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Who Is Jesus of Nazareth?
by Paul Earnhart
"Who say ye that I am?" is the question with which Jesus confronted the twelve at Caesarea Philippi. Men and women of our day are no less challenged to answer the same question, a question upon which hangs the very meaning of life itself. Who is this man whose influence has cast itself powerfully across nineteen centuries?
The only Jesus we may know is the one whose story is written in the New Testament by His close companions and disciples. This is the "historical Jesus." If we attack their simple, straightforward accounts as unreliable, we have burned the only bridge by which He may be known. We have also assumed the burden of proving what hoped-for reward could have moved these men who spoke so often of truth to enter into a gigantic hoax, and to sacrifice their lives rather than confess it. We must accept or reject the Jesus of the New Testament simply because there is no evidence or testimony for any other.
The Christ of Prophecy
The best way to get an answer to the question, "Who is Jesus?" is to let Jesus speak for Himself. When the Samaritan woman assured Jesus that she knew when the Christ (Messiah) came He would declare all things, He replied, "I that speak unto thee am he" (John 4:25-26). To His disciples just before His ascension, He said, "These are my words which I spoke unto you, while I was with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets and the psalms concerning me . . . Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again the third day" (Luke 24:44,46). Whatever we may think of it, Jesus clearly claimed to be the promised Christ of all the Old Testament prophecies.
Several hundred years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah declared that the Christ would be descended from Jesse and David (11:1-9; 9:6-7; John 7:42) and be born of a virgin (7:14; Matthew 1:18-23). At the same time the prophet Micah spoke of Bethlehem as His birthplace (5:2; Matthew 2:3-6) . Yet, in spite of His human birth, Isaiah spoke of Him as "the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father" (9:6-7); and Micah said His goings forth were "from everlasting" (5:2).
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Lead Me to Some Soul Today
by Larry Rouse
One of the first thoughts bursting from the heart of a new Christian is how he might personally reach others for the Lord. Words cannot fully express the joy of salvation and the impact that joy has in creating a crystal clear sight of the real condition of this world. Just as our Lord did 2,000 years ago, anyone today can see this world as lost, dying and desperately in need of the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.” (John 4:34-36)
One of my favorite songs is “Lead Me To Some Soul Today.” This song reflects the thoughts of every Christian who sees these white fields. “Lead me to some soul today; O teach me, Lord, just what to say; Friends of mine are lost in sin, And cannot find their way. Few there are who seem to care, And few there are who pray; Melt my heart and fill my life; Give me one soul today.” How are you doing in this great work of harvest? Is your sight clear to see what this careless world cannot?
When I first became a Christian, I was blessed to be associated with a young man of great faith. Immediately after my baptism I was placed in a class he was teaching on evangelism. That class met three times each week and every student was expected to memorize 10 passages of scripture before the next week. We practiced together how to teach the lost. Within two weeks I was off and running. That semester a good friend obeyed the gospel. Within a few months my brother took the great step of putting the Lord on in baptism. These first steps led me to a life of talking with others with the goal of getting hearts opened around the word of God.
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Modest Dress with Propriety and Moderation
by Tim Nichols
The perceived extremes regarding any Bible principle do not alter the principle. There really are some Biblical principles that relate to dress. The fact that some well-meaning people have gone to extremes regarding them does not remove them. Whether you admire or disapprove of the veiled women among some religious groups who cover themselves from head to toe or those who wear only the plainest possible garments of black and white, does not change the truth that there really is a sort of dress code that God imposes upon His children. It is sad that Christians sometimes suppose that the plain garments of the Amish and some other groups are extreme in one direction while seeming not to notice that the clothing worn by so many around us every day of the week is extreme in the other. Television and movies may very well have become the measures by which some have wrongly ascertained the norms, not recognizing that these examples are extremes and often beyond the limits imposed by God's word. If the lines between what is appropriate and what is extreme are not always easily defined, they exist -- and the Christian can certainly find a manner of dress that is absolutely within the bounds. There may be a "gray area" between how far one can lean over the side of a high cliff and yet be safe -- and how far is too dangerous -- but most of us seem to know how to remain on the safe side of that line without claiming that we have found its exact location. If there is an extreme that might be called "excessive modesty" (an oxymoron?) on the one hand, there is a more dangerous extreme that inspiration calls "the attire of a harlot" (Proverbs 7:10). Paul was not just giving his opinion when he was inspired to write that Christian women ought to "adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, ... which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works" (1 Timothy 2:9-10). He was simply telling the truth. Modesty is first of all a condition of the heart and it is expressed or, conversely, shown not to exist by outward behavior and dress (Isaiah 3:16-24). The word that Paul used means "orderly, well-arranged, decent, modest" (Vine's). It is a quality that must be possessed and expressed by one who would serve as an elder (1 Timothy 3:2 -- translated "good behavior" and not connected with apparel in this case). It follows that a decent person will wear decent clothing and behave decently. The inner person will be expressed by what is on the outside (1 Peter 3:3-5).
The word for "propriety" (translated "shamefacedness" in the KJV) conveys the idea of "a sense of shame, modest..." (Vine's). It is not the idea of awkwardness that would cause one to become easily embarrassed without cause. It is more a sense of the point at which shame is in order and a keeping of oneself from that which ought to cause shame -- in order to remain free from it.
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The "New Hermeneutic" An Abandonment of Reason
by Wayne Jackson
Hermeneutics is the procedure by which certain logical principles are applied to a document in order to ascertain the author’s original meaning. All literature is subject to hermeneutical analysis. In this country we have one branch of our government, the judiciary, which has been designed to practice legal hermeneutics, i.e., to interpret the law.
Sacred hermeneutics is the science of Bible interpretation. Everyone, to a greater or lesser degree—either correctly or incorrectly—employs hermeneutics.
Frequently these days, one hears about the so-called New Hermeneutic. This method of viewing the Bible has a number of erroneous components, one of which is this: no conclusion, which has been drawn as the result of human reasoning, can be established as a test of Christian fellowship. Note the following example of this approach:
The “Fundamentals of the Faith” must be held onto at all costs . . . . They are the only “absolutes” I know. All other matters must be arrived at “hermeneutically” (that is, by a process of reasoning!) . . . . But any conclusion reached by such a process should not be made a test of fellowship (Phillips 1990, 5-6).
In the same article, our brother lists the “Fundamentals of the Faith” as: “the existence of God, the lordship of Jesus, Bible authority, the one church, the new birth” and, “genuine commitment to the will, way, and word of God.” Excluded as a matter of fellowship, among other things, is the use of instrumental music in Christian worship.
The foregoing article, it appears to this writer, reflects a very unreasonable and inconsistent viewpoint. The fact is, not even those matters that our brother listed as “Fundamentals of the Faith” are accepted independent of reasoning.
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Splendid Discontent
by James W. Adams
If there is one peccadillo that characterizes this generation it is the mania for change. Change for the sake of change is thought to be a mark of liberation from "tradition" and of intellectual sophistication. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, though not necessarily advocating change for the sake of change, paid tribute to the desire for change when she wrote, "The splendid discontent of God with chaos made the world; and from the discontent of man, the world's best progress springs." However, she failed to note that not all of man's discontent is "splendid."
A more practical and perceptive statement statesman, inventor and author said, "All human inventions have their inconveniencies. We feel those of the present, but see nor fear those of the future, and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment and frequently for the worse" (Benjamin Franklin). It can be and often is "from bad to worse." Someone has likened this to a "farmer burning down his barn to get rid of the rats."
While change is the law of growth, it is not always benign. Not all growth is healthy nor progressive. One can blow up a balloon to several times its normal size, but balloons often burst under pressure to which they are thus subjected. The result is destructive, not constructive.
Our generation has seen more changes than another in human history, but the "discontent" that has produced them has not always been "splendid," hence many of the changes have been malignant rather than benign. This is not only true in the secular realm, but professed churches of Christ have likewise undergone radical changes that have not always been benign and constructive but malignant and destructive.
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Bitterness, A Form of Religious Insanity
by Cled Wallace
The bitterness and malice which is often displayed toward each other by members of the body of Christ when unpleasant situations arise in the church is occasion for tears. Worthy men and women in normal situations act very unworthily under emotional stress. Good men sometimes threaten each other with physical violence or recourse at law, and have been known to make good their threats.
They take advantage of each other, watching hungrily for any statement that may be used or warped for personal or factional advantage. Men under the domination of the party spirit, party passion running high, often display evidence of religious insanity. They are beside themselves, and their best friends outside the heat of party passion marvel at their excesses in speech and rancor. Situations can arise in any church which call forth the best efforts of level-headed men, “sober-minded, sound in faith, in love, in patience.” We need more men who are anxious to claim the blessings of the Lord. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.” “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.”
It is most difficult for even good men to tell the truth when they come under the influence of factional passion. It is reason enough why we should all be watchful of the intents and purposes of our own hearts. “But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth . . . For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed.” Every observer of church troubles has noted conflicting reports of what actually happened by men who were considered reliable in matters where their personal feelings were not so deeply stirred. A truthful man can earn a reputation for being a consummate liar in a short time in the middle of a church fuss. And too often the reputation is deserved. “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom . . . But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.” And it often happens that the individual who is most aberrant in his handling of facts is also most ready to hurl the short ugly word at the opposition. It reminded Paul of the manner in which beasts go at one another. “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” Think of brethren in Christ biting and snarling at one another like hungry wolves or wild dogs! It often happens.
Does It Favor My Side?
The factious spirit plays some ugly tricks on its possessor. It victimizes and deceives him. When he listens to a sermon or reads an article, his eye is single to only one consideration. Does it favor my side? If it does, then he is not critical of the facts involved. The rankest inaccuracies or the most reckless perversions may be passed upon with approval. If it does not, he may react resentfully toward pointed and helpful truth. A factious spirit can rob a man of the good he might receive from reading the Bible. It can change him into a mote-hunting, faultfinding hypocrite. Light becomes darkness as soon as it reaches his soul.
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The Need of Parental Authority
by H. Leo Boles
Perhaps few subjects need to be stressed more than this one. Parents have lost sight of their responsibility to their children, and children are growing up to disregard all restraints and parental authority. In the general decline of respect for authority, both human and divine, which prevails to an alarming extent at the present time, and which threatens to involve in social anarchy and confusion all of the elements of society, it is woeful to observe an almost total failure on the part of parents to exercise their authority in controlling their children. One of the great causes of disrespect for all authority by young people today is the failure of parents to exercise authority over their children. The parent stands to the child, in the years of its character and habits, in the place of God and of all other authority. God has enjoined upon parents that they exercise His authority over the child while it is young and tender. Children are most impressionable in youth, and the parent should not neglect the opportunity for training them.
If a child is not taught to respect the authority of a parent in its early years of life, or if it is allowed to follow its own will and to gratify its own desires and passions, that child will seldom be able to deny self and will be the slave of selfish passions and habits that will be destructive to good order in society and subversive of the divine law. In the human heart, as in the sin cursed soil, the briars, thistles, and thorns grow of themselves and choke out the tender plants that are desirable to promote the well-being here and hereafter. Parents should recognize this truth and should seek to restrain their children from all evil and selfish habits of life. The growth of obnoxious weeds in the human heart must be checked and destroyed, or tender plants of truth and kindness will be choked out.
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Discipline in the Home
by Irven Lee
Children do not have the ability at birth to understand the language of their parents. We all realize this, but we should also understand that these little people do not know the commonly accepted rules of etiquette, nor do they recognize property rights. Each child seems to assume that anything he finds and likes belongs to him. Only gradually does he learn that some things are his and that other things are the property of others. The innocent child does not, of course, have any sense of discernment between what is morally right and what is wrong. Because of parental failure to guide or train the children many young people never come to have a definite code of morals or sensitive consciences to guide them in the way of righteousness.
While many are not trained to discern between good and evil, they could have been trained. They are as capable of developing faith, godliness, and spiritual wisdom as they are of developing physical skills and language skills from people about them. Some parents take an interest in helping their children to develop the ability to earn a living but not much concern to teach them how to live. There are many who are skilled in athletics, music, and in various aspects of business that are as ignorant of spiritual values as the brute beast from the jungle (2 Pet. 2:12, KJV). That which is most important is lacking.
Parents must have the respect of their children or they cannot convey the value of their own knowledge and experience to them. Love, instruction, personal attention, and the proper example from parents can go a long way toward obtaining this respect. To make their word authoritative, the chastening rod is recommended by the word of God. This is not physical or mental abuse, but it is not always pleasant to the one who is disciplined or to the one who is administering it. Even the Lord chastens those He loves.
"My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable f' lit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Heb. 12:5-11).
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Baptism - A Peripheral Issue?
by Paul K. Williams
I was on the phone to a Methodist minister seeking information about the inter-denominational "March for Jesus." After he answered my questions he asked me why I asked, as I sounded disapproving. So I told him that the Bible is opposed to denominationalism and that the church of Christ in Eshowe could have nothing to do with the March. He let me know that I sounded proud and judgmental, so I told him that if he would just read what the Bible says about baptism and listen to what those verses say he would see one reason why the Methodist Church is wrong. He gave a mocking laugh and wanted to know why I was talking about such a peripheral issue.
I replied that Paul made it a central issue when he listed the "one baptism" along with "one Lord" and "one God and Father" in Ephesians 4. This the Methodist minister chose to ignore but said, "I have studied and debated this issue for years. If you would study with others you would change." I called his attention to the great pride his statement betrayed, and then said, "If you will debate me publicly on this subject I will be pleased," but he of course refused.
His point was that since people have debated and discussed baptism for many years and cannot seem to agree, it is not something which is important. It is "peripheral" (confined to the external surface of a body, hence not of central importance), hence we may differ on it while maintaining Christian unity. This position implies that there are central, or core, issues upon which we must agree, and peripheral doctrines upon which we may disagree while being pleasing to God.
How Do We Classify Issues?
The problem with this is that each person classifies different issues "central" and "Peripheral." There has been and continues to be debate and disagreement on every Bible doctrine, including whether Jesus is the Son of God and whether he rose from the dead. Who is going to classify these issues? What standard are we to use to classify doctrines as important or unimportant? We are seeing the result in religious circles where "every man does what is right in his own eyes" (Judg. 17:6). This kind of thinking makes every man a judge, judging by his own standard, not God's.
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The Trend Among the Young Preachers
by Connie Adams
A preacher in a congregation not too far away has been preaching in such, a manner as to elicit criticism from some in the congregation who live the old paths and who remember when gospel preachers spoke "as the oracles of God." When one brother approached one of the elders about the matter, the elder passed it off by saying that such is the trend now all over the brotherhood among the young preachers. Any trend among the preachers, young or old, to "preach any other gospel" than that delivered by the Lord, is a trend in the wrong direction. The anathema of heaven rests upon any man or angel who proclaims any doctrine contrary to the New Testament. We are "not to be wise above that which is written." "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God" (Gal. 1:6-9; 1 Cor. 4:6; 2 John 9.) Unsound preaching produces an unsound faith. James said, "My brethren, be not many of you teachers, knowing that we shall receive greater judgment" (Jas. 3:1.) These passages make it abundantly clear that preaching is to be taken seriously, and its value determined by the faith once delivered to the saints.
One thing this particular preacher has been preaching is that the church ought to build a kitchen. His argument is that we put a rest room in the building and nobody objects, but if we put a refrigerator in it, then some people object. Others have argued that a kitchen is just as right as a water fountain. The first thing wrong with this is, the effort is made to justify the church building a kitchen on the basis that something else is just as wrong, if it is wrong. Now if putting kitchens in buildings is parallel to rest rooms and water fountains, that still would not argue that any of them would be right. In the second place, I doubt seriously that anybody with normal mentality really thinks the rest room or the water fountain is parallel to a kitchen provided in the building. Rest rooms and drinking fountains are accommodations for an assembly in the same sense that seats, lights, heat in the winter, air conditioning or fans are in the summer. They are not provided for the purpose of entertainment and everybody knows that who has enough sense to come in out of the rain. And everybody knows that kitchens, banquet halls, recreation rooms and such like are provided for the purpose of amusement or entertainment. Now if entertainment is a divinely ordained part of the mission of the church, then I say let congregations build and equip such things. But until someone can set forth the book, chapter and verse which shows that such is the mission of the church, then I am going to oppose it. But to show the absurdity of the matter, whoever read in some bulletin where a congregation was having a "water drinking at the church drinking fountain at 7:30 on Friday night?" Or where there would be a "fellowship" at the church rest room on Monday night? It looks like anybody could recognize the difference between facilities provided for the accommodation of an assembly and that which is provided solely for entertainment, or social purposes.
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Differences in Bible Miracles and Modern Miracles
by Hiram Hutto
While Jesus was on earth he made some very startling claims. He claimed to be divine, and the Jews so understood him (Jn. 5:18; 10:33). He claimed to be the Son of God (Jn. 10:35-37). He claimed to be the Messiah (Jn. 4:25-26) and the Savior of the world (Jn. 14:6). But anyone could make these claims. We were on a call-in radio program where a man would occasionally call denying that Jesus was the Messiah, and claiming instead that he was the Messiah. However, Jesus did more than simply claim to be the things noted, he proved that claim by the miracles he performed. Let's consider these.
1. Power over nature. He stilled a storm (Matt. 8:26-27).
2. Power over material things. He fed 5,000 men with a few loaves and fishes (Luke 9:10-17).
3. Power over all manner of diseases (Matt. 8:16).
4. Power over the spirit world (Matt. 8:16).
5. Power over life and death (Jn. 11:14-44).
These are not merely powers, but ones performed in a confirmation of his claims (Jn. 20:30-31).
The apostles, too, were able to perform miracles, not to prove that they were divine, etc. - for they never claimed such but, in fact, they denied it (Acts 14:11-15). Their miracle-working power was given to them to confirm the word which they were preaching. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation; which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard; God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will" (Heb. 2:34). The Bible shows that after the apostles received the commission to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mk. 16:15), they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following" (Mk. 16:20).
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Addiction
by Phil T. Arnold
“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Cor. 6:12).
Are all things truly "lawful"? Of course not! There are some things that God has forbidden under any and all circumstances. In the Galatian letter, Paul wrote, "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19-21). Are the aforementioned attitudes and actions lawful? Obviously not! Therefore, the statement by Paul must be reexamined in the light of the context and the "all things" must be found to have some limitation.
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Broken-Hearted Parents
by Mickey Galloway
Unfortunately in the past few weeks I have learned of two parents who are broken hearted over the practices of their children. In both cases local churches marked these children for their unfaithfulness. Proverbs 17:21 & 25, speaks of the pain of one whose child has gone away from the Lord. “He that begetteth a fool (doeth it) to his sorrow; And the father of a fool hath no joy … A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her that bare him.” Some of the greatest pain must be that of having a child who is away from the Lord. There is no more graphic expression of the wayward son than Absalom (2 Samuel 18). David's son had begun to compete with his father for the throne. He had gathered a following and pronounced himself king in Hebron and marched on Jerusalem. Not willing to have Jerusalem destroyed and the people killed, David fled over the mount of Olives with people throwing rocks at him, spiting at him and cursing him. With his friends he crossed the river Jordan over to Mahanaiam. When the battle ensued, David said to his captains, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man , even with Absalom” (2 Samuel 18:5). David knew he needed a victory, some had to die, but his heart went out to his son Absalom who was leading the rebellion against him. When the battle was over, word came that the battle had been won by David's forces, yet David was not really concerned about the nature of the battle or even the success that had been had in the field. His question was, “Is it well with the young man Absalom” (2 Samuel 18:29). David grieved over the death of his son, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son” (2 Samuel 18:33).
Why do young people go astray, rebel and leave home? There are several reasons: Sometimes their homes are so bad they can’t stay. Inconsistent discipline or unreasonable discipline may cause a child to leave home. Parents must learn the difference between abuse and the rod of correction (Proverbs 22:15; cf Proverbs 29:15, 17). Sometimes children leave because of chaos and confusion, bitterness between husband and wife, between children, between parents and children. Perhaps the home is so good it will not tolerate drugs and alcohol or immorality, homosexuality, pregnancy, or other unacceptable choices of their children. There are many reasons, sometimes it is the fault of parents, sometimes it is not. With David the fault was partially his. David's sin with Bathsheba had made him weak and had destroyed the respect not only of the heathen, but most certainly of his family. This hindered him from exercising the kind of discipline and control over his family that he should have.
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Elitism
by Steve Wallace
In many countries, a sign of an important state event is the presence of the elite guard. If we find that the doctor treating us is among the “elite” in his field it gives us great comfort. It is an honor for a student to be considered among the elite in his field of study. However, the word “elite” also has negative connotations. This is seen in the form of the word we consider herein.
“Elitism” is defined by Webster: “consciousness of being or belonging to an elite” (404). “Elitist” is not found in either of the Webster dictionaries in this writer’s possession. Roget’s Thesaurus (II) defines it, “Characteristic of or resembling a snob” (adj.) and “One who despises people or things he regards as inferior, esp. because of social or intellectual pretension” (315). As we reflect on these definitions we can see that elitism would be a problem to most people. We consider herein some problems it can cause God’s people.
1. It can lead one to trust in himself. Certainly the Pharisees were elitists among the Jews. In his parable in Luke 18:9-14, Jesus chose a Pharisee as an example of one who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous” (Luke 18:9). Today, one can be tempted to this by thinking about how long he has been preaching, how many crises he has come through, how many meetings he holds, etc. When one starts trusting in himself he is cutting himself off from God and falling into a state about which all preachers have tried to warn denominationalists (Prov. 16:25; Jer. 10:23).
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Achan's Sin
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr.
Fresh on the heels of an astounding victory at Jericho, the young Israelite nation, under Joshua's leadership, focused on the next objective in their campaign to capture Canaan - the land promised by Jehovah. Ai, a small town, was next on the list. Upon their return, the men sent to spy out Ai advised Joshua to send only two or three thousand men against Ai "for the people of Ai are few" (Josh. 7:3). The men of Ai turned the battle into a rout, chasing the Israelites back to where they came from, striking down thirty-six men in the process, almost completely demoralizing Joshua and Israel.
Joshua could not understand why God would bring them over the Jordan only to be destroyed by the Amorites. He poured out his heart to the Lord about the matter. Then the Lord revealed the reason for this defeat. Achan had taken spoils from Jericho, which were forbidden of the Lord, and had hidden them among his stuff. This sin had to be corrected before God would permit Israel to continue her conquest of the promised land. Achan, his family, and his livestock were stoned and burned along with the rest his goods. What a price to pay for one sin.
After the matter was corrected, Israel, with the guidance and help of God, defeated Ai. (Read Joshua 7 and 8.)
Achan's case illustrates the power of sin. His sin caused a whole nation to suffer. "But, that was back then," says someone, "what about now?" The Hebrew writer compares sin back then and now: "For if the word spoken through angels (during the Old Testament era, see 1:1-eob) proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so a great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him" (Heb. 2:2-3, read also Heb. 10:28,29).
The case of Achan refutes three popular myths about sin.
Myth: One sin won't hurt.
How often have you heard it said that it won't hurt to do it just this one time - "it," meaning whatever sin is under consideration at the time? Achan's one sin hurt him greatly, along with his family, his nation and the cause of his God.
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The Curse of Negligence
by Homer Hailey
A very dangerous attitude entering into our general me today, and one affecting the whole structure of society, is that of doing just enough to "get by." The efforts of men are too often half hearted, with no spirit and fervor in the work, Such an attitude is serious enough and bad enough in secular affairs, but when it invades the sacred realm of religious life it becomes disastrous. Here one must deal with God, for it is He who is insulted and robbed by half hearted efforts, and the "get by" spirit.
In the history of Moab, the time finally came, when, because of her idolatry and corruption, she was ripe for destruction. The word of Jehovah came unto the prophet Jeremiah pronouncing her doom, and commanding that she be destroyed; adding a curse upon those who should enter the work of destruction negligently, or refuse to act at all, Hear the prophet: "Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah negligently; and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood." (Jer. 48:10)
Two words here need defining, namely "curse" and "negligently." The word "curse" is defined, "to invoke evil upon, anathematize, excommunicate, execrate." One needn't get over-excited when the pope curses or "damns" him as he did the Russians recently; but when God pronounces a curse, to disregard it is tragic. "Negligently:" "apt to omit what ought to be done." This is about the greatest problem facing the church today, the tendency to "omit what ought to be done."
In Deut. 11:13 God demanded service with "all the heart." Jesus said the greatest command is that men should love God "with all the heart." (Matt. 22:37-39) God commanded that "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." (Eccl. 9:10) And also that Christians should be "in diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." (Rom. 12:11) But what if someone should not take seriously the Lord in this matter, going about the work negligently today? The nausea of the Lord is declared against the insipid, indifferent, lukewarm attitude in no uncertain terms, when to the church, Laodicea, He said "I will spew thee out of my mouth." (Rev. 3: 16) That exactly expresses God's attitude still toward such a disposition.
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