Honesty: Benefits Others
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. - Joshua 7:1 (NKJV)
Lying doesn't just affect liars. It also injures and, in some cases, destroys innocent bystanders. This is what happened when Achan stole something. When God commanded the Israelites to destroy the city of Jericho, He told them not to take the spoils (Joshua 6:18-19), which is exactly what Achan did.
By not confessing this when he had the chance, he essentially lied and brought sin upon himself. Notice, however, that the Bible says, the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel, not just Achan. The reason is that Achan's personal sin had a corporate effect on Israel. Because of one man's deceitfulness, God could no longer bless the nation. Watch what happened next:
And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them . . . and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water. (Joshua 7:5 NKJV)
Israel lost an important battle, and thirty-six soldiers died, all because of one man's lie. Lying doesn't just hurt the liar; it also wounds the innocent. And if we are honest about it, we're guilty of doing this. But, Pastor Bob, I would never tell a lie that would hurt someone else! Tell that to the thirty-six men who died because Achan wouldn't exercise the honesty to admit he had done wrong.
But if lying hurts others, then the opposite must also be true: honesty benefits others. If you want to bless people around you, live an honest life. Don't do anything that would cause the Lord to lift His hand of protection from you and, thereby, wound others in the process.
DIG - How did Achan's dishonesty affect innocent people?
DISCOVER - Think of an example of when you told a lie that hurt an innocent party.
DISPLAY - Keep Achan in mind when you're tempted to be dishonest.
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At the age of 24, Bob Coy left a coveted position in the music industry to serve as an associate pastor with Calvary Chapel of Las Vegas. In 1985, Bob and his wife, Diane, moved to Fort Lauderdale and began Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale. As senior pastor, he has become well known for his unique style in expounding the Scriptures, making them come alive and relate to those of us living in the 21st century. His teaching style emphasizes the believer's "life application" of the highest standards of God's truth while his delivery captures the loving heart of God's Spirit.
Pastor Bob has had the rare privilege of watching God's miraculous hand move in the individual lives of those in the fellowship as well as the corporate body as a whole. From the first meeting in a living room with four in attendance, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale has now become home to over 17,000 men and women from the tri-county area, and ranks as the eighth largest church in the country. Though many have tried to attribute its rapid growth to numerous reasons, no one is more surprised by the phenomenon than Pastor Bob, who gives total credit and all the glory to God alone.
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