Bible Study - Sabbath School Podcast

A Witness to God’s Power

As we have learned (see lesson five), God had given the pagan nations an opportunity to know about Him and to turn from their evil ways. They, however, had refused and were ultimately facing the judgment of God.

Read Joshua 7:6-9, which deals with Joshua’s initial reaction to the calamity that befell them. Focus especially on Joshua 7:9. What important theological principle is found in his words?

At first, Joshua sounds like the children of Israel did in the midst of their hardships after leaving Egypt, such as: “ ‘Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger’ ” (Exod. 16:3, NKJV).

And here’s Joshua: “ ‘Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!’ ” (Josh. 7:7, NKJV).

Soon after, however, he shows his great concern for the damage that the name and reputation of God will take from this defeat. “ ‘For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?’ ” (Josh. 7:9, NKJV).

This reveals a theme and principle that was central to God’s purposes with Israel. Though He wanted the pagan nations around them to see what great things God would do for His people who obeyed Him, they could also, as Rahab did, learn about Israel’s God by the power of His people’s conquests. On the other hand, were things to go badly, as they did here, the nations would deem Israel’s God weak and ineffective (see Num. 14:16, Deut. 9:28), which could embolden Canaanite resistance.

In other words, even in the context of the Hebrews’ taking the land, great issues and principles were involved, which included bringing honor and glory to God, who was also the only hope for the pagans, as well as for Israel.

Read Deuteronomy 4:5-9. In what ways can we see a parallel here between Israel and their witness to the world and our witness as Seventh-day Adventists today?

The Door of Hope

Read Joshua 8:1-29. What does this story tell us about how God can transform our most abysmal failures into opportunities?

The strategy of Yahweh converts Israel’s initial defeat into a tactical advantage, thus transforming the Valley of Achor (Hebrew word for “trouble”) into a door of hope (compare with Hos. 2:15). Having gained too much self-confidence by their first victory over the Israelites, the citizens of Ai repeat their strategy in attacking the Israelites who feign retreat and defeat. Once the inhabitants of Ai are lured out of their stronghold, the 30,000 Israelites, positioned not too far behind the city (Josh. 8:4), will capture the empty city by setting it on fire. Joshua 8:7 makes it clear that it is not the strategy that brings victory, but it is the Lord Himself who will grant the victory and hand the city of Ai over to the Israelites. Even in a chapter in which the military aspects dominate the narrative more than in any other chapter of the book, the text highlights the underlying truth that victory is the gift of Yahweh.

The decisive moment of the battle occurs when the men of Ai leave the city and start pursuing the Israelites. This is the second time that God speaks in the whole chapter after He gave the strategy in Joshua 8:2, signaling that He oversees the battle. Until this moment, we don’t know the outcome of the battle. From this point onward, it becomes clear that the Israelite army is victorious.

The weapon in the hand of Joshua was a sickle sword, or scimitar, rather than a sword or javelin. In the time of Joshua, it may not have been used as an actual weapon, but it had become a symbol of sovereignty. And, besides giving the signal for attack, it expresses God’s sovereignty in the defeat of Ai. By stretching out the sickle sword until the full victory is won, Joshua is shown to have fully assumed the leadership role Moses exercised at the crossing of the Red Sea (Exod. 14:16) and in the war against the Amalekites (Exod. 17:11-13), where Joshua personally led the combat.

This time there is no visible, miraculous intervention of God, yet the victory over Ai is no less divinely assisted than that over the Egyptians in the first generation or in the recent victory over Jericho. The key to success is in Joshua’s faith in the word of the Lord and his unwavering obedience to it. The principle seen in this story remains valid for God's people today, wherever they live and whatever their challenges.

Fateful Choices

Read Joshua 7:19-21. What is Joshua asking Achan to do? What is the significance of such a request? How do we understand his confession?

Joshua asks Achan to do two things: first, to give glory to God and honor Him. Second, to confess what he has done without concealing it. Achan was supposed to give glory to God by admitting what he had done. The term used here (todah) can refer to thanksgiving (Ps. 26:7, Isa. 51:3, Jer. 17:26), but also to the confession of sin (Ezra 10:11).

Unfortunately, the biblical text gives no indication that Achan showed any sign of real repentance. He hoped until the end to remain hidden. His defiant attitude qualified him to be regarded as a high-handed offender, for whom there was no atonement according to the law of Moses (compare with Num. 15:27-31).

The words of Achan in Joshua 7:21 are reminiscent of the fall of Adam and Eve. Eve saw (ra’ah) that the tree was desirable (kḥamad) and finally took (laqakḥ) from its fruit (Gen. 3:6). In his confession, Achan admits that he saw (ra’ah) in the plunder a beautiful mantle of Shinar, 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold. He then coveted (kḥamad) and took (laqakḥ) them. Just as in the case of Adam and Eve, the choice of Achan reveals that the sin of covetousness is the sin of unbelief. It suspects God of not wanting the best for His creatures and of hiding some exquisite pleasures from them, which belong to the realm of divinity only.

Besides the allusion to the primordial human fall, the text highlights a stark contrast between the attitudes of Rahab (compare with Josh. 2:1-13) and that of Achan. The one took the spies to the roof and hid them from the soldiers; the other took forbidden things and hid them from Joshua. The one showed kindness to the Israelite spies and helped them secure victory; the other brought trouble on Israel by his greed and secured defeat. The one made a covenant with the Israelites; the other broke the covenant with Yahweh. Rahab saved herself and her family, and they became respected citizens in Israel; Achan doomed himself and his family to death and became an example of ignominy.

Think about the sin of covetousness. How can we avoid succumbing to it, no matter how much we have or don't have? (Compare with Luke 12:15.)

The Sin of Achan

Read Joshua 7:16-19. What does the entire procedure tell us about both God and Achan?

Instead of unveiling the identity of the transgressor, God sets up a procedure that reveals both His justice and grace. After explaining the reason for Israel’s defeat and calling for the sanctification of the people (Josh. 7:13), He allows a time span between the announcement of the procedure and its application, which gives Achan time to think, repent, and confess his sin. Similarly, his family (if they knew what happened) has the opportunity to decide whether they want to be involved in the cover-up or refuse to be accomplices, like the sons of Korah, who avoided destruction by refusing to side with their father (compare with Num. 16:23-33, Num. 26:11).

The solution to the predicament follows the opposite direction to how it entered and plagued Israel: corporate guilt is eliminated and narrowed down from Israel to one tribe; from tribe to family; from family to household; and from household to individuals. Besides revealing the offender, the investigative process also cleared the innocent. This was an equally important aspect of the meticulous juridical procedure, where God Himself acts as witness to the unseen acts of Achan.

The reader can almost feel the tension as God zeroes in on Achan. Who cannot wonder at the man’s obstinacy in hoping that he could go undetected? Nothing is concealed from the penetrating eyes of the Lord (Ps. 139:1-16, 2 Chron. 16:9), who knows what is hidden in the heart of a man (1 Sam. 16:7, Jer. 17:10, Prov. 5:21).

It is important to notice the way Joshua addresses Achan: “My son.” This expression shows not only the age and leadership role of Joshua, but also reveals the spirit in which this great warrior approached justice. His heart was full of compassion for Achan, even though he was called to execute judgment on the offender. Through his attitude, Joshua was again foreshadowing the sensitivity, kindness, and love of the One who “was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul. . . . He [Jesus] fearlessly denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity, but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 353.

How does the realization that God knows all that you do, even your hidden things, impact how you live? How should it impact how you live?

Breach of the Covenant

Read Joshua 7. What were the two major causes of Israel’s defeat by the inhabitants of Ai?

It is interesting to observe that the reader knows, from the outset, the reason for Yahweh’s anger, as well as the name of the offender. Thus, the suspense of the story of uncovering the trespass of Achan is provided by the tension between the perspective of the reader and that of Joshua and the Israelites. Like many other chapters of the Old Testament, Joshua 7 has a chiastic structure. The central, climactic segment within it answers the question of why the Israelites were not able to conquer Ai on their first attempt.

There were two main reasons for Israel’s defeat by the inhabitants of Ai: Achan’s sin and the Israelites’ overconfidence in their own strength. The latter resulted in their neglecting to consult the will of the Lord before the attack against Ai and their underestimating the force of the enemy.

Based on Joshua 7:1, 11-13, we can see that, although Achan was responsible for the treacherous act of breaking the ban, the whole nation is held responsible and suffers for what he did. God describes the sin of Achan by gradually showing its gravity through the cumulative use, in verse 11, of the adverb “even,” or “also” (Heb. gam). First, the most common term for sin is used: “kḥata’.” Then the act of transgression is described by five more specific sins introduced by the adverb gam: (1) ‘abar, also “to cross over, to transgress,” (2) even taking (laqakḥ) from the things devoted to destruction (kḥerem), (3) also stealing (ganab), (4) also deceiving (kakḥash), and (5) even putting (sim) the stolen kḥerem among their possessions.

The covenant between Yahweh and Israel involved the people at both individual and corporate levels. In the light of the covenant, Israel is treated as an indivisible unity of the chosen nation of God; therefore, the sin of one, or even some, of its members incurs guilt upon the whole covenantal community. As the Lord said, “ ‘Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them’ ” (Josh. 7:11, NKJV).

What are ways whole communities can suffer, and have suffered, from the bad acts of individuals within the community? What examples can you think of, and how was the community impacted?

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: 1 Pet. 1:4, Joshua 7, Ps. 139:1-16, Ezra 10:11, Luke 12:15, Josh. 8:1-29

Memory Text: “ ‘I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds’ ” (Jeremiah 17:10, ESV).

Joshua 7 is the first instance where, through a tragic experience, the people of Israel learned the far-reaching consequences of the covenant and its deep meaning. While obedience to the stipulations of the covenant secured victory, disregarding the terms of the covenant brought defeat. Israel’s military success depended not on their numbers, battle strategy, or clever tactics but on the presence of the Divine Warrior with them.

During the appropriation of the Promised Land, Israel had to learn the difficult lesson that their most dangerous enemy was not outside their camp but within their own rank and file. The greatest challenge that stood before them was neither the fortified walls of the Canaanite cities nor their advanced military technology, but the obstinate will of individuals within their own camp to willfully ignore the instructions of the Lord.

Waiting for our heavenly inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4, Col. 3:24), we face similar challenges. While we are on the border of the Promised Land, our faithfulness is tested, and we can be victorious only through surrender to Jesus Christ.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 8.

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Fall of Jericho,” pp. 491-493, in Patriarchs and Prophets.

As with everything in the Bible, knowing the context and the background is crucial. As we have seen, the cosmic conflict and the motif of God as judge are crucial in understanding these wars against the Canaanites.

“God is slow to anger. He gave the wicked nations a time of probation that they might become acquainted with Him and His character. According to the light given was their condemnation for refusing to receive the light and choosing their own ways rather than God’s ways. God gave the reason why He did not at once dispossess the Canaanites. The iniquity of the Amorites was not full. Through their iniquity they were gradually bringing themselves to the point where God’s forbearance could no longer be exercised and they would be exterminated. Until the point was reached and their iniquity was full, the vengeance of God would be delayed. All nations had a period of probation. Those who made void God’s law would advance from one degree of wickedness to another. Children would inherit the rebellious spirit of their parents and do worse than their fathers before them until God’s wrath would fall upon them. The punishment was not less because deferred.”—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1005.

1. Discuss the implications of God’s being our judge as well as the Supreme Judge of the universe. Why do you think the fact that God is the Judge is foundational to the gospel and to our salvation?
2. How does the case of the Canaanites offer us a window into God’s patience and justice? How could we reflect God’s character in the way we deal with our fellow human beings?
3. Think about the fundamental nature of free will. Why do you think God respects our freedom of choice? How are love and freedom of choice related to each another?
4. The Old Testament contains many stories of war and conflict, but ultimately, it forecasts a vision of peace. What role should Christians play in establishing peace in their environment?

Discussion Questions:

The Prince of Peace

How do the following texts describe the future that God had envisioned for His people? Isa. 9:6, Isa. 11:1-5, Isa. 60:17, Hos. 2:18, Mic. 4:3.

Although the main focus of this week’s lesson has constituted the divinely commanded and assisted wars of the Old Testament, we need to mention the presence of another equally significant theme of the Old Testament’s prophetic writings: the future vision of the peaceful Messianic era. The Messiah is depicted as the “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). He will usher in a kingdom dominated by peace, where the lion and the lamb will graze together (Isa. 11:1-8), in which there will be no destruction or hurt (Isa. 11:9), and where peace will rule (Isa. 60:17) and flow like a river (Isa. 66:12).

Read 2 Kings 6:16-23. What insights does this story provide into the deeper purposes of God for His people and humanity?

Consider the story of the feeding of the Syrian army at the initiative of Elisha. Instead of massacring them (2 Kings 6:22), he showcased to them the supreme ideal, peace, which has always been God’s desire for His people. It is interesting to observe that Elisha is fully aware of the superiority of the invisible army that surrounds the enemy (2 Kings 6:17). As much as God is involved in a cosmic conflict that has also affected our planet, the final goal of redemption is not a perpetual conflict or even an eternal subjugation of the enemy in a state of slavery, but instead, everlasting peace. As violence breeds violence (Matt. 26:52), peace engenders peace. The story concludes by stating that the “Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel” (2 Kings 6:23, ESV).

Think about all the ways we can, by seeking to emulate Jesus, be agents of peace. What about your own life right now? In what ways, in whatever conflict you might be facing, could you be an agent of peace instead of conflict?

Free Choice

Read Deuteronomy 20:10, 15-18; Deuteronomy 13:12-18; and Joshua 10:40. How does the law of warfare and the procedure against an idolatrous town in Israel, expressed in Deuteronomy, help us understand the limitations of total destruction in the war that the Israelites were engaged in?

The Hebrew text uses a unique term to describe the destruction of people in war: cḥerem. This term refers to what is “banned,” “damned,” or “dedicated to annihilation.” Most of the time, it designates complete and irrevocable placement of people, animals, or inanimate objects in God’s exclusive domain, which in warfare involved, in most cases, their destruction. The concept and practice of cḥerem as a total eradication of a people in war needs to be understood in the light of Yahweh’s conflict with the cosmic forces of evil, where His character and reputation are at stake.

Again, since the emergence of sin in the world, there is no neutrality: one is either on God’s side or against Him. One side leads to life, eternal life, and the other to death, eternal death.

The practice of total destruction describes God’s righteous judgment against sin and evil. God uniquely delegated the execution of part of His judgment to His chosen nation, ancient Israel. The devotion to destruction was under His tight theocratic control, limited to a certain period of history, the conquest, and to a well-defined geographical area, ancient Canaan. As we saw in yesterday’s study, those who came under the ban of destruction consistently rebelled against God’s purposes and defied them, never repenting either. Therefore, God’s decision to destroy them was neither arbitrary nor nationalistic.

Moreover, Israel would expect the same treatment if they decided to adopt the same lifestyle as the Canaanites (compare with Deuteronomy 13). Even if it seems as though the groups situated on either side of the divine war are pre-defined (the Israelites are to inherit the land and the Canaanites are to be destroyed), there is the possibility to move from one side to the other, as we will see in the cases of Rahab, Achan, and the Gibeonites.

People were not arbitrarily given protection or placed under a ban. Those who benefited from a relationship with Yahweh could lose their privileged status through rebellion, and those under the ban could submit to the authority of Yahweh and live.

What are the spiritual implications of the Canaanites’ defiance of God for our context today? That is, what are the consequences of our free choices for us personally?

Dispossession or Annihilation?

Compare Exodus 23:28-30; Exodus 33:2; Exodus 34:11; Numbers 33:52; and Deuteronomy 7:20 with Exodus 34:13; Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 9:3; Deuteronomy 12:2-3; and Deuteronomy 31:3-4. What do these texts reveal about the purpose of the conquest and the extent of the destruction?

God’s original purpose for the Canaanites was not annihilation but, instead, dispossession. An examination of the passages that describe the way Israel had to be involved in the battles of the conquest used terms that speak about the dispossession, ejection, and dissipation carried out against the inhabitants of the Promised Land. The second group of terms that express destruction and have Israel as the subject of the action refer mostly to inanimate objects, such as articles of pagan worship and objects devoted to destruction. Evidently, the places of pagan worship and the altars constituted the main centers of the Canaanite religion.

Holy war is mainly oriented toward Canaan’s corrupt culture and society. In order to avoid contamination, Israel had to destroy all the elements that were propagating corruption. However, all the inhabitants of Canaan, and those who, on an individual basis, recognized God’s sovereignty prior to the conquest, or even during the conquest, were able to escape through immigration (Josh. 2:9-14; compare with Judg. 1:24-26). The only part of the Canaanite population doomed to destruction were those who withdrew into the fortified cities, obstinately continued to rebel against God’s plan for the Israelites, and hardened their hearts (Josh. 11:19-20).

However, this does raise a question: if the initial purpose of conquering Canaan was to drive out the inhabitants of the land and not to annihilate them, why did the Israelites have to kill so many people?

Analysis of the biblical texts related to the conquest of Canaan revealed that the original intent of the conquest implied the dissipation of the Canaanite population. However, the majority of the Canaanites, like the pharaoh of Egypt, hardened their hearts and, as such, became one with the culture to such an extent that the destruction of their culture meant they had to be destroyed, as well.

What elements in your own character and habits must be uprooted and annihilated?