Rebellion In The Camp

This is a sad story but it reflects how just the Lord is.  The Lord hates sin in any form and sometimes it brings terrible consequences.  

This story takes place not long after the defeat of Jericho.  The Canaanites lived in Jericho and they were a very wicked people.  The Israelites were the people chosen of God and He wanted them to be a pure nation and not be contaminated by the Canaanites and the gods they worshiped.  God did not want His people to practice their ways, it says in Joshua 6:16–19, “And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.  And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.  And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.  But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.”

I don’t know if you realize it or not but it took the Israelites a week of marching around the walls of Jericho, they went around the walls 13 times in all then the Priests blew the trumpets, the people shouted and the walls came down and the Israelites defeated the Canaanites.  Now everything was fine until the Israelites went to fight against Ai then they discovered the sin of rebellion in the camp.  

When Joshua and the Israelites went to fight against Ai they thought it was going to be an easy battle but on the first try they were defeated.  Joshua rent his clothes and fell face down on the earth. Then it says in 7:10-13, “And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?  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.  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.  Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: 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.”  Then in verse 15 it says, “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.”

Then all was discovered, a man named Achan was the problem because he had rebelled against the Lord and taken some of the things that were forbidden to take.  In verses 25 and 26 it says this, “And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.  And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.”

This seems like a very stiff punishment but they all were warned beforehand what the consequences would be if they messed with the things that were dedicated to the Lord.  I think if Achan had the fear of the Lord like he should have had this would not have happened.

It is a sad thing but I think the same thing is happening today in the church.  There seems to be so much anger, bitterness, unforgiveness and lack of love.  It seems that instead of looking up to others as better than ourselves we are in competition with each other and I could go on but I think you got the point.  That is called rebellion against the word of God. When we’re rebelling against the Word of God, aren’t we in a sense rebelling against God?  The Bible says, “You will know them by their love,” not by their hatred or jealousy.  People are surprised when their prayers aren’t answered, but sin separates us from God.  I think this is the answer, it is in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good our whether it be evil.”

So if you have been rebelling against the Lord or are sinning in any manner, stop it and repent, ask the Lord to forgive you, and don’t put it off, it is very important and then walk in victory without feeling condemnation.  God bless and have a great day.