Joshua 10:29-43 Conquest of Southern Canaan

Israel, under the leadership of Joshua, has become an unstoppable force for God's kingdom. There is no city-state or king that can sustain the attacks of Israel. As I read through this campaign, I am taken by the power, consistency, and swiftness of the attacks. I can certainly benefit from a campaign like this for my own spiritual life.

God fought for Israel, so the victories are not to be attributed to Israel, but to God. If Israel is to be praised for anything, it is for its obedience. As long as Israel complied with God's instructions, Israel would benefit from the power of Almighty God working on their behalf. If I want to experience the power of God at work in my life, I must learn through the school of obedience. I can't expect great things to happen in my life if I am not obedient in the little things of the kingdom.

The campaign highlights the consistency of Israel's power and victory over the enemy. It is not one isolated fight. Israel took on at least seven city-states during this campaign. Each one required a siege against the city and a battle afterwards. This is a lot of work! This kind of consistency is not possible on their own strength. Only God can offer that kind of sustained power. It is possible for me to experience victory after victory if only I rely on God alone and am obedient to his voice.

Finally, the swiftness of the attacks and the destruction of the devoted things is impressive. There is no hesitation on Joshua's part to execute the commands of the Lord. It is not easy to wipe out an entire city, but Israel learned its lesson and did not hesitate to comply. If I am to experience victory in my own spiritual battles, I must devote myself to do God's will without hesitation. I must destroy the "devoted things" in my own life. What are they? Am I holding unto some of them still?

Lord, grant me the victory over my enemies. Give me the power to attack their strongholds in my life. Help me destroy all the "devoted things" in my life. I want to be devoted to you alone.

Joshua 7:10-26 The Sin of Achan

Abstaining from the devoted things is important in holy war. I can't expect to conquer the promised land or establish God's kingdom upon the earth if I desire the devoted things. Achan was enticed by a cloak and some silver and gold. But it can be anything that distracts me from my conquest. It can be money, power, greed, relationships, etc... anything! The devoted things belong to this world and are appointed for destruction. If my heart desires after them, I will partake in their destruction.

Much of the trouble in my life, I have brought upon myself for taking of the devoted things of the world. I think I can hide it and get away with it. Unfortunately, my sin has personal as well as corporate effects. Not only is my life entangled in trouble individually when I set out to embrace the sin of this world, but I bring down my whole church in a corporate fashion. In my individualistic thinking, I don't give a thought to the corporate effects of sin. The truth is that I render my church ineffective against the enemy. My battles become at best, self-reliant efforts to keep the enemy at bay. They are fruitless.

"You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you." Yes, we are sinners. But it is quite different to sin inadvertently due to ones sinful nature than to set out to defy the commands of the Lord. My fight with my wife hinders my prayers. My grudge against my brother hinders God's forgiveness for me. My sexual immorality taints the whole community once it comes to light bringing down my leadership and the whole ministry. Holy war is not fought alone. It is the effort of a whole community. My personal sin has corporate repercussions. I cannot stand to the enemy while living in sin.

The anatomy of sin is well described in Achan's confession: I saw, I coveted, and I hid. I downplay too much the role that my senses have in stimulating my desires. My eyes were given by God to enjoy his creation, but when I stare a little too long at things that stimulate ungodly desires in my heart, I run into trouble; sin is at hand. It gets further complicated when I refuse to come immediately to God. The guilt and the shame drive me away from God and I want to hide. God is omniscient and omnipresent, which means nothing is hidden from his presence. Yet, in my sin, I think that I can avoid God, even hide from him.

Consecration is key in holy war. If I want to conquer the promised land, if I desire to establish God's kingdom upon the earth, I must be solely devoted to God and his purposes. I must be single-minded. I can't be dividing my attention among many things - especially the devoted things. The consequences for taking, holding, and hiding devoted things are devastating. The devoted things will only add trouble to my life. 

Lord, give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name. Cleanse me of my sin. Help me let go of the devoted things of this world. May I be totally consecrated to you.