Obedience and Its Results

God gave Israel a clear warning before Jericho fell: “By all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed… and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it” (Joshua 6:18). One man ignored the warning, and everything God said came true.

Choices spread. Achan's choice cost about thirty-six soldiers their lives (7:5). It brought fear on the whole nation. Our choices reach other people too, at home, at school and at church.

One body. God said, “Israel has sinned” (7:11). God's people belong to each other. “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (1 Corinthians 12:27). When one part hurts, the whole body feels it.

Sin pays wages. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Wages are what a worker earns. Sin always pays out in sadness and loss.

Not because God is mean. God was not looking for a reason to punish Israel. He wanted to be with them and fight for them, but sin stood in the way (7:12).

A Father's correction. Right after our memory verse, Solomon wrote, “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12).

Chastening. Chastening means loving correction, the way a good parent corrects a child. “For whom the Lord loves He chastens” (Hebrews 12:6).

It hurts, then it helps. “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).

For our good. God corrects us “for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). He wants us to become like Him.

Before it grows. Small disobedience grows if we leave it alone. “Exhort one another daily… lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). Exhort means to encourage and warn.

A way back. As soon as Israel dealt with the sin, “the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger” (7:26). God's correction always leaves a door open back to Him.

Mercy every morning. “Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

What to do. When a parent or teacher corrects you, remember that God uses correction to help you grow. Say thank you, and make it right.

After the sin was gone, God gave Israel a second chance at Ai. This time Israel listened carefully and did exactly what God said. Joshua told the soldiers, “According to the commandment of the Lord you shall do” (Joshua 8:8).

Obeying all the way. God said to take “all the people of war” (8:1). Israel did not cut corners. Obeying halfway is still not obeying.

God's plan, not ours. The ambush was God's idea (8:2). God's ways are better than ours: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55:8).

Listening to God's Word. At the very start God told Joshua, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it” (Joshua 1:8).

Hearing and doing. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28). To keep God's word means to obey it.

Obeying because we love. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). We do not obey to make God love us. We obey because He already does.

Not too heavy. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Burdensome means too heavy to carry.

Obeying does not save us. We are saved “by grace… through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). Then we obey because we belong to Jesus: we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10).

One man and one Man. One man's disobedience at Jericho brought trouble on Israel. The Bible says, “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). The first man there is Adam, and the second is Jesus.

Jesus obeyed perfectly. “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). Achan grabbed for himself. Jesus gave Himself for us.

Better than sacrifice. The prophet Samuel told King Saul that obeying the Lord is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). God wants our hearts, not just our gifts.

Trusting God's directions. Our memory verse ties it together: “In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6).

What to do. This week, when a parent asks you to do something, do it right away, all the way and with a happy heart. That is how we practice obeying God.