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. "
Hidden from View
A couple of years ago, my family and I visited Yosemite National Park while I was preaching in Fresno, California. There are two imposing mountains made of solid rock: El Capitan and Half Dome. I could see only a small portion of El Capitan and none of Half Dome. It sounds impossible to hide a rock that measures thousands of feet high, but that day, even the humongous Half Dome was hidden from view because of the fog!
Like that foggy day at Yosemite, Joshua 7 reminds us that nothing hidden from you is hidden from God. Did Joshua know about Achan's sin before the battle with Ai? No. Did Achan's sin affect Joshua? Yes! Did God know what Achan had done? You better believe it! Here are some lessons we can learn from Joshua 7.
First, God's knowledge should temper what you hear. In spite of preparation (spies) and planning (the number of men needed), there was something that Joshua could not have known (Achan's sin). Sometimes we hear reports or get advice, but there are still facts that we do not know. However, nothing is ever hidden from God. Everything we hear should be tempered by the fact that God knows things that we do not know.
Secondly, God's knowledge should temper what you see. The defeat at Ai made no sense to Joshua whatsoever. Sometimes we see events in life and think, "This is the end of the world!" Even when life's events don't make sense, temper what you see by remembering that nothing hidden from you is hidden from God. Realize that what you see is only part of the big picture. Be encouraged that God knows and sees everything-even the things you don't see or know.
Eventually, Achan and his sin were exposed, and everything was made plain. However, that doesn't always happen. Regardless of the situation, it is encouraging and instructive to remember that nothing hidden from you is hidden from God. This truth should temper everything we hear and see. We do not know the beginning from the end, and sometimes we do not even know the correct path. But God does know and see, and He is worthy of our trust!
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