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The One Thing - part 7 - The Wake of Choice

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The One Thing - part 7 - The Wake of Choice

Have you ever been part of a group and because one person did something wrong the whole group got in trouble for it? 

This is what happened to Israel after they took Jericho. There were some specific things that God had told them to do. 

“All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”” - Joshua 6:19 NIV

So the battle of Jericho continued, and they completely destroyed the city (except Rahab); then, at the beginning of chapter 7, the story takes an interesting turn. 

“But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan.....took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.” - Joshua 7:1 NIV

Joshua, unaware of the disobedience of Achan, sent Israel to battle the city of Ai. But because of the anger of the Lord, Israel lost a few men in that battle and returned to Joshua. Joshua tore his clothes in distress and cried out to the Lord. The Lord tells him this:

“Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions.” - Joshua 7:11 NIV 

Joshua called all of Israel together and the Lord helped Joshua weed through the crowd of people. The group was finally narrowed down to Achan's family, and he was chosen from his family.

Achan came clean about what had happened and told Joshua right where everything was. Joshua sent people to get the things Achan had stolen. When the things were brought to Joshua, he had Achan and his family stoned, and then everything was burned (Joshua 7:25).

Achan took those things from the Lord and it cost Israel some men in their army.  It also cost Israel a battle, and it cost Achan his life and the lives of his family. 

I see in this chapter how sometimes we make a choice in a moment and think that is all. But it can involve more people than we account for, or it can spread and cause trouble for a lifetime.   Achan thought he was going to be the only one that suffered any trouble if the time came, but he was wrong. 

We don't realize sometimes the effect our choices have on other people. This chapter shows me that I need to watch some of the choices that I make. We all need to consider how our choices affect those around us.

We need to be careful of the wake of choice.  
__________________ 
Edited by Kay Beam
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