Joshua 7 Aachen's Sin

 

·         God was angry with all Israel, not just Aachen.

·         Joshua sent spies to spy out AI. Quote: he did not inquire of God.

·         The spies told Joshua it would be an easy route. You only need to send a couple of thousand men. The army was routed, and 36 died.

·         How many times do we think we can handle something without God's help and end up failing?

·         Should we ever tell God, “ we've got this”?

·         After the failed battle, Joshua went to talk to God.

o   Joshua was on his face before God all day. The elders joined him.

o   Joshua complained to God.

o   Note: God let them be on their faces all day and did not respond until after Joshua had his say, which blamed God.

o   God's response was to say, “Get up, this is Israel's fault, not mine”. They disobeyed, and I am out of here unless you get this straightened out. Now, consecrate the people and in the morning have the people present themselves by tribe, then clan, then family, then man. The guilty one and his stuff will be destroyed by fire.

o   Aachen was the man chosen.

§  He took a robe, 200 shekels of silver, and 50 shekels worth of gold.

§  I wonder if Aachen thought he would be OK if he admitted to what he had done.

§  What Aachen did affected his sons, daughters, the stuff he stole, his cattle, donkeys, sheep, tent, and everything else he had.

§  He and everything he owned were stone and burnt up.

o   Why do you think it was not just Aachen that experienced the punishment?

§  Was the punishment just?

§  Why do you think the punishment was so extreme?

§  Why did Aachen steal the stuff even though he knew God said not to?

§  Why was it important for the Israelites to follow God's orders?

§  What do you think would have been the result if they had not punished Aachen the way God wanted them to?

§  What do you think Aachen was thinking as it was narrowed down to him?

§  Aachen could have turned himself in anytime before they got to him, but didn't. Why do you think he waited?

§  What kinds of things can happen in our lives when we try to hide our sins?

§  How do you think a King's wife and children felt?

§  How or who do you think our sin might affect?

§  Was it fair for God to punish all Israel for the sin of 1?

§  How might we apply this concept to the Church of today?

·         A new recruit told his DI that the reason he joined the Marine Corps was to find his purpose to which the DI responded, The Marine Corps has the purpose; you have an assignment.

Joshua 6-Jericho

 

·         All of Israel's actions commanded by God were a mockery of a ritual or pageant of the Canaanites.

·         What happened at Jericho was possibly related to the marriage festival of the “divine” king, or as part of an annual fertility festival which occurred about the time of the overthrow of Jericho.

·         At that time, the king was considered to be a God and a priest.

·         This king was referred to as “son of God”.

·         Jericho was named for the male moon God Yerech; the female shamash (sun God) was his consort. Later, their names were changed to Baal and Ashtaroth.

·         Why did God tell them to destroy everything?

o   Immorality is the first reason. The Canaanite religion was sex in all its perversions.

o   The second reason would be the sacrifice of children.

o   And the third reason would be their carnality, sodomy, and religious prostitution.

·         There is a legend of Keret.

o   This legend is a story of a king who had a dream about having a son. It provides A feast for all the people and sets out on an expedition. On his expedition, the men of war would be first, the people, then the trumpeters; all are warned to keep silent until the last day. This was over six days, with the climax on the 7th.

o   Parallels:

§ Both the celebration of the Passover and the Canaanite ritual were held at approximately the same time.

§  Israel held a great feast called the Passover.

§  The Jews began to March one time a day for six days and seven times on the 7th day.

§  All kept quiet until the last moment.

·         Jericho was the lowest and oldest town on earth at that time. Above Jericho is the traditional point where Jesus was tempted.

·         Jericho is known as the city of giants. It was inhabited by giants called gibborim.

·         The walls fell outward.

·         There is a theory that some from Jericho escaped to Africa and the Berbers are their descendants.

·         This was the spiritual battle.

·         Sin was a moon God. He had several names, one of them being Yarech, and he was depicted by the Crescent moon or by a bull.

·         Sinai was a sacred mountain to Sin.

·         At Jericho, Yahweh kept the sun from setting for an extended time to keep the moon god (Sin)out of the sky.

·         Jericho was the first city with walls. It was built about 9000 BC, about 800 feet below sea level. Jericho covered about 10 acres. If you were to walk around the 10 acres, you would cover about half a mile, and seven times around would take you approximately 3 1/2 miles. It was destroyed in 1550 BC.

·         Jericho in the New Testament

o   Tradition says John the Baptist baptized Jesus here.

o   This is where Zachias climbed the tree.

o   Near Jericho is where Jesus heals 2 blind men.

o   There were two Jerichos in Jesus' time

§  The ancient city was occupied by Jews.

§  The new city, 2 miles away, is occupied by Gentiles.

o   Jericho was mentioned in the story of the Good Samaritan.

·         Jericho in the Old Testament.

o   Jericho contained a school of prophets.

o   It was the residence of Elisha.

o   Jericho was part of the land given to the tribe of Benjamin.

o   Near Jericho is where Elisha healed the spring of waters, and near it was where Elijah went up into the worldwind.