The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-12-12

GOLDEN TEXT-"Be sure your sin will
ind you out."-Num. 1928.
Before proceeding against Jericho,
God, through his servant Joshua, had
given strict injunctions as regards the
taking of anything from the city for
self-enrichment, CHI. GIT, 18. 1t was
necessary at the outset Of this cam
paign to safeguard Israel against any
such motives. The fruits of their VIC
tories must in no way seem to be the
rewards of. nor to be dependent upon,
the efforts Of their own hands. Spir-
itual victories are, as we learned last
week, won by means and upon prin-
ciples utterly foolish and inadequate
In the view of human wisdom. Nor
is the Christian dependent upon the.
principles Of human thrift for his sus-
tenance or enrichment. That does not
mean the enforcement Of the Chris
tian from those principles.
The story of Achan Is an illustra-
ton. While his sin was individualistic
yet 1t was national in its results ". ~
After the fall Of Jericho, Joshua sent
a detachment of 1000 or 5000 men to-
take possession of the small town Of
Al literally. "ruins"D. The task was
seemingly an unimportant and an easy
one, but the result was that the expe-
dition was turned into a miserable
rout wv. 1-6).
Achan's Sins Revealed.
The stages Of the sin of Achan are
wonderfully revealed in the confessionI
". 2D which was finally wrung from
I took they are hid"
!. Joshua's error, w. 60. It was
right and proper for Joshua to bring
his difficulty to God, but it was not
right for him to lay upon him the
blame for his defeat. Moses before
him had made that same mistake eek,
5:22, 23), and 1t would seem that
Joshua should have profited thereby
In this, however, he is supremely hui
man. We of today with far greaterI
light are constantly making this same
mistake. of accusing God, instead Of
finding out and judging our sim
There is, however, an underlying note
Of the master passion of Joshua'sl
heart, that note which had so gov
erned the heart of his predecessor
Moses. 1t is expressed in the last note
of his complaint, What wilt thou do
for thy great manner" v. 9. This COM
plant and petition sounds very much
like those of the preceding generation
uttered in the wilderness. For us to
wish ourselves to be content to dwell
beyond Jordon," when the testing
times of our Christian life come, when
the calls come for an advance, is to
doubt his wisdom. No wonder Joshua
was amazed when he saw Israel turn
its back upon it's enemies ". 81. We
must beware lest we, too, be dismayed
when we see the church of today give
way before the world and the devil.
II. The cause Of defeat, w. 1912.
Joshua's petition is answered by the
voice of Jehovah in terms of rebuke,
strong, yet tender Universe two we
are told that Joshua sent men to view
All Why? Because in the language OF
verse one the children Of Israel COM
mitted a trespass in the accursed
thing" Joshua wanted the people to
know that the sin of Achan and its
results was the sin Of the whole ma
tion. God brings the essential one
ness of the nation before us in verse
eleven; for an illustration, see l. Cor.
5:1-7 and 12:12-14, 16.
Gods Instructions.
III. The victory of defeat, w 1915.
It is testimony as to the spiritual
condition of this nation that the fraud
was so soon located. The early Chris
tian church had parallel incident in
the case of Ananias and Sapphire, Acts
Sill. In each case, the evil was
quickly judged and reveals the close
ness of God to his people. In the pro-
cess of years Israel passed from that
condition; has the church Of today so
passed? God had given explicit in
structions as to the spoil (ch. 6:18 R
W. God commands Joshua not to
cry unto him, but to "sanctify the peo-
pie" The church of Christ, as well
as the individual, needs to judge its
sin and to set itself apart unto God.
1t was a stern judgment and the
query arises what sort of bonfire
would the church have today were all
sinfully acquired property to suffer
similar destruction. 1t is noticeable
however, that there is no suggestion
of any confession on the part of Achan
until the narrowing circle of Judge
ment had closed upon him. He con-
fessed only when there was no pos
sible escape. This seems like stern,
hard process, but yet God was deal
ing in mercy with the whole people.
". The Golden Text. The words of
this text were uttered by Moses to the
two and half tribes who settled on
the east of Jordan, that in case they
refused to come to the help Of their
brethren in the conflict necessary to
the possession Of Canaan, their sin
would discover them. This lesson war
rants the application of this principle.
A sin against God results In injury to
your neighbor. 1t is sin not to help
vour neiphbor and conversely to in