A Ripple Effect
Joshua Chapters 6 and 7
My teenage Sunday School class often hears me use the phrase “ripple effect” when talking about our lives. I try to stress to them that our lives are not strictly ours. They belong to God. He is the giver of life. Our lives are meant to be spent for Him. To glorify Him. To promote HIs kingdom and agenda, not our own. Therefore, when we make any decision in life, whether, good or bad, it has affect on others in this world. Our lives can positively influence this world or it can negatively influence this world. That is part of free will.
In our scripture reference for today’s post, we find one such example. The man’s name was Achan. His personal decisions had a devastating influence on a lot of people. In chapter 6 of Joshua, you read of the battle of Jericho. A story very familiar to a lot of people. There’s even a kid song made about it. Prior to the battle, God instructed Joshua that the children are not to take anything from the city for themselves. It all belonged to God. Joshua 6:18 says:
“And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.”
So God was very specific in His instructions to the people. Ultimately the city of Jericho fell exactly as God said. Joshua followed God’s instructions exactly as He said, the walls fell, and the Jews conquered the city with no casualties.
The Jews felt so good about their victory that they continued on to the next city, which was Ai, and attacked it. This time however with far different results. The Jews were defeated at Ai even though it was a much smaller city. Thirty six Jews lost their lives in the battle as they retreated.
Of course Joshua asks God why. However, Joshua failed to ask God for guidance before the battle as he did before the battle of Jericho. So as a leader, Joshua failed his people. He took it for granted that God would provide victory no matter if they asked or not. If Joshua had gone to God before going to Ai, God would have told him that there was a problem within their own camp. But he didn’t. Joshua comes to God after failure and wants to know why. So God tells him.
God tells Joshua that Israel has sinned. They disobeyed His instructions during the battle of Jericho and now the whole camp is accursed. One bad apple. In our eyes, it doesn’t hardly seem fair. One person’s wrong doing affecting the whole group. But you see, God warned them prior to Jericho. They did not seek God prior to attacking Ai. Things could have been avoided.
God instructs Joshua on how to determine the bad apple, and from the process it is discovered that Achan is the problem. Up until now, Achan has yet to confess. He only confesses to Joshua when he is confronted face to face and asked what he had done. During the battle at Jericho, Achan found and kept three items: a Babylonian garment, 200 shekels of silver, and a 50 shekel wedge of gold. Achan had been told not to do this. He knew it was wrong. His action resulted in the deaths of thirty six Jewish men. Thirty six families no longer had a husband, a father, a son. His greed had a dramatic ripple effect on the Jewish community. But it doesn’t stop there. As a result of his sin, Achan is stoned to death along with his sons, daughters, his livestock, and all his belongings. Then after they were dead, everything was burned. After burning everything, including the bodies, what was left was covered by a giant heap of stones. Forever a reminder of the price for disobeying God.
Why such a violent punishment? Achan’s sin resulted in the death of thirty six individuals. Even after the loss, there was no remorse in Achan. He still was keeping it secret. Why did his family have to die? First, it was common for punishment to be dealt on whole households in those days. Second, the thirty six families were suffering for what Achan did. Third, the testimony of God’s name, power, and glory took a negative hit in the land of Canaan. God did not want one seed of Achan’s sin left to fester and resurface in the future.
When we realize the importance of our lives and decisions we make, we can make better decisions. When we consider how people are watching us and how we handle things influence what others do, we can be better people. We need to quit thinking that the Christian life is missing out on what the world says is fun. We need to realize that the things in this life, on earth, are temporary but can have eternal consequences. It’s not YOUR life. It’s God’s life that He placed in you for a holy purpose.