[A Meditation on One Verse]

(Joshua 7:11) “Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions.”

Israel wins a great victory in the battle of Jericho. But at the city of Ai, they experience a devastating defeat. To a greatly shocked Israel, God clearly states the reason: “You have sinned.”

One man, Achan, his crime is identified as the sin of the entire community of Israel. Why? Because even though the victory at Jericho was entirely God’s grace, pride was sprouting within Israel—a belief that “we achieved this with our own strength.” Achan’s greed, taking God’s things as his own, was the concrete, individual manifestation of this “pride.”

God does not give His glory to anyone else. He will surely punish them. However, Israel’s punishment is not merely a punishment. It is God’s love and zeal to turn Israel back to a place of humility, to a place of grace.

Let’s think for a moment. Why did they do it? It was because they were not ‘in’ God. If you are in God, all that is His is yours. But being outside of Him, they wanted to possess His things as their own—just like the older brother of the prodigal son.

And so, we begin the morning with this prayer:

”Lord, keep me in You, that I may not fail to enjoy all that is the Father’s as my own.”

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(Daily Reading)

– Joshua 6:25-7:12