Title What is Your Covenant?
Joshua 7:6-15 What is your covenant? Subject: 18. Covenant. 2005. 5. 8.
◎ Introduction
: With the victory of Jericho, Israel was intoxicated with a sense of victory, and as a result of underestimating their opponents too much, the battle of Ai ended in defeat and shame.
※ Jericho's victory made Israel have the will to act in their own power rather than relying on God's power.
※ The decisive cause was Israel's hidden sin (Achan's sin).
(A beautiful cloak, two hundred shekels of silver, and fifty shekels of gold)
※ This text teaches that God looks at every detail of our lives, and when we fail, we must first reveal our lives transparently before God.
1. Joshua prays to God (6-9)
2. God spoke to Joshua (10-15)
1. Joshua prays to God (6-9)
※ Due to the unexpected defeat in the battle of Ai, Joshua prostrated himself to God.
He tore his clothes and fell down with the elders before the ark of the LORD.
One). Approaching God in discouragement (6-8)
※ “Lord Jehovah, why?” This is the figure of Joshua who is bewildered and deeply disappointed.
This groaning is different from the complaints of the people who distrust the God of Israel in the wilderness.
It was deep self-reproach and a conflict of the soul that came from trusting in God.
※ Complaining and lamenting
① An attitude of shunning and distrusting God and complaining: You will only be under the wrath of God.
② groaning while trusting in God: Realize what is wrong with God and start anew.
※ God wants us to realize through our failures and turn back to the right path.
Therefore, instead of hiding the problem and hiding it, we should pour it out before God.
(Psalm 42:5, 55:16-17, 145:18, Jer 29:13, Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 32:5)
2). Associating Israel's future with God's name (9)
※ Joshua's lament was not merely due to failure and disgrace, but related Israel's future destiny to God's name (God's glory).
: What will happen to the great name of God if the name of Israel is alive in the world?
※ Appeal based on covenant faith
“If you obey his voice and do everything I say,
I will be an enemy to your enemies and an enemy to your enemies” (Exodus 23:22).
2. God spoke to Joshua (10-150
※ God specifically awakens Joshua and answers him.
God even taught the cause of Ai's defeat and how to solve it.
One). command to rise (10)
※ “Get up, why did you fall down like this?” is God's answer.
① God's mercy: He does not rebuke, but the words "get up" (be courageous) make you feel God's infinite mercy and comfort. (Isa 1:18, 43:25)
② Encouragement from God: “Why did you fall down like this?” Instead of sitting in failure and frustration, get up and solve problems. (Matthew 12:20, Hebrews 12:12, 2 Corinthians 1:3)
2). Pointing out Israel's transgression (11-12)
※ Cause of failure
: “Israel has sinned” It belonged to Achan personally, but because Achan was a member of the community of Israel, the responsibility was to be borne by Israel as a whole.
※ You mentioned the specific details of the crime (the <cursed> objects you sacrificed).
① I was “drunk” and thought it was a waste of burning, so I got some things with a little greed.
This is because they have regrets or attachments to things that should be thrown away and burned.
② “They stole,” and the things they stole quickly took away Achan’s heart.
So now, out of greed, he has come to make it his own.
③ It means that you lied “by deceit”.
After conquering the city of Jericho, he must have checked to make sure that no one took the items Joshua had sacrificed.
At that time, Achan would have lied, saying, “No.”
④ “Place” means that he made it a part of his possession. (It's hypocrisy)
※ Most of Achan's crimes show a series of processes in which people fall from the threshold of sin to its depths. It reminds us that lust or attachment to the things of the world soon turns into greed and hardens into lies and hypocrisy.
3). Giving you a solution (13-15)
※ He pointed out the cause of the failure of the child's sexuality and gave the solution.
① By looking after yourself - sanctify yourself (13)
The word to sanctify is related to external sanctification rituals such as washing clothes or abstinence (Compare: Ex. 19:14-15) to look back).
② Revealing your sins - Come by tribe (14)
After showing themselves before the tabernacle by lot (tribe, tribe, family, individual), it may have been carried out using the priest's Urim and Thumbim (Exodus 28:30).
In the way we deal with sin, we need to follow God's way (1) through the Word of the Bible, and (2) following the enlightenment and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
③ Remove the cause of sin - burn it (15)