Friday, January 18
Read Joshua 7
Think About It:
- Could you imagine throwing stones at a person? To their death? What about their children?
- Do you think it’s fair that the whole family was stoned? Do you think they all knew what he did? (It was buried in their tent!)
- Why do you think God chose such a public display for this sin? Why wasn’t it enough to just get rid of the items?
- How would you feel knowing your greed led to the death of 36 Israelites?
Family Time:
- When we think about this story, we must remember that God is a holy God. We must also remember the verse that states, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)
- Why did Achan take the spoils of Jericho?
Coveting is a sin. That’s one of the Ten Commandments. But he went even farther. He then broke another commandment: stealing. He did not control himself. Coveting was bad enough…but then he acted on that sin in his heart.
- What is self-control?
- What is the fruit of the Spirit? [See if you can list all 9.]
Self-control comes to us from the Holy Spirit. We must ask Him for help with our self-control. He is the one who helps us have just the right balance. We cannot have good self-control without the Holy Spirit. Our lives will only work right when we have the Holy Spirit guiding us.
- Think about the city of Ai. It didn’t have strong walls like Jericho. It didn’t have many people living in it either. Ai should have been easily destroyed. That’s what a person is without self-control. You are like a city that can be easily destroyed. What will destroy you? What destroyed Achan?
Sin will destroy you. Bad choices will destroy you. Who else was destroyed by Achan’s sinful decisions? When we make poor decisions and show a lack of self-control, we destroy ourselves and our families.
- What are some ways you lose your self-control?
Those of us who have Jesus as our Lord and Savior have a strong wall that surrounds us. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit surround us. We are safe from the enemy when we obey God. But if we decide to step outside of the walls and do our own thing, that is when we are defenseless, and our poor decisions will hurt us and those we love.
- What can we learn from Achan?
