Joshua 7
Leaders Prep Section
Watch this video, read these notes, and send the pre-written email (below) to your group 2-3 days before you meet.
Notes
So much has happened…the commitment of the soldiers (Ch 1), the rescue of the spies (Ch 2), the miracle at the Jordan river (Ch 3), the obedience of the circumcision (Ch 5), the power unleashed at Jericho (Ch 6)…forming not only a relationship, but an alliance…an identity even, showing the world what it looked like to follow the one, true God. But something’s gone wrong and Joshua and Israelites are about to learn a very hard lesson.
Group Guide Starts Here
Context of scripture
Before invading Jericho (Ch. 6), God gave a clear command to Israel: 17 …the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab (and her family)…shall live. 18 But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest (you) make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it.
Read Joshua 7:1
The word devoted in ancient Hebrew is cherem. There is not a direct English translation. Used as a noun, it refers to something set apart as sacred property. Used as a verb, it describes setting something apart permanently, as the property of God, either for service or for destruction. Later, other cultures would borrow this concept. 9th century inscriptions describe the King of Moab capturing Israelite cities and putting them under cherem, annihilating them to honor the Moabite god, Chemosh.1
Why keep the Israelites separate from the possessions of the Canaanites? And why destroy them?
Read Joshua 7:2-9
After conquering Jericho, the Israelites would have needed a safe base to operate. Ai was established in mountainous terrain providing safety from Egyptian and Canaanite chariots.2
Notice Joshua did not consult God before sending his men to Ai. Should he have…and does that mean he should check in step by step or is that too excessive?
How often do you ask God for guidance before a big decision or event? Have you felt it’s had an impact on the outcome?
Read Book 7:10-15
Notice the words God uses to describe the guilty party. God says, 11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied. 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.
God sees his followers as one entity, holding them all responsible. How is this fair?
Read Joshua 7:16-21
The gold and silver alone was what an average worker would have earned in a lifetime.
Can you imagine being faced with a temptation like this? How hard would it be for you to say no?
The words Achan uses were used before, in another pivotal story. In the garden of Eden, Eve said, “when I saw the tree was good for food and could make one wise, I took of its fruit and ate.” Achan says, “when I saw a beautiful cloak, 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold I coveted them and took them.” These two passages, read side by side in the ancient Hebrew, use the exact same words to describe the moment when Eve and Achan saw something beautiful and desired to have it.3
Achan was not simply stealing…any more than Eve was just stealing…it was deeper than that. How would you describe what they were really doing?
Read Joshua 7:22-26
Keep in mind what God is doing in this specific time in history. He is establishing himself as God to people who have agreed to follow him, illustrating a commitment for the entire world to see. Later, God will do something else to establish forgiveness for all. But we’re not there yet in the story.
Clearly Achan’s actions are wrong. But what is God trying to accomplish?
What does this tell you about what God expects from his followers? And how do you feel about that?