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Achan (Joshua 7)
I dreamed I was Achan the Israelite
proud
of my faith in God's Power and Might .
I was
one of 40,000 men
expecting to fight again and again -
To conquer Canaan, and
all it contained
though it might have been tough I'd
not have complained.
God had said the walls of Jericho town
would tremble and shake and then all
fall down.
Each day we must march all round silently
with priests blowing trumpets
haphazardly.
Covenant Box would be with us each day
to remind us all not one word to say.
Daily, for six days, we
marched in silence.
The seventh day excitement was intense
On that day we marched
around as before
but not only once -we went six times
more!
Then, in the silence,
came orders to shout,
priests blew their trumpets, we'd no
time to doubt
Jericho's walls started crumbling and
fell
the big wooden gates collapsed as
well.
 We all wielded weapon to
do God's Will
determined, with courage, to burn and
kill.
I shouted in triumph
-joined in each cheer
doing God's Will we had no time to fear
-
As we killed and burned each person and thing,
the
orders of God -our Lord and our King.
We had only time to be strong and bold
collecting iron, bronze, silver and gold .
It was
all to go in God's Treasury.
His
was the war and His the Victory.
Day was nearly over, I was alone
Tired
and weary and proud I had grown
When there, on a chair, hidden by a cloak
was
silver and gold -I gave them a poke.
I looked all around, and no one was near
so,
bold as can be, without any fear -
I wrapped in the cloak the silver and gold,
put
them in my lunch bag, ever so bold!
I thought I'd earned them by my bravery
and
God would be pleased to give them to me.
All of that night, feeling weak and not strong
I
became frightened, knowing I'd done wrong.
 I made sure my family
were asleep
then,
determined all of my treasure to keep
I dug a hole and buried the lot -
unrolled my blanket and laid down on top.
Several days passed -I heard Joshua say
spies
had been sent to Ai, a days march away.
The
march was uphill, the city was small,
3,000
men would soon conquer it all.
They'd conquer the city
with no trouble
and soon it would be a pile of rubble.
I was relieved I did not have to go
so guarded what I took from Jericho.
But our soldiers LOST the battle of Ai!
 They all ran away! 36 men died!
The leaders of Israel laid face down
Before
the Covenant box on the ground.
Joshua asked God to tell him why? Why?
WHY
had our soldiers been beaten at Ai?
God said The reason is simple to see
Israel
sinned trying to deceive Me.
Somebody stole something from Jericho.
I wonder why they thought I
would not know.
Enemies will always beat
you in war
'til you're not disobedient any more.
He who committed this terrible sin
must
be burnt, and his possessions with him.
His wife, his daughter, and also each son
must
be killed and burnt. My Will IS to be done!
Then Israel will be pure once more
 and My Covenant will stand as
before."
All that night I tried very hard to sleep.
I
tossed and I turned and I counted sheep.
I feared -I knew -Joshua would be told
where
to find the cloak, the silver and gold.
I could FEEL the stones
and see all the flames.
Just retribution for ill-gotten gains.
A bell was ringing quite
loud in my head.
I woke
with a start in my own warm bed.
The bell my alarm - things not what they seemed
I'm
not in Canaan - it was a bad dream!
2,000 years ago Christ died for me -
whipped, scorned and beaten, nailed
onto a tree.
I stopped shaking with
fear, and knelt to say
" Jesus, I confess sins of yesterday
I know I'm unworthy, I've
been black with sin
But You are my Lord my Saviour and
King
As You Rose from the
dead, I will rise too -
trying to live in obedience to You.
Thank God I'm not Achan the Israelite
proud
of his faith in God's Power and Might.
I've been a Sinner -weak, willful and wild.
Now
I'm a saved Sinner -I am God's child.
 It's not difficult to be
saved like me.
Trust
in Jesus' death on Calvary.
Trust in Christ's Blood to cleanse you of all
Sin.
God
will forgive those who have faith in Him.
Rely on Christ's Blood to cleanse you now
and
each time you fall, rely on it's Power .
Ask God to forgive you in Jesus' Name,
then
you, in His eyes, will be free from blame.
The Israelites lost the battle of Ai.
Because one man sinned 36 men died.
Is Satan, in your town causing defeat?
Repent
disobedience at Jesus' feet.
Confession by someone at Calvary
could
be essential for Victory.
Is that person You?
Or
could it be me?
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