SESSION 4 MOVE BEYOND FAILURE 46 SESSION 4
The Point Leaders confront failure, deal with it, and move forward. The Passage Joshua 7:13-15, 19-21, 25-26; 8:1 The Bible Meets Life Being people who influence others doesn t mean we never make mistakes or sin. Exercising leadership means we ll have to confront failure from time to time. Too many people rationalize or ignore sin, but the only real solution is to be open and deal decisively with it. We see in the life of Joshua that he dealt decisively with a serious sin against God by one of the Israelites. Afterward, God allowed His people to move forward again. We are not left in our failures. God forgives and calls us to move forward with Him. The Setting The people of Israel experienced a remarkable and glorious victory over Jericho in their first battle for the promised land. As exhilarating and reassuring as that first victory was, their next encounter was deflating and disconcerting. Sin in the camp of Israel in the form of disobedience after Jericho led to humiliating defeat at Ai. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 47
What does the Bible say? Joshua 7:13-15, 19-21, 25-26; 8:1 (HCSB) Consecrate (7:13) This term means to set aside, or dedicate, something or someone to God. Outrage (7:15) The Hebrew term nebalah refers to any senseless, foolish, or disgraceful action. In Achan s case, his foolish act was in direct defiance of God s command. Shekels (7:21) A standard unit of measure which came to be associated with money through the weighing of gold and silver. Two hundred shekels would equate to about five pounds of silver. Burning anger (7:26) In our context, the phrase refers to God s righteous indignation against Achan s possession of banned items in blatant violation of His expressed prohibition. 7:13 Go and consecrate the people. Tell them to consecrate themselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There are things that are set apart among you, Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove what is set apart. 14 In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the LORD selects is to come forward clan by clan. The clan the LORD selects is to come forward family by family. The family the LORD selects is to come forward man by man. 15 The one who is caught with the things set apart must be burned, along with everything he has, because he has violated the LORD s covenant and committed an outrage in Israel. 7:19 So Joshua said to Achan, My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you, tell me what you have done. Don t hide anything from me. 20 Achan replied to Joshua, It is true. I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did: 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon, 200 silver shekels, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, I coveted them and took them. You can see for yourself. They are concealed in the ground inside my tent, with the money under the cloak. 7:25 Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? Today the LORD will trouble you! So all Israel stoned them to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them, 26 and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day. 8:1 The LORD said to Joshua, Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole military force with you and go attack Ai. Look, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, city, and land. 48 SESSION 4
THE POINT Leaders confront failure, deal with it, and move forward. GET INTO THE STUDY 5 minutes DISCUSS: Question #1 on page 39 of the PSG: What are some ways our culture responds to failure? Notes Note: Let group members know this question is intended to be answered generally. They don t have to give specific information about their own failures. ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Lead your group members to experience a mild moment of failure by passing around a Rubik s Cube or other brain-teasing puzzle while discussing Question #1, above. (Of course, if anyone does solve the puzzle in the group, be sure to offer the appropriate congratulations.) GUIDE: Direct group members to The Bible Meets Life on page 40 of the PSG. Continue the topic of dealing with failure by reading or summarizing the text or by encouraging group members to read on their own. GUIDE: Call attention to The Point at the top of page 40 of the PSG: Leaders confront failure, deal with it, and move forward. PRAY: Transition into the Scripture discussion by confessing on behalf of the group that failure is a part of your lives including your efforts to follow Christ. Ask God to bless your group with a deeper understanding of how to move forward as leaders, even after you fail. TIP: Remember that other group leaders can be a great resource for ideas, inspiration, and solving problems. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 49
5 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Joshua 7:13-15 13 Go and consecrate the people. Tell them to consecrate themselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There are things that are set apart among you, Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove what is set apart. 14 In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the LORD selects is to come forward clan by clan. The clan the LORD selects is to come forward family by family. The family the LORD selects is to come forward man by man. 15 The one who is caught with the things set apart must be burned, along with everything he has, because he has violated the LORD s covenant and committed an outrage in Israel. GUIDE: Use the first two paragraphs on page 42 of the PSG to set the stage for Joshua 7:13-15. Make sure group members understand how the Israelites were defeated at Ai (pronounced Ay-eye ) and why it was such a big deal. Note: The first paragraph on page 51 of this Leader Guide offers helpful information on both of those topics. ALTERNATE QUESTION: Why is it important for us to unearth the roots of our failure? READ: Joshua 7:13-15 on page 41 of the PSG. DISCUSS: Question #2 on page 42 of the PSG: What s your initial reaction to these verses? Note: The fourth paragraph on page 51 of this Leader Guide helps explain why the punishment was so harsh for those who violated God s command. RECAP: Highlight the final paragraph on page 42 of the PSG: How do we identify sin and failure in our own lives? For Joshua, God Himself exposed what was hidden. We should pray and ask God to do the same for us. Ask Him to bring to light our sins, awaken us to what has lulled us to sleep, and turn our hearts from anything that steers us away from allegiance to Him. TRANSITION: As we jump to verses 19-21, we ll meet the culprit whose personal failure had such a major impact on the Israelite community. 50 SESSION 4
THE POINT Leaders confront failure, deal with it, and move forward. Joshua 7:13-15 Joshua 7:4-12 recounts the story of Israel s defeat at Ai. Though only 36 Israelite soldiers were killed, the most negative consequences were that the Israelites hearts melted and became like water (7:5) and that the Lord withdrew from them until the sin was removed from their camp (vv. 10-12). The only bright part of the entire Ai episode occurred when Joshua and the elders of Israel sought the Lord s guidance in the wake of the failure (vv. 6-9). [Verse 13] What did God prescribe to rectify the situation? First, He instructed Joshua to consecrate the people, telling them to consecrate themselves for tomorrow. The Hebrew verb rendered consecrate means to set apart, typically for service to God. The same word, qadesh, can be translated to make holy. Second, God instructed Joshua to proclaim a prophetic word, marked by the introductory formula, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says. The formula marked the subsequent statement as a direct word from God and therefore projected a sense of authority. The prophetic word consisted of two elements: the specific identification of the sin and the promise of continued failure until the sin was removed. The Lord identified Israel s sin as having things that are set apart among you. Literally, they had cherem (things set apart for destruction) in their midst. The Israelites could not be set apart for God s service so long as items set apart for destruction were in the camp. The second element, the promise of continued failure, was given in terms of not being able to stand against your enemies. The recent defeat at Ai underscored the reality of this element. [Verse 14] Third, God instructed Joshua to have all Israelites present themselves tribe by tribe. The nation of Israel was comprised of twelve tribes. The tribes in turn were comprised of numerous clans, and each clan was comprised of several families. Thus, God instructed Joshua to go through a winnowing process whereby first the tribe, then the clan, then the family, and finally the man or family member guilty of violating the ban would be discovered. The process would have taken a long time long enough for the guilty party to repent! [Verse 15] Fourth, God informed Joshua, The one who is caught with the things set apart must be burned, along with everything he has. The punishment was intentionally austere and complete. The goal of the punishment was to eradicate completely the infection of sin from the camp of Israel. Ironically, the very things Achan thought would bless him resulted in his losing everything. The defeat at Ai drove Joshua and the elders of Israel to fall to the ground with dust on their heads as a sign of contrition and humility as they sought the Lord s guidance (v. 6). Today, godly leaders can humble themselves also in order to identify the reason for failure in any given situation. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 51
10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Joshua 7:19-21 19 So Joshua said to Achan, My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you, tell me what you have done. Don t hide anything from me. 20 Achan replied to Joshua, It is true. I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did: 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon, 200 silver shekels, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, I coveted them and took them. You can see for yourself. They are concealed in the ground inside my tent, with the money under the cloak. READ: Joshua 7:19-21 on page 41 of the PSG. ALTERNATE QUESTION: How does unconfessed sin affect our relationship with God and others? GUIDE: Use the fourth paragraph on page 53 of this Leader Guide to explore the four stages of a person s journey into sin. DISCUSS: Question #3 on page 43 of the PSG: Why is confession a necessary step for moving beyond failure? RECAP: Highlight the final paragraphs on page 43 of the PSG to explore differences between repentant and unrepentant people: An unrepentant person: > > > > > > Is concerned only about the consequences of sin. Tends to deal in generalities when confessing sin. Is sorry he or she got caught. In contrast, a broken and repentant person: > > > > > > Is grieved over the root of his or her sin. Acknowledges specifics when confessing sin. Is genuinely sorry for his or her sin and turns away from it. TRANSITION: As we move to Joshua 7:25 8:1, we ll find a conclusion to this event that is both surprising and surprisingly redemptive. 52 SESSION 4
THE POINT Leaders confront failure, deal with it, and move forward. Joshua 7:19-21 Commentary [Verse 19] Once Achan had been identified as the reason for Israel s failure, Joshua confronted him directly. Joshua knew the only way Israel would succeed in taking possession of the land was to remove the sin from the camp. This removal necessitated that Achan admit and confess his sin. Thus, Joshua commanded Achan to give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel and make a confession to Him. The term confession renders the Hebrew todah, which means thanksgiving or praise. The intent was for Achan to do what he had failed to do at Jericho. Rather than giving honor (kabod) and thanksgiving (todah) to God for delivering Jericho into Israel s hands, Achan had used the occasion to honor himself, and thus failed to thank God at all. Joshua also commanded Achan, Tell me what you have done. Don t hide anything from me. This purging was an integral part of giving glory and praise to the Lord. The only way Joshua could remove Achan s sin from the camp and secure God s favor was to require him to give glory and praise to the Lord by telling all he had done without hiding anything. By addressing Achan as my son, Joshua had asserted his authority as leader of God s people over the wayward man. [Verse 20] Achan responded by acknowledging his wrongdoing. The sentence structure emphasizes the strong personal aspect of sin. The statement, I have sinned against the Lord, emphasized the I in the literal Hebrew I, indeed I, have sinned. Achan fully admitted his wickedness. Sin, however, is never just a personal issue. When a person sins, many relationships are affected. [Verse 21] Achan s fourfold confession represents four key aspects of the journey into sin and rebellion against the Lord. First, he saw among the spoils the very things God had banned Israel from taking: a beautiful cloak from Babylon, 200 silver shekels, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels. People cannot always control what might come into their view, but Achan didn t stop with looking. He ventured into the second key aspect of the journey into sin when he coveted the items the Lord had forbidden. The verb covet carries the idea of finding pleasure in something. Rather than finding pleasure in obeying God and living in His presence, Achan allowed things insignificant to eternity to capture his heart. Third, his strong internal desire resulted in a sinful act as he took the banned items. Knowing his sin had been discovered, Achan revealed the fourth aspect of his journey into sin. He had concealed the contraband in the ground inside his tent. These four aspects apply to all types of temptations. Once people see something (see) and feel they must have it (covet), they acquire it by any means necessary (take). As with all sin, human nature leads people to cover up their wrongdoing, just as Achan did (conceal). BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 53
20 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Joshua 7:25 8:1 25 Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? Today the LORD will trouble you! So all Israel stoned them to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them, 26 and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day. 8:1 The LORD said to Joshua, Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole military force with you and go attack Ai. Look, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, city, and land. DO: Direct group members to complete the activity When I Fail on page 45 of the PSG. If time allows, encourage volunteers to share how they wish they could respond to failure. Which of the following images best captures your immediate reaction when you fail at something or fall short of a goal? How do you wish you could respond to failure? READ: Joshua 7:25 8:1 on page 41 of the PSG. ALTERNATE QUESTION: Why must sin always be dealt with radically? DISCUSS: Question #4 on page 44 of the PSG: This passage focuses on Israel s failure as an entire community. How does that knowledge impact your understanding of these verses? Note: When we read verses 25-26, we tend to focus on Achan and his family as individuals who were punished for the sin of an individual. This question is designed to help your group think about the incident in the same terms as the Israelites namely, how it affected their community. DISCUSS: Question #5 on page 44 of the PSG: How do we keep the focus on moving forward as we deal with sin and failure? 54 SESSION 4
THE POINT Leaders confront failure, deal with it, and move forward. Joshua 7:25 8:1 Commentary [Verses 25-26] Having confiscated the banned items (see vv. 22-23), Joshua had Achan, his family, and all his possessions taken to the Valley of Achor. The exact location of the valley is unknown, but the name Achor derives from the verb meaning to trouble. Joshua asked Achan, Why have you troubled us? Achan had brought great trouble on Israel through his disobedience in the matter of taking the banned items from Jericho. Why was Achan s family included in the judgment? Possibly because they were somehow complicit in his sin. Alternatively, the Lord might have wanted to demonstrate how Achan s sin cost him everything, including his family. In any case, the Lord returned to Achan the trouble he had brought on Israel. Thus, the theological summary is provided by Joshua s statement, Today the Lord will trouble you! The actual judgment took the form of the people stoning Achan and his family, burning their bodies, and then throwing stones on them. As they had done to commemorate the crossing of the Jordan (4:1-9), the people raised over Achan s corpse a large pile of rocks. The rocks memorialized Achan s fate and served as a stark reminder of the high cost of sin. The result of removing the sin from the camp was that the Lord turned from His burning anger. Sin angers God. When the source of the anger is removed, the anger vanishes. Because Joshua and the people obeyed the Lord by removing sin from the camp, they positioned themselves once again in God s favor. [Verse 8:1] The phrase the Lord said to Joshua occurs twelve times in the Book of Joshua (see 1:1; 3:7; 4:1,15; 5:2,9; 6:2; 7:10; 8:1,18; 10:8; 11:6), always at key junctures of the story. The phrase serves as a literary marker showing the inevitable triumph of God s plan over every obstacle, including flooded rivers, enemy armies, and disobedient people. God renewed His call for Joshua to not be afraid or discouraged. Achan s disobedience was a temporary setback, not a permanent derailment of God s plan. He instructed Joshua to take the whole military force and attack Ai a second time. However, the victory was won before the army even marched away from their homes the Lord had handed over to Joshua the king of Ai, his people, city, and land. God did not expect Joshua and the Israelites to wallow in defeat. They needed to confront and turn from their disobedience before He could use them again. The great news is God will also use us again for His purposes after we turn away from our sins. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 55
5 minutes LIVE IT OUT Notes GUIDE: Direct group members to page 46 of the PSG. Encourage them to consider the following steps for confronting sin and moving forward with God: > > Practice personal confession. Begin the discipline of examining your heart each day and confessing all known sin. > > Practice confession in community. James 5:16 commands us to confess our sins to one another. Find a group or an individual to whom you can safely talk about your struggles, offer encouragement, and seek repentance. > > Confront in love. As you see sin and failure in those you lead, lovingly talk to them about it. Godly leadership means we strive to help others come to a deeper walk with Christ. Wrap it Up TRANSITION: Read or restate the conclusion from page 46 of the PSG: You will continue to fail both practically and spiritually throughout your life. But you never have to be a failure in God s eyes. Let His forgiveness have the final say then move forward. PRAY: Conclude the discussion by thanking God for His continued patience in the face of human failure. Ask that He would bless you and your group members with the ability to confront failure decisively and move forward in faith. 56 SESSION 4
My group's prayer requests Additional suggestions for specific groups (women, men, boomers, and singles) are available at BibleStudiesForLife.com/blog. And for free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife. The Fear of Failure As I write this, I am reminded of the times when I was most afraid of failure. The first was my last year in seminary. I had spent four years in college and four years in graduate seminary training, and within weeks I would have to step out of that comfort zone into the real world. I remember thinking, I wonder if I ll be able to do this. What if I m just not cut out for the ministry? To continue reading The Fear of Failure from Mature Living magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 57