Lord’s Day, Vol. 11 No. 48

A Purpose for Everything (Proverbs 16:1-9)

1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord. 2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits. 3 Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. 4 The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. 5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. 6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. 7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. 9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps. Prov. 16:1-9 (KJV)

Literal and Paraphrase of the Text

1. God rules over man’s heart and mouth when he speaks. 2. All the ways of a man is pure is his own eyes but weighs the spirit, the LORD. – Every man thinks good of himself, but God is the Judge. 3. Commit to the LORD your work and He will establish your plans. – Give over to God what you do and you will be sure of the outcome. 4. Everything the LORD has made for its purpose even the wicked for the day of trouble. – God creates everything for His pleasure, even the evil man for the evil day. 5. An abomination to the LORD everyone who is arrogant, hand to hand, he shall not go unpunished. – The conceited man nauseates the Lord, and he will be punished though he thinks himself strongly in league with others. 6. By loyalty and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for and by the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil. – Sin is removed by mercy and truth, and by the fear of God do men keep away from evil. 7. When please the LORD a man’s ways, even his enemies he makes to be at peace with him. – When God is on your side, your enemy becomes your friend. 8. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. – Right with little is greater than much without right. 9. A man’s mind plans his way but the LORD directs his steps. – Man proposes but God disposes.  [Paraphrase from Pearl’s of Great Wisdom – Timothy Tow]

INTRODUCTION

Let every man humble himself before God, for He alone rules in our lives. He alone is the Ruler and Judge.

We are to acknowledge that He is sovereign even over our hearts and mouths (v1). He discerns our very motives for He is omniscient, He knows all things and has all knowledge (v2). He only gives true success (v3). He works everything for good (v4). He punishes the proud (v5). He loves our devotion (v6). He gives us peace (v7). He teaches us to live humbly (v8). He determines our future (9).

Notice the word “LORD” occurring in 8 of the 9 verses to emphasize the fact that when we speak about life, the LORD is at the centre and the only verse when the LORD’S name is not mentioned in verse 8, man is instructed to be humble and sober before Him. 

(1) He is Sovereign Over Our Hearts and Speech (v1)

1 The preparations (consideration, the pointing of a plan, the aspirations and considerations that come from the heart of man, disposition, ordering of the heart) of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

Paraphrase: God rules over man’s heart and mouth when he speaks.

The literal translation may be misleading – To man the plans of the mind and from the LORD answer of the tongue.

How can we order our hearts right? How can we order our lives right? The child of God is guided by God, the spirit of God that resides within him. This is in fulfilment of God’s will in our life. How we are able to respond to the call of the gospel? As I thought about my own life, I realised the sovereignty of God over my life.

I used to love reading the books of Bertrand Russell, the pastor’s son turned apostate. He wrote the book “Why I am not a Christian?” I remember using his writings to dispute with my Christian friends who tried to share with me the gospel.

How I was so adamant and how God would melt stoniness in my heart and cause me to yield to the truth that Jesus is the living and true God. Until now, I have no answer except to acknowledge the truth in this verse – 1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

The prompting and illumination, that moment of faith came sovereignly and irresistibly over my heart and caused my tongue to confess that Jesus Christ is LORD.

The Apostle Paul observed this enigma when he pointed out in Romans 9:15-21.

Romans 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Romans 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Romans 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Romans 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

Romans 9:19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

Romans 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Romans 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Truly, we must acknowledge in humble adoration that He has not made us unto dishonour but has shown mercy that we may acknowledge Him as our great God. The preparations of the heart in man are from the LORD.

Isaiah 43:7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Isaiah 43:21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

Is there any escape from God? The fact that even our hearts and mouths come under His purview must cause us to pay total homage to Him in grateful acknowledgement that we are not under His wrath but kept in His love.

(2) He Discerns Our Very Motives For He Is omniscient (v2)

2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth (to measure out) the spirits.

Literal Translation: All the ways of a man is pure is his own eyes but weighs the spirit, the LORD.

Paraphrase: Every man thinks good of himself, but God is the Judge.

David said to Solomon at the close of his life:

1 Chronicles 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

This is the secret of abundant life with God. Thank God we are found in His house, we would want to seek Him and be found with Him. The Lord here is speaking about motives. And true religion demands more than an outward conformity. The very fact that God sees our hearts should highlight the need for a right spirit.

God weighs motives to see whether our actions are vain and empty, or full of good intent.

T.S. Elliot wrote: “The last temptation is the greatest treason, to do the right deed for the wrong reason.”

There are times when we suspect our own false motives but our instinctive reaction is to defend ourselves. Apart from grace, we cannot acknowledge our fallen estate.

(3) He Only Gives True Success (v3)

3 Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

Literal translation: Commit (Imperative) to the LORD your work and will be established your plans.

Paraphrase: Give over to God what you do and you will be sure of the outcome.

It is in the form of a conditional sentence. The condition is that of committing all to the Lord – literally, rolling it all onto Him.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

The promise here is of success. It is another aspect of God’s sovereignty. Because He is sovereign, we can trust Him to enable us to succeed.

Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

We realize how weak we are, how we are prone to sin, and so we cast our care upon Him wholeheartedly, that He may deal kindly with us.

Committing everything to the LORD does not mean saying a short prayer before doing what we have already decided to do, but endeavouring to do everything in line with what is revealed in His Word. Those who do this can be sure of His blessing ultimately.

Jude 1:24-25 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

(4) He Works Everything For Good (v4)

4 The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Literal Translation: Everything the LORD has made for its purpose even the wicked for the day of trouble.

Paraphrase: God creates everything for His pleasure, even the evil man for the evil day.

Here we see again the theme of God’s sovereignty. Here is the reason for confidence in God. God is in control of all things and yet never the author of evil. God works everything together, ultimately for His own good ends. We see this in the stories of Joseph and Esther, God’s people living through evil days. The supreme example is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and His crucifixion where He suffered sin on our behalf to wrought the work of our salvation.

(5) He Punishes the Proud (v5)

5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

Literal translation: An abomination to the LORD everyone who is arrogant, hand to hand, he shall not go unpunished.

Paraphrase: The conceited man nauseates the Lord, and he will be punished though he thinks himself strongly in league with others.

The sin of pride God hates because it is against God’s sovereignty. We don’t want Him to order our lives.

Thomas Manton said “Other sins are against God’s law but pride is against God’s sovereignty.”

That is why God hates it so much. It is a heart of ingratitude. We can see this in Lucifer.

Ezekiel 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Ezekiel 28:17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

This verse teaches us to serve God humbly.

(6) He Loves Our Devotion (v6)

6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

Literal Translation: By loyalty and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for and by the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.

Paraphrase: Sin is removed by mercy and truth, and by the fear of God do men keep away from evil.

Here Solomon writes of man’s love for God and faithfulness to Him pointing to faith in Christ, the Son of God who will take away our sin!

Such an attitude of love and faithfulness toward God enables a man to humbly repent of his sins and enables him to avoid evil.

Enough time has been spent in sin in our waywardness.

We must make the most of every opportunity to do  

right by loving God and being faithful to Him. Fear of

the Lord leads us out of the paths of evil and into

the ways of righteousness. This is possible for a man

who has put his trust in Jesus.

This verse teaches us to serve God with fear.

(7) He Gives Us Peace (v7)

7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh

even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Literal Translation: When please the LORD a man’s ways, even his enemies he makes to be at peace with him.

Paraphrase: When God is on your side, your

enemy becomes your friend.

Proverbs 3:3-4 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

(8) He Teaches Us to Live Humbly (v8)

8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.

Literal Translation: Better is a little with

righteousness than great revenues with injustice.

Paraphrase: Right with little is greater than much without right.

There are more important things that have

eternal consequences in life than merely

material possessions.

However, difficult life may be, we continue to serve Him according to His ways.

A Bountiful Gift – Character Sketches for Boys and

Girls by Henry Devonport Northrop

A gentleman jumping from an omnibus in the city of New York, dropped his pocket-book, and had gone some distance before he discovered his loss; then hastily returning, inquired of every passenger whom he met, if a pocket-book had been seen. Finally, meeting a little girl ten years old, to whom he made the same inquiry, she asked: “What kind of a pocket-book?” “Is this it?” “Yes, that is mine; come into this store with me.” They entered, he opened the book, counted the notes, and examined the papers. “They are all right,” said he; Had they fallen into other hands, I might never have seen them again. Take, then, my little girl, this note of a thousand dollars, as a reward for your honesty, and a lesson to me to be more careful in future.”

“No”, said the girl, “I cannot take it. I have been taught at Sunday school not to keep what is not mine, and my parents would not be pleased if I took the note home; they might suppose I had stolen it.” “Well, then, my girl, show me where your parents live.”

The girl took him to a humble place in an obscure street, rude but clean. He informed the parents of the case. They told him their child had acted correctly. They were poor, it was true, but their pastor had always told them not to set their hearts on rich gifts. The gentlemen told them they must take it, and he was convinced they would make a good use of it, from the principle they had professed. The pious parents then blessed their benefactor, for such he proved. They paid their debts, which had disturbed their peace, and the benevolent giver furnished the husband and father employment in his occupation as a carpenter, enabling him to raise an industrious family in comparative happiness. This little girl became the wife of a respectable tradesman of New York, and had reason to rejoice that she was taught aright in early life and practiced what she learned.

This was the spiritual heritage that helped America to rise. And when it is no longer applied, we see how America fell. Rev. Daniel J. Ebert III warned of the falling away of America from the God of the Bible quoting prophetically the words of Daniel Webster, one of America’s great statesman-orators in years past, who warned America against turning away from God, said “If we abide by the principles in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper, but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”  So it is here in Singapore!

(9) He Determines Our Future (9).

9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

Literal Translation: A man’s mind plans his way but the LORD directs his steps.

Paraphrase: Man proposes but God disposes.

Echoing verse 1, not to the mouth but to the feet, a man’s steps are directed by the LORD. It is not a verse that tells us not to plan but to warn against opposing the LORD and His will or worrying about the future.

CONCLUSION

We are to acknowledge that He is sovereign even over our hearts and mouths (v1). He discerns our very motives for He is omniscient (v2). He only gives true success (v3). He works everything for good (v4). He punishes the proud (v5). He loves our devotion (v6). He gives us peace (v7). He teaches us to live humbly (v8). He determines our future (9).

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee

Loss of strength is the title of our message taken from Joshua chapter 7 and verses 1 to 26. A chain is as strong as its weakest link. In the intensity of the strain that the chain is being subjected to, we behold the breaking of the strained link. rendering the strength of the rest of the chain ineffectual. The impact on the entire chain is so drastic when one is broken that the rest of the chain helplessly suffers the same brokenness in that the entire chain is linked together by the strength of each ring. Such was the impact on Israel in their conquest of the Promised Land.

Up to this point in time, everything had gone smoothly. God had blessed Israel. But now, progress is suddenly halted. We have witnessed thus far under God, Israel going from strength to strength, from glory to glory. But suddenly, here in chapter 7, we see a drastically different scene from the initial success of their endeavour. The commentator A.W. Pink observed well when he said, insightfully, “Obedience to the divine commandments had marked their every moment in their conquest. Now the very reverse happened. They had attended to the essentials. Circumcision was made to this second generation of people and they had appointed and partook in the Passover feasts, and how the Lord had brought them through the Jordan River on dry land, and how the principal fortress of Jericho was taken down with no loss on Israel’s side. There was a great victory that God had given to them. But suddenly, there was a change. Here is a stark contrast. The memorable victory at the formidable Jericho is now reversed when Israel suffered a humiliating defeat at Ai. And AI is a smaller city, not as well fortified. What happened? Why the reversal? As the story unfolds, we understand from our reading that a member of the tribe of Judah had committed a grievous sin and the whole nation was suffering as a consequence. There was a serpent in the paradise of Eden that was lurking there in the background amidst the bliss that Adam and Eve were experiencing. There was also a Judas amongst the disciples of Christ.”

There was their lurking in the background. And there was also, here in our text, a disobedient Achan. who did what he should not have done. The chain of their successful conquest now suffered defeat and a great setback. In fact, a series of sad failures is presented before us to consider. In verse 5, you see there, the hearts of the people of Israel melted and became as water. Until now, we see that description was for the people of Canaan when they saw the Red Sea parted and how the Egyptians were defeated. and how God protected Israel in the wilderness and how He supplied them in the wilderness. All that the Lord did caused the people in Canaan to realise that they were confronted by a formidable enemy. But now, that same description is used to describe the people of Israel. The table has turned. There is a reversal, as it were, of fortune. The people of Israel, as we saw in verse 5, fled before the enemy. And 36 men were killed. A great defeat. When they took down Jericho, everything was done according to God’s plan. There was not a man lost. Everything was according to plan. God protected His people.

Dear friends, when we walk with God and we are obedient to His commandments, The Lord provides a shield over us to protect us from the darkness, from the encroachment of the enemy. But when we sin, that shield, that protection is laid bare and we become vulnerable. to the enemy. That is why Satan is called the accuser of the brethren, isn’t it? The accuser of the brethren. Always before the Lord. And if we are not vigilant, we are not on our guard, we have not been keeping our hearts, then when we trip and fall, we become vulnerable. And this is the story that is before us. Israel became vulnerable. The first thought. Sin, complacency and compromise. Verse 1 of our text says, But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing. For Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.” You recall when we ended chapter 6, it was on a very high note.

Verse 27 says, So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was noised throughout all the country. The nation of Israel had won a great victory. They were a bunch of slaves, not soldiers. And they were up against a formidable enemy. But the enemy was defeated. Because God was with them. But now, you see the conjunction, but there, the adversity, to describe for us a contrast, the humiliation, to contrast the defeat. that has taken place because something has happened and it was unbeknown to Joshua. He did not know that sin was in the camp. Israel’s progress was brought to a grinding halt.

Sometimes the Lord would allow defeat to come to His people. This was just in the initial stages of the conquest. Why did it happen? Well, I think As we open the text, we see many reasons that we can take hold of to help us to see why they were defeated. We may surmise that their victory caused them to be on an exalted understanding of their own strength. They thought that the victory was theirs because they were able. Why do I say that? Well, this is from what the two spies that were sent, who returned to advise Joshua. Verse 3 says, let not all the people go up But let two or three thousand men go up and smite it, and not make all the people to labour hither, for they are but few.\” They began to use their own reasoning to say, hey, easy prey. But they forgot that they were just a bunch of slaves. They were not soldiers. And the victory that came to them was a result of God’s blessing upon them. God’s power was upon them. It’s easy for us to forget that the Christian life, the Christian work, It’s all of God. It’s the work of the Holy Spirit. And when we lose sight of it, we realise that we will fall flat, won’t it? How can we share the Gospel with someone and expect a conversion? Without the Spirit of God working, we realise how feeble and weak we are, isn’t it? It’s not up to us. It’s really not up to us. And so as you consider what took place after their victory, there was a slight downward in their spiritual state.

Complacency has set in, you may say. And a spirit of compromise came upon them. Just as Adam and Eve were in paradise. Everything was good. Everything was well. Then came the serpent. And the serpent began to speak in a very subtle manner. Food was the first temptation. Food. Something to eat. Something that would satisfy the stomach. More than that, the Lord says, something that will make you, or the serpent said, something that will make you wise. Adam and Eve fell for it. So unbeknown to us, you realise and I believe it is important that the people of God would take this chapter and study it more carefully, to help us to be on the continuous path of spiritual progress, rather than experience such humiliating defeat when our hearts began to swell. And it was displayed, as we said, by what the two spies said to Joshua. Until now, The Lord has been the commander-in-chief. You remember at the end of chapter 5, the Lord came and directly spoke to Joshua to instruct him, to give him the direction for battle. And we said that it was in the sight of men, the most untenable strategy. March around and shout. And the walls would come tumbling down. But you notice that here, the Lord was not consulted. But the instruction came from the spies. “They are but a few”. If really they are but few, then why were they defeated by the few? Why was the enemy powerful enough? There was a loss of strength, wasn’t it? Sin. makes us vulnerable. So when Adam and Eve partook of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they began to feel themselves naked and they began to hide themselves from the presence of the Lord. Sin causes shame. A loss of strength, understanding, a loss of wisdom for life. How we need to guard ourselves. And you realise that we need to guard one another, isn’t it? Aitken was just one man out of the two million. Well, we don’t know exactly how many of them are there now. in this new generation that has entered the promised land, but we know it’s a big multitude. But it took just one man and the disobedience of one man to discomfort the entire nation so that the entire nation would face defeat. So as we think about it, We realise that complacency and compromise come when we are not on our guard. And when it comes, it causes us to be spiritually weak and vulnerable to the attack of the evil one. Here you see Israel’s fall. As Pinkwell said, the continuation of God’s governmental blessing which they enjoyed was taken away. They needed to remain steadfast in subjection to the holy will of God. They needed to remain steadfast. We need to continue to be steadfast in our walk with the Lord. Israel was not, and it took only one man to sin. And you realise that God will not condone sin. God will deal with sin. Sin will be dealt with because God is a just God. And therefore, you see here that Even though the sin was a secret one when Achan took what he shouldn’t take, he made sure that nobody saw him. So by subtlety, in cleverness, he kept his booty. And he was able to hide it in his tent, bury it, so that none in Israel realised what happened. But the Bible tells us that the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Proverbs 15 verse 13. God sees. We may not see, but God sees. And therefore, it behooves us, isn’t it, as we serve the Lord, as the psalmist says in Psalm 2, to serve Him with trembling and rejoicing. We are thankful that the Lord is doing great things, marvellous things for us. And yet, We realise that our God is a consuming fire. And if we fail to reverence and fear Him, trouble is just ahead. And so they committed the trespass, our text tells us, in the accursed thing. What is the accursed thing? Turn with me to Joshua 6, verses 17 to 19. Joshua 6, verse 17 says, And the city shall be accursed, even it and all that are therein to the Lord. And ye in any wise Keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed. In other words, God’s judgment is upon the city and everything that is in it. If you will be a partaker of any of it, then the judgment will also fall upon you. It was very clear. When you take off the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel a curse. So the Lord already told them in advance that you will not only cause the camp to be a curse but you will trouble it. And so here we realise how sad it is and how weak we can become, being vulnerable when we are not on our guard to fall. So the psalmist says, turn away my eyes from beholding vanity. And quicken thou me in thy way. Psalm 119 verse 37. This was his prayer. Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity. That was what happened to Achan. He saw the Babylonian garment. He saw the gold. He saw the silver. And he was enticed. And the enticement was so great that it caused him to want to take hold of it. And he knew that it was haram, that’s the word, accursed. God will give judgment upon any who would be partakers of it.

Proverbs 28 verse 22 says, he that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. Achan saw and he coveted. He had an evil eye. The proverb says, and the end of it is poverty. He did not get rich when he coveted what he shouldn’t. And so the Lord says to us, dear friends, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. And so between that victory and the defeat, the world crept in. And when the world crept in, And we are not equipped, we are not ready to keep it out. That’s where failure came from. And so Paul says in Hebrews 13 verse 5, let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have. For He has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Achan took what it shouldn’t. The Lord’s admonition is that we should learn to be happy with the Lord that God gives to us. Because it is a perfect lot. In other words, God knows how to bless us. And when we subsist in His blessing, that is a blessing indeed. But when we with our own eyes, I would probably say an evil eye, would seek our own ways, that’s where we fall. That’s where harm will come our way. And so sin came. Then came the setback. We say from verses 2 to 12, there was carelessness and there was confounding. How come they did not seek the Lord? Why is it that the instruction of the spies was hidden? Isn’t the instruction for warfare always should be coming from the Lord? Did Israel hear the voice of the Lord speaking to them? They did not. But why did they act? There are certain times in our lives when we become insensitive. So for Israel, we say success.

The Lord’s success, not our success, may render us insensitive to His divine will. And so you see there, the sin of Achan affecting the entire nation. It’s interesting that it’s described to us that Achan was the son of Kami, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Israel, of the tribe of Judah. Zerah, Zabdi, Cami. These were the descendants that came as a result of the relationship between Judah and the daughter-in-law. You remember? When the son died, there was none for the next generation. And so at that time, the daughter-in-law disguised herself as a harlot and came to the father-in-law. And there came the children, a twin born, Perez and Zara. Genesis 38 verse 30. So that was a little bit about the background, the beginning, what took place. And the Lord wants us to see the setback as a result of the callousness and the confounding that took place. As we said, right at the beginning, no one knew that sin had taken place. As Paul says, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lamb. 1 Corinthians 5 verse 6. You make bread, you add a little leaven so that the bread would rise. You make a cake, you add the leaven, and the cake rises. The leaven would permeate the entire lump. So this is the way by which sin infects. How sin became a great disease. to His people. As we said, the chain is as strong as its weakest link. And we realise how unstable we are. That our nature faces that kind of instability. As unstable as water is how the Bible describes human nature. Prone, prone to sin. When we are tempted, we can fall. And so that was what happened to them. Verse 5, And the men of Ai smote of them thirty and six. For they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim and smote them in the going down. And wherefore the hearts of the people melted and became as water. unstable as water, their hearts melted as water. When we are not filled with the Spirit, when the flesh takes over our being, that’s when we are in trouble.

This was the state for Israel. Verse 6. And Joshua rent his clothes and fell on the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the even tide. And the elders of Israel put dust upon their heads. They suffered a great defeat. Why did they come to the Lord so late? They should have come to Him before they move in on AI, isn’t it? Why did they not seek the Lord before but after? And so Joshua was not aware of what happened. So he reasoned with the Lord. Wherefore hast thou at all brought these people over Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us? Why did you bring us all this way so that we would face defeat? Well, you realise that it was Not that the power of God was not able to give them the victory. But they have forfeited the use of God’s strength by their straying from Him. So when we stray away from the Lord, we will live by our own strength. And that strength is miserably inadequate. Very inadequate. And so the Lord said to Joshua verse 10, Get thee up, wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Ah, the Lord revealed to him. It was a shock to him. Israel hath sinned. Dear friends, when we come to the Lord, let us put our past behind us. If you have anything that you used to love, to worship, all the idols that you have, please put them away. Because you realise that they will be there to haunt you. Because light cannot work with darkness. Light is light. And so the accursed thing must be put away. That is why the Lord said to Joshua, get up, get up, get up. Why get up? Because sin had to be dealt with. If sin is not dealt with, then Israel will continue to be weak. And we must deal with sin. And Joshua had to do so. There was sin in the camp. And sin had to be dealt with.

How can sin be dealt with? Well, the Lord will show the way. And the Lord explained to Joshua why they were defeated. Therefore, in verse 12, the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies but turned their backs before their enemies because they were accursed. God cursed them, in the sense that God’s judgment was upon them. His shield of protection was taken from them. You turn with me to Numbers 25. That was a scene when Israel was camped near Moab in Shittim. where the enemy tried to defeat Israel by calling the prophet Balaam to curse Israel. But every time Balaam wanted to curse, the curse word couldn’t come out of his mouth. The Lord wouldn’t allow him. And so Israel could not be cursed. The Prophet failed. But how can Israel fall when they would on their own sin against God? Dear friends, we need to guard our lives, guard our hearts. Because when we sin, We bring ourselves vulnerable to the attack of the evil one. Numbers chapter 25, verse 1 says, And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit hodom with the daughters of Moab. Bring in the women. That was the strategy. And Israel fell. And they called the people and the sacrifice of their gods, and they did eat and bow to their gods. And the Lord’s wrath came upon Israel. Take all the heads of the people and hang them before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. A terrible sin they have committed. And Moses said to the judges of Israel, slay everyone. His men were joined with Baal-Peol and everyone that was joined with the idol. Slay. And that they did. There was a man called Phinehas and he did so to ensure that evil was put out of Israel. The Midianite woman was slain together with Zimri. a prince of the chief house among the Simeonites. When we would sin, we would open ourselves to the wrath of God. And this was what happened. They suffered in their carelessness a great confounding, a great confounding. And so what did the Lord say to them?

The third thought is sanctification, chastising and cleansing. Up, verse 13 says, sanctify the people and say, sanctify yourselves against tomorrow. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of Israel, in the midst of thee, O Israel, and thou shalt not stand before thine enemy until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. So sin had to be dealt with. The idols that we possess must be get rid of, must be rid of. physically or in the heart. It has to be dealt with. So the Prophet Jeremiah says, as the thief is ashamed when he’s found, so is the house of Israel ashamed. Jeremiah 2 verse 26. Just as Adam and Eve felt themselves naked when they partake of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What did the Lord say to them through Joshua? Sanctify yourselves. Sanctify yourselves. And this was what Joshua did. Verse 16. So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes. And the tribe of Judah was taken. They needed to identify and see and know where the accursed thing came from. Sin had to be dealt with. And you notice how the Lord zeroed in. Zeroed in. How our sins will find us out. No escape. No escape. We cannot bring the world into the Church. We won’t succeed. the Lord will defeat. And so he brought the household man by man and Achan, the son of Kami, the son of Zabdi, son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah was taken. And verse 19, Notice how Joshua spoke to Achan. It was with meekness. Paul says to Timothy, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God, peradventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. It has to be said. But it has to be said rightly. Paul says, in meekness, it has to be dealt with, but deal with it gently. Rebuke has to be made, then rebuke. Hold not rebuke. Joshua said to Achan,

Verse 19, “‘My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him, and tell me now what thou hast done, and hide it not from me.'” So Achan had to come clean. He had to confess. Not easy, isn’t it, when we do wrong? to have to confess when we are confronted, then let us be willing, willing to humble ourselves. And it’s important. Hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua and said, indeed, I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done. When I saw among the spoils of a goodly Babylonish garment and 200 shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of 50 shekels of weight, then I coveted them and took them. And behold, they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent and the silver under it.\” And so Joshua sent the messengers and they found the spoils. they found what they shouldn’t find, of the accursed thing. James says in James Chapter 1 verse 12, we will turn there as we conclude, In James chapter 1 and verse 12, it says here, Blessed is the man that endures temptation. For when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away and of his own lust and enticed. So he says that I saw and then I coveted them and I took them. But every man is tempted and when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed, then when lusts have conceived, it brought forth sin and sin when it is finished. Bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Do not err. Timely advice, isn’t it? Do not err. Do not err. Hold yourself. Hold yourself. Israel failed. But they were courageous to deal with the sin. The sin was dealt with. How important it is that sin is dealt with. Only when we would be willing to confess and to repent, then there is restoration. So for Achan, though they were stoned, his confession saved the day. Our three thoughts. Sin, complacency and compromise were one. Setback, carelessness and confounding were two to twelve. sanctification, chastising and cleansing. We thank the Lord that there is always a way back with Him. If we would come humbly to confess our sins, but if we would not and if we would persist then trouble is ahead. That’s the name Ekan or Ekor. Trouble. Trouble is ahead. May the Lord be gracious to strengthen us and equip us with the strength to guard our hearts so that we will not fall. Because when sin comes, It not only affects one, but it affects the entire. Everyone is affected.

May God be merciful. May the Lord strengthen His people. Let there be a spirit of contrition, a spirit of poverty and a mourning for our sins. That’s the only way by which we receive the blessings of the Lord. And I pray that indeed His grace will continue to abide with His people. because we value His presence with us. May the Lord help us. Let us pray. Father, we thank Thee for Thy Word. Strengthen us by Thy grace. Be merciful to Thy people. Grant us the strength to confess our sins before Thee, and be thou, by the blood of Jesus Christ, to wash us, strengthen us, renew us. For Thy own name’s sake, for Thy own honour and glory, hear our prayer. This I ask with thanksgiving, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.