YEAR 2, WEEK 23, Day 1, Monday, 2 June 2025

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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Monday, 2 June 2025:

Joshua 7:1 – “But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things…”

All sin is breaking faith with God.

After the great victory in Jericho, this chapter opens with a sobering word: “But.” One man’s sin—Achan’s theft of what was devoted to the Lord—brings trouble on the entire nation. Achan’s sin affected everyone. God held the people of Israel accountable until the people of Israel held Achan accountable. God’s discipline was to protect the holiness of his people. One bad apple can spoil the bunch.

1. The unity and purity of God’s people matter. 2. Sin is never isolated. 3. Victory often leads to vulnerability. After triumph, we are tempted to relax spiritually. But God calls His people to remain vigilant and holy.

• Ecclesiastes 9:18 – “One sinner destroys much good.”
• 1 Corinthians 5:6 – “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?”

Joshua 7:2–5 – “They fled before the men of Ai… and the hearts of the people melted and became as water.”

Presuming upon God’s favor, Joshua sends a small force to Ai without seeking the Lord. They are soundly defeated. Prideful confidence without humble obedience leads to collapse. What a contrast to the victory at Jericho! God’s presence, not our strength, is the true key to victory. Defeat often reveals deeper issues.

• Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
• John 15:5 – “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Joshua 7:6 – “Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel.”

In times of crisis, where do you turn? Joshua went straight to the Lord, and he didn’t go alone but took the elders with him. God responded to Joshua, and He will respond to your fervent prayer.

Joshua 7:7 – “And Joshua said, ‘Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan!’”

Joshua responds with heartfelt anguish and confusion. He doesn’t yet know about Achan’s sin. Like many of us though, he assumes God has failed rather than first examining his own camp. Sin always starts with misrepresenting the character of God as was the case with the original sin in the Garden of Eden. God welcomes honest lament—but also calls us to honor Him in accordance with His character and take responsibility. Before we blame God for our circumstances or blame our consequences for our behavior, we must first examine our own hearts and households.

• Psalm 139:23–24 – “Search me, O God, and know my heart! …See if there be any grievous way in me.”
• Lamentations 3:40 – “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!”

We ere when we assume the motives or intent of God (or of other people). From our myopic perspective, we tend to underestimate God and others, while thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. Joshua could not understand God’s behavior and assumed the worst, while implying the issue at hand was God’s behavior rather than the sins of the Israelites. “When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.” (Proverbs 19:3) But Joshua approached God in all honesty as we see done so often in the Psalms. God accepted Joshua’s candor. God wants you to approach Him honestly in your prayers too.

Joshua 7:9 – “For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”

Joshua understood a couple of things – Reputation (and trust) takes a long time to establish but can be ruined by one major failure; and, more important than what people think about us is what they think about our God, the One we have been called to glorify. The name “Christian” means, “little Christ.” We represent the character of Christ before others. What do we do to the Name of Jesus when we destroy trust and establish a bad reputation. We must guard our character carefully.

Joshua 7:10 — “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face?”

First pray, then obey. When God gives you a work, don’t delay – step out.

• Exodus 14:15 — The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.

Joshua 7:10, 15 – “Israel has sinned…. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies…. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.”

God answers Joshua’s cry—not with comfort, but with confrontation. Israel’s sin has broken their covenant relationship. God’s presence departs where sin remains unrepented. Restoration requires repentance and removal. We must deal seriously with sin if we desire to walk closely with God. He is holy and will not dwell in compromise.

• Isaiah 59:2 – “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God.”
• Acts 3:19 – “Repent… that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”

Good parents don’t give defiant children rewards while they are misbehaving. Often God has to deal with your sin before He can bless you. The Israelites had “stolen and lied” yet expected God to reward them with victory against their enemies. God will not bless disobedience. Are their sins of which you still need to repent that your holding you back? “…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1) “I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.” (Joshua 7:12)

Joshua 7:13 – Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.

“Your sin will have an impact on others. Choosing to disobey God may cost your family God’s blessing. The power of God may be absent from your church because you are living in disobedience. Your friends may suffer because you are not living righteously. Diligently seek to obey every word from God, for you do not know how your disobedience could affect those around you. Scripture promises that if you will obey the Lord, your life will be a channel of blessing to others (Ps. 37:25-26).” (Henry T. Blackaby)

Joshua 7:16–23 – “And Achan answered Joshua, ‘Truly I have sinned….’”

God exposes Achan through a deliberate and public process. When confronted, Achan confesses, but only after being caught. He had seen, coveted, taken, and hidden the forbidden things—an echo of the original sin in Eden. Sin follows a pattern: see, want, take, hide. Confession delayed by fear is better than denial, but it’s not the same as repentance born of conviction.

• James 1:14–15 – “Each person is tempted when he is lured… then desire… gives birth to sin… and brings forth death.”
• Proverbs 28:13 – “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper.”

Joshua 7:24–26 – “Then all Israel stoned him with stones… And they raised over him a great heap of stones…”

Achan’s punishment is severe because the offense was communal and covenantal. Israel was a holy people, and sin in the camp had brought defeat. The valley where he died is named Achor—“trouble.” Though judgment falls, God is not done. The very valley of judgment becomes, in the prophetic future, a doorway to hope. The cross of Christ transforms the place of sin into the place of redemption.

• Romans 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death…”
• Hosea 2:15 – “I will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.”

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 2 June 2025: Israel has sinned… I will be with you no more unless you destroy the devoted things.” (v. 11–12) Today, ask: Is there anything in your life that you’ve seen, coveted, taken, or hidden? Don’t wait to be exposed—bring it into the light. Repent. Confess. Restore. Let no hidden sin cut off the presence and power of God in your life. Write a personal “valley of Achor” list—a private inventory of things God is asking you to surrender. Then symbolically “bury” them—whether by deleting, discarding, or surrendering them in prayer. Let that place of trouble become a door of hope. Pray: “Lord, search me and expose anything in my heart that offends You. I don’t want to walk in presumption or pride. Cleanse me. Restore me. Let no sin remain hidden, and let Your presence dwell fully in my life. Amen.