In my Bible reading the other day, I was reading the book of Joshua. I read about the walls of Jericho falling and the great victory for Israel, then how they failed at Ai because of sin in the camp because Achan had disobeyed what God said and took of the accursed things and hid them in his tent, bringing that trouble to the camp of Israel. It is a familiar story, one I have read many times, but like often happens with the Word of God, something new jumped out at me this time. 

Thirty-six men died because of the sin Achan brought to the camp and disrupted God's blessings. God had Joshua tell the people that evening that the next morning they would be taking family by family to see who had brought sin into the camp. That means Achan and his family (who had to know the forbidden stuff was hidden in the tent) had ALL night to come and repent, BUT they didn't. Why? I know God is merciful, I can't help but think if they had repented to God, it would have made a difference.   I think the problem was the same that many have today - they didn't believe God.  They didn't really think they would be discovered, but they were and it resulted in death to his whole family.

Do you believe God? God has said there is ONE way of salvation and that if you miss that you will separated forever from Him in a lake of fire. Do you believe Him? Or will you bring distruction to yourself and possibly  your family too if they follow your beliefs?

Achan and his family had warning and time to repent. You who are reading this right now - have warning and time to repent. Jesus said in Luke 13:3b, "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Repentance is believing God about you being a sinner and needing salvation. It is turning from your sin and your way to go HIS Way.

God said in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Jesus said in John 14:6b, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." and in John 3:16-18, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The choice is yours whether to believe God or not, but He has told you the penalty ahead of time of not believing Him.  Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

So you can salvation in Jesus Christ or condemnation without Him. Achan chose to not  believe God and ended up destroying not only himself, but his family also. I hope as you read the story of Achan below, you will consider that you have even great opportunity than Achan. Right now you can choose to believe God, repent of your sin, and trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour. You will have peace with God and an eternal home with Him.

What will you choose?

Joshua 7:1 ¶ But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
 2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
 3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
 4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
 5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
 6 ¶ And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
 7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
 8 O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!
 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
 10 ¶ And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
 13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
 14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.
 15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
 16 ¶ So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:
 17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:
 18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
 19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.
 20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
 21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
 23 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.
 24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.
 25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day. (KJV)

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