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But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri,the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.

² Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.

³ When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.” ⁴ So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, ⁵ who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.

⁶ Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads. ⁷ And Joshua said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! ⁸ Pardon your servant, Lord. What can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? ⁹ The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?”

¹⁰ The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. ¹² That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. (NIV)

‘There are hours in our life when we are called from the exercises of devotion, good and God-honouring though they may be, to deal with the sin of our people, or to cut out some source of failure and defeat.’ F.B.Meyer

As we read today’s passage we do well to keep in view Joshua 6:18/19. The instructions given through Joshua had been crystal clear.

A number of lessons stand out when you read the whole of Joshua 7. (I have printed just the first thirteen verses above). These include:

• The danger of spiritual complacency and presumption; of resting on our laurels: assuming that because we were ‘successful’ previously we always will be. In our hubris thinking we’ll just ‘walk it’;
• The need to know God’s strategy, and obey Him;
• The collective impact of sin. A person may sin privately, but we do not sin alone. Achan sinned. Nevertheless God declared, ”Israel has sinned” (11, see also 1 Corinthians 5, which is in some ways this chapter’s New Testament ‘twin’);
• No-one can hide from God. Truth will out, sooner or later.

Yes, this chapter is a goldmine of shining nuggets of spiritual truth. But here is the one I most want to underline today: There is a time to be on our faces in prayer; but there is also a time to be on our feet taking decisive action. When God shows you that you need to do something urgently, go and do it. You can still be prayerful as you go, but don’t drag your feet.

Nowhere do we see the destructive power of sin more graphically than in the Cross. May we hear afresh today the Holy Spirit’s urgent call to ”Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:..” (Col.3:5). Declare war on sin. Destroy that which will destroy you. Pray about it by all means. But also, remove your sword and slay it! If we take the Sermon on the Mount seriously, we will be committed to living in radical repentance (Mt.5:29,30)

‘Ai (see Genesis 12:8 ; Genesis 13:3 ) lay two miles north of Jericho, and was a comparatively small place; but without God the smallest opposition is too great for us. Joshua seemed more concerned for the disgrace brought on the divine name than for the disaster to his men. Let us always look at our failures from God’s side! We must not lie too long in the dust of despair, but arise to detect and put away the hidden cause of our defeat, Hosea 5:15 ; Hosea 6:1-2.’ F.B.Meyer

²² Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” ²³ So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

²⁴ Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. ²⁵ But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute,with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

²⁶ At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:

“At the cost of his firstborn son
    he will lay its foundations;
at the cost of his youngest
    he will set up its gates.”

²⁷ So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land. (NIV)

What an example Rahab is of saving faith. She certainly did not ‘have it all together.’ She wasn’t even a good person. But she had a faith that worked. She believed God’s Word, and expressed her faith in what she did. Furthermore, what she did showed great courage. She believed in the God of Israel, and feared Him more than men.

‘’ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.^{’’ (Hebrews 11:31)}

‘’ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.’’ (James 2:25,26)

It is hard to disagree with F.B.Meyer:

‘It is not the amount of truth that we know which saves us, but the grasp with which we hold it. All that Rahab knew was very slight and partial, but she held to it with all the tenacity of her soul, and it was accounted to her for righteousness, Romans 4:15 . Also her works approved her faith. She identified herself with Israel by the scarlet thread, gathered her kinsfolk under her roof, and waited in anticipation of deliverance, James 2:25.

She had yet to be delivered from falsehood and lying, but that God-consciousness which is the first ray of dawn had broken upon her, and would necessarily result in perfect day. Poor outcast though she was, she became incorporated with Israel and the type of Gentile sinners who are permitted to sit with Christ in heavenly places. See Ephesians 2:17-18.’

⁶ So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” ⁷ And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

⁸ When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. ⁹ The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. ¹⁰ But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” ¹¹ So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.

¹² Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. ¹³ The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. ¹⁴ So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

¹⁵ On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. ¹⁶ The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! ¹⁷ The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. ¹⁸ But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. ¹⁹ All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”

²⁰ When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. ²¹ They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. (NIV)

See what they did. They were simply obedient. They followed God’s strategy to the letter.

See what HE did. He caused the walls to collapse.

When we step out in faith at God’s Word, He will do what only He can do. The ”ark of the covenant” symbolised God’s presence. Apart from the Lord we can do nothing. How absolutely we must believe this. ” ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty” (Zech.4:6)

‘By faith the walls of Jericho fell down,” Hebrews 11:30 …To the citizens the action of the Israelite invaders must have appeared incomprehensible and even ludicrous. What do these feeble folk ? But God’s people were being daily trained in patience, obedience and humility. Let God perform all things for you! Many strongholds of the enemy which now remain obstinate would fall if only all the Church would encompass them in faith, 2 Corinthians 10:4 . F.B.Meyer

 And then this, while Joshua was there near Jericho: He looked up and saw right in front of him a man standing, holding his drawn sword. Joshua stepped up to him and said, “Whose side are you on—ours or our enemies’?”

¹⁴ He said, “Neither. I’m commander of God’s army. I’ve just arrived.” Joshua fell, face to the ground, and worshiped. He asked, “What orders does my Master have for his servant?”

¹⁵ God’s army commander ordered Joshua, “Take your sandals off your feet. The place you are standing is holy.”

Joshua did it.

 Jericho was shut up tight as a drum because of the People of Israel: no one going in, no one coming out.

^2-5 God spoke to Joshua, “Look sharp now. I’ve already given Jericho to you, along with its king and its elite forces. Here’s what you are to do: March around the city, all your soldiers. Circle the city once. Repeat this for six days. Have seven priests carry seven ram’s horn trumpets in front of the Chest. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, the priests blowing away on the trumpets. And then, a long blast on the ram’s horn—when you hear that, all the people are to shout at the top of their lungs. The city wall will collapse at once. All the people are to enter, every man straight on in.” (The Message)

‘Joshua…learned that the the Lord already had a plan for taking Jericho. All Joshua had to do was obey and remember that he was on ”holy ground.” From that time, whenever Joshua took off his shoes, it reminded him that he was second in command. That was the secret of his victory (2 Chron.20:15).

If God calls you to do His work, He will tell you how to do it. His plans may seem foolish to you, but they always work if you obey by faith (Isaiah 55:8-11).’ Warren W. Wiersbe

If there is a key to Christian leadership, it is to share the same posture as Joshua. Whether literally or metaphorically, we need to be on our faces before the Lord, that we may hear His voice, receive His instructions and obey them. There is a way into every locked up ‘Jericho’, but we must never imagine that we are smart enough to work it out on our own. The work of God in this world will not be advanced by man’s clever ideas (although, for a time, it may appear to be) but by God’s own plans. May we be in a place to receive them.

Mary’s words to the servants at the wedding in Cana are always applicable: ” “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5)

The Mighty One, God, the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
² From Zion, perfect in beauty,
    God shines forth.
³ Our God comes
    and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
    and around him a tempest rages.
⁴ He summons the heavens above,
    and the earth, that he may judge his people:
⁵ ‘Gather to me this consecrated people,
    who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.’
⁶ And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    for he is a God of justice.

⁷ ‘Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.
⁸ I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
⁹ I have no need of a bull from your stall
    or of goats from your pens,
¹⁰ for every animal of the forest is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know every bird in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields are mine.
¹² If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
¹³ Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴ ‘Sacrifice thank-offerings to God,
    fulfil your vows to the Most High,
¹⁵ and call on me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you will honour me.’ (NIVUK)

Fundamentally, the world is divided into two. There are those who are God’s people, and there are those who are not. This is reflected in the two halves of this Psalm. Furthermore, God is the Judge of all the earth.

In addressing His covenant people, Israel, the Lord makes it clear that He doesn’t need their sacrifices for His food. He owns everything. Nevertheless (see vv.14,15 and 23),He does desire their appointed sacrifices as an expression of true worship.

I don’t find fault with your acts of worship,
    the frequent burnt sacrifices you offer.
But why should I want your blue-ribbon bull,
    or more and more goats from your herds?
Every creature in the forest is mine,
    the wild animals on all the mountains.
I know every mountain bird by name;
    the scampering field mice are my friends.
If I get hungry, do you think I’d tell you?
    All creation and its bounty are mine.
Do you think I feast on venison?
    or drink drafts of goats’ blood?
Spread for me a banquet of praise,
    serve High God a feast of kept promises,
And call for help when you’re in trouble—
    I’ll help you, and you’ll honour me.” (The Message)

In verse 15 there is a precious promise made to God’s people who will pray to Him ”in the day of trouble”. This could certainly describe our present day in terms of international politics. But we know that, sooner or later, we find ourselves in personal days of trouble, As someone observed, it is indeed very wonderful to be able to come before God with His own promises, and say to Him, ‘Do as you have said.’

‘There is no need to enlarge upon the spiritual insight of the psalmist, who realizes that God cannot be enriched by anything that we can bring; but insists on the sacrifice of thanksgiving, vows of consecration, and the loud call for help in the day of trouble. These are characteristic of those whose God is the Lord, and of the people whom He has taken for His own inheritance. Let us specially ponder these three conditions of the happy life, Psalms 50:14-15 . What comfort is contained in the blessed promise of Psalms 50:15 ! It is so absolute in its certainty and assurance. God has here bound Himself to deliver the soul that calls on Him in its trouble and give it reason to glorify Him.’ F.B. Meyer

²⁴ A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. ²⁵ Jesus said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. ²⁶ But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. ²⁸ You are those who have stood by me in my trials. ²⁹ And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, ³⁰ so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³¹ ‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’

³³ But he replied, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.’

³⁴ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.’

³⁵ Then Jesus asked them, ‘When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?’

‘Nothing,’ they answered.

³⁶ He said to them, ‘But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. ³⁷ It is written: “And he was numbered with the transgressors”; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfilment.’

³⁸ The disciples said, ‘See, Lord, here are two swords.’

‘That’s enough!’ he replied (NIVUK)

The highest position on offer in the Kingdom of God is that of a servant. Jesus Himself, ”by taking the very nature of a servant” (Phil.2:5-7), dignified the role. Like children, we can be prone to play a game of ‘I’m the king of the castle.’ But in this Kingdom there is only one King, and He has shown us the way by coming among us as ”one who serves”.

“Every time we deny ourselves in order to serve someone else, we grow in Christ.” David Jeremiah

“Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily.” Francis de Sales

 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. ⁸ Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.’

⁹ ‘Where do you want us to prepare for it?’ they asked.

¹⁰ He replied, ‘As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, ¹¹ and say to the owner of the house, “The Teacher asks: where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ¹² He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.’

¹³ They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

¹⁴ When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. ¹⁵ And he said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfilment in the kingdom of God.’

¹⁷ After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and divide it among you. ¹⁸ For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’

¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’

²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. ²¹ But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. ²² The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!’ ²³ They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. (ESV)

We will always find things to be just as Jesus told us (13).

Jesus knows everything about the future. We don’t. But we often carry within ourselves questions about it – understandably. Sometimes, we may have fears and forebodings, as well as happy expectations. But how good it is to know that our future is in the Lord’s Hands; that we are in His Hands.

Yes, Jesus knows all things about the future, and out of His all knowledge, He can give us sufficient intelligence to be able to take the next step. I take great comfort from this. I don’t need to know everything about tomorrow, but I do need to have enough information to be able to do His will; and He can supply it. Jesus knows the full story of your life; you don’t. But He can give you what you need to be able to live the next paragraph.

My mind turns to the beautiful words of a hymn by John Parker:

1 God holds the key of all unknown,
And I am glad;
If other hands should hold the key,
Or, if He trusted it to me,
I might be sad,
I might be sad.

2 What if tomorrow’s cares were here
Without its rest?
I’d rather He unlocked the day
And as the hours swing open say,
“My will is best,”
“My will is best.”

3 The very dimness of my sight
Makes me secure;
For, groping in my misty way,
I feel His hand; I hear Him say,
“My help is sure,”
“My help is sure.”

4 I cannot read His future plans,
But this I know;
I have the smiling of His face,
And all the refuge of His grace,
While here below,
While here below.

5 Enough; this covers all my wants,
And so I rest;
For, what I cannot, He can see,
And in His care I safe shall be,
Forever blest,
Forever blest.

As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

² At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” ³ So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.⁴ And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. ⁵ Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. ⁶ For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁷ So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

⁸ When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. ⁹ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called GilgaL to this day.

¹⁰ While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. ¹² And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. (ESV)

I want to focus on two sections, coming at the beginning and end of todays reading:

i). See how wonderfully God is able to prepare the way for His people to do whatever it is He wants them to do (see v.1). This reminds me of Rahab’s words in 2:9-11: ” “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. ¹⁰ For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. ¹¹ And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. (ESV) When God calls you to some work, you may feel staggered by the immensity of the challenge. You are staring the impossible in the face. But the Lord’s Hand is upon everyone and everything in this world, and He will see to it that the impossible becomes possible for you. Note the words: ‘…how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you…’ (10). David Pawson, teaching on the book of Joshua, made the point that without God they could not, but without them He would not.

ii). ‘Seasons’ change. God’s provision is according to the season/situation we find ourselves in. For Israel, their wilderness ‘season’ was at an end, and their ‘Promised Land’ season was just beginning.

‘The nation stopped eating manna and started eating food that God naturally provided. There is a place for the miraculous, but God never wastes miracles. If we do the possible, He will do the impossible.’ Warren W. Wiersbe.