THE ACCOUNTABILITY DARE

6/17/2012

1.     THE ACCOUNTABILITY FACTOR (JOSHUA 7:1-26)

1A. UNDERSTAND SIN IS SERIOUS (JOSHUA 7:1,5)

1 But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel.

NASB

·         This verse tells us that Israel committed a trespass but it was one man, Achan, who committed the sin.

·         The whole nation had to suffer because of what Achan did!

1 Corinthians 12:26

26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it

NASB

5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

NASB

·         Israel was defeated by the men of Ai (which is a picture of the flesh).

1B. REALIZE WE NEED TO TURN TO GOD (JOSHUA 7:6-8)

6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, both he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why didst Thou ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8 "O Lord, what can I say since Israel has turned their back before their enemies?

NASB

·         People frequently become demoralized at failure.

·         Questions flood their minds.

o       Has God forsaken me?

o       Has my faith in God's leadership been a delusion?

o       Is my faith, after all, only a mirage?

1C. ADMIT WE MUST DEAL WITH SIN (JOSHUA 7:10-13)

10 So the LORD said to Joshua, "Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face? 11 "Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. 12 Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst. 13 Rise up! Consecrate the people and say, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus the LORD, the God of Israel, has said," There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst. "

NASB

·         Under God's ban, a concept rooted in the idea that any evil.....be it a person or a city, Jericho should be utterly destroyed.....thus obliterating all traces of the sin that had characterized the ancient town.

·         A misunderstanding many people have about God is that he demands nothing from us.

·         They see God as a benefactor who asks nothing of his people.

1D. KNOW SIN’S REMEDY IS COSTLY (JOSHUA 7:14-15)

14'In the morning then you shall come near by your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the LORD takes by lot shall come near by families, and the family which the LORD takes shall come near by households, and the household which the LORD takes shall come near man by man. 15'And it shall be that the one who is taken with the things under the ban shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.' "

NASB

Matthew Henry-- “It was sacrilege; it was invading God's rights, alienating his property, and converting to a private use that which was devoted to his glory and appropriated to the service of his sanctuary - this was the crime to be thus severely punished, for warning to all people in all ages to take heed how they rob God.”

2.     THE SPIRITUALITY FACTOR (JOSHUA 8:1-35)

VICTORY AT AI AND REDEDICATION

·         The flesh, like Ai, will defeat us unless we are depending on the power of the Holy Spirit.

·         Ai was a little city, and it is the little things that become great obstacles unless they are dealt with in the light of His word.

·         It was a great victory for Israel, tough achieved in a manner designed to impress upon them the folly of acting in accordance with their own thoughts and failing to discern the mind of the Lord.

Joshua 8:35

 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers who were living among them.

NASB

·         “…the women and the little ones and the strangers who were living among them “,were considered second-class citizens.

·         The last group included foreigners who lived among the Israelites

·         God's law was read to all man-made classes of people with no distinction.

·         For to God, the bible teaches that there are only two classes of people in all ages!

o       Saved and unsaved!

3.     THE GULLIBILITY FACTOR (JOSHUA 9:1-27)

·         As Joshua began the conquest of the Promised Land, he faced three formidable enemies:

1.      Jericho

2.      Ai

3.      Gibeonites.

·         These three enemies represent the enemies of the Christian today.

1.      Jericho = world;

2.      Ai = flesh;

3.      Gibeonites = the Devil.

·         How do you overcome the world?

o       By faith.

·         How do you overcome the flesh?

o       By recognizing your weakness, confessing to God, and letting the Spirit of God get the victory.

·         How do you overcome the Devil?

Ephesians 6:11

11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

NASB

4.     THE RELIABILITY FACTOR (JOSHUA 10:1-43)

·         Five kings band together to revenge the Gibeonites treaty with Israel.

·         The Gibeonites send for help to the Israelites.

·         The Israelites march all night and make a surprise attack on the five kings.

·         Joshua wanted more daylight in which to fight; so God stopped the sun.

·         This is an impressing array of kings.

·         Forty years prior to this time they caused Israelite spies to say, "We cannot enter the land. We will never be able to take it."

·         Joshua had the captains of his army put their feet upon the necks of these kings to strengthen the heart of the Israelites.

5.     THE VICTORY FACTOR (JOSHUA 11:1—12:24)

·         Chapter 11 relates the campaign In the north and the conclusion of Joshua's leadership in war.

·         Chapter 12 gives a short account of the conquests made by the Israelites, both in the times of Moses and of Joshua.