Achan's Conduct

“Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man perished not alone in his iniquity”

(Josh. 22:20 KJV).

In our verse, Joshua is reminding Israel about Achan’s conduct when they conquered Jericho. Three things are said about Achan’s conduct: the iniquity of his conduct, the influence of his conduct, and the infliction for his conduct.

Iniquity of his conduct – “Commit a trespass.” In taking the clothes and gold from Jericho, Achan had disobeyed God. The stolen items were then hidden in his tent. Of course, we cannot hide our evil actions from God. Achan was found out and his conduct was called “a trespass.” It was labeled sin. Today we have a tendency to call sinful conduct by different names. Instead of calling gambling sin, folks call it gaming to make it sound innocent. Homosexuality is called an alternative lifestyle. Yet the Bible calls sin by its rightful name. Achan stole; Achan disobeyed God. It was sin!

Influence of his conduct – “Wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel.” People sometimes say that the evil they do is no one’s business. That if they want to drink, smoke, gamble, or engage in other illicit or sinful behavior, it is none of our business. Yet, this is not the case; it is our business. These evils influence others. A drunkard may say it is none of our business if he drinks. But when that drunkard gets into a fatal accident, his drinking has become our business. We do not live unto ourselves. Our life influences many others. As such, we need to make that influence a holy influence.

Infliction for his conduct – “That man perished not alone in his iniquity.” Sin brings judgment. We may try to hide our sin for a time, but eventually it will result in judgment. Men mock sin, and think they can get away with it. But sooner or later, Divine justice will catch up with the unrepentant sinner.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be the Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Obeying God is the best prescription for spiritual health!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Confess

In 1 John 1:9 we read, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (NASB).

Confess is the Greek word homologeo (ομολογεω). It is made up of two words: “homos” which means same, and “lego” which means to speak. Literally, the word means to say the same thing as another, to agree with, to assent to a thing. In classical Greek, homologeo means to speak or say together, to speak one language, to agree with, to come to terms (used especially of persons surrendering in war), to allow, admit, confess, grant.

In Koine Greek, the word is used when there is an agreement between two individuals, or a person gives his consent, acknowledgement of having found something. In 1 John 1:9, confession of sin on the part of the Christian is not a mere admission of the sin to God. For the Christian, the act of confession includes the coming to terms with God in regard to the sin, of agreeing with God as to what He says about that sin and what the Christian ought to do about it. It is the entering into a contract or agreement with God that if He will cleanse us from the defilement of that sin, the sin will not be repeated (c/f Prov. 28:13).

Bible Facts

After Moses had received the Ten Commandments from God, he gathered the whole Israelite community together and explained the work that the Lord wanted them to do in the construction of a sanctuary. He then sent out a call for a collection of gifts for the construction of the tabernacle (Exodus 35:5–9). However, men were not the only ones to contribute to the construction of the sanctuary. There were Hebrew women who heard Moses’ call and felt inspired to do spinning for the Lord (Exodus 35:25-26)

Bible Trivia

In which chapter in the Book of Psalm does it say that the heavens were made by “the breath” of the Lord’s mouth?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: In the New Testament, Simon of Cyrene is the first person identified as being from Africa. Who was the second person in the New Testament identified as being from Africa? The Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40).

That’s in the Bible

“Make a spectacle of yourself”

“For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men” (1 Cor. 4:9 KJV).

Drawing attention to yourself in a foolish way is considered “making a spectacle of yourself.” Paul said that the apostles are “made a spectacle unto the world;” in like manner, so are all Christians. If you are a believer, you will be ridiculed for believing in talking snakes (the Garden of Eden), Noah’s ark, nine hundred-year-old men (Genesis 5), people making the sun stand still (Joshua), and so on. Believers today are accounted as “fools for Christ's sake” because of their witness, actions, and beliefs.

Did You Know – Christian History

Roger Williams was born in London, England around 1603. He was an English Protestant theologian and an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams also started the first Baptist church in America, and the First Baptist Church of Providence. He was arguably the first abolitionist in North America, having organized the first attempt to prohibit slavery in any of the original thirteen colonies. On March 14, 1644, Roger Williams was granted a colonial patent to found Rhode Island, the first American colony where freedom to worship God was separated from the control of the state.

A Little Humor

A little boy was afraid of the dark. One night his mother told him to go out to the back porch and bring her the broom. The little boy turned to his mother and said, “Mama, I don’t want to go out there. It’s dark.” The mother smiled reassuringly at her son. “You don’t have to be afraid of the dark,” she explained. “Jesus is out there. He’ll look after you and protect you.” The little boy looked at his mother real hard and asked, “Are you sure He’s out there?” “Yes, I’m sure. He is everywhere, and He is always ready to help you when you need Him,” she said. The little boy thought about that for a minute and then went to the back door and cracked it a little. Peering out into the darkness, he called, “Jesus, if you’re out there, would you please hand me the broom?”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Salvation is free only because Jesus Christ paid an enormous price!”