Topic: Hidden Sin is a Killer
By: Enwenemati Kinika Kingsley
Introduction:
I love reading and studying the Old Testament. It is very clear that the things that the nation of Israel went through were recorded for our benefit; to be an example to us of how to live a life that is not only pleasing to God but also a life that is happy, prosperous and fulfilling.
When I read the Old Testament and come across the word “Israel”, I substitute my name for “Israel”. So, for example, I might read “Israel has sinned…” and substitute “Kinika has sinned…” Or, “God’s anger burned against Israel” and substitute “God’s anger burned against Kinika”. You get the idea.
It’s quite an eye-opener when you personalize the scripture in this way. You see that the victories and defeats that Israel faced are very much the same as what you and I face everyday in our Christian lives but on a different scale.
Israel, like you and me, had a tendency to run to God when things were bad but as soon as things were good again, they forgot about Him and chased after other gods. Just like us, Israel struggled with sin.
They fell into sin time and time again. Sometimes their sinfulness resulted in disastrous consequences. The passage we’re looking at today deals with just that situation. There was hidden sin within Israel’s camp and hidden sin is a killer.
Joshua 6
Vs 17 - The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
Vs 18 - But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.
Vs 19 - All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury.”
So God gave Israel very specific instructions regarding the devoted things. They were His and His alone.
All of Jericho’s spoils were to go into the LORD’s treasury.
Joshua 7:1-26
Vs 1 - But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD’S anger burned against Israel.
Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.
Vs 26 - Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.
Israel Defeated at Ai
The Problem/Significance Of Their Defeat: Hidden Sin (Achan’s Sin)
Joshua 7
Vs 1 – “But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD’S anger burned against Israel.”
So we find out here that Achan violated God’s instructions regarding the devoted things. He took some of the spoil and hid it for himself. Why would Achan do such a thing? Because…
1. Hidden sin looks attractive
Vs 20 “So Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I did:
Vs 21 – “when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it.”
Sin always comes in a pretty package. Achan was taken in by a beautiful robe and the sparkle of silver and gold. He was blinded so badly that he was willing to put all of Israel, his family and his life at risk.
2. Hidden sin seems harmless
No one gets hurt. Right? You’ve heard it many times just like in the movie. But someone always gets hurt by hidden sin because HIDDEN SIN IS A KILLER.
No one will know. No one will get hurt. Wrong. You’re just kidding yourself if you think you will get away with it.
Numbers 32:23
“But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.”
3. Hidden sin brings sure defeat
a. Israel routed by tiny Ai
Joshua 7
Vs 2 - Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
Vs 3 - They returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up to Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few.”
Vs 4 - So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.
Vs 5 - The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
b. You and I routed by sin
You and I cannot accomplish anything for the LORD if we have hidden sin in our lives. Why? Because HIDDEN SIN IS A KILLER.
Vs 11 -“Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things.
Vs 12 - “Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn theirbacks before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.
4. Hidden sin brings certain death
a. Achan put to death
Vs 25 - Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
Vs 26 - They raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the valley of Achor to this day.
b. Achan’s entire family put to death
Vs 24, - Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor.
Why such a harsh punishment for this sin?
Why did God demand that the Israelites take Achan, his family, etc. out and stone them to death?
Because hidden sin is a killer that must be dealt with. If not, even more people would have died.
Sin only brings death. Something always dies as a result of hidden sin.
c. You and I die spiritually
Ezekiel 18:20
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die."
The love that you had for God and for His Word will die. You will stop praying. You will stop reading the Bible.
d. You and I die relationally
The love that God put in your heart for your spouse in bringing you together will wither and die over time if there is hidden sin between you. The love that you have for your Christian family will die. You will stop going to church.
e. You and I die physically
Of course, as a result of the curse, you and I will all eventually die.
The Remedy
For believers:
1. Surrender
Stop. You have to stop committing the sin. Give it up. Make a 180 degree turn toward God and away from the sin. Surrender your life to God and His gracious mercy.
2. Confess
Confess to God and to those you’ve deceived. Make it right. Accept the consequences.
1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
3. Accountability
Tell your spouse. Ask for forgiveness. Join a Group in the church, Youth Fellowship, Prayer Band, Evangelism, Men’s/Women’s Association. Attend regularly to meeting. Be transparent. Be accountable to someone.
For non-believers:
1. Surrender
Stop fighting against God. Accept His salvation. Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins. Surrender your life to Him now and accept His free gift.
2. Confess your sins to God
Romans 10:9
"That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Conclusion:
Hidden sin such as this shouldn’t be messing around with.
Examples; Internet pornography, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, illicit sexual relationships all out there and on the rise; you may be caught up in something that has gotten to be more than you can control.
Stop. Just give it up.
You can’t win if you keep it hidden. Eventually your sin will find you out and someone or something will die.
Surrender your life to Christ and His Lordship.
Confess your sin to God and to those you love. Accept their forgiveness. If you need help, go get it. Don’t wait. Become accountable to someone. Your spouse, a friend, someone you trust. Join an accountability group.
If you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, there’s no time like the present. Surrender your life to Him. He died on the cross for your sins and mine.
Accept His forgiveness. When you do, you’ll begin a new life. You get a second chance to do it right. We all need second chances. We all have sinned.
We all have fallen short of God’s standards.
Hidden sin is a killer. Get rid of it before it’s too late.
Thank you for reading, I believe you are blessed, please pass the message to others. Remain blessed!
By: Enwenemati Kinika Kingsley
Introduction:
I love reading and studying the Old Testament. It is very clear that the things that the nation of Israel went through were recorded for our benefit; to be an example to us of how to live a life that is not only pleasing to God but also a life that is happy, prosperous and fulfilling.
When I read the Old Testament and come across the word “Israel”, I substitute my name for “Israel”. So, for example, I might read “Israel has sinned…” and substitute “Kinika has sinned…” Or, “God’s anger burned against Israel” and substitute “God’s anger burned against Kinika”. You get the idea.
It’s quite an eye-opener when you personalize the scripture in this way. You see that the victories and defeats that Israel faced are very much the same as what you and I face everyday in our Christian lives but on a different scale.
Israel, like you and me, had a tendency to run to God when things were bad but as soon as things were good again, they forgot about Him and chased after other gods. Just like us, Israel struggled with sin.
They fell into sin time and time again. Sometimes their sinfulness resulted in disastrous consequences. The passage we’re looking at today deals with just that situation. There was hidden sin within Israel’s camp and hidden sin is a killer.
Joshua 6
Vs 17 - The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
Vs 18 - But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.
Vs 19 - All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury.”
So God gave Israel very specific instructions regarding the devoted things. They were His and His alone.
All of Jericho’s spoils were to go into the LORD’s treasury.
Joshua 7:1-26
Vs 1 - But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD’S anger burned against Israel.
Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.
Vs 26 - Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.
Israel Defeated at Ai
The Problem/Significance Of Their Defeat: Hidden Sin (Achan’s Sin)
Joshua 7
Vs 1 – “But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD’S anger burned against Israel.”
So we find out here that Achan violated God’s instructions regarding the devoted things. He took some of the spoil and hid it for himself. Why would Achan do such a thing? Because…
1. Hidden sin looks attractive
Vs 20 “So Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I did:
Vs 21 – “when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it.”
Sin always comes in a pretty package. Achan was taken in by a beautiful robe and the sparkle of silver and gold. He was blinded so badly that he was willing to put all of Israel, his family and his life at risk.
2. Hidden sin seems harmless
No one gets hurt. Right? You’ve heard it many times just like in the movie. But someone always gets hurt by hidden sin because HIDDEN SIN IS A KILLER.
No one will know. No one will get hurt. Wrong. You’re just kidding yourself if you think you will get away with it.
Numbers 32:23
“But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.”
3. Hidden sin brings sure defeat
a. Israel routed by tiny Ai
Joshua 7
Vs 2 - Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
Vs 3 - They returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up to Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few.”
Vs 4 - So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.
Vs 5 - The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
b. You and I routed by sin
You and I cannot accomplish anything for the LORD if we have hidden sin in our lives. Why? Because HIDDEN SIN IS A KILLER.
Vs 11 -“Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things.
Vs 12 - “Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn theirbacks before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.
4. Hidden sin brings certain death
a. Achan put to death
Vs 25 - Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
Vs 26 - They raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the valley of Achor to this day.
b. Achan’s entire family put to death
Vs 24, - Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor.
Why such a harsh punishment for this sin?
Why did God demand that the Israelites take Achan, his family, etc. out and stone them to death?
Because hidden sin is a killer that must be dealt with. If not, even more people would have died.
Sin only brings death. Something always dies as a result of hidden sin.
c. You and I die spiritually
Ezekiel 18:20
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die."
The love that you had for God and for His Word will die. You will stop praying. You will stop reading the Bible.
d. You and I die relationally
The love that God put in your heart for your spouse in bringing you together will wither and die over time if there is hidden sin between you. The love that you have for your Christian family will die. You will stop going to church.
e. You and I die physically
Of course, as a result of the curse, you and I will all eventually die.
The Remedy
For believers:
1. Surrender
Stop. You have to stop committing the sin. Give it up. Make a 180 degree turn toward God and away from the sin. Surrender your life to God and His gracious mercy.
2. Confess
Confess to God and to those you’ve deceived. Make it right. Accept the consequences.
1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
3. Accountability
Tell your spouse. Ask for forgiveness. Join a Group in the church, Youth Fellowship, Prayer Band, Evangelism, Men’s/Women’s Association. Attend regularly to meeting. Be transparent. Be accountable to someone.
For non-believers:
1. Surrender
Stop fighting against God. Accept His salvation. Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins. Surrender your life to Him now and accept His free gift.
2. Confess your sins to God
Romans 10:9
"That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Conclusion:
Hidden sin such as this shouldn’t be messing around with.
Examples; Internet pornography, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, illicit sexual relationships all out there and on the rise; you may be caught up in something that has gotten to be more than you can control.
Stop. Just give it up.
You can’t win if you keep it hidden. Eventually your sin will find you out and someone or something will die.
Surrender your life to Christ and His Lordship.
Confess your sin to God and to those you love. Accept their forgiveness. If you need help, go get it. Don’t wait. Become accountable to someone. Your spouse, a friend, someone you trust. Join an accountability group.
If you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, there’s no time like the present. Surrender your life to Him. He died on the cross for your sins and mine.
Accept His forgiveness. When you do, you’ll begin a new life. You get a second chance to do it right. We all need second chances. We all have sinned.
We all have fallen short of God’s standards.
Hidden sin is a killer. Get rid of it before it’s too late.
Thank you for reading, I believe you are blessed, please pass the message to others. Remain blessed!
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