January 12, 2024

Passage Read: Joshua 6-9
Meditation Verses: 7:11-12

Thought

God's response was immediate, though the people didn't realize it until later. Things went badly at Ai, and then they were afraid that the Lord had given them over to destruction. But the Lord had simply withdrawn His help from them, and with that, they were powerless against the people of the land. And it didn't occur to them that their failure was because someone among them had sinned. God had to point that out to them. That's all it took: one man violating the ban, and God backed off from them. How much favor do I actually enjoy, and how much is just nothing going wrong? How much trouble do I suffer but just take as bad circumstance, not necessarily rebuke from the Lord?

Application

It would be a mistake to think that God overlooks my sin. He is offended by every one of them and waits for me to admit and repent. He stands ready to forgive by the blood of Jesus, but He doesn't turn a blind eye to my sin. Thirty-six men died because of Achan's sin, but the rest of the three thousand men returned alive. God was gracious to those men, while allowing the 36 to die. God gives most time to discover their sin, but not all. Neither does it mean I can put off searching out my sin. People may survive and even enjoy good things for years while still under God's wrath, but I don't want to put God to that test. Better to discover any sin and to repent of it as quickly as possible.