Jim Deering, AncientPath.net

JOSHUA, CHAPTER 7

My assignment this morning is Joshua Chapter 7 - But, our first topic this morning is… What the Bible is all about. A quick lesson about Salvation in Christ Jesus.

I’m sure you’ve read many books and articles about this, and I’m sure that they were filled with the historical facts and people in the scriptures. This morning, I want to tell you about the single main idea of the Bible. If I asked you, many of you would immediately respond with “Jesus.” And you’d would be mostly right. However, according to the Apostles of the New Testament and the Prophets of the Old and New Testaments… The Central theme of the scriptures, beginning in Genesis, is the Love of God the Father for His Son, Jesus. His love for His Son has resulted in creating a world full of people who become infected with a sinful nature and are offered a salvation that each individual must choose. All this in order for His begotten Son to have brothers and sisters, who are free from that evil and its penalty, and to be indwelt with God’s Holy Spirit - for all Eternity. A people of loving and active Faith as members of His own beloved family. Upon your salvation, you become an actual physical family member of Almighty God, filled with the Holy Spirit and bound forever to His Son, Jesus.

I repeat: We need to understand that Almighty God the Father, back before creation, wanted human beings who would prove actively faithful to Him to become brothers and sisters for His Only Begotten Son.

At the highest level, it is always important to understand that every book of the bible is there to point mankind to the possibility of their individual salvation – based upon the Father God’s loving plan to provide the offer of salvation to each and every human being through the Son of God’s obedience to His Father in the self-sacrifice of His life as God in human flesh.

Where you will spend eternity is the most important consideration for each and every human being. That offer of salvation to each and every human being is far greater than anyone can completely comprehend. A single blade of grass is enough evidence to convict one of God’s existence.

How then can God accomplish this.

There is a Test, and I expect everyone here has already passed the test:

Who will you choose as your salvation: Yourself, Another human being, “mother earth,” “mother nature,” some lifeless pagan god, some demon, Satan himself, or Jesus, the Son of God in human flesh. Your choice determines your eternal destination. BUT there are only two destinations to choose from: Eternity apart from Almighty God, or Eternity in the presence of Almighty God, as brother or sister of His Son.

We need to be abundantly clear on Jesus’ qualifications as our Savior. The Scriptures are clear that the human race is fallen.

The God of the Bible is absolutely holy - absolutely free of any sin or corruption and thus cannot abide co-existence in a family sense with any form of evil. Satan and his fallen angels, because of their sin, were thrown from heaven and will eventually be removed from God’s creation. Mankind, in its fallen nature must be sin-free in order to become a member of God’s physical family.

God’s plan for salvation was put together before creation. It included the story of Satan and his angels in order for evil to enter into His plan. With the planned fall to earth of Satan, his angels and demons began the first stages of the testing of all humans. God’s plan put into place the opportunity for each and every human being to choose Almighty God, or reject Him. Active Faith or rejection.

The penalty for rejection is the “second death.” Eternity apart from God and His creation, in a place of penalty.

Salvation becomes available if one chooses active faith in God, and then a substitute would have to pay the penalty for each and every person who chooses God’s plan. You commit the crime, someone else pays the penalty, and you go free.

The Substitute’s requirements:

The Substitute Cannot be an angel or an animal - a human life only. Therefore, the substitute must be human.

Is Jesus Human - Yes - Phil. 2:7 – “for He took upon himself the form of a servant and was in the likeness of men.”

The substitute must be a sinless human - else the substitute must die for his own sins.
Is Jesus sinless? - Yes - Heb. 4:15 “He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

The substitute must be infinite in order to die for an innumerable number of sinners.
Is Jesus Infinite? (Is He God?) - Yes - John 1:1 “The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The substitute therefore must be both human and God. Settled.

The substitute must be both voluntary and willing to take the sinner’s place and bear their punishment.
Is Jesus voluntary and willing? - Yes - Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet Not My Will, but Yours be done."

The substitute must shed his blood, as the scriptures teach that sins cannot be forgiven any other way.
Did Jesus shed His blood? - Yes - John 19:34 “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

Thus, the salvation problem is solved.

Joshua Chapter 6 was all about having faith that was validated by action. An excellent lesson for us all. Too many Christians get saved and hide their faith, avoiding Church fellowship and teaching. We are instead to validate our faith through our actions - demonstrating to all those around us - family, friends, neighbors - that our faith is real and functioning in our lives.

We have left Joshua Chapter 6 with our heads held high having captured and destroyed the city of Jericho - Rahab will become the great-great-grandmother of King David, and be in the hereditary genealogy of Jesus. What a great end to that study….

But…

Now as we move to Joshua Chapter 7 it will show us what can result by even a single individual NOT doing what God desires by Loving Him and Following Him by Active Faith - like He has done for us.

Now, 2 messages...

The Sin of Achan and Israel Defeated at Ai - JOSHUA 7:1-26
And, God’s Wrath for Satanic Lies - ACTS 5:1-11

Before looking at the text let us consider two things:

1 - Let all know that it is nothing but sin that separates them from God and if sin be not sincerely repented of and put away through The Savior, it will bring disaster, not only upon themselves, but those associated with them.

2 - For us this morning, the story illustrates the truth of the oneness of the Church in Christ. The whole cause of Christ is injured by the single sin of just one or two believers. Especially if the sin is satanic.

JOSHUA CHAPTER 7:1-26

THE CRIME
1 But the people of Israel broke faith [unfaithful] in regard to the devoted things, [the things “devoted” to God for destruction in Chapter 6] 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 [all] the people of Israel.

THE SECOND CITY TO BE CONQUORED
JOSHUA AND THE NATION’S SELF IMPORTANCE
Joshua was not told by the Lord to do this. The success at Jericho brought Joshua to a place where he did not think he had to ask the Lord because of his own confidence that God’s help would be available - without asking for it.

It should also be noted that in the beginning of this first verse it says, “The people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things.” We should remember that in Joshua Chapter 6 the city of Jericho was condemned by the Lord and became “Devoted to destruction.” A gift to the Lord - in their destruction - every man, woman, child, animal, possession, etc. was to be put to death and burned.

The Word of God here denotes to us that every individual member of the Chosen Covenanted nation of Israel was considered to represent the nation as a whole.

We too, as members of the New Covenant, need to remember that our individual decisions and sins… may affect all of Christianity. In simple terms of today… we should understand that to have a Christian Cross sticker on the back of your vehicle, and you not obeying the speed limit - may bring undo criticism of the Christian Faith - but don’t just remove the cross from the car! Be obedient to Christ.

2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel [approximately 12 miles North of Jericho], and [Joshua] said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai.

They went up and spied out the land - but…

THE SPIES WERE DECEIVED
3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.”

We aren’t informed as to why the spies came back with false information, but it has to do with God’s plan for them. The Israelite’s success at Jericho was dependent upon their own surrender to God, not how strong or weak Jericho was, or how strong or weak the Israelites were. The Israelite’s success at Ai would be dependent upon their own surrender to God, once again, not how strong or weak they, or Ai was. They had won at Jericho, now with swollen hearts and much pride the Israelite spies bring a report that shows how minimally they searched out the city of Ai.

3000 SENT - 36 KILLED
4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, 5 and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

Here we see the opposite sequence of events set forth for Jericho… Out of about every 80 soldiers, one lost their life in the retreat. 36 out of 3,000.

6 "Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the Ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads."

At first, we may come to the conclusion that Joshua was broken and contrite… As we first read verse 6 we probably all came to the conclusion that Joshua was in great sorrow about the losses at Ai and has come before the Lord for solace and comfort.

But No,
Their hearts are full of rage at the Lord for saving the people of Israel from their suffering and pain in Egypt and bringing them to this new land where they have encountered full defeat… after what they had been told was an easy target.

BUT WHAT WAS JOSHUA THINKING
7 And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God,
why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all,
to give us into the hands of the Amorites,
to destroy us?
Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan!
8 O Lord, what can I say,
when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies!
9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth.

And what will you do for your great name?”

So here we see the anger of Joshua in his presentation before the Lord. They lost 36 men of the 3,000 they sent. Joshua then reacts with fear for their presence in Canaan and the future way in which Israel may be treated.

Some scholars disagree, but it seems to me that the last sentence seems like Joshua has lost his sense of holiness in this moment before the Lord. “You, Lord have made this mistake, now what are you going to do about it?” The Lord’s next statement seems to show that Joshua’s fake concern is just that.

THE SIN OF ACHAN
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."

The word “they” indicates that the Lord’s concern is of the faith and hearts of all of Israel.

Things that were set apart to belong to the Lord. Achan, an Israelite from Judah, stole them.

12 "Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you"

CONSECRATE YOURSELVES
Make sure you are all clean and holy

13 Get up!

Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”

THE CONSEQUENCES
14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the Lord takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the Lord takes shall come near by households. And the household that the Lord takes shall come near man by man.

15 And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”

16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18 And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
20 And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel,"

TEACHING
Confession of sin is an important way that people may give glory to God. Often, we would rather glorify God in any other way, but Joshua’s words still stand. He called on Achan to make an open confession of his sin and in so doing to give glory to the LORD God of Israel.

The confession of sin brings glory to God in several ways.
· It recognizes God’s omniscience.
· It recognizes God’s righteousness.
· It recognizes God’s authority.
· It recognizes God’s judgments.
· It demonstrates a desire to be in a right relationship and fellowship with God.

BACK TO THE TEXT [still verse 20]

ACHAN’S PERSONAL SIN
and this is what I did: 21 when 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.”

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver Underneath. 23 And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord.

24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.”

And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day.

Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.[d]

The question often asked is “Why was God’s Judgment so severe upon Achan?” We have to remember that Israel was under a strict contract with God - the Old Covenant - The Israelite’s agreed to God’s contract and all the Laws it contained. They promised to be both obedient and faithful. This was an important moment for Israel - in the establishment of their new nation - as Faithful and Obedient people of God.

ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA - ACTS 5:1-11

There is a similar situation in the New Testament. Joshua 7 and punishment for sin while establishing life in the Promised Land, and Ananias and Sapphira and punishment for sin while establishing life in the new “Body of Christ” the Church.

They were a married couple in the early Christian church in Jerusalem. They sold a piece of property but secretly kept a portion of the profits for themselves while lying to the apostles and the Holy Spirit by - claiming they donated the entire amount.

Their story is found in Acts 5:1-11 of the New Testament. Here is how the event unfolded:

THE ESV TEXT:
Ananias and Sapphira
1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.

3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?

4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart?

You have not lied to man but to God.”

5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last.

And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.”

9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”

10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last.

When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

The Deception:
As the early believers were pooling resources to support the poor, Ananias sold some land. With his wife's full knowledge, he kept a cut of the money but presented the rest to the apostles as if it were the total sum.

Confrontation of Ananias:
The Apostle Peter, guided by the Holy Spirit, confronted Ananias about the lie. Peter noted that the property and the money were entirely theirs to do with as they pleased, and that by lying about the donation, they were lying to God. From verse 3 we find that Satan had filled their hearts so as to get them to lie to the Holy Spirit.

Immediately upon hearing this, Ananias fell down dead.

Confrontation of Sapphira:
About three hours later, Sapphira arrived, unaware of her husband's fate. When Peter asked her if they had sold the land for the specific amount Ananias had presented, she repeated the lie. Peter then told her that she would suffer the same fate as those who had just buried her husband, and she immediately dropped dead as well.

The Impact:
Great fear gripped the early church and all who heard about the events, establishing the gravity of deceit and hypocrisy.

However, we should read this account in the context of the description of the believing community that begins at Acts 4:32. This community is living proof of the Spirit’s indwelling in fulfillment of new covenant promises. The believers are living for one another in unity, voluntarily sharing what they have, devoted to prayer, and committed to the apostles.

Ananias and Sapphira, in contrast, sell a field and secretly keep back some of the money but bring their gift as though it was all of the proceeds. It was their field and money, and they could do with it as they pleased. They were under no compulsion to sell it, nor to bring all of the proceeds, as Peter makes clear.

But Sapphira’s lies are a clear indication that the couple intends to mislead Peter and the rest of the community. Instead of prayer and praise to God, the couple engages in falsehood. Instead of being filled with the Spirit, they are “filled” with Satan (Acts 5:3). There is more involved here than telling a lie.

The new covenant context is key to understanding this text. The Holy Spirit dwells in the community: God is present in and with them. Thus, in the apostles and in the community, we see the true people of God. God now dwells not in a building made by human hands, but in his people.

The community itself is sacred. Lying to the community and the apostles is, thus, lying to God himself.

Many try to teach that Ananias and Sapphira were true believers but just deceived. But, Peter’s statement, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit,” brings clarity to the whole event.

Luke goes on teaching about the Holy Spirit’s filling of believers, thus indicating that a person’s intentional actions come from a person’s inner spirit - good or evil. This event was included to make believers of this new “Body of Christ” experience well aware that being filled with God’s Holy Spirit would be the key to successful living and salvation.

These are not believers punished for lying but unbelievers filled with Satan’s influence and bringing wickedness into the covenant setting as a satanic attack. The contrast between the Spirit and Satan leads to the conclusion that Ananias and Sapphira are not lapsed believers. They are like Judas, deceived by Satan and in rebellion against God. And like Judas, they meet with a decisive, God brought fatal end. Ananias and Sapphira are not church members disciplined for their sin. Their sin points to their unbelief. They betray the community and show their true evil nature and die for it.

Believer, take heed, pay close attention, take this warning seriously and act upon it.

This message was prepared, written, and presented by Jim Deering for the Larry Hoffeditz Sunday morning "Move Group" 2026-07-05 at King's Baptist Church, 3235 58th Avenue, Vero Beach, Florida.

The Book of Joshua, Chapter 6, the Presentation - Bible Study, J. Deering, AncientPath.net, study materials are a ministry of AncientPath.net, and may be copied for use in Bible study groups, in limited numbers, providing that no charge is made for them.  No further distribution or use of these materials is allowable under U.S. or International Copyright Law without the express permission of AncientPath.net. ©2026 AncientPath.net, All rights reserved.

J. Deering [AncientPath.net] is the author and editor of this study.
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2026-07-07