EXPLORE THE TEXT
We honor God by repenting and confessing our sins to Him.
20 Achan replied to Joshua,
“It is true.
I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.
This is what I did:21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon,
five pounds of silver, and a bar of gold weighing a pound and a quarter, I coveted them and took them.
You can see for yourself.
They are concealed in the ground inside my tent, with the silver under the cloak.”
22 So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent,
and there was the cloak, concealed in his tent, with the silver underneath.
23 They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites,
and spread them out in the Lord’s presence.
Discuss responses.
Affirm that repentance involves confessing sin and turning away from it.
Sin always carries devastating effects, both for the ones who sin and for people around them:
Achan finally decided to confess his sin.
His explanation is similar to what happened in the garden of Eden-
he saw, he coveted, and he took.
Also reminiscent of the garden is the effect.
Adam and Eve’s sin affected the entire human race after them.
Achan’s sin affected the entire nation of Israel.
Both should remind us that our sins always have an effect on others. (PSG, p. 52)
The story of Achan is an incredible reminder of how seriously God takes sin in our lives.
He is a holy God who hates sin and what sin does in the lives of His people.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 54 of the Personal Study Guide:
Guide the group to discuss the second question set on page 54 of the PSG. Ask: Why is your sin such a big deal to God?
Note again the Plan of Salvation on the inside front cover of the PSG. Note that this plan emphasizes an awareness and repentance of sin. Share that this is a key step in establishing a personal relationship with God through Jesus. Remind the group that you will be available to talk about this after Bible study or during the week.
Encourage adults to read and reflect on the first question set from page 54 of the PSG during the week. Point out the importance of encouraging one another to come clean before God in regard to sin.
Lead the group to express to God an understanding that sin brings judgment-while also thanking God for His forgiveness of sin provided through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Follow-up this session by sending the group an email or text with this message: Remember Achan? Your sins will find you out. Yet, God is gracious. Galatians 6:7. Challenge them to examine their lives for any unconfessed sins that are bogging them down. Encourage them to reach out to trustworthy brothers and sisters in Christ when they feel overwhelmed by temptation and sin.
God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. (See Isaiah 6:1-5; 1 Peter 1:14-16.)
Use a Bible dictionary to learn more about a biblical principle.
Read the article about “Holy War” in a Bible dictionary. Why did the Lord sometimes require the Israelites to dedicate everything in a “ban,” which meant that the inhabitants and possessions of an entire city would be set apart to the Lord and destroyed? How would you respond to someone who questioned why a loving God would order the wholesale extermination of the nations that were occupying the promised land? (Hints: The Lord had given these people time to repent. See Gen. 15:13-16. The Lord is a God of both love and judgment. See Ex. 34:6-7.)