In Joshua 6 and 7 the people of Israel come to the walls of Jericho. The city is locked up tight. God tells the people to walk around the city with the Ark of the Covenant in the lead followed by seven priests with seven trumpets, the warriors from the twelve tribes and then all of the people. For six days the people walk silently around the city one time each day. On the seventh day, the people walk around the city seven times. After the seventh time the priests blow the trumpets and the people give a loud shout. The walls of Jericho crumble. All of the citizens of Jericho are killed except for Rahab and her family. They are spared because Rahab hid the spies went they checked out the city. The people loot the city of all the gold, silver, bronze and iron and are to put it into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

Unfortunately Achan a member of the tribe of Judah keeps the items he looted. God is angry with the Israelites for his disobedience. Joshua sends spies to the next city, Ai. The spies report that it should be easy for them to win the battle. But the Israelites lost the battle with the army of Ai. Joshua falls down and asks God why he allowed the people to fail. Now the Canaanites will conquer the Israelites and demean God’s name. But God tells Joshua to stand up. He tells Joshua of the people’s sin. They have broken the covenant God established with them. He says the only way to reestablish the covenant is if the people sanctify themselves by destroying the items they stole from God. God has all of the tribes come before Him. He selects out the tribe of Judah from the twelve tribes as the one that has sinned. Then He narrows down the guilty party by clan, family, household and individual until He chooses Achan. Joshua has Achan confess his sin to the Lord. Achan admits his guilt and tells Joshua that the items are buried in his tent. Messengers bring the items to Joshua. Joshua and all of Israel take Achan and his loot away from the campsite. They stone Achan and burn him and his loot because of his sin. God is no longer angry with the people. The place where Achan was killed is known as the Valley of Achor which means “trouble.”

We might wonder how it can be that Achan would forget the covenant so soon after Moses declared it to them. They had just heard all of the laws: the blessings and the curses. They knew that there would be grave consequences for disobedience. And yet when Achan saw the beauty of the loot he had taken, he couldn’t resist the temptation. How many of us would be in his shoes? We worship God on Sunday and sin on Monday. How quickly we forget.

In Romans 11 Paul continues his thoughts about the fact that so many Jews have rejected Jesus and now are not saved. He entertains the question “Has God rejected his people?” Paul says emphatically, “No!” To Paul’s thinking it is necessary for the Jews to stumble so that the Gentiles may be reached. As the Gentiles are reached the Jews become jealous and may come to know Jesus.

The fact that the gospel is open to the Gentiles is not something they should boast about, that they now have something that was promised to the Jews. If they turn away, they too, risk punishment. Also when someone who has turned away comes again, they are welcomed back with open arms.

Paul believes that Israel has been hardened so that the full number of Gentiles will be included. When this is complete all of Israel will be saved. God will keep His covenant with His people. “God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that He may be merciful to all.”

So often we limit God because of our limited understanding. We believe that we have a handle on God’s judgment and God’s mercy. But our God is greater than any of our imaginings. His love is deeper, His grace is greater than any we can conceive. We are his children whom he calls “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.”