The Elbert County tribune., 1913-12-12

GOLDEN TExT-"Bc sure your sin will
find you out."-Num. s2-2a
Before proceeding against Jericho,
God. through his servant Joshua, had
given strict snjunctions as regards the
taking of anything from the city for
self-enrichment. ch. GIT. IS. 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 iIlustra-
tion. While his sin was individualistfc
yet 1t was national in its results (v. ~
After the fall OF Jericho, Joshua sent
q detachment of 1000 or 5000 men to
take possession OF the small town of
Al (literally. 'ruins'). The task was
seemingly an unimportant and an easy
one. but the result was that the expe-
dition was turned into a miserable
rout (vv. 1-6).
Achan's Sins Revealed.
The stages of the sin of Achan are
wonderfully revealed in the confession
". 2D which was finally wrung from
II saw coveted
took they are hid"
!. yoshua's error, w. SO. It was
right and proper for Joshua to bring
his difficulty to God, but 1t was not
right for him to lay upon him the
blame for his defeat. Moses before
him had made that same mistake (Ex.
5:22. 23). and 1t would seem that
Joshua should have profited thereby.
In this. however, he is supremely hu-
man. We of today with far greater
light are constantly making this same
mistake of accusing God, instead of
finding out aud Judging our sin.
There is. however. an underlying note
of the maste: passion OF Joshuas
heart, that rJte 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
plaint and petition sounds very much
like those Of the preceding generation
uttered In the wilderness For us to
wish oursrIves to be content to dwell
beyond Gordon" when the testing
times OF our Christian life come, when
the calls come for an advance, is to
III ttr11
was amazed when he saw Israel turn
its back upop its 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.
". The cause Of defeat, w. 1912.
Joehua's petition Is answered by the
voice of Jehovah in terms of rebuke,
strong. yet tender. In verge two we
aie told that Joshua sent mon to view
AL. Why? Because In the language of
verse one the children OF Israel COM
mitted 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 I. Cor.
6:1-7 and 12:12-14, 16.
Gods Instructions.
III. Tho Victory Of defeat, w 1915.
1t is a 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 Sapphira, 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 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.
w. 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. |