From: andronicus451@gmail.com   
      
   Joshua 7   
      
   1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for    
   Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of    
   Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled    
   against the children of Israel.   
      
   * * *   
      
   When the walls of Jericho fell, Israel won the battle as the inhabitants   
   of Jericho were mostly unprepared to fight the Joshua's army.   
      
   After this great city fell, Israel felt only a small number of warriors is   
   required to take a small city of AI. But then something happened that   
   Joshua did not predict. As the city of Jericho was destroyed by a   
   direct supernatural intervention of God, its spoils were dedicated.   
   However, one man, Achan, became covetous seeing silver and gold.   
      
   The LORD God Creator had to step back from Israel because He   
   cannot take part in covetousness as otherwise He would break His   
   own Commandment and became a liar.   
      
   And God is many things, but He certainly isn't a liar. Unlike Zeus or   
   Jupiter, God Creator of the Universe, Maker of Adam and Eve,   
   God of Abraham, never does what He hates.   
      
   He had to step back from Israel, and as they were no longer God's   
   chosen people and chosen army, but like any other plundering army,   
   they were easily defeated by a small number of   
   the citizens of Ai, turning their back and fleeing.   
      
   The morale is that God doesn't like war profiteers. Joshua knew how to   
   deal with war profiteers: he stoned greedy Achan and put a pile of rocks   
   over him to this present day. So this valley was later called   
   "the valley of Achor".   
      
   The consequence however was that no further city was taken by   
   a miracle like Jericho, ever again in the Old Testament.   
      
   As God is the same today, yesterday, and forever (Hebrews 13:8),   
   He is also bound to stand to the same standard today: to detest those   
   greedy for gold in warfare.   
      
   in the name of the LORD God Merciful, Longsuffering   
   Amen   
      
   * * *   
      
   Joshua 7   
      
   Israel Defeated at Ai   
      
   1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for   
   Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of   
   Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled   
   against the children of    
   Israel.   
      
   2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the   
   east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country.   
   And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua, and said   
   unto him, Let not all the    
   people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and   
   make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. 4 So there   
   went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before   
   the men of Ai. 5 And    
   the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them   
   from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down:   
   wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.   
      
   6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the   
   ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust   
   upon their heads. 7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at   
   all brought this    
   people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy   
   us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! 8 O   
   Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!   
   9 For the Canaanites    
   and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us   
   round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy   
   great name?   
      
   10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon   
   thy face? 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant   
   which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and   
   have also stolen, and    
   dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore   
   the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their   
   backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with   
   you any more,    
   except ye destroy the accursed from among you. 13 Up, sanctify the people, and   
   say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of   
   Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst   
   not stand before thine    
   enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. 14 In the   
   morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall   
   be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families   
   thereof; and the family    
   which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which   
   the LORD shall take shall come man by man. 15 And it shall be, that he that is   
   taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he   
   hath: because he hath    
   transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in   
   Israel.   
      
   The Sin of Achan   
      
   16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes;   
   and the tribe of Judah was taken: 17 And he brought the family of Judah; and   
   he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites   
   man by man; and    
   Zabdi was taken: 18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the   
   son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was   
   taken. 19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the   
   LORD God of Israel, and    
   make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not   
   from me. 20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against   
   the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21 When I saw among the   
   spoils a goodly    
   Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of   
   fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they   
   are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.   
      
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)