HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 568
JOSHUA 7
they again marched around the town once and
returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.
15 On the seventh day the Israelites got up at
dawn and marched around the town as they had
done before. But this time they went around the
town seven times. 16 The seventh time around,
as the priests sounded the long blast on their
horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout!
For the Lord has given you the town! 17 Jericho
and everything in it must be completely destroyed* as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab
the prostitute and the others in her house will
be spared, for she protected our spies.
18 “Do not take any of the things set apart
for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble
on the camp of Israel. 19 Everything made from
silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord
and must be brought into his treasury.”
20 When the people heard the sound of the
rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they
could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed,
and the Israelites charged straight into the town
and captured it. 21 They completely destroyed
everything in it with their swords—men and
women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats,
and donkeys.
22 Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies,
“Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house
and bring her out, along with all her family.”
23 The men who had been spies went in and
brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with
her. They moved her whole family to a safe
place near the camp of Israel.
• Sin
JO SH U A 7 :1 -2 6
The defeat of Jericho had been a great
victory, and Achan was probably elated
at having been part of it. He knew the
orders were explicit: No one was to take
any loot from Jericho for their own use,
for the Lord wanted the city destroyed
completely. Why did Achan disobey?
He must have convinced himself that
his sin would be private. But because
of his disobedience and lies, the army
of Israel lost thirty-six men and suffered
the chastisement of God.
There is no such thing as a “private”
sin. Have you ever convinced yourself
that a certain sin was okay as long as no
one knew about it? Resolve in your heart
to obey God in the future—even when no
one is looking.
page 198
24 Then the Israelites burned the town and
everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the Lord’s house. 25 So Joshua spared
Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were
with her in the house, because she had hidden
the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives
among the Israelites to this day.
26 At that time Joshua invoked this curse:
“May the curse of the Lord fall on anyone
who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho.
At the cost of his firstborn son,
he will lay its foundation.
At the cost of his youngest son,
he will set up its gates.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land.
Ai Defeats the Israelites
But Israel violated the instructions about the
things set apart for the Lord.* A man named
Achan had stolen some of these dedicated
things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant
of Zimri* son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.
2 Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho
to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near
Beth-aven. 3 When they returned, they told
Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up
there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of
them, don’t make all our people struggle to go
up there.”
4 So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent,
but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai
5 chased the Israelites from the town gate as far
as the quarries,* and they killed about thirty-six
who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of
events, and their courage melted away.
6 Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their
clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads,
and bowed face down to the ground before the
Ark of the Lord until evening. 7 Then Joshua
cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, why did you
bring us across the Jordan River if you are going
to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been
content to stay on the other side! 8 Lord, what
can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies? 9 For when the Canaanites and all the
other people living in the land hear about it,
they will surround us and wipe our name off the
face of the earth. And then what will happen to
the honor of your great name?”
7
6:17 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete
consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by
destroying them or by giving them as an offering; similarly
in 6:18, 21. 7:1a The Hebrew term used here refers to the
complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either
by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; similarly
in 7:11, 12, 13, 15. 7:1b As in parallel text at 1 Chr 2:6; Hebrew
reads Zabdi. Also in 7:17, 18. 7:5 Or as far as Shebarim.