Victory Though Obedience
Joshua 7, 8:1 (ESV):
7 But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted
things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of
the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord
burned against the people of Israel.
2Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and
said to them,
“Go up and spy out the land.
” And the men went up and spied out
Ai.
3And they returned to Joshua and said to him,
“Do not have all the people go
up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make
the whole people toil up there, for they are few.
” 4So about three thousand men
went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai,
5and the men
of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far
as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people
melted and became as water.
6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of
the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their
heads.
7And Joshua said,
“Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people
over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us?
Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8O Lord, what can I
say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! 9For the Canaanites
and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off
our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”
The Sin of Achan
10The Lord said to Joshua,
“Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11Israel
has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they
have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them
among their own belongings.
12Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand
before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they
have become devoted for destruction.
[a] I will be with you no more, unless you
destroy the devoted things from among you.
13Get up! Consecrate the peopleand say,
‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the
Lord, God of Israel,
“There are devoted things in your midst, O
Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away
the devoted things from among you.
” 14In the morning therefore
you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the
Lord takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the Lord takes shall
come near by households. And the household that the Lord takes shall come
near man by man.
15And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned
with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of
the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.
’”
16So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and
the tribe of Judah was taken.
17And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the
clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites
man by man, and Zabdi was taken.
18And he brought near his household man by
man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of
Judah, was taken.
19Then Joshua said to Achan,
“My son, give glory to the Lord
God of Israel and give praise[b] to him. And tell me now what you have done; do
not hide it from me.
” 20And Achan answered Joshua,
“Truly I have sinned against
the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21when I saw among the spoil a
beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing
50 shekels,
[c] then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the
earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.
”
22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden
in his tent with the silver underneath.
23And they took them out of the tent and
brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down
before the Lord.
24And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of
Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and
daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had.
And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.
25And Joshua said,
“Why did
you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.
” And all Israel
stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them withstones.
26And they raised over him a great heap of stones that
remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger.
Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley
of Achor.
[d]
8 And the Lord said to Joshua,
“Do not fear and do not be
dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have
given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.
Introduction
The topic for us this morning is Victory through Obedience.
Here are a couple of questions to consider:
●
“Is it possible that even though God has promised us victory, we could still
experience defeat?”
●
“Could there be times when, despite believing we are serving God, we are
actually failing Him?”
In the 1980s, Pastor Jim Bakker led one of the largest Christian ministries in
America — the PTL (Praise The Lord) Network. Millions watched his broadcasts.
Thousands came to Christ. Everything looked unstoppable.
But behind the scenes, there were hidden compromises — financial
mismanagement, moral failure, spiritual drift. In 1987, it all came crashing down.
Bakker was arrested, imprisoned, and humiliated publicly.
Years later, reflecting on his fall, in the book “I was wrong,
” Jim says:
“I took God’s blessings for granted. I stopped seeking His will. I thought success
was automatic. I was wrong.
”
That statement could just as easily have been written over the nation of Israel in
Joshua chapter 7. They had just seen God bring down the walls of Jericho in a
miraculous way. They were surely riding high on victory. But as you begin to read
about their next campaign against the smaller city Ai, you will notice that there isno mention of them having a conversation with God or any
instructions from God. Perhaps they assumed success was
automatic. They took God’s blessings for granted. They stopped
seeking His will. And like Jim, they discovered that disobedience
leads to defeat!
Quick Recap
Before the focus turns to today’s passage, it is helpful to recall the larger story
unfolding in the book of Joshua. The narrative begins with the transition of
leadership to Joshua after the death of Moses. God commands him to be strong
and courageous and promises to be with him just as He was with Moses. The
people of Israel then cross the Jordan on dry ground, renew their covenant
through circumcision and Passover, and witness the dramatic collapse of Jericho’s
walls when they follow God’s unusual battle plan. From Joshua 1 through 6, the
story resounds with Promise, Faith, and Victory — a testimony of God’s power
displayed among His people.
But in Joshua 7, the tone shifts suddenly — from the thrill of victory to the sting of
defeat. It is like a team crowned world champions one moment, only to lose a
match against a weaker opponent the next. Up to this point, Israel’s journey was
marked by triumph. Now, however, a deeper lesson emerges: victory in the land
would not be automatic. God’s blessings could not be presumed upon. True
victory would come only through obedience.
The defeat at Ai revealed that success did not depend on Israel’s strength or
reputation, but on their obedience to God. The lesson was unmistakable: God’s
promises are always bound to His commands. With that in view, the first point
drawn from this passage is clear — the requirement of obedience.
I. The Requirement of Obedience.
Obedience is not to be misunderstood as a rule God imposes — it is fundamental
to how we were created and how God relates with us. From the beginning, in thegarden, obedience was the way Adam and Eve were to walk in
harmony with God’s will and the pathway to trust, fellowship, and
life with Him.
Throughout Scripture, God’s expectation of obedience is a
consistent theme. Consider a few examples:
●
Deuteronomy 10:12–13 —
“What does the LORD your God ask of you but
to fear the LORD … to walk in obedience … for your own good?”
●
1 Samuel 15:22 —
“To obey is better than sacrifice.
”
●
“If you love me, keep my commands.
”
●
“Do not merely listen to the word … Do what it says.
”
John 14:15 —
James 1:22 —
From the Law, to the Prophets, to Jesus, to the early church, God’s message is the
same: He desires obedience.
The fact that God expects obedience could be misunderstood by some who may
argue that if He is loving and gave us freedom, why would He want us to be
obedient? Here’s why God requires Obedience:
1. Obedience demonstrates our love: (John 15:10) → Jesus said,
“If you keep
my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s
commands and remain in His love.
”
Obedience is presented in Scripture as the true evidence of love, a truth affirmed
by the Lord Himself. In John’s Gospel, Jesus explains that He demonstrated His
love for the Father by submitting fully to His will—even to the point of the cross.
This teaching is not a condition for receiving God’s love, for that love is already
freely given. As John 3:16 declares,
“For God so loved the world…,
” and as
Romans 5:8 reminds us,
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.
” Rather, the call to keep Christ’s commands is an
invitation to remain rooted in His love and to reflect that love through righteous
living—choosing what is good over what is sinful, love over hatred, forgiveness
over anger.After His resurrection, when Jesus met Peter by the sea, He asked
three times,
“Do you love Me?” Each time, He linked love with
action: “Feed My sheep.
” Love in Scripture is not proven by words
alone but by obedience in action. Just as a child’s love for parents is
shown through listening, respect, and obedience, and just as love
in marriage or friendship is expressed through action, so love for God is
demonstrated by obedience. Words of affection without obedience are empty.
God calls for obedience as the living response to His steadfast love.
2. Obedience shows our trust in an all-wise God: (Proverbs 3:5–6) → “Trust
in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in
all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.
”
Obedience is not just about doing what God says; it is about trusting that He
knows better than we do. Our human reasoning is limited, shaped by what we
know and can see in the moment. God, however, is all-wise and sees the full
picture. When His commands don’t line up with our logic, obedience becomes the
ultimate expression of trust.
To “lean not on your own understanding” means refusing to rest on our limited
perspective. Instead, we submit to God’s direction, confident that His wisdom is
higher, His plan is better, and His vision is eternal. Obedience says,
“Lord, even
when I don’t understand, I trust You enough to follow.
”
Often God’s commands don’t line up with human logic. At Jericho, God gave Israel
a battle plan that looked nothing like human wisdom. March around the city once
each day for six days. On the seventh day, march seven times, blow the trumpets,
and shout. From a military perspective, this made no sense at all. No battering
rams, no ladders, no siege weapons. To seasoned warriors, it must have looked
like foolishness.
But Israel obeyed. They trusted God’s wisdom over their own understanding. And
the walls that seemed impenetrable collapsed by God’s power (Joshua 6:20).
Israel couldn’t explain Jericho, but they obeyed and won. Contrary to that, they
thought Ai was easy, relied on their own strength, and disobeyed — and they lost.Here’s an important truth - At Jericho, Israel obeyed God’s wisdom
and saw walls fall. At Ai, they leaned on their own wisdom and saw
their courage fall!!!
So God’s expectation of Obedience is because our obedience
demonstrates a loving relationship, our obedience demonstrates
trust and lastly,
3. Obedience demonstrates — Knowing Who We Are and Whose We Are
●
Genesis 1:27 —
“So God created mankind in His own image, in the image
of God He created them; male and female He created them.
”
●
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 —
“You are not your own; you were bought at a
price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.
●
Isaiah 43:1 —
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by
name, you are mine.
”
Obedience begins in understanding who we are and whose we are. When we
know we are God’s creation — made in His image, redeemed by His Son, indwelt
by His Spirit — obedience becomes the natural response. It’s no more about
trying harder, it’s about remembering: I belong to Him.
Saving Private Ryan: Some of you may remember the movie Saving Private Ryan.
It’s set during World War II. The U.S. Army discovers that three brothers in one
family have been killed in combat, and the last surviving brother, Private James
Ryan, is still somewhere behind enemy lines in France. A special mission is
launched: a group of soldiers is sent to find him and bring him home safely.
But the mission is costly. Captain Miller and his men risk everything, and one by
one, they die in the effort to rescue Ryan. In the climactic scene, Captain Miller,
mortally wounded, pulls Ryan close and whispers two words that would change
Ryan’s life forever: “Earn this.
”
The movie closes decades later with an older James Ryan, standing over Captain
Miller’s grave. With tears in his eyes, he turns to his wife and asks,
“Tell me I’ve led
a good life. Tell me I’m a good man.
” For all those years, Ryan had lived with theweight of that sacrifice. His obedience to that charge didn’t come
from law or fear — it came from deep gratitude.
We live differently when we know that our Creator made us in His
image and that Christ gave His life to redeem us. Our obedience
stems from knowing what Christ did for us on the cross.
Obedience is not optional — it is required by God, because it’s the way we live in
love and faith. But here’s the sobering truth: when God’s people fail to obey, the
fallout is inevitable. Disobedience is never a small matter. What begins in secret
always ends in sorrow. What looks harmless in the tent brings devastation on the
battlefield. Israel learned this the hard way.
At Jericho, obedience brought walls tumbling down; at Ai, disobedience brought
Israel to its knees. The same God who honors obedience will not overlook
disobedience.
As the narrative continues in Joshua 7 and 8, with a focus on Achan’s disobedience
and its consequences, it is worth pausing briefly to consider what God had
commanded concerning Jericho:
God instructed through Joshua 6:17-19 - And the city and all that is within it shall
be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who
are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we
sent. But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when
you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp
of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. But all silver and gold,
and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the
treasury of the Lord.
”
God’s instruction to completely destroy the city of Jericho and its inhabitants has
often been cited by critics who ask how a loving God could order such destruction,
including women and children. The account in Joshua is understood by
theologians and biblical scholars not as an act of arbitrary cruelty, but as acomplex expression of divine judgment and justice. Several
perspectives help explain this event—here are four ways to
consider it:
The Canaanites had a long history of Sin: God had patiently
granted 400 years of grace to the Canaanites. Gen. 15:13–16, God told Abraham
that his descendants would return to the land only when "the iniquity of the
Amorite is complete"
. This indicates that a judgment was foretold and delayed for
centuries, giving the inhabitants time to change their ways. They had ample time
to turn from their wicked ways. The Canaanites were not being destroyed
arbitrarily. They weren’t kind, humble, indigenous people guilty of minor offenses.
For centuries, their societies were marked by idolatry, ritual prostitution, adultery,
incest, homosexuality, and bestiality. They worshipped Molech by sacrificing their
children on the outstretched arms of an idol as a roaring fire consumed them
alive. The sins of the Canaanites were so severe that even the land they lived on
was defiled. (Deuteronomy 9:4–5; Leviticus 18:24–25). Therefore, God who is a
just God had to pass divine judgement.
God has ultimate Authority: As the creator, God has the ultimate authority over
life and death. The command concerning Jericho was not given by a human
political leader but was a divine decree by a Holy and Righteous God who cannot
ignore sin, no matter how small. God has the power to give life and he has the
same power to take it away. It is His prerogative. It is similar to a situation where a
person who creates something, has the right to take it down if it malfunctions.
God had to protect Israel’s spirituality: Israel was meant to be holy and distinct, a
people through whom God’s plan of salvation (ultimately Christ) would come. If
they lived side by side with entrenched Canaanite idolatry, history shows they
would adopt those practices. God’s command was a safeguard so His people could
remain faithful to Him.
God’s Judgement was specific and did not lack mercy: The story also contains an
example of mercy. Rahab, a Jericho resident who showed faith in the God of Israel,
was spared along with her family. This highlights that God's judgment was notsimply ethnic but focused on the wickedness of the culture, with
an open door for those who turned to him.
II. The Consequences of Disobedience
Returning to Achan’s sin—in Joshua 7:21 he confessed: ‘I saw in
the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver, and
a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I coveted them and took them. They are
hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.
God had been crystal clear at Jericho. Everything in the city was devoted to Him.
Nothing was to be taken for personal use. The treasures were not Israel’s reward
— they were God’s portion. But Achan thought he could bend God’s command. He
saw, he coveted, he took, and he hid.
On the surface, his sin might look small. What’s one robe? What’s a few pieces of
silver and gold? Surely, it wouldn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. But sin is
never measured by the size of the act — it’s measured by the seriousness of
disobedience to a holy God.
This is where Joshua 7 shows us the sobering truth: when God’s requirement is
ignored, the consequences are inevitable…. And the consequences of Achan’s
disobedience show up in two devastating ways:
Disobedience Diminishes God’s Presence and Power
At Jericho, Israel’s strength was not in swords or strategy — it was in the presence
of God. As long as they obeyed, He fought for them, and walls that looked
impossible came crashing down. But at Ai, one hidden act of disobedience caused
God to say,
“I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among
you is devoted to destruction” (Joshua 7:12).
Brothers and Sisters, the greatest tragedy of sin: it distances us from God’s
presence. The real defeat wasn’t the 36 men who died at Ai — it was that God’spower had been withdrawn. When we disobey, we unplug
ourselves from the very source of victory.
Consider Samson in Judges 16. He assumed he could continue in
disobedience and still rely on God’s strength. But when Delilah cut
his hair, the symbol of his vow, the text records: ‘He did not know that the Lord
had left him’ (Judges 16:20). Samson rose to fight as before, yet the strength was
gone—because the presence of the Lord was gone.
That is exactly what happened to Israel at Ai. They went out confident, expecting
victory, but with sin, they lost God’s presence and losing His presence positioned
them for defeat.
●
●
In Psalm 66:18 — David said,
would not have listened.
”
In John 15:5: Jesus said,
“If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord
“Apart from Me you can do nothing.
”
Listen to what Charles Spurgeon said:
“God will not hear us if we regard iniquity in our hearts. Sin is a great enemy to
prayer; prayer and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will
consume sin, or sin will choke prayer.
”
Disobedience distances us from God. It diminishes his presence and power in our
lives.
Disobedience also damages the community and dishonors God:
God’s expectation of obedience in Joshua 7 mirrors what was required in Eden.
The promised land was to be like a restored garden. Just as Eve saw the fruit,
desired it, and took it, Achan saw the spoils, desired them, and took them. In both
cases, one act of disobedience affected the whole community.Sin often begins small. A glance, a desire, a compromise that seems
harmless. Yet even a small opening can grow into something
destructive. Scripture shows again and again that sin spreads when
entertained.
Influence plays a powerful role. From the beginning, God warned
His people not to be shaped by nations and practices that did not honor Him.
Influence shapes choices, and choices shape destiny.
Achan’s sin may have seemed minor—one robe, some silver, a bar of gold. But it
brought death to thirty-six men and shame upon Israel. God’s verdict was not
“Achan has sinned,
” but “Israel has sinned.
” The hidden disobedience of one
weakened the whole nation and dishonored God’s name. Here’s the truth: sin is
never just personal. It ripples outward, damaging families, churches, communities,
and ultimately dishonoring God.
The Bible gives us many examples of this principle:
●
Adam’s sin in the garden didn’t just affect him —
“through the disobedience
of one man, the many were made sinners” (Romans 5:12).
●
Jonah’s rebellion didn’t just affect him — it brought a storm that
endangered everyone on the ship (Jonah 1).
●
David’s adultery and murder didn’t just affect his family — Nathan told him,
“By this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to
blaspheme” (2 Samuel 12:14).
The world is watching. When the church lives in holiness, the world sees God’s
glory. When the church tolerates disobedience, the world scoffs at God’s name.
Church, Achan’s story reminds us of a sobering reality: disobedience is never a
“me problem”
— it is always a “we problem.
” It weakens the body and dishonors
the God we claim to serve.
III. The Restoration of Obedience – Victory!Israel’s defeat at Ai is a sobering reminder that sin never stays hidden, and its
consequences always spread. One man’s disobedience brought defeat, fear, and
dishonor. But praise God — that’s not where the story ends. Joshua 7 doesn’t
close with despair, and neither does our story when we fail. The same God who
exposes sin also makes a way for cleansing. The same God who withdraws His
presence because of disobedience restores His presence when His people return
in repentance.
Restoration Requires Repentance and Cleansing
Achan’s story could have taken a different turn had there been repentance. In
Joshua 7:12–13, the Lord declared: “Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand
before their enemies… I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the
devoted things from among you. Get up! Consecrate the people… You cannot
stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among
”
you.
When Joshua shared this command with the people, Achan still had an
opportunity to step forward and confess. The text suggests a window of mercy, yet
he remained silent.
The larger message, however, is one of restoration. God did not abandon Israel to
defeat. Once the sin was exposed and removed, He called the people to
consecrate themselves anew. And in Joshua 8, the account shifts from failure at Ai
to renewed victory.
The turning point was not new weapons or improved tactics, but the restoration
of obedience and the return of God’s presence. Here’s the truth: restoration is
always possible with God — but it comes through repentance, consecration, and
renewed obedience. Hidden and unconfessed sin can will only lead to defeat and
death!1 John 1:9 —
forgive us.
”
Psalm 51:17 —
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
“A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not
despise.
”
Restoration Brings God’s Presence and Renewed Victory
God’s restoration isn’t just about forgiving the past — it empowers the future. God
takes a people who failed and makes them victorious again.
After sin was confessed and Achan’s disobedience removed, God spoke to Joshua
again in Joshua 8:1: “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole
army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the
king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
”
This is such a powerful picture of God’s grace. The same God who withdrew His
presence in chapter 7 renewed His promise in chapter 8. Failure was not final.
Once obedience was restored, God’s presence returned — and with His presence
came victory.
Notice the sequence: repentance → God’s presence restored → renewed courage
→ fresh victory.
After denying Jesus three times, Peter’s failure was public and painful. But in John
21, the risen Christ restored him: “Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep.
” Peter,
once broken by sin, became bold at Pentecost. His first sermon brought 3,000
souls into the kingdom. Restoration turned defeat into a platform for victory.
John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace, lived as a slave trader — a man
complicit in one of the darkest sins of history. But when he repented and
surrendered to Christ, God restored him. His testimony and hymns fueled the
abolition movement and continue to minister to millions today. His place of
deepest sin became the soil for one of the greatest testimonies of grace.Restoration doesn’t just forgive the past — it redeems the past and
equips us for future victory.
Let me summarize everything we listened to this morning:
Israel’s journey from Jericho to Ai teaches us:
●
God’s Requirement for Obedience — Obedience is not optional; it is the
way we show our love, our trust, and our devotion to Him.
●
The Consequences of Disobedience — Hidden sin always leads to defeat,
weakens God’s people, and dishonors His name.
●
The Restoration of Obedience — When we repent, God restores His
presence, renews our courage, and leads us to fresh victory.
Church, Israel’s story at Ai is not just history — it’s a mirror. It reminds us that
victory is never about our strength, our plans, or our numbers. Victory comes only
when God is with us. And God is with us when we walk in obedience.
Victory is not automatic. Victory doesn’t come from our strength, our strategies,
or our size. Victory comes through obedience, ONLY THROUGH OBEDIENCE!
As we close, let me emphasize this: Israel’s victories and defeats all pointed to a
greater story — the obedience of Jesus Christ. Where Adam disobeyed and
brought sin into the world, Jesus obeyed perfectly, even to the point of death on a
cross. Paul writes in Philippians 2:8,
‘He humbled himself by becoming obedient to
death — even death on a cross!’ And because of His obedience, we have absolute
victory over sin and death.
Church, this is the good news: our hope is not in our obedience alone, but in
Christ’s obedience on our behalf. Because He obeyed, the power of sin is broken.
Because He obeyed, forgiveness is offered. Because He obeyed, victory is possible.Jesus took our judgement and our sins to provide for our
restoration. If He went all the way to sacrifice his life on the cross,
shouldn’t that compel us to live a life in Obedience?
Brother Ajay Kunde/September 28, 2025
Leading People To A Life Of Commitment And Productivity In Christ
