Two Lies of Satan That Lead to Trouble
Satan obviously has an influence in this world, but how much and on whom is the question. From Joshua 7:16-26 we learn about the sad experience of an Israelite named Achan which warns us about "Two Lies of Satan That Lead to Trouble." February 21, 2010.
With “their budgets in crisis, governors, legislators and prison officials across the nation are making or considering policy changes that will likely remove tens of thousands of offenders from prisons and parole supervision [In California] Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to eliminate parole for all offenders not convicted of violent or sex-related crimes, reducing the parole population by about 70,000 and grant early release to more inmates – steps that could trim the prison population by 15,000 over the next 18 months” (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28592088/). Critics of the plan argue about the danger of releasing convicts.
Does it ever seem to you like Satan is a released prisoner? I mean, we know the evil one has been captured and conquered by the Son of God and Savior of the world, yet we also know that evil still sometimes seems to have its way in our world. And we know that, as God’s very own people, we are ransomed from sin, death, and the devil, yet we still face temptations that are too strong and too many and too deceptive, we give into them too often, and we also suffer too much anxiety and anguish because of trouble in the world and in our lives. Is Satan a released prisoner?
Throughout the Scriptures God details accounts of Satan’s activity: appearing as a serpent in the Garden of Eden, meddling in the affairs of Job, tempting Jesus in the wilderness, and prowling along the paths of our lives like a hungry lion. Satan obviously has an influence in this world, but how much and on whom is the question. Today the sad experience of an Israelite named Achan warns us about Two Lies of Satan That Lead to Trouble.
Sin is private
“It’s no big deal. Nobody will ever know,” Satan whispers to human hearts hungering for approval of what they know is wrong. Satan feeds us lies that sin is private, a personal matter with no impact on others. But there is no such thing as a victimless sin. Achan finally realized this only after it was too late. Here is his story
The Israelites crossed the Jordan River to take possession of the Promised Land after wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. Following the courageous faith of Joshua, their new leader, they marched around the enemy city of Jericho blowing trumpets as God crushed the walls of the city and gave them victory. God commanded the Israelites to destroy all people and animals of Jericho, burning the entire city to the ground so that no traces of pagan influence could distract the Israelites from faith in the true God. They were to spare only an informant named Rahab, as well as some items of silver, gold, and bronze to be dedicated to the Lord’s treasury. “But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things” the Bible informs us (Joshua 7:1). Did an Israelite mob create a riot in the ransacked streets as hundreds of them looted the defenseless marketplace? Did Israelite gangs of soldiers pillage the homes of the rich and bring back carts full of treasures? How many Israelites disobeyed God’s command to either destroy Jericho and its contents or bring specific items to God? “Achan took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.” Without knowing this Joshua led the people against the city of Ai to conquer it like Jericho but the Israelites were defeated. When Joshua asked the Lord why, this was his answer: “Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant they have taken some of the devoted things they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions” (Joshua 7:10-12).
Thirty six of his fellow Israelites were killed because Achan believed Satan’s lie that sin is private, but it hurts others. Achan stole silver and gold treasures given to Israel by God as gifts because he believed Satan’s lie that sin is private, but it abuses gifts and blessings that belong to others and God. God reaches through an entire family tree as the different tribes, clans, and families appear before Joshua in a public inquiry. At no time does Achan come forward, until the finger of God points at him. His desperate confession is good, but late. Joshua sends a delegation to find the loot hidden in Achan’s family tent; they bring it back and spread it out as evidence. Then with swift judgment handed down from God, “Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all he had stoned [them] and burned them. Over [them] they heaped up a large pile of rocks.” What Satan told Achan would be private became very public because sin hurts others. With a public display of anger and a public memorial set up for future generations, God renounces Satan’s lie with a strong message: sin is never private. Achan’s own children became entangled in his sin and paid a troubling price.
Don’t feel sorry for them. Don’t feel upset at God. Don’t listen to Satan’s lies slithering into your heart right now that they didn’t deserve such harsh treatment. Let God take care of their ultimate destiny (which could reverse earthly punishment with eternal grace). Instead, feel sorry for the people you hurt with your sins. Feel upset at yourself for listening to Satan’s lie that your sin is private. “It’s no big deal. Nobody will ever know.” Feel the regret of not being there for your children because you were chasing selfish ambition. Feel the pain in your spouse’s heart after harsh words of criticism or acts of indifference. Realize the role you play in giving X-rated jobs to women whose faces and bodies appear on your computer screen and when you click on them you are signing their paycheck and helping them believe their destiny is nothing more than smut. Realize the role you play in fueling the addiction of materialism, debt, and gambling in our society by how much you overspend or where you spend it. Look at all the loot spread out in front of us as evidence of hurting others while pleasing ourselves and abusing God’s gifts while thinking we deserve more. You and I can either try to hide like Achan, or we can step forward now before it’s too late repent of our sin and ask God’s help to destroy what can destroy us. We all have our secret sins. What is yours? Whom is it hurting? When will it end?
Salvation is painless
“It’s no big deal. Nobody will ever know. We’re in the wilderness after all,” Satan hissed convincingly to the hungry human nature of Jesus. “If you’re who you say you are then turn these stones into bread. If your goal is the gold of glory you can have it now without the gruesome cross. If you really trust your Father’s promise to take care of you in times of suffering then ask him to prove it right now in a controlled experiment.” Alone, with only the taste of desert dust and the taunting of the devil for 40 days, Jesus could have believed Satan’s lie. Who would have known? We’d have known, and because Jesus believed this with all his heart he refused Satan’s lie. Jesus focused not on his loneliness, his hunger, or the prospect of pain. There in the wilderness he thought of you and of your sins and that if he sinned you would never have a Savior. The cross was waiting for him and he’d climb it, willing it for himself. He’d suffer for you. He’d die with hell’s curse separating him from the Father for you. One little willing “yes” to Satan’s lie could have spared him from it all, but instead he spoke his “yes” to you. Sometimes saying “yes” to God brings with it painful suffering.
“Bad things don’t happen to believers,” Satan whispers to us when we are hurting. “So either God isn’t as loving as he says, or you’re not the believer you think you are.” Satan lies to us that salvation is painless, that once we’re right with God it will mean no car repairs, no problems with teenagers or coworkers, no unemployment, and definitely no consequences of our sinful behavior like discipline or dysfunctional relationships. Satan wants us to forget that God forgave Adam yet he’d sweat from weeding the garden and God forgave Eve but she’d scream in pain when giving birth. Satan wants us to forget that his tormenting of God was part of God’s tough-love plan to improve Job’s faith. Satan wants us to forget that when Jesus called his disciples he led them into storms, and even death.
The Bible is filled with bad things that happen to believers. But God’s promises redefine bad things so that in faith we know they are good things. On Ash Wednesday we heard God’s reassurance, “Those whom I love I discipline. So be earnest and repent” (Revelation 3:19). How often I have latched onto bad things in my life and held them up to God as evidence against him, proving his promises of love to be untrue, and each time was only using them as an entry point into my world, my life, for him to be present where I hurt the most. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock” (Revelation 3:19). Bad things, for sinners whom God loves, are good things. Good because God works in them and through them for our good. Don’t slam the door on God when salvation proves to be painful. Don’t tell your Christian parents or pastors that you hate them because they discipline you. Don’t run away from God when he wants to strengthen you by exercising your faith and it takes a little more sweat and struggle than you’d like. “Anyone who hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:19). The door of discipline for the child of God may bring pain, but God is right there, knocking, coming closer.
Proponents of the prisoner release plan admit the risk of releasing criminals, but insist that if the right prisoners are released we will actually be a safer society because law enforcement will be able to focus more efforts on the truly dangerous people. Suffering can help us focus. Just ask Olympic athletes whose unbearable training yields victory. The Israelites were suffering from the day they escaped Egypt only to look back and see Pharaoh pursuing them all the way across the Red Sea. They endured scorpions and snakes in the desert, enemy invasions and waterless wilderness. A generation of them, including Moses, died before seeing the Promised Land. And now they hang their heads in shame at the pile of rocks burying Achan in a valley called Trouble. All so that trouble does not have its way with them as it could. So that they recognize the power of sin and focus on their faith in the Lord and his promises. And the promises of the Lord lead to triumph now and forever. Amen.
Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (http://www.gracedowntown.org/) on February 21, 2010
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