Joshua 7:1

Joshua 7:1 says, But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.  Once more, one of those called to be God's people disobeyed God's command.  Achan took an accursed thing.  Whatever it was, it was something that the people of Israel had been told not to take.  God was angry, not at just Aachan, but with all the people of Israel.  I believe that this was most likely because they had not corrected Achan.  We today cannot take the sins of others lightly, especially those committed by someone who professes to be a Christian.  Verse two states, And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.  Joshua sent men from Jericho to view, or scout out, Ai.  Verse three adds, And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.  The scouts returned and told Joshua to just send a few men, because Ai was small.  They were beginning to rely on their own strength instead of asking God what they should do.  When we begin to rely on our own strength, even when confronted with what seems to be a small problem, instead of relying on God's guidance and power, we have taken the first step toward failing spiritually.  Verse four says, So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.  The three thousand went to Ai, and they failed.  Verse five adds, And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.  When the people of Ai chased the men of Israel back to camp, the hearts of the people of Israel turned to water.  They were looking at the events of the world and not looking to God.  When we fail to keep God in charge of our plans, we should not be surprised when we suffer defeat.  We may begin to look at the world in fear.  Verse six declares, And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. Joshua and the elders, the religious leaders of Israel, humbled themselves before God.  When we realize that we have been acting without God's leadership, we need to humble ourselves before God and ask His forgiveness and guidance.  Verse seven adds, And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!  Joshua, the man of courage and strength in his faith, questioned God.  He asked why God didn't just leave them across the Jordan in safety.  When we feel that the world is about to overcome us, then we need to simply draw closer to God and not to question Him out of doubt.  Verse eight continues, O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!   Joshua asked God what he was to say when the people had run away from their enemies.  What are we to say to our fellow believers today when we flee from the world because of a lack of faith in God?  Verse nine concludes, For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?  Joshua forgot the great things that God had already done, and said that the people of Israel were going to be destroyed.  How often does our faith in God falter?  We need to always remember that the victory has already been secured through Christ.