King James Daily Bible Study: Remove The Accursed Things
Date: Tuesday March 15, 2011
Chapters: Joshua 7-9
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-march-15
Details of Today's Reading: The sin of Achan, Ai defeats Israel, Joshua complains then repents, Israel defeats Ai, and Joshua reads the law to the whole congregation.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
The word accursed means to be under a curse, ill-fated, doomed for something bad. The Bible says, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” - Galatians 1:6-8. The angel from heaven that Paul is speaking of from these verses is Satan, known as Lucifer. He was cast down from heaven because he caused havoc in heaven and tried to over power God. Satan's accursed to be cast into hell and the lake of fire, but until then he is going to do anything he can to cause havoc on God and His people here on earth, especially in the church. Just like God has His people, Satan has his as well, if he can get one person to go against one command from God then he can get others to follow and cause all kinds of havoc, no doubt bringing God's people into deception and corruption. Needless to say that anyone who perverts God's Word is accursed.

After their victory in Jericho the Israelites felt pretty good about themselves, perhaps they thought they could defeat anyone. Little did Joshua know that amongst them was a man who was taking things into his own hands. Without speaking to God about it Joshua proceeded to take out a small town named Ai only to be defeated by them, losing thirty-six lives. Upon returning Joshua knelt before God weeping and in fear, but instead of God comforting him, God gave him a thrashing.

“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...And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water...And Joshua said, Alas, O LORD God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!..And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.” - Joshua 7:1,5,7,10-12.

Had Joshua inquired with God first he would have known that Achan had taken accursed things and caused a curse upon the people. We can never be over confident about ourselves in any matter, so many people have lost their lives because they thought they had everything under control. Every decision we make needs to be thought out and inquired with God, every decision. One day I forgot my wallet, it caused me to be ten minutes late, but had I been at the turn I normally make at the time I made it someone would have hit me and I and my little nephew would have been caught up in a serious accident. “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” - Psalm 73:24-26.

Before God would bless the Israelites they had to remove the person or people that were accursed along with the accursed things. Joshua found Achan, his family and all the things that he had taken.

“And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.” - Joshua 7:24-26.

One man's sin caused death upon himself, his family, and to innocent people. All mankind is accursed, doomed to be cast into hell, and the lake of fire, because of one man's sin. “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” - I Corinthians 15:21,22. Jesus Christ gave us a way to break free from the accursed, He gave His life for us. He gave His life for every person whether he sinned once or ten thousand times. The only way to break the curse is asking Him to save you. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” - Romans 10:9,10.

Those who have not asked Jesus to save them are still accursed, them along with every person who has corrupted God's Word and deceived people by it receive the same fate that Satan does. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever...And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. ” - Revelation 20:10,14,15.

Once Achan and all the accursed things were removed from among the people with God's instructions Israel came back and defeated Ai. After their victory, Joshua wrote a copy of the law then gathered all the people together, Israelites and strangers among them, and read it before them. He read it word for word, leaving nothing out. “And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.” - Joshua 8:34,35.

Satan has no problem with people believing in God and His Son, He knows they exist, but if he can get one accursed person to altar God's Word just a little bit he has done what he came here to do. One little doubt, one little word changes everything. One little word can mean the difference between life and death, Satan already knows his fate, the more havoc he creates the longer he lives, but he, like the rest of us, have no idea when Jesus will return and when He does, all hell will literally break loose. The only way to be prepared is to remove the accursed things from among us. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” - II Peter 3:9,10.

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through the uncut stones at the altar (8:31). Jesus is our Corner Stone. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;” - Ephesians 2:19,20.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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