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7/5 Reading Portions: Joshua 7; Psalms 137-138; Jeremiah 1; Matthew 15
And the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel. Joshua 7:1
COVETOUSNESS
Jericho, as the first city encountered in the Promised Land, stood as the embodiment of defiance against the one true God. The city was a citadel of idolatry. It must be utterly destroyed; and everything in it, dedicated to destruction (Josh 6:18) —with the exception of Rahab and her family (Josh 6:17).
When Achan coveted silver, gold, and a Babylonian cloak (Josh 7:21), he committed idolatry (Col 3:5). Achan may have hidden it in his tent from Joshua and Israel, but having kept so much spoil, his immediate family knew about it. Covetousness can affect many areas of our lives. Achan’s entire family was caught up in his lusts as well, harboring his secret sin within their own hearts. Moreover, YHVH God surely knew.
Achan’s idolatry also affected the entire congregation of Israel. They could not stand before their enemies while the idolatry existed among them. This same spiritual reality will affect an entire local church. Our prayers will be hindered because of double-mindedness (Jas 1:8). Why? Covetousness in the heart implies that Christ’s suffering God’s wrath for our sins is trivial; that His death and shed blood are unimportant. Therefore, idolatry gives place to the enemy, to defeat us as a congregation just as Israel was unsuccessful against Ai (Josh 7:4-5). There are serious consequences to covetousness; and a local church harboring it will not easily advance the kingdom of Christ.
Idolatry is the chief of sins. Pride is basically self-idolatry. Adultery is basically perverse idolatry. Covetousness is a subtle and sinister sin. The only way to deal with it is to crucify every memory of its ownership, as reflected in the destruction of Achan’s family, livestock, and possessions (Josh 7:24-25). Surely, we will not put a family to death as a church. We must, however, admonish one another from the Word; and practice church discipline as a congregation when necessary (Matt 18:15-17). The beloved disciple ends his first epistle with this warning:
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21
O, Lord Jesus, show me my sin,
So that I may confess;
And in Christ make me whole again,
And cleans’d with holiness!
