Timothy: Let’s continue considering the small town of Ai, but the deep sins that cause them to fail in doing this simple little task in God. Intro: Welcome to the Consider Podcast, where we turn our minds to consider wisdom, madness and folly. Join the host Timothy and Jacob on a quest to have God enlighten the mind according to verse 25 of Ecclesiastes chapter 7. So, I turned my mind to understand to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly. Ecclesiastes 7:25. The Consider Podcast, examining today’s events and Paulorrow’s realities at www.archive.consider.info.
Timothy: Good morning, Jacob. How are you?
Jacob: Alright.
Timothy: Why don’t you recap for us?
Jacob: Recap the town of Ai.
Timothy: That’s a good stall rephrasing the question. I like that.
Jacob: Of course, it is.
Timothy: I didn’t tell him ahead of time. I was going to have him recap so.
Jacob: How about, you’ve in the past two different shows you start with.
Timothy: Hang on. Hang on. It’s not fair to quote me. That’s tactic number 3.
Jacob: Oh, okay yeah.
Timothy: Alright go back. Go ahead. I’m interrupting you.
Jacob: You call it small tasks but you’ve never referenced oh this the small task that we’re talking about.
Timothy: Well, it’s not a recap. That’s like.
Jacob: No, I said I have a question though.
Timothy: Okay, but I ask for a recap. Now that we’ve had fun this morning. Okay, go ahead. Ask your question.
Jacob: Well, every time you start the show, you say, you start out with you call it small tasks and deep sins or small tasks and something. But so far, you’ve never actually highlighted or brought up what these small tasks was.
Timothy: Okay, that for us and tell everybody out there what was the task?
Jacob: Well, the task was to go scout out the town of Ai is what I’m assuming. This was the thing that was told to do and then it starts the whole story starts. Because they come back and they’re like, it’s no problem, this will be easy and then it’s snowballs downhill from there.
Timothy: The small task is the actual taking of the town.
Jacob: Okay.
Timothy: Spying was the first part where they bring back really an honest report. This is a small matter, it’s not a big deal, it’s routine. We’ve done these battles before. We know exactly what should be done. Think of your everyday small quote unquote things in the church that you do whether it’s the church picnic or what are some other things that churches do Jacob. Praise, worship Sunday. It’s typical Sunday school.
Jacob: Standard stuff.
Timothy: Standard stuff. Anything standard for which you spy out, examine, go and look and go this is not a big deal. Or you’re going to go talk to your neighbor about Jesus Christ or there’s some battle that’s going on in your local community or with the government and it appears like it’s a small thing and so you go marching in. You get all the way into this thing and somehow, you’re just totally beaten back and you run home scared. There’s a lot of elements here is going on. So, recap what happened Jacob? They did what?
Jacob: They were routed so the Israelites said send out just a few guys. Not everybody has to get all tired and beat up over this. I’m paraphrasing so the Israelites go. They are routed. Their hearts melt. They are fearful.
Timothy: The whole community goes into fear.
Jacob: Everybody’s in fear. Everybody’s scared. And then Joshua goes before the Lord and that’s kind of where we were at.
Timothy: And how many men got killed?
Jacob: 36.
Timothy: Very good. You’ve been paying attention. You do notice we don’t have time to go through it today that it’s all the men here. There’re only women in leadership. Alright, let’s look at Philippians chapter 2 verse 12, because that’s really what they’re missing. They have the wrong kind of fear. They’re afraid of the battle that they lost. They’re afraid of their reputation. They’re afraid of losing. They’re afraid that they were brought out here into the promised land. The Christianity is getting a little tough. Instead of fearing sin and fearing God and working out their salvation. Well, let’s read it. Philippians 2:12. “Therefore my dear friends, as you have always obeyed”. Talking about a life of rich obedience here. “Not only in my presence but how much more in my absence. Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling”. God is really giving them an abstract reminder or lesson that every single day. We should be working out our salvation with fear and trembling. There is no downtime while we’re in this world. Now, God does send refreshing times. He does strengthen us. He gives us joy but there’s not what we call downtime where we go, okay, here’s my cross. I’m just going to put it down today and I’m just going to do this one thing. Sure, as you do that, somebody comes to your door that you should be sharing the gospel with or you’re called to do or some sin just that’s been growing in your life and you haven’t been dealing with. A lot of this can be compared to a person Personal walk with Jesus. There’re sins that they just can’t overcome. They keep trying and trying and then they keep making maybe going backwards. It’s because there’s not enough fear there. There’s not enough trembling in the church to really deal with the sin. You’re playing at it. It’s a nuisance. You see that in these false revivals. Everybody’s always giving up pornography or some big thing that they want to get rid of in their life that they’re tired of. But there’s not the fear and trembling looking for the treasure that’s in a tent, that’s buried that nobody can see and getting that brought out into the light. This is just an abstract lesson in a very real way that God is saying, hey, this is what it is to walk in the light. And unless you keep the church clean. I want to repeat that. Unless you keep the church clean and grow in more and more obedience and righteousness. You’re going to get whooped one of these days when there was no need to do so.
Jacob: Not only get whooped but he told Joshua if you don’t go fix this. I’m not going to be with you. I will not be with you anymore. That’s what he says.
Timothy: That’s right. Anymore.
Jacob: Anymore. It’ll be done.
Timothy: I’d actually had the notes but we don’t have time to go look at the Book of Revelation where especially the Church of America you claim to be wise, you came to be rich, all that. But you don’t realize how dead, poor, and pitiful you really are. That’s what we’re looking at here. The church in America especially and of course the sad thing is the American culture Christianity has been spread around the world. So, when I say American Christianity, we’ve exported the nonsense of just ask Jesus in your heart. This casual relationship with God and just focusing on all the nice little four or five scriptures we want or prosper. What’s happening here is there’s a sin deep inside the tent and no this stuff isn’t being brought out by the power of God. It may be brought out by committees or maybe brought out by men or it may show up in the news media, but it’s not a digging and a looking ahead of time and doing it all by the power of God. And what we’re looking at here is God dealing with why they failed in the victory. The church failed as a victory to go and win the battle. In their personal lives they’re failing. The sin is creeping into the camp. And God’s going to deal with that by withdrawing his presence. And the sad thing is a lot of people God withdraws his presence. They lose a couple Battles and instead of doing the fear and trembling and growing in the Holy Spirit and in more obedience getting past shallow doctrines and things like that. They just continue on and eventually God just quits convicting and eventually the church is dead and God says, I’ll just spit you out of the mouth. Kind of thing. Let’s go to Joshua chapter 7 verse 13. Go ahead and read verse 13 there, Jacob.
Jacob: “Go consecrate the people. Tell them, “Consecrate yourselves in preparation for Paulorrow, for this is what the Lord the God of Israel says. That which is devoted is among you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it”.
Timothy: Look this is just a promise. There’s no guess work here. This is not interpretation on my part. God is literally telling, look the church or ministry or whatever it is that you’re doing that you claim is of Jesus Christ. If there is buried in hidden sin, maybe things you forgotten a long time ago your keepsake the sin that you keep in the background or Whatever. There comes a point in time when God says, okay enough. I mean I’m sure part of the mixture and delusion is the Israelites go, well, we made it all the way here. And the generation that was really sinful. You know the really, really bad ones they died off in the desert and here we are. We’ve already won a couple battles. So, God is with us. And they completely ignore and let the church deteriorate in some little way over here because they’re getting comfortable and getting happy. God goes comes and he says, ‘Tell them, create yourselves in preparation for Paulorrow”. So, there’s an awakening there. Okay, we need to get more sober. We need to get quiet. We need to consecrate ourselves to Lord. We need to resolve that Paulorrow is only about Jesus Christ is only about dealing with our sin. It’s serious contemplation waiting upon God and letting God call us into his presence, bring us in man by man, person by person, looking for those things that are hidden and need to be done. And the God is actually teaching that. He could’ve easily gone well I know who it is and I know who did it. Joshua go get him there they are. That’s we go from point A to point B. Well, God goes from A, B, C, D all the way down to every name in the alphabet, right? And he’s going from house to house and person to person. There’s a lot of soul searching and a lot of increase in like, okay, I don’t want this to happen again. And who knows? There may have been some other people that are on the verge of those sins and had some things kind of sitting in their tents then quite commit the math of sin that’s done here. So, as God moves through the camp you’re going, okay, did I do this? Am I clean here? Those would be the natural questions right Jacob?
Jacob: Yeah. Or like I think you had mentioned it in a previous podcast like you had said if this guy had come forward right now even before like the next morning or you’re like, hey, look this is would there not have been mercy we don’t know but he sat on it. So, there could have been other people, smaller things, different things and he said you know what? I got to get rid of this or I got to do this or maybe you know what? I’ve been this bitterness towards you know another brother or family member. I need to go deal with that. We don’t know how much stuff. How much cleanup got done from now till the morning.
Timothy: You bring up a very good point.
Jacob: He’s the only other guy. He’s the guy that locks in his heels and he still wouldn’t do it. He had the time. He had the time to I’m fixing it using air quote. He had the time to repent. He did.
Timothy: He did, but I like your point there that surely each tense is looking at their neighbor or their family member or whatever’s going on and go, I send again you and there and there’s that soberness about just everyday life and what’s going on, and while God is pointing to the bigger things. We’re going to sidetrack here. Let’s go to first Corinthians 5 and remind everybody the church especially in America has not even dealt with the big ones. And by the big ones, I mean not those that get caught in all this big stuff that you can write books about. But just dealing with the worldly or the slanderers or the greedy or the sexually immoral. I just saw a TikTok the other day where a girl was quoting a scripture about the Lord wants a pure virgin. He wants holy people and she’s got to a pierced nose and all the things that look just like the world. First Corinthians 5:9, Paul says, “I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people”. Not at all meaning the people of this world. In other words, you can go associate with people that are sexual moral in the world. Those are the people we’re not supposed to judge. It’s in the church where we go, okay, what’s the dress look like? Do people come dressed holy for church? What are the women look like being dressed? What are the men look? You can change the whole tone and the whole atmosphere of church just by the way people are dressing or not dressing. Not at all meaning the people this world are immoral or the greedy and the and swindlers or idolaters in that case you would have to lead the world. We don’t have time to go through all of this, but let’s just take the greed. Jesus says, “You have to hate and despise money”. Anybody not in the church, let me say, anybody in the church not hating and despise money is by God’s definition a swindler and greedy. He’s an idolater. In that case, you would have to leave this world. “But now I’m writing youth that you must not associate. Must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but a sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater, a slandered, a drunkard, or swindler with such a man do not even eat”. What business of mind to judge those outside the church are you not to judge those inside? Jacob, you know who Alice Cooper is?
Jacob: Yeah, some sort of rock star.
Timothy: Yeah, it wasn’t in your time. Anyway, he claims to be a Christian now but his dress, his hair, everything he does is impure and unholy. He should have been disfellowship a long time ago and that’s just one person and I’m just picking a name off the top here. You go look around at these people. They’ve got tattoos and the way they dress. Anything but what represents the holiness of God and please don’t contact me saying, well, you didn’t, that’s not in the list there. Well, I’ve got plenty of other ones with another list if that what you want to go to. Let’s go back to Joshua chapter 7 verse 14 and remember again, the church needs to remove its shallow doctrines or doctrines that are true and noble but have become cold and old because the life is just kind of settled into it. We need to remove the massive worldliness that’s in the church and especially we need to remove or call the hypocrites in the church to repentance. Joshua chapter 7 verse 14 says, “In the morning present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the Lord takes shall come forward clan by clan; the clan that the Lord takes shall come forward family by family; and the family that the Lord takes shall come forward man by man”. God is calling everybody, no matter who it is whether it’s a clan or just the head of a household person by person to do some soul searching. Isn’t he, Jacob? On other words, everyone is to let the fear of the Lord make them holy. Let me repeat that. The fear of the Lord is to make us holy and everybody is responsible to ensure that they themselves are being obedient to the gospel and everybody around them is obedient. That’s why Hebrews says see to it that no one has a unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God or gets tangled in sin. Joshua 7:15 says, “He who is caught with the devoted Things shall be destroyed by fire”. I think of the fire of the Holy Spirit. I think of Acts 5, I think it is with Ananias and Sapphire. There’s a purity that Jesus comes to Baptist and the church that goes way beyond this kind of physical fire here. But we don’t see that in the church. We don’t even see the fear and trembling. We won’t even tolerate pastors who get close to this. Now they’ll tolerate pastors who talk about it and who say we need the fire and everybody thinks oh that sounds good and yeah, we’re doing it but that there’s no fire is coming from God. There’s no holy ghost that is going by each person house by house and everybody looking at everybody else and walking in the light and going, are we holy? Are we righteous? Are we need where we need to be? Along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel. How much disgrace there is in the house of God. There is so much disgrace. It’s like plastered all over the place. You even supposedly have Christian news Organizations using the bad corruption church to plaster it all out there, isn’t it? It’s just everywhere.
Jacob: Yeah.
Timothy: In fact, it’s the easiest thing to do. If we want to start a news organization or ministry that exposes other churches and people, would that not be the easiest thing to do?
Jacob: Correct.
Timothy: So, you’ve got one group over here and what they’re doing is pointing, oh look, look, wrong, wrong, wrong. They’re not repenting and they’re not holding up. Well, this is what’s holding, this is what you ought to live. Always notice that about these discernment ministries or news group or whatever that there’s never any depth to or conviction of on any depth or level that says, this is what we are doing, this is what ought to be done and this is everybody that we’re calling to repentance. Correct?
Jacob: Correct.
Timothy: I know I say correct a lot. I’m just trying to give you a chance if you want to add anything on there?
Jacob: Nope.
Timothy: Alright, he who is caught, and you’re back to what you were talking about earlier on. He didn’t have to get caught, he could’ve just come running and said here this is me and this is who I am and this is what I did. Better to run into the light and humble yourself before God. He says, well, nice try but I’m not going to take it and I’m going to punish you anyway versus if you just keep on hiding that. You can be sure you’re doomed. You can be sure that you’re going to be judged with the harshest judgments. I think of David when he was caught in sin when Nathan the prophet came to him and said, you’re the man that committed adultery and murder. In fact, all he just really said is you’re the man and David acknowledged it and all the grace and the mercy and yet now remember David disciplined. God just didn’t let him off the hook but, in this case, these people are losing everything they own, their donkeys, their sheep, their family, their children because they wouldn’t run into the light saying what I did is wrong. We always want to qualify what we did or say the favorite one is if I did anything, please forgive me, right? I wish I don’t really wish but I wish I had a dollar for every time somebody said if I’d be a multi, what would I be richer than Trump? I don’t know.
Jacob: I don’t know.
Timothy: Let’s go to Joshua chapter 7 verse 16. Jacob, go ahead and read verse 16 there.
Jacob: “Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes and Judah was taken”.
Timothy: I love that word early. There’s no delay. The obedience is fast. Joshua, he was seeking God during the night. I mean God says, consecrate yourself. Get yourself ready. This is what we’re going to do. Step by step Joshua had the wisdom, but it was up to Godly leadership to actually put it into action and you’ll notice what Joshua, there’s no delay. He is a man of warfare, a man of spiritual warfare. He is going to act. He’s all, it’s like Peter says, “Prepare your mind for action”. You hear what God wants to do with the church? This isn’t a man made or oh you know, let’s have a revival meeting in October. Let’s schedule it out here. This isn’t something man conjured up. God is along, dealing with the situation, it’s real, it’s alive, it’s active, it’s unpredictable, yet it has a direction that comes from God but it comes centered in on Joshua, doesn’t it Jacob? In today’s culture, you probably couldn’t even get there. You’d be accused of being a cult leader or brainwasher, all kinds of nasty things. Joshua 7:16, “Early the next morning”. Okay, we’re on with this thing Joshua saying, had Israel come forward by tribes and Judah is taking. So, we go through the process here. This man is watching and his family is watching. You have to understand. Don’t the kids know what went on.
Jacob: Yeah.
Timothy: It’s hard to believe he stole a thing of gold and some silver and a robe and buried in his tent. I mean he went into the tent. Could you think he could’ve hidden that from his wife?
Jacob: No.
Timothy: There’s no way. And kids always pick up on everything to a certain I’m telling you they’re right in their perspective. But everybody knows what’s going on. Not to mention I’m guessing but if you’re on the Battlefield and you’re just running away aren’t you going to be able to spot a guy that has a robe in his hands?
Jacob: Yeah, he’s got this giant robe. It would have been like some fancy robe.
Timothy: And from what I’ve heard gold is heavy. I don’t have any, so but I can imagine he’s got silver which is heavy and he’s got gold and he’s got a robe that he’s trying to keep all bundled up and run with that back to his tent that nobody might see him. That sounds improbable to suggest. It happens a lot in churches. People would come, oh yeah, I did see so and so sinning. I didn’t say anything that that happens routinely in churches. Verse 17. Jacob, go ahead and read that one. I’ll let you kind of go through the names there.
Jacob: The clans of Judah came forward and he took the Zerahites. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was taken”.
Timothy: Verse 18. There’s a dramatic here. In verse 17, all these other families are being taken. It’s just kind of mention, nothing’s found, right? Verse 18, who’s the person that had committed the sin? How close is this to Joshua? Joshua 7:18, it says, “Joshua had his family come forward”. The sin is going to be found in Joshua’s home or clan or camp or whatever. That’s how close this is. So, we’re going to see within Joshua that he shows no favoritism, does he? Now we got to kind of back up in one sense. Clearly Joshua didn’t know but that’s because he was busy doing God’s will. So, on the one hand while Joshua’s busy leading God and doing the battle and dealing with the situation somebody in his own family is sneaking sin into the camp. So, anybody that thinks you’re cunning your father or your mother or Godly leadership and sneaking in. You may be. You may be seeking in. That’s what the problem. But how vile that is because it’s not Joshua putting his face toward God. Is he not seeking God? So, don’t get all pride and puffed up here or think that Joshua or the family member that didn’t see it is somehow unholy and unspiritual. They may be so busy seeking God and working out their own salvation with fear and friendly. They don’t know notice that or I would think you know to the pure all things are pure Joshua probably can’t imagine anybody in his own family doing this, right? It’s a shocking sin. It wouldn’t even come to mind. So, Joshua had his family come forward man by man. And go ahead and read the rest of that, Jacob. You did so well in the names before.
Jacob: And Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken”.
Timothy: His own family. One by one. Look at this. He comes, Joshua comes to the family, right? And we said this before repeating the main thing. He could’ve come out in the light then. He could’ve stepped forward and said, I sinned before we got there. He didn’t do it when the first family member is taken and when the second and goes down the line, he just remains quiet, doesn’t he? And how many people out there, whether in the church, certainly outside the church, but how many claiming the name are just waiting to see if they get caught?
Midpoint
Jacob: Yeah.
Timothy: Then they’re confess it. We’ll see that here in just a moment.
Jacob: Yeah.
Timothy: They’ll confess everything but by now they’re caught and so that opportunity to repent is just gone. There’s a lot of people especially with the hate crime that went on that need to repent. And I know what they’re doing. They’re waiting to see if they’ll get caught. Well, you’re playing a very dangerous game. Because you are assured, you’re promised by God that you will be caught. Most people don’t realize they’re building promises in their life. Whether you’re a Christian or not. The promises of God are being built up both ways and someday we’re going to look at that. If you’re wicked and I mean that whether you’re in the church or out of the church, all the promises about judgement and all the promises about not being allowed into the kingdom of heaven, all those are yours. So, every day, everybody is building up certain promises in their life because God says, I promise to do these things. If you’re holy and righteous and keeping your robe clean and actually being obedient, not just when the pastor eyes are on you but even more so when they’re not, if you’re doing all of the things that have to do with the full gospel and surrender toward Jesus Christ, you’re reaping promises there. Either way, the promises are being built up no matter who you are. Wanna know your fate? If you’re hiding sin, you’re hoping and waiting to get caught, then go look at all the promises about being judged because they’re yours. They belong to you and every single day, God says, I promise and I promise and it will be done. Let’s look at verse 19 of Joshua 7. Then Joshua said to Achan, now listen to his wording here. “My son, give glory to the Lord”. Give glory to the Lord. When you see churches, oh let’s give glory to God. Do you think they have this in mind, Jacob?
Jacob: No.
Timothy: I don’t hear an outburst of I sinned this week. And I did this over here and I’ve got this buried over here or somebody over in the far pew goes, so and so is in sin over here. And that to be dealt with and need to be brought into the light. I’ve seen this hypocrisy. We need to repent. There are two sides to God’s glory. There’s the glory that we think of and we praise and we certainly enjoy. I’m using that in a worldly term, because those who hunger and thirst for righteousness find the glory that confesses sin just as enjoyable as the good blessings of peace and happiness that come from repentance. They’re equal. They’re the glory of God and look what he says, “my son”. Those are intimate terms, right? But this is not just vengeance or you made me look stupid. That’s not what this is about. He’s not coming in with some type of his condemnation about what went on because it’s very clear that by now, I’m sure to Joshua who’s guilty. It says, my son, he’s embracing. Correct me if I’m remotely wrong. When he go, my son, could he not interrupted him and go, I know where you’re going. I sinned. You think he could done it at that late hour?
Jacob: I don’t know. You’ve been picked.
Timothy: You’ve been picked.
Jacob: The Lord has sifted through clan-by-clan person by person and he was picked right? Somehow the lot or I don’t know how.
Timothy: Yeah, casting lots or whatever.
Jacob: I mean he was taken. Right now, it’s too late because everybody knows. Everybody knows that you are the guy. So now it’s just a matter of if he’s going to lie because he’s going to say tell me what you did. And you could’ve still, but I think it’s too late. I don’t know.
Timothy: I’d have to agree with you. And the word son is reminding him and everyone of what he’s about to lose here. This is his standing. This is his relationship and now that’s gone reminded through Revelation where Jesus says, you’d be blotted out of the book of life. It’ll be sons and Christians or the sermon I did many, many moons ago. Christians should go to hell. “My son, give glory to the Lord”. Look what he’s appealing to now. He’s at least trying to pull that deep within consecration to God that that’s who you sinned against here. It’s not about him. “Give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel”. He’s reminding this is the God who it is and that would have brought up a whole picturesque kind of thing. The God of Israel, the one who delivered us from Egypt, the one who is with us in the desert, the one who is with us as we did these other battles. So, he’s not just giving titles here. This is not like, well, the prosecutor’s office and the assistant prosecutor over here and the of course everybody an executive prosecutor or whatever name you want to give. That’s not what’s going on here. This is the God of Israel, the God of love, the God of deliverance, the God that provides in the desert, the God that brought water, the God that brought food and meat and discipline and love. The whole personality of God is put right in front of him, and I think that’s significant a part of you’re not just losing your life here and you’re not just losing the things that you coveted. You’re losing the God of Israel. Let me repeat that again. You’re losing more than tangible things, your little life. You’re losing the God of love and of Israel. He goes on to say Joshua says, “And give him the praise”. This is praise. Give God glory and praise. In other words, tell me what you did. All of this as you see is not Joshua looking. This is not a cult leader to put in everybody’s worldly terms of where the pastor, the leadership, or the committee goes from house to house looking to see who did what? That’s not what this is a movement of the Holy Spirit. This is what we would call or should call real revival. This is a real cleansing that’s taking place. Because aren’t they being revived in righteousness. They lost a battle. They’ve gone dry. They’ve gone cold. They’re sin. They’re liable to destruction. God has literally said, I will never ever be with you again evermore. And he only said it one time but I’m emphasizing it, right?
Jacob: Yeah.
Timothy: But this is revival that they’re experiencing. Please don’t come to me and go our church is having revival unless you can point to something like this. Let me just pause for just a second. Revival’s a shameful thing. I can be refreshed Lord but if I need revival right there, you’re saying I’m defeated.
Jacob: Yeah, it is crazy how everyone’s like revival, revival, revival and it’s like, well, but if you were truly obeying God everyday yeah you wouldn’t need revival. Revival is when you’re kind of like this like you’re out on the edge and like the Lord’s going to leave you unless you do something.
Timothy: Correct.
Jacob: It’s not a good thing. Yeah, everybody tells it as a good thing.
Timothy: I know. It’s a thing by your words you’ll be acquitted and judge. They’re going to. But Lord we had 15 revivals for 15 years. Well, that’s your condemnation. You just demonstrated that you admitted you weren’t anywhere. Psalms tells us those that are in Jesus go from strength to strength till each appears before glory. Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son give glory to the Lord the God of Israel and give him the praise. And the praise comes out. Tell me what you have done. Do not hide it from me”. That’s one thing that praise means and that’s one thing that glory means. Glorify God by confessing your sin and repenting of your sin. Clearly even at this point he’s saying he’s appealing to God’s glory. So, what can we say there except it’s too late for repentance but somehow God’s glory is woven within all of this. “Achan replied. It is true. It’s true but it’s too late”. How many people gotten caught and then they wonder why they never grow spiritually because they waited too long. They waited long to repent. So eventually they get around going yeah, it’s true. It’s true. But what what’s the point of saying it’s true at this point, Jacob? You’ve honed in on this well but what’s the point?
Jacob: Other than maybe he still thinks that he will get some sort of mercy. Maybe that if by admitting then I don’t know.
Timothy: We can kind of hope that he’s being dissolved by the Lord and he’s going to lose his family and his life, but somewhere in their deep, deep down there’s still a love for God’s glory and it gives just a glimmer. He’s not like Judas where it’s too late. I don’t know. I can’t answer the question, but it is true. I did these things. I have sinned against the Lord. Contrast again with David. David says, I’m the man. I sinned and then he has to endure a life of discipline. He doesn’t lose his life. Corinthians says that, if we’re disciplined in this world, it’s so that we’re not disciplined or destroyed with the world. A hope here and I don’t have the answer. God hasn’t told me. I didn’t ask. It’s none of my business. The hope is that he has to go through the discipline. He has to be destroyed but that God will save him in the end. Don’t know. It’s kind of risk, that comment’s risky and I’m but it is a possibility. “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel”. I think when Joshua said, the God of Israel, all the emotions and the flashback and the truth comes into his heart. You follow what I’m saying?
Jacob: Yeah.
Timothy: He’s reminded of the love of God and go, okay, yeah, it’s true. It’s true. So, I’m going to look at this right now the moment or consider the moment that there’s nothing honest about his repentance. It’s just a flood of memory. He knows who God is. He knows the love that has been shown to him by Joshua. He knows love that’s been shown by his family he’s seen God’s provision all the things are there so he can’t help but go you’re right, it is true. It reminds me a little bit of Judas when Judas realizes he has destroyed innocent blood. There’s that acknowledgement and the realization of, okay, this is what I’ve done and this is who Jesus is. That’s why it’s very hard for me to move toward like he’s being disciplined and going to survive. I’ll let people debate that and I’ll leave it to God to judge. Want you go and read Joshua chapter 7 verse 21.
Jacob: “When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 shekels of silver and a wedge of gold winged 50 shekels. I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent with the silver underneath”.
Timothy: Finally, a botPaul line. In my years of counseling and praying with people and wrestling with their sin, the confessions many times were just worthless, dodging stuff. And then finally when all the facts are there when they’re fully caught, you get this botPaul line. Yes, this is what I did. But by that time, it’s too late. “When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylon, two shekels of silver, a wedge of gold weighing 50 shekels. I coveted them”. He is clear. This is what our confessions need to look like to God before we ever get to this point. As we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we confess our sins to one another, we have fellowship with one another. And first John says, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. That’s why if you’re going to come in before the Lord if you’re going to fellowship in the light with brothers and sisters, when it comes to confessing sin or dealing with what sin is, there has to be down to specific botPaul line. Very clear. You’re not going to be able to fool God by going in and go, yeah, I think I kind of sin but I did this over here or I sinned but I have reasons for it ,that there’s just not going to cut. You either sinned or you didn’t sin then you can deal with it before Lord how to repent and maybe what caused it and what you needed to change but when it comes to confessing the sin that is done. If you want to gain the victory, if you want your church to be strong, then this hidden sin has to be dug up, burned up, and dealt with and it takes the whole congregation on many of these sins. If the whole congregations were involved in this, you wouldn’t find all these massive destructions going on that are so news worthy out there. “I coveted them and took them”. Those are my actions. This is what I did. He says to his heart. I coveted them. That’s what was in my heart and I acted on being coveted. I took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent with the silver underneath you. Very specific about a sin. Isn’t he Jacob?
Jacob: Yeah. I did a quick Google. So, he carried away besides the robe 150 shekels actually only weighs supposedly 3.7 pounds.
Timothy: Okay.
Jacob: So, this actually is not you know we were talking about how did maybe apparently, I would guess actually a lot of people didn’t know. Maybe his wife knew, because there was some something lumpy in the tent. You know what I mean? But actually, if he was running from the battlefield, he really could kind of sneak most of this off.
Timothy: Okay, alright.
Jacob: And I just bring that up only, because he could had a decent size little sack or some other cloak that he folds over the robe. This really was very secretive. 3 pounds, that’s it 3.7 pounds, that’s not much meat.
Timothy: I’m not debating that. I’m thinking it through what about the gold any idea on what 50 shekels of gold?
Jacob: No, that’s what I’m talking about.
Timothy: Okay. so, it’s only about 3.7.
Jacob: Yeah, total.
Timothy: On the one hand it wasn’t much but then again it was a handful of gold and silver, right? Is that what you’re saying?
Jacob: Yeah.
Timothy: Yeah. So, the biggest thing would been the robe.
Jacob: The robe would have been the hardest thing to conceal. 3.7 pounds is not that much to conceal really.
Timothy: Part of this is when I’m looking, I appreciate that information by the way. Part of this is, as you can see the sin on people’s face. So, I’m not disagree with what you’re saying. And I certainly have seen churches where there’s no discernment. I mean they can have it on their face but hiding that from other people. I don’t know. I hear what you’re saying and I actually agree with it for that matter. I’m just kind of chewing on this a little.
Jacob: Sure. Well, and it doesn’t actually if anything only that it goes back to the small things you talked about because this is, I’m not saying that the sin is small but we’re talking, you know what I mean?
Timothy: Yeah.
Jacob: If the physicality of it, of what he was physically carrying wasn’t that big.
Timothy: That’s true. He might have been able to tuck that. I don’t know if he had armor or whatever. But he could had it in his regular clothes I guess you could wadded that robe up pretty tight.
Jacob: Yeah. And again, if you had other little sack or cloth or something else that was wrapped over it. No one would think and everyone would think you’re just carrying around a sack or whatever.
Timothy: Yeah, good point. The fact that God destroys at least his immediate family tells me a couple things. One, it’s hard to believe they didn’t know anything about it like the wife is going to go, oh really you did that? I didn’t know about it but it it’s possible that the point, let me back up. Let’s just say it is small. Well, that it is small, it’s hidden, all that stuff. God’s not buying that as an excuse.
Jacob: Well, no, I’m not either. I’m actually going and I’m saying like yeah this how important are the small things.
Timothy: Well, this important.
Jacob: Well, I know exactly but that’s all I’m contributing to is that like yeah, this really was physically it wasn’t huge and yet look at the links that the Lord went through to deal with it. So how much more today in the churches today? It’s exactly what you’ve been saying which is the church, we’re actually talking about something technically, right? Physically small and how blatantly obvious like you read in Corinthians all of these blatantly obvious things that the church puts up with let alone, okay what about the small things.
Timothy: Yeah, that’s a good point too. If the church deal what was obvious then we can maybe deal with the fact that these other things that are hidden, but you can’t even deal with the obvious.
Jacob: They don’t even deal with the obvious.
Timothy: Yeah, good point. Go to Joshua 7 verse 22, and notice what happens not only can the Israelites not go into Ai and conquer and run. But Achan clearly can’t repent. He can’t even act on it. He’s saying all of these things are true. This is what I took. But look at what Joshua does in verse 22. Go ahead and read verse 22 there, Jacob.
Jacob: “So Joshua sent messengers and they ran to the tent and there it was, hidden in his tent with the silver underneath”.
Timothy: He sent messengers. It wasn’t like Joshua said, okay, go get it from your tent and bring it out and confess sin. I think part of the reason for that simply is the ability to repent is from the Holy Spirit. The ability to actually be convicted to change to become different. We don’t realize how much that alone is just of the power of God. It takes the Holy Spirit to be able to move anybody to repentance. We’re all trapped in our sin. That’s why when he’s convicting and when he’s moving, fan that into flame, go deep with that. Because there may come a time when you can acknowledge the truth. You can say, script is true in all these things but you can’t act on it. You can’t be a messenger with it. The grace isn’t there. Am I making myself clear, Jacob?
Jacob: Yeah.
Timothy: Your legs are limp. Your arms can’t do anything. You’re not able to go in and do any battle for God, because grace is not meaning to give you the power. Because grace is the power to say no. Grace is the power to actually do whatever it is God is calling you to do. The messengers go. They’re faithful messengers. These aren’t gossipmongers. They go to this tent and find out that it’s true. Go and read verse 23 then, Jacob.
Jacob: They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the Lord”.
Timothy: It’s all in the light now. Everybody. They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua. They’re going to leadership. It’s Godly leadership. It’s leadership that’s moving this along and all the Israelites. There’s not some secret committee looking into the pastor’s misdeeds or the church’s misdeeds. There’s not this exclusive little group over here talking about these sins. This is spread out. This kind of sin requires it to be spread out for everybody to see. It says, go and read verse 24.
Jacob: “Then Joshua together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had to the valley of Achor”.
Timothy: Verse 25. Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today. Then all Israel stoned him and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them”. It’s a total destruction, isn’t? I’m looking up a New Testament verse here. The one that says hating clothing even stained by corrupt flesh. You can look it up yourself. We need more of that in the church. Less copying of the world and hating clothing stained by corrupt flesh. Verse 26 says, “Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore, the place has been called the valley of Acor ever since”. It’s a large pile of rocks. It’s Jesus Christ. It’s his holiness. It’s his righteousness. And everybody in the congregation is bringing some word of God to play. Some aspect of the rock Jesus Christ into the situation. Isn’t that the purity that we see moving here, Jacob? It’s just all burned up by the Holy Spirit. It’s all taken care of. And then it says okay God is back with you at this point. Any last closing comments Jacob?
Jacob: No, I was just thinking later on this whole incidence happens with Joshua, all of Israel. There’s like a purification. The sin is then brought into the light. The sin is dealt with. I know later on towards the end of Joshua’s life, because unfortunately we were talking how like the Israelites pretty much kind of repeat this problem right? Or this not walking the light, not doing what they need to be doing. Not following the Lord is ultimately what they keep repeating. And then Joshua’s words the famous scripture that everybody likes to quote. “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord”. Because later on Joshua almost kind of washes his hands, because the Israelites, it’s the same I don’t remember the exact story but it was the same thing. They’re choosing other Gods. They’re not following the Lord and Joshua’s like okay I’m done and I was just thinking of that verse. We’d kind of briefly talked about that before.
Timothy: Exactly, it’s actually in Joshua 24 and he goes through that you’re right. Everybody quotes that passage, “We will serve the Lord”. They say the same thing but let’s just kind of stretch the time here a little bit let’s go to Joshua chapter 24 verse 19, because interesting angle to this. Go ahead and read 19-22, Jacob. Of Joshua 24.
Jacob: “Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsook the Lord and serve foreign Gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you after he has been good to you. But the people said to Joshua. “No, we will serve the Lord”. Then Joshua said, you are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord. “Yes, we are witnesses”, they replied. “Now then”, said Joshua, “throw away the foreign Gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel”. And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord, our God and obey him”.
Timothy: The reason Joshua knows that they’re going to fail? Is because they still haven’t thrown away the foreign Gods. Verse 23. Now then said Joshua. “Now that you said yes, we’ll follow the Lord”, right? All of this time they still have foreign Gods among them. “And they still are not yielding their hearts fully to the Lord”. Isn’t that what he’s saying? Verse 23. Joshua 24. So, you can find churches that were going oh no we’ll serve God and you’re right. They quote that where you can buy that. You can put it on a magnet on your refrigerator. But Joshua sees through them and he’s warning them in love and he’s saying you’re not going to be able to do it because you still got these foreign and you’re still not yielding your heart fully to the Lord. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling and watch out for those small tasks in God when there’s deep hidden sin.
Outro: This has been the Consider Podcast at www.archive.consider.info where yesterday’s folly is today’s madness. In the beginning, the unrepentant sinners words are folly. At the end, they are wicked madness. Ecclesiastes 10:13. Judgement begins with the house of God. Therefore, let everyone who loves the Lord with an undying love pick up their cross and walk the talk. As Peter the wrote. “Therefore, prepare your minds for action. Be self-controlled”. First Peter 1:13-14. The Considered Podcast, examining today’s events and Paulorrow’s realities. www.archive.consider.info
End
The Consider Podcast Examining today’s wisdom, folly and madness Ecclesiastes 7:25 www.archive.consider.info
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