The general teaching of Scripture requires private confession for private sins and public confession for public sins. Public sins usually take care of themselves. Private sins usually fester and bring about despair and misery. Don't deprive yourself of a good finish in the Christian experience. Deal with those private sins.
We live in an age when addiction, recovery, and co-dependency are the topics of talk shows, authors, and news media. Is addiction a real problem? Is recovery an important and necessary discipline for Christians to discuss? No, but confession of sin is important and necessary. What we forget are the solutions given to us by a sovereign God. Transitions and sin go together. Any sin will create a transition. Inherent in these transitions are dangers which require your attention. Give Joshua chapter seven a careful study to discover how you may avert other dangers during the transitions of life.
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