Sin, like poison, has devastating consequences. Not only will sin bring destruction on your life, but it will also impact the lives of others. It must be understood that no one sins in a vacuum; in one way or another, our sins impact others.
One such example is found in Joshua chapters six and seven. It is the story of Israel’s first victory and their first defeat in the Promised Land. Prior to Israel’s defeat at Ai, they won every battle without a single casualty. So what went wrong? There was sin in the camp: Achan had taken the accursed thing in Jericho. Because of that, they were defeated at Ai. When the people cried out to God, He told them, “You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you” (Joshua 7:13). This passage teaches us that a little bit of sin in the camp can cost the lives of many people, devastate the reputation of God’s people, and give the enemies greater courage to fight against them.
Although the vast majority of soldiers (all but one) obeyed the Lord God, one individual’s actions compromised the fighting ability of his entire nation. Think of that. His choice to disobey God showed arrogance, greed, and disobedience, and it cost the lives of thirty-six soldiers. God’s people did not know they were going into war without God’s power until it was too late. However, once they became aware of the cause of their failure, to their credit, they dealt with it immediately and thoroughly. The people took Achan, the contraband, his family and everything he owned, “And Joshua said, ‘Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.’ So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire” (Joshua 7:25). In an ironic twist, God allowed the Israelites to keep all the plunder from the city of Ai (8:2). If Achan had been patient, he might have legitimately enjoyed the spoils of war and the luxurious prosperity of the Promised Land.
The test for us may not be in identifying the sin in our life, but how quickly we deal with it once we become aware of it. The longer sin is left in place, the longer we will face defeat in more and more areas of our life. Thirty-six men, representing thirty-six families, lost their lives due to Achan’s sin. How many people must be hurt before we deal with our sin? Ask God to help you quickly deal with sin before the consequences spread to those around you.
God bless you,
Pastor Ramon
Lead Pastor NSC
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