Tuesday, January 9, 2024 Joshua 7:24—26, “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. 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. 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.”   Achan, his family, and even his livestock were stoned to death. Their bodies were burned and buried under a heap of stones. As we have worked our way through Joshua, we have seen memorials of God’s deliverance. Here is a memorial of His judgment. These stones call us to self-examination. Is there hidden sin in our lives?    Do you think this is harsh? Are you wondering how a loving, merciful God could allow not just Achan but his wife, his kids, and even his livestock to be destroyed? Do not blame God. Remember, the wages of sin is death, and He means that. God warns that disobedience to Him only brings hurt and heartache to us and to others.   Praise God that the story of redemption does not end with Achan’s execution. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world, willingly sacrificed Himself for our public and private sins. If you will turn to Him in repentant faith you will be saved!    Be ruthless in your self-examination. Pray along with David, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)       Daily Walk through the Word is a ministry of Rodgers Baptist Church                                    … Read the rest

Monday, January 8, 2024 Joshua 7:7—10, 19, “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! O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! 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? And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? … 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.”   Verse 10 is the one place in Scriptures where I have found God telling someone to quit praying. There are many things about which we should pray. Likewise, there are some things about which we do not need to pray, except for God’s help to overcome. I do not need to pray about rooting out sin in my life. I just need to, by God’s power, do it.   Some people will feel annoyed with God that He wants to publicly emphasize the horror of sin. Church discipline is a process that seeks God’s glory and that person’s restoration and reconciliation; not personal revenge (Matt. 18:15-20; Gal. 6:1). Most of the time this discipline, if Biblically followed, will be kept out of the public eye, but that is not always the case. When sins must be made public, it must be done in the right spirit with the right goals in mind (1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Thess. 3:14-15). We cannot be afraid to confront and rebuke sin in the church, but that confrontation and rebuke must start with ourselves.   Confession of sin glorifies our sinless God (v. 19). Achan described how he succumbed to temptation. He saw, coveted, and took what he should not have (c.f. James 1:14-15; 1 John 2:16). This is exactly what we see when Eve took the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:6) and when David took that which was forbidden to him (2 Sam. 11:2-4). That is how sin works. How do we overcome? Live honestly and transparently. Be honest with yourself and with God, and do not be a person of secrets. Would you be willing for your spouse to look through your Internet visits? Are you hiding something, not because you are a private person, but because you are involved in secret sin?   Our desire should be to live in such a way, by God’s grace and power, that if everything about us were known, we might be a little embarrassed but we would not be ashamed. There is a difference between the two. Daily Walk through the Word is a ministry of Rodgers Baptist Church  … Read the rest

Sunday with Spurgeon, January 7, 2024 Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”   When called to serve or to suffer, we take stock of our strength, and we find it to be less than we thought, and less than we need. But let not our heart sink within us while we have such a word as this to fall back upon, for it guarantees us all that we can possibly need. God has strength omnipotent; that strength He can communicate to us; and His promise is that He will do so. He will be the food of our souls, and the health of our hearts; and thus He will give us strength. There is no telling how much power God can put into a man. When divine strength comes, human weakness is no more a hindrance.    Do we not remember seasons of labor and trial in which we received such special strength that we wondered at ourselves? In the midst of danger we were calm, under bereavement we were resigned, in slander we were self-contained, and in sickness we were patient. The fact is, that God gives unexpected strength when unusual trials come upon us. We rise out of our feeble selves. Cowards play the man, foolish ones have wisdom given them, and the silent receive in the self-same hour what they shall speak. My own weakness makes me shrink, but God’s promise makes me brave. Lord, strengthen me “according to thy word.”   Daily Walk through the Word is a ministry of Rodgers Baptist Church  … Read the rest

Saturday Poetry, January 6, 2024 Psalm 107:1, “O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.    This Saturday’s psalm is the opening stanza in the song of the redeemed. Those who have been saved from sin, death, and despair are called to sing out in gratitude and joy to the One who freely redeemed them at great personal cost. The Lord is good and merciful forever, because He is eternal, without beginning and without ending. Therefore, those who trust the Lord can, and should, give thanks, because those who are undeniably undeserving of His mercy and forgiveness have abundantly received, by grace through faith, His mercy and forgiveness. Do you have this attitude of gratitude?   Daily Walk through the Word is a ministry of Rodgers Baptist Church  … Read the rest

Friday, January 5, 2024 Joshua 7:10-12, “And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 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. 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.”    Disobeying God will always produce consequences that were unplanned, unintended, and unwanted. Innocent people are always affected by my sin, no matter how secret I believe that sin to be. You can be sure that Achan never intended for the army to be defeated, or for Israelites to die. God withdrew His hand of blessing from Israel because He would not bless a people in whom there was hidden sin. Only one family had taken that which was devoted to God and had hidden it under their tent. Just one family! Yet the army was defeated, and 36 men lost their lives.     Do you see the seriousness of sin? Do you understand that God will not bless disobedience? Sin is not fair. One man’s sin affects his wife, his children, his employer, his employees, his co-workers; it affects everyone in his sphere of influence.   That would include having a negative effect on a person’s church. Hidden sin always brings discouragement and defeat to God’s people (7:5-9). Public sin obviously does, but we mistakenly think that hidden sin, because of its secrecy (it is not that secret), has little to no effect. That is stinking thinking.    Hidden sins lead to a deterioration of character that affects those around you, either directly or indirectly. They reduce the ring of truth in what we say and do. I may say the right things. I may outwardly do the right things in front of the “right people.” But if inwardly I am a bigot, a thief, a gossip, a judge of others, then who I am suffers a reduction of authenticity which will not only hurt me but others also. Hidden sins, far more than public ones, will damage and sink a church. By the way, hidden sins of the parents (especially the father) are often magnified in their children. How we live inwardly brings victory and enthusiasm or defeat and discouragement; not only to ourselves and our families but to our church as well.    Take an honest look at your life. Ask yourself, “Am I the Achan blocking God’s blessing in my family or in my church?” If so, do not mope about it. Do not leave. Instead, confess and forsake your sin (Pro. 28:13; 1 John 1:9). None of us are perfect, but we should be striving by God’s grace and power for that. To overcome the unintended developments of hidden sin, put God and others first, even in private decisions.  Daily Walk through the Word is a ministry of Rodgers Baptist Church  … Read the rest

Thursday, January 4, 2024 Joshua 7:21—22, “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. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.”     What good is a coat you cannot wear or gold you cannot spend or silver you cannot display? All Achan could do with his stolen items was bury them in the ground. Any time we disobey God disappointment will follow. Yes, there is pleasure in sin for a season, but ultimately there is only disappointment. Choosing to sin and remain unrepentant never ends well; never brings the joy and satisfaction that it offers. The disappointment of disobedience is inevitable, but here is the strategy for victory. There is lasting joy in obedience! Obedience to God’s Word is almost always simple but never easy. Still, when you find your joy in Christ, in simply obeying Him regardless of the consequences, then there is joy. Value God more than sinful desires and move forward in victory with a clear conscience.     Daily Walk through the Word is a ministry of Rodgers Baptist Church  … Read the rest

Wednesday, January 3, 2024 Joshua 7:22—23, “So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 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.” Radio personality Dennis Prager has suggested that “The abandonment of the question ‘What is the price?’ has led to terrible consequences in every area of life.” That is an accurate statement. He continues, “Few Americans ask, ‘What is the price?’ for delaying marriage or for not marrying at all, or for not having children, or for participating in the ‘hookup’ culture, just to cite a few examples of self-destructive decisions tens of millions of Americans have made.” This perspective is relevant to today’s passage concerning Achan’s failure to consider the price of his actions. Instead of taking the long-view, “What will this decision cost?” Achan took the short-sighted view of immediate gratification. Never forget that sin is fun; for a little while (Heb. 11:23-25; c.f. Pro. 9:17-18). Immediate gratification is a poor trade for the eternal consequences that follow. Achan had kept that which belonged to God. That is never a good idea. Whether or not you obey God reveals whether or not you value Him. We obey what we value. The way to overcome and/or prevent short-sighted decisions is by living today in view of eternity. Today’s decisions carry current, future, and even eternal consequences. Ask yourself “What will this decision cost?” Be sure to do your accounting according to God’s Word. Daily Walk through the Word is a ministry of Rodgers Baptist Church… Read the rest

Tuesday, January 2, 2024 Joshua 7:1; 20-21, “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… And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 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.” Achan was a member of the tribe of Judah. This tribe was positioned by God in the vanguard of Israel on the march. It was a large and privileged tribe, for from it would come the promised Messiah. Judging by what Achan kept for himself, he did not steal to feed or clothe his family. He stole to increase his wealth. He desired more luxury. The desire for extra comforts and greater possessions, not the comforts and possessions themselves, led Achan to disregard God’s command. Notice from v. 21 the pattern of the sin that Achan confesses: “When I saw…I coveted them, and took them.” This pattern is not peculiar to Achan. Have you ever acted on the thought that if no one knows then no one will be harmed? That just is not true. Maybe he thought, “Who’ll miss these things? No one knows how much is here.” Somehow, he managed to remove it all without anyone the wiser. From a worldly perspective this never showed up on the radar. From the heavenly perspective it was unmistakable (see Heb. 4:13; c.f. Psalm 139:2-4). God’s eyes penetrate our thoughts our hearts our desires, our bitterness our anger our lust and everything we think and speak. How do we overcome the internal debate as to whether or not we should obey God? Trust that God’s commands are for your good.  Children cannot comprehend why their parents place certain restrictions on them. Similarly, we do not always fathom that when God says, “Thou shalt not” what He is saying is, “Don’t hurt yourself.” When He says, “Thou shalt” we should understand that to be, “Please enjoy yourself!” All of God’s commands are for our good, yet we persistently fight against them. The only way to win that internal debate is to have confidence in the fact that God is looking out for you. Daily Walk through the Word is a ministry of Rodgers Baptist Church… Read the rest

Monday, January 1, 2024 Joshua 6:18—19; 7:1a, “And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD…But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing…” The sublime victory of Joshua 6 is contrasted with the shameful defeat of Joshua 7. By God’s power the walls of Jericho had collapsed, and the Israelites were victorious. Also, by God’s power, the nation was soundly defeated by the small town of Ai. Just as obedience leads to victory, disobedience causes defeat. Part of their orders concerning Jericho was to not take any spoil from the city. God desires our first and our best of everything. Jericho was the first city taken in Canaan, and all of the spoil was to go into the treasury of the Lord, not the pockets of the people. Remember, at the center of Canaan’s conquest is not the Israelites. God is at the center. This is more about God keeping His promises and His covenant than it is about Israel. Chapter 6 reveals obedience as the secret to the victorious Christian life. Chapter 7 reveals what we must not have, and that is secret sin. While chapter 6 demonstrates what results from obeying God and trusting Him with the consequences, chapter 7 reveals the consequences when God’s Word is disobeyed. As 2024 begins, let’s recognize that to move forward God’s Word must be fully believed and followed, and this commitment must be renewed every day. With God’s Word being the lamp for our feet and the light to our path, we will be able to joyfully move forward together behind Christ. Daily Walk through the Word is a ministry of Rodgers Baptist Church… Read the rest

Monday, January 1, 2024 Joshua 6:18—19; 7:1a, “And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD…But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing…” The sublime victory of Joshua 6 is contrasted with the shameful defeat of Joshua 7. By God’s power the walls of Jericho had collapsed, and the Israelites were victorious. Also, by God’s power, the nation was soundly defeated by the small town of Ai. Just as obedience leads to victory, disobedience causes defeat. Part of their orders concerning Jericho was to not take any spoil from the city. God desires our first and our best of everything. Jericho was the first city taken in Canaan, and all of the spoil was to go into the treasury of the Lord, not the pockets of the people. Remember, at the center of Canaan’s conquest is not the Israelites. God is at the center. This is more about God keeping His promises and His covenant than it is about Israel. Chapter 6 reveals obedience as the secret to the victorious Christian life. Chapter 7 reveals what we must not have, and that is secret sin. While chapter 6 demonstrates what results from obeying God and trusting Him with the consequences, chapter 7 reveals the consequences when God’s Word is disobeyed. As 2024 begins, let’s recognize that to move forward God’s Word must be fully believed and followed, and this commitment must be renewed every day. With God’s Word being the lamp for our feet and the light to our path, we will be able to joyfully move forward together behind Christ. Daily Walk through the Word is a ministry of Rodgers Baptist Church… Read the rest