I want you to really think about this. Everything that you do [music] in secret, whether good or bad, whether you realize it or not, is affecting everything about your life. And it’s even affecting your loved ones. In Joshua chapter 6, we see that the Israelites experience [music] this incredible miracle, the fall of the walls of Jericho.
And with this miracle, they’re given [music] a very clear command. Look at verse 17. Jericho and everything [music] in it must be completely destroyed as an offering [music] to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. Verse 18 says, “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, for you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel.
” Now, if you look at the beginning of chapter 7, you’ll see that a man by the name of Achen actually kept some of the goods for himself. He hides them in his tent. And then Israel, as a result, suffers defeat. Watch this. Joshua 7:4 and 5. And so, approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated.
The men of I chased the Israelites from the towngate as far as the quaries and they killed about 36 who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events and their courage melted away. Where at one point Israel had experienced the hand of God moving their enemies aside, now it seemed that the hand of God had lifted from them.
