The Raymer enterprise., 1913-12-11
LESSON FOR DECEMBER IA
THE SIN OF AcHAH.

tFG DIN OF AN0AO.
LESSON TExT-Joshua ISIS. Read
Joshua chapters I'll.
GOLDEN TExT-"Be sure your sin will
find you out"-Num. 32-A.
Before proceeding against Jericho.
God, through his servant Joshua, had
given strict intunctions as regards the
taking Of anything from the city for
self.enrichment, ch. 6:17, 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 divorcement 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
detachment Of 1000 or 5000 men to
take possession Of the small town OF
Al Qiterally. "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 wv. 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
Il saw l coveted :.
l took they are hid"
|. Joshua's error, w. So. 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 lex.
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 and Judging our sin.
There is. however. an underlying note
OF the maste: passion Of Joshua's
heart. that rDte 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 name?' v. 8. 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 Gordon" 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 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.
II, The cause Of defeat, w. 1912.
Joehua's petition Is answered by the
voice Of Jehovah In terms Of rebuke.
strong. yet tender. In verse two We
aie told that Joshua sent men to view
Al. 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.
ton. God brings the essential one.
ness OF the nation before us in verse
eleven: for an illustration. see |. Cor
5:l.7 and l2:l2.l4, 16.
Gods Instructions.
~. The victory Of defeat, w 1915
Itis a testimony as to the spiritual
condition Of this nation that the fraud
was so soon located. The early Chris
tian church had a 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 tina,
condition; has the church OF today SC
passed? God had given explicit In
structions as to the spoil tch. 6:lS R
W. God commands Joshua not tc
cry unto him, but to "sanctify the peo
pie" The church Of Christ, as vel
rs the individual, needs to judge its
sin and to set itself apart unto God
1t was stern judgment and tht
query arises what sort OF bonfire
would the church have today we're al
sinfully acquired property to suffel
similar destruction. 1t is noticeable
however. that there is no suggestion
Of any confession on the part Of Achal
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 a stern
hard process, but yet God was deal
Ing In mercy with the whole people
~. The Golden Text. The words o
this text were uttered by Moses to tn
two aph a half tribes who settled Of
the east Of Jordan. that in case the
refused to come to the help OF thei
brethren In the conflict necessary /