Tragedy After Victory | 4.12.23 | Wednesday | On Fire Christian Church

Tragedy after Victory

  1. After 40 years of wondering in the wilderness after being enslaved for over 400 years the children of Israel were going into the promised land. Jericho was holding them back from victory and so they by faith followed God to the letter and saw the walls of Jericho come tumbling down.
    1. Instructions given to Israel upon taking Jericho!
    2. “Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.” Joshua‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬
    3. Obedience was required to walk in victory! And at Jericho it was a great victory!
  1. Ai was there next quest!
    1. Chapter 7 starts out with the sin of Israel
    2. “But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.” Joshua‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬
    3. They had spied out the land but did not think to spy out tents among them
    4. Many times our own failures lie within our own hearts
      1. Ask questions
    1. They put confidence in the flesh, in a past victory in their own ability. It seemed like an easy land to conquer.
    2. The men were few they said let’s just take 3000. Whether they took the whole army they would have lost. God was not with them
      1. Disobedience brought destruction
    1. “And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.” Joshua‬ ‭7‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬
  1. Sin had caused a breach
    1. “So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.” Joshua‬ ‭7‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬
    2. the remedy is not in prayer, but in active steps to cast out ‘the unclean thing.
    3. The first three sins of the six, point out how wicked in reference to God, as sin, as a breach of covenant, and as an appropriation of what was specially His. The second three describe it in terms of ordinary morality, as theft, lying, and concealment; so many black sides has one sin when God’s eye scrutinises it.
    4. “So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.” Joshua‬ ‭7‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭N‬ ‬‬‬
  1. The offender brought forward
    1. Joshua 7:16
    2. “And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.” Joshua‬ ‭7‬:‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬
  1. Open heaven once again for victory
    1. “Now the Lord said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.” Joshua‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬
    1. Curses for disobedience
    1. Deuteronomy 28:15
    2. “So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.” I Samuel‬ ‭15‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬

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