But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel. — Joshua 7:1 NASB
God’s Favor Over His People
This first verse of Joshua 7 is on the heels of an account that could be counted as one of the greatest victories of all time. God had given the children of Israel victory over Jericho. He had shown Himself as Israel’s salvation from every enemy. He led them safely through the Jordan river. Chapter after chapter prior, and by the Grace of God continuously through Scripture, the favor of God was on His people.
Taking What’s HIS
Even among these great testimonies, still, a contrast seems to show up, meaning God is about to say something contrary to what had been going on. God began Joshua 7:1 NASB by saying… “but…”
There was going to be a change in their circumstances, something was taken that was meant for God. That man named Achan had taken what God had warranted as HIS (Joshua 6:17-19 NASB). What had been taken was outside of the victory God had just given to the children of Israel.
I want to be clear about a theme that is frequented throughout Scripture. Embedded in every victory that God gives to His people, there are things that belong to God that are banned to us. If we start taking these things that belong to God, rest assured that the anger of the Lord will burn against His people as we see in Joshua 7.
What we see in Achan, and what can be seen in Christians is greediness. He wasn’t okay just receiving, sitting in the victory that God said was his. Achan wasn’t satisfied with what God delivered, so in his own wisdom, with his own ideas, he took what belonged to God! Let that not be said about us, church!
Please, put it down. Put it back. Do not value that thing over God’s Word.
Biblical Examples
Adam and Eve, David with Bathsheba, Annanias and Sapphira. Lucifer. If you’re familiar with these stories then you will know that after there was a “taking” there was a subsequent “falling”. There was a boundary that was overstepped. Of the victory they had been given, God gave a clear freedom, yet with limited regulation.
In the garden, Adam and Eve had perfection, sustainability, yet they took and ate what was always meant to be God’s. Now there is pain in childbirth, dissension in marriage, and toil in the land.
Put it down.
I wonder if David, in the cloud of witnesses, wishes that someone would have told him what would come of his “taking”. Did he know that after he took what wasn’t his that he would be called a murderer? In David’s life he had experienced extreme favor from God, yet in 2 Samuel 11:4 in one moment, he loses everything.
The above examples clearly show that in one moment, all can be lost—because they chose something that is off-limits, everything changed.
Put it down.
A Lesson and A Question
I want to make a statement, and then I want to ask a question.
There is a lesson in knowing what it means to be satisfied and content with the victory that God has given you. In fact, there is nothing that you can add or take away from a victory that comes from Jehovah Nissi. He is the God of victory, He owns victory—we are merely stewards.
Now I ask, what are we taking ownership of, when we are clearly supposed to be the stewards of? Why are we taking, when all we are supposed to do is receive?
Put it down.
The Trophy Is Not Ours
Jeremiah 29:11 is a popular Scripture. We have to hear that HE knows the plans HE has for me. The worst thing that we can do is to choose our feelings over our faith and take things into our own hands.
As the Dallas Cowboys chaplain, and Cowboy’s fan, resident of Cowboy Nation, I remember like yesterday watching the boys in 1993, 1994 and 1996 win super bowls time after time. It would be both an honor and a privilege to receive a call just to tie Emmit Smith’s shoe.
As legendary as Emmit is, or Nate Newton (to name a few of Dallas titans) even with their championship games, they cannot go into the Jerry Jones facility and touch the Super Bowl trophies. Even as part of the winning team, it would be a felony for them to take what is the Dallas Cowboys Association’s property. The trophy is not theirs.
Making a full circle back to Achan’s moment of weakness in Joshua 7, I urge you as the body of Christ to no longer choose yourself over God. To no longer choose feelings over faith. To no longer be unfaithful to God’s commands, but to rather receive the victory and rest in what He is doing actively on your behalf. It’s so much better that way.
So, put it down.
For even more by Jonathan Evans check out his book Your Time Is Now
“Jonathan Evans was riding the coattails of his father’s relationship with God. The son of a highly accomplished pastor with a huge ministry, he was comfortable and did what he had to do, but he didn’t push himself to figure out his own role or purpose. But as he got older, he realized he needed to do more with his life.
In this book Jonathan uses the Old Testament leader Joshua as a model for stepping up to God’s big call on your life. Before Joshua, Moses was the one who had spoken to God, performed miracles, and stood up to Pharaoh. But now Joshua had to come out to the front. So what did he do? How did he step up? And what steps can you take to seize now for yourself?”
