Bob Feather May 25th, 2008

Trinity International Baptist Church meets twice each week in small groups to discuss their Bible reading. Maintaining a habit of daily devotions requires uncommon devotion; and our prayer is that God will use these “assigned readings” and regular accountability sessions to teach us the discipline that might develop into a habit of devotion. All discussions are in English with an evangelical emphasis upon knowing God.

Today’s Bible reading presents the falling walls of Jericho (chapter 6) and the fallen nature of a Jew named Achan (chapter 7).

The walls that came tumbling down (chapter 6)

Who hasn’t heard the song of Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho? But who remembers what actually happened?

• 7 priests, blaring 7 trumpets for 7 days
• Soldiers in front of them; soldiers behind them
• For six days they marched once around the city of Jericho, without speaking or any other vocal noise
• On the 7th day, they marched around the city 7 times, followed by a long blast of the trumpets
• Then the soldiers shouted, and the walls fell down
• The ring of soldiers advanced quickly into the city
• The two spies who had been saved by faithful Rahab, went to rescue her and her family
• All life in the city was destroyed; the gold and silver were taken and the rest was burned (or, at least that was God’s commandment)
• The city was never to be rebuilt, lest the builder’s family be struck down.

The wedge that brought Israel tumbling down (chapter 7)

One man’s sin brought disgrace upon the nation, defeat for the army, and death for 36 warriors. How did this happen?

• When Joshua decided not to send the entire army after the small city of Ai, he could not have predicted what the results would be.
• The 3,000 soldiers were humiliated in battle and chased away, suffering casualties.
• When Joshua sought the Lord about the reason for their failure, God told him to stop praying and to do something about the sin that caused the defeat.
• “Israel has sinned” (Joshua 7:11). The nation is guilty though only one man actually took the forbidden fruit of battle. (Does this sound familiar? Recall Genesis 3 and Romans 5 and the effect of Adam’s sin upon all men.)
• God publicly points the finger at Achan, singling him out in a dramatic way.
• What else could Achan do but confess: I sinned - I saw; I coveted; I took; I hid. (Does this sound familiar? Recall Genesis 3 and the sin of Adam and Eve.)
• The nation executed Achan; the accused is removed; and God is free to join His people once more (Joshua 7:12-13).

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