No Man is an Island

“But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.” Joshua 7:1 (ESV)

¹⁰ The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. ¹²Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies.
Joshua 7:10-12 (ESV)

And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: ²¹when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” Joshua 7:20-21 (ESV)

The context for these scriptures was the command by the Lord to Israel that they were to destroy Jericho along with everything and everybody in the city. It was all devoted to the Lord for destruction. The people of Israel obeyed the command, everyone but ONE person. Yet scripture records the actions of that one person as “the people of Israel broke faith. . .”

I suppose Achan’s thought process was something like this:

“I really like that coat and a little silver and gold couldn’t hurt. Who knows what will happen in the future. I’ll just take a few items. No one will notice the difference and I doubt my taking these few items will hurt anyone.”

It’s a great example of how the thoughts and beliefs of men and women are different from the Lord. We see ourselves as a collection of individuals and that is true, but only to a point. Yes, we are a community of individual people, each with a separate relationship to the Lord, each with personal accountability to His Maker. Yet, according to the Bible, we are part of community, the Body of Messiah. We are all a different part of Yeshua’s body, yet we are all of one body. Therefore, the actions of one individual not only affect the one person but also the body, usually at a local level but eventually spreading beyond the local congregation. The other side of the situation is that the consequences of the actions of an individual, whether good or bad, also affect not just the one person but extend to others as well.

What would have happened if the Lord did nothing? What if the Lord had not judged the sin of Achan?

I believe several things would have happened.

• The Lord would have not acted in character with His nature. He would have ceased to be God. The Lord will always act true to His nature. He will always judge sin.
• Achan would have started to believe that there are no consequences for disobedience. He would have continued to disobey the Lord and the leadership of Israel.
• Achan would start to display greed (idolatry) by amassing more and more things.
• Achan would become a symbol to others that there are no consequences for disobedience. The rest of the people of Israel would start imitating Achan, becoming a nation of individuals thinking only of themselves.

Failure to deal with the leaven of sin in Achan’s life would allow that sin to spread to the whole loaf, the nation of Israel.

We should be asking the same question. What would be the consequences if the Lord does not deal with our sins? The answers would be similar to the list.

• The Lord would have not acted in character with His nature. He would have ceased to be God. The Lord will always act true to His nature. He will always judge sin.

• We would start to believe, consciously or unconsciously, that there are no consequences to our actions. Disobedience would continue towards the Lord and to those in authority.
• Idolatry (lust, greed etc) would increase.
• You become a symbol to others that there are no consequences for sin. Others would imitate you.

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? ⁷ Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. 1Corinthians 5:6-7 (ESV)

Thoughts on the Restoration of Peter

Recently, I was listening to a sermon and the speaker was talking about Peter, his falling away and his restoration by Yeshua (Jesus). Since then I have not been able to get it out of my mind. I have tried to personalize it to some degree. What must it have been like for Peter to do what he did? How did he feel? What must it have been like to come face-to-face with Yeshua (Jesus) after the resurrection?

Notice that Yeshua does not immediately restore Peter. In fact, it seems like it was several days or maybe a few weeks. During that time, there is no recorded statement by Yeshua of any accusation or condemnation. I wonder if we would have been so gracious? In fact, at the right time the Lord actively sought out Peter and restored him. It was a perfect example of the shepherd leaving the 99 to seek out the one sheep that was lost.

The question I have been asking lately is what affect it would have had on Peter for the rest of his life and ministry. Since it is part of scripture, Peter obviously told others and did it for several years. It must have been a constant reminder to him and a gentle one at that. Sometimes the Lord allows some things to remain as a way to help us remember the grace of God. Like Jacob and his limp. It’s something that we are meant to never forget.

After Shavuot (Pentecost) Peter was a changed man. Obviously, the outpouring of the Ruach (Spirit) of God changed Him. Yet could his falling away and restoration have changed Peter as well? I know it would change me. I would be less willing to condemn others.

To some degree, there have been times when we have not “been there” for the Lord. When the pressure gets intense, sometimes, we can back off and walk away. It has happened to me. Yet the Lord is seeking us out in order to restore us.

There But By the Grace of God. . .

1st read Daniel chapter 4

Writing about this chapter presents somewhat of a problem for me. On the one hand, I can easily just do a small study of Nebuchadnezzar. The issues, problems and solutions are all laid out in the chapter. What led up to his mental collapse, what caused it and how was he healed. It would be all too easy to write about. The problem starts when I go beyond the simple lesson and start applying it to my life. OOPS!!! Everything seems to break down after that! So here’s what I’ll do. Let’s first do the easy part, a short study on Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4. After that let’s discuss the hard part, applying it to my life (Or anyone’s life for that matter).

The Easy Part: What happened to Nebuchadnezzar?

Nebuchadnezzar clearly had a massive ego, something all too common among rulers of countries. A chapter earlier three Jewish men defied the Babylonian ruler and refused to bow down to a statue the king had set up of himself. The Bible records that Nebuchadnezzar was so furious that his face was distorted with rage. He punished the three men by trying but failing to have them burned alive. In Daniel chapter 4 we then see the king getting a forewarning vision from the Lord concerning his future. Daniel’s interpretation was that the king was going to learn a lesson the hard way. He needed to learn that it was the Lord who installed people into leadership and the Lord could just as easily “uninstall” them. Unfortunately for the king, the Lord knew that the only way to learn the lesson was to let him suffer the consequences of his actions.

A year later while the king was taking a stroll he looked around and started bragging and boasting to himself. To his way of thinking, he did all the work to bring Babylon to this point. Within a split second he came under divine discipline. Within the hour he went insane and was driven from society. It was seven years until he regained his mind and sanity.

Why did this happen to the king? It happened to the king because the Lord hates pride. He detests pride! He will humble every single person that displays pride and arrogance. We have His word on that issue. What happened to him was to show the king and us how much the Lord hates pride. The Bible clearly states that what happened to Nebuchadnezzar was not just for him but to be a lesson to all of us. “. . . so that everyone may know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world. He gives them to anyone he chooses-even to the lowliest of people.” Daniel 4:17b (New Living Translation- NLT) bold emphasis added.

That issue was not lost on King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 4:37 is the last line of a letter he wrote to his subjects: “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.” To me, the letter is extraordinary. Not just because it is in Scripture but because the king was finally willing to admit his faults and errors to his subjects. How many times have you seen anyone in government do that?

The hard part: applying it to my life

The hard part, to me, is trying to apply this to my life. When I was younger I used to mentally pat myself on the back because I thought I didn’t have nearly the number of problems in my life that I saw in others. At the time, I didn’t realize that was pride. Oh the folly and ignorance of youth!!! As I have gotten older and made more than my share of mistakes I have come to realize that I am fallible and frail just like everyone else. What a shock to my system!!! Yet now, for me, there is a freedom in knowing that I am weak. There is a joy in knowing that Yeshua is there to guide me.

When I was much younger in the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord I might have thought that if I was in Nebuchadnezzar’s shoes I would never have acted like he did. I thought that I knew better then that. As I have gotten older and wiser I think differently. I realize that I need the grace of God everyday. I need His power to move forward, constantly praying for His help and guidance.

Now when I read stories like Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4, I am not so arrogant to think it would never happen to me. When I read newspaper accounts of business scandals I stay sober. I recognize that if I don’t stay alert and watchful I could easily fall prey to the same problems and errors that plagued King Nebuchadnezzar or anyone else on this planet. As Yeshua told His disciples at the Mound of Olives, “Why are you sleeping? He asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.” (NLT)

I now realize my complete dependence upon Yeshua in all situations.

“Yes, I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NLT)