失败的原因和补救
约书亚记七章1至11节
1以色列人在当灭的物上犯了罪；因为犹大支派中，谢拉的曾孙，撒底的孙子，迦米的儿子亚干取了当灭的物；耶和华的怒气就向以色列人发作。
2当下，约书亚从耶利哥打发人往伯特利东边、靠近伯亚文的艾城去，吩咐他们说：你们上去窥探那地。他们就上去窥探艾城。
3他们回到约书亚那里，对他说：众民不必都上去，只要二三千人上去就能攻取艾城；不必劳累众民都去，因为那里的人少。
4于是民中约有三千人上那里去，竟在艾城人面前逃跑了。
5艾城的人击杀了他们三十六人，从城门前追赶他们，直到示巴琳，在下坡杀败他们；众民的心就消化如水。
6约书亚便撕裂衣服；他和以色列的长老把灰撒在头上，在耶和华的约柜前俯伏在地，直到晚上。
7约书亚说：哀哉！主耶和华阿，你为甚么竟领这百姓过约但河，将我们交在亚摩利人的手中，使我们灭亡呢？我们不如住在约但河那边倒好。
8主阿，以色列人既在仇敌面前转背逃跑，我还有甚么可说的呢？
9迦南人和这地一切的居民听见了就必围困我们，将我们的名从地上除灭。那时你为你的大名要怎样行呢？
10耶和华吩咐约书亚说：起来！你为何这样俯伏在地呢？
11以色列人犯了罪，违背了我所吩咐他们的约，取了当灭的物；又偷窃，又行诡诈，又把那当灭的放在他们的家具里。
信息分享
我们先前查考约书亚记的经文，看见以色列民凡事都遵从神的吩咐而行，所以，他们顺利渡过了约旦河，又在吉甲行了割礼和守了逾越节，再成功攻陷耶利哥城。可是，来到这一章，他们却连一个小城也不能攻破，而且，更惨败得落荒而逃。究竟是何原因？约书亚和众长老只有俯伏在神的面前，求神让他们知道究竟出了甚么问题。
以色列民之所以失败，首先是因为他们过分自信。当他们知道艾城只是个小城，便心存轻视，认为只要出动三千民就能将它攻破。他们之所以估计错误，可能是因为他们认为自己连耶利哥城也能攻破，便以为自己很有实力；但他们却忘了，他们能取得耶利哥城，完全是出于神的能力，与他们无关。
其次，他们在进攻艾城之前，似乎没有寻求神的带领。他们若寻求神的心意，神或许会让他们知道有人犯了罪。他们若先处理罪的问题，便不会落得惨败。
第三，也是最重要的原因，就是他们当中有人犯罪。我们可以从经文中得知事件的详情。一个人犯罪，结果连累了全民。神在第11节说：「以色列人犯了罪」；换言之，在神眼中，犯罪的不仅是一人，而是所有人。一个人犯罪，往往会连累大家。
亚干究竟犯了甚么罪呢？我们从第21节看到，他因为看见敌人的财物，而起了贪念，于是便违背了神的命令，私自把财物取去。
亚干后悔已经太迟了。他的罪已导致全民大败，36个同胞无辜牺牲。一个人的自私行为，祸延了他人。人若违背神的命令，故意犯罪，就只能承受当得的刑罚。
把罪隐藏，只会带来失败；只有认罪和除罪，才会有得胜的可能。这是一个不变的真理。但感谢神，因祂给予信徒一个宝贵的应许：「若有人认自己的罪，神是信实的，必赦免那人的罪。」(约壹一9)
DEFEAT - ITS CAUSE AND CURE
Joshua 7:1-11
1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel.
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.”
4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai.
5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
6 Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.
7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!
8 O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies?
9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
The Sin of Achan
10 So the LORD said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?
11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.
Message
Did you notice the first word in this chapter? 'But' - that one word almost tells the whole story. So far the Children of Israel had been wonderfully victorious. They had crossed the flooded Jordan River. They had stopped at Gilgal and observed the Passover over again. They had conquered Jericho. BUT - now they were running for their lives from the gates of one of the smallest towns they ever faced. More than that, Joshua and the elders were down on their faces before God not knowing what had gone wrong.
What had happened? First of all they were full of self-confidence. 'We only need a few men to defeat this little place', they said. They were wrong if they thought that they had defeated Jericho by their own numbers and not by the power of God.
Secondly. There does not seem to have been any prayer for guidance. If they had prayed, God may have revealed the sin that was already in the camp. Then they would never have been defeated.
Thirdly, and worst of all, there was sin in the camp. You will find the whole story in the rest of the chapter. The actions of one man brought the whole camp to defeat. God said in verse 11, 'Israel has sinned'. No just one man - all were involved as far as God was concerned. One man's sin can easily affect others.
What was Achan's sin or perhaps it ought to be 'sins'? Look at verse 21. He coveted something that he saw. He took what he had seen, although God had said no-one was to take anything out of Jericho. Then he hid what he had taken.
Too late Achan repented of what he had done. The sin of disobedience had to be punished. Hidden sin brought defeated to all Israel and 36 men died. No-one lives to himself. What we do affects the lives of others.
Sin concealed brought defeated. Sin revealed brought conviction. Sin confessed and put away brought victory. It is still the same today. We are dealing with the same God. But his promise to us is wonderful. 'If we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive.'