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Don't Be That Guy

 


The walls had come down! Israel had just won its first victory in the land of promise. Jericho had been destroyed. Rahab and her family had been saved. The next city on the chopping block was Ai.

Ai was such a small city that Joshua was advised, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.” (Joshua 7:3)

When Israel attacked, they were met with defeat. They turned their backs to their enemies and thirty-six of their men perished. Joshua was dismayed and came before the Lord. He informed Joshua the reason for the defeat was sin in the camp. If the sin was not dealt with, there would be not more victories in the land of Canaan.

Achan committed a great sin against God and his own people. He coveted the accursed things from Jericho and hid them in his tent (Joshua 7:21). Earlier, Joshua gave specific instructions not to take any of the accursed things from Jericho (Joshua 6:18-19). Achan presumed to do so regardless of the command given. When the sin of Achan was found out, both he and all he had were taken out and destroyed. 

“So, all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So, the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore, the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.” (Joshua 7:25-27).

Don’t be that guy. Do not be the one who hears the commandments of God and disregards them. This is the type of behavior that Jesus classifies as the foolish man (Matthew 7:26-27). He heard the teachings of Christ but did not apply them. Therefore, he was a foolish man building his house upon sand.

Don’t be that guy. Do not be the one who believes he can hold on to what God has forbidden. Someone once said, “He is no fool who releases that which he cannot hold onto to grasp what he cannot live without.” Do not be Achan who exchanged the blessings of God for what was only temporary.

Don’t be that guy. Do not be the one who thinks that God does not see. No one can hide from the all-seeing eye of God. He knows what we do in public. He knows what we do while we are alone. If we think otherwise, we deceive ourselves like Achan did.

The Old Testament was written for our learning (Romans 15:4). We do well to heed the examples of the Scriptures so that above all, we will not be that guy.

 

God Bless each of you,

Eric Hicks

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