Are You Faithful Regarding the Devoted Things?
But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. -Joshua 7:1, NIV
Sometimes opening the Bible, beholding it, is like staring into a burning book. The words lick with flames like a ravenous fire, determined to burn away the perishable in my heart and soul. Right now is like that. I am revising and editing my manuscript, and the chapter lying next to my focal text is searing, its flames rising ever higher, burning my gaze and drawing me in.
Joshua 7 is the passage today. The story of Achan’s sin.
Achan acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things. He took some of them.
Achan took God’s glory for himself.
The “devoted things” here is a Hebrew term referring to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them (NIV margin notes).
Strong’s Concordance defines the word 3051 hērem as coming from hāram, meaning to destroy totally or either completely devote. Something or someone hērem is devoted unto divine service, or oppositely can be a person or thing marked for destruction. The extreme definitions have this in common: both are set apart by holy decree. The word is most often used in the sense of something forbidden or prohibited. (OT Lexical Aids, Hebrew-Greek Study Bible)
In Arabic, the second language of my own heart and linguistic cousin to the Biblical Hebrew, haram is used primarily today in the sense of something forbidden.
The devoted things belong to God alone, and we are not to take them into our own hands.
These persons or things, then, can be entirely devoted to God, or entirely destroyed in obedience to God. This is God’s either/or nature. Holy/unholy. No grey areas.
I am deeply convicted this afternoon by these flame words.
I tend to take those things devoted to divine service and try to fashion glory for myself from them. Maybe you understand my habit. Those things in my life, those people, who have been set apart for divine service, should remain in God’s hands, not mine. My book project, my children, my marriage, my ministry. All of these belong to the Lord.
But in all these I have taken God’s glory at one time or another, controlling, striving, manipulating.
Joshua said to Achan, so tenderly and with mercy, in verse 19: “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give Him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
This was a solemn charge to tell the truth.
This morning God gave me the word from Psalm 32 that he would “look me directly in the eye, and lead me”. He has looked directly in my eye and exposed my sin.
Today I gave those projects and people dear to me back to the One who has set them apart for Himself. They are safe in His hands, and will surely display his glory and purpose in the world as I let go and let God.
Are you brave enough to approach Him with me today, to let God look you directly in the eye and lead you? To tell the truth, I was not really brave enough; God was merciful enough to come to me this morning in His word and show me my sin. He does that for each of us.
We know we have taken from the Lord when disappointment floods our hearts after things don’t turn out like we expect. When a child chooses a path different than the one we would have chosen for her or him. When bitterness begins to creep into the quiet spaces of our marriage and steal love away. We can be sure we have taken from the Lord when we run ourselves into the ground trying to control life circumstances that just will not be controlled by our hands.
If you feel this way, you are not alone. I hope you will join me in the prayer of my heart today.
Please forgive me, Lord. Destroy the sin, the coveting in me that desires to have the glory for myself. To take it. To control the outcome, to make it my own, through my efforts. I don’t always trust you and I try to forge my plans and dreams in my own strength. Let today be my Valley of Achor (Joshua 7), that will surely lead one day to a doorway of hope (Hosea 2).
I don’t exactly know how to walk from this valley a dead man. Achan was killed there. His whole family was stoned because he had taken the devoted things. Let us live dead, as one friend of mine often says. Let us walk up from here dead to our own glory. For the devoted things belong to God, and to Him be the glory.
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The Conversation
Thank you for posting this. So many times I have been this way and seen myself the same as Achan. When I read of others struggling and seeing the same in their life, it helps to lift the burden of this sin from me, and onto the Lord. Thank you!
Thank you Timothy for reading and sharing. We are forgiven, and that forgiveness is more readily available to us than we often think. Jesus has taken it from us; it is too heavy for us to remove on our own. May you walk in liberty and joy today.
My husband stands on God’s promise of healing him from Cancer. I on the other hand wonder if he should seek treatment. Who am I to say he didn’t hear from God? My husband hears from God and has devoted his life to Him. This was a reminder to me to trust the Lord in this matter and to leave my husband in His care!
I pray you both receive what each of you needs independently and together during this difficult time. May the Lord hold you up day by day.
This is very profound for me… As I have been seeking and searching for a deeper fellowship and closer dedication to the Lord’s service …of giving myself to be burned up on the altar of God as a living sacrifice… That I won’t count, but He only will be of significance… How long have I sought this… Oh God will You please let it happen…that I become nothing and God is everything… Thank you for sharing these thoughts and insights so others may gain insight from them…
May the Lord grant you the desire of your heart, Denise. Blessings to you today.
Thank you so much for sharing this ..it has really opened my eyes …May the good Lord help me not to take what God has claimed for Himself ..All glory and honour belongs to Him and Him alone
Amen, Nolufefe, and may the Lord honor your heart’s prayer.
I, am guilty before God of being cavalier about the devoted things of my life and being; Lazy rd, please forgive your servant.
We all are, Linda. May the Lord help each of us to walk in holiness. Blessings to you today.
Maybe that is going on in my marriage. First 10 years ago i sinned ,instead of waiting on God to provide a husband .i met again and fell in love with a man i met when i was a 16 year old runaway .i left my home at 16 i was suicidal and leaving an abusive traumatizing dysfunctional family behind .people say i was brave to leave but i did not think i had many choices ,it was leave or blow my brains out. I was depressed most of my life .debilating depression where all i felt like was a burden so i left .i was totally non functional i did not bathe i did not sleep i was not able to go to school and i felt i was better off dead. There was no one to help me through this i wasn’t a believer i hated God if he existed. I planned my escape .i took a train to a different city ,when my money ran out i was homeless. While there a met a boy who i quickly in my 16 year old brain fell in love with .eventually not being able to work i needed to return home. Street life was too scary . But it did snap me out of my depression for a short while . When it returned i left again this time farther away.i lived most of my life in and out of depression. Then 30 something years later with technology was able to get back in touch with the boy i met way back when i was 16. His story somehow mirrored mine as we both came from messed up family’s both knew depression and homelessness only we both now knew the lord .we fell quickly in love and into sin.instead of waiting on the Lord and doing things his way. Although he was an alcoholic we married. I thought God would bless us and forgive us for finally doing the right thing. The 10 years since have not been blessed we struggled in poverty and illness.i beg and plead with God to forgive usand help us but it seems we are cursed with one illness after another. My depression returned big time and to be honest i am controlling and have no idea how to turn things over to God .i beg and plead and pray and fast and read the bible and search for Gods help yet never finding it,never having peace .at this point i would be ok with God killing me and perhaps sending a new helper to my husband . I am weary. Reading this i suppose this was my problem not turning over things to God .i thought we were under grace but i guess this codependent sin of mine will not escape Gods punishment. At least i know now. The begging and pleading will end . I give God all .please have mercy.
Dear Mary, weary one. Thank you for trusting me with your story. I am praying for you. Please look for a longer message from me in your email. Love, Audrey