Discovery of Achan

Driving home: He had a clear word from God, a present sense of direct dealings with God. A living faith in a present God and a burning zeal for the honor of God and these things are that which prompted such resolute and complete obedi…

Martin explains that the phrase 'was taken' refers to the casting of lots, a method God used to discover secret crimes in Israel when there were no eyewitnesses, as normal judgment required two or three witnesses.

of our time will be spent in seeking to ascertain what God is saying to Israel and to us in the manner in which he discovered the sin of Achan. First of all then a brief resume of the facts. The heads of the various groupings would be summoned to the front of the tabernacle and there in the presence of Joshua and most likely the presence of the elders and probably the priest this is what transpired. The scripture says that the various heads of the family were taken the various groupings were taken now this little phrase were taken is a significant phrase and it refers to those cases in which t...

7:12 - 8:29 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He had a clear word from God, a present sense of direct dealings with God. A living faith in a present God and a burning zeal for the honor of God and these things are that which prompted such resolute and complete obedi…

The story of Saul's foolish adjuration and Jonathan's discovery by lot in 1 Samuel 14 is used to illustrate the scriptural precedent for using lots to find a guilty party.

where there could be no witnesses, where it was secret crime, God was pleased to use the casting of lots to bring to light the guilty party. Look at two instances recorded in the old testament. In 1st Samuel chapter 14 we have an instance in which the absence of testimony of eyewitnesses there was this reliance upon the casting of the lot. Saul had given this very foolish adjuration concerning the fact that soldiers were not to eat even on this great day of the Lord's victory in the camp of Israel and you remember Jonathan was guilty in ignorance and Saul is determined to find out who is the g...

8:29 - 9:58 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He had a clear word from God, a present sense of direct dealings with God. A living faith in a present God and a burning zeal for the honor of God and these things are that which prompted such resolute and complete obedi…

The account of Jonah and the mariners casting lots to discover the cause of the storm is presented as another biblical example of using lots to reveal hidden guilt.

to the book of Jonah for another example of the use of this phrase. Jonah chapter 1 you remember the setting these heathen mariners regarded this as being controlled by the gods and therefore when unusually fierce storms arose which threatened life and limb they did not look upon it in a purely naturalistic way they regarded it as the frown of the deity or the deities and we read in verse 7 and they the mariners said everyone to his fellow come let us cast lots that we may know for whose cause the evil is come upon us so they cast lots and the lot fell upon Jonah here again was the use of the ...

9:58 - 11:27 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He had a clear word from God, a present sense of direct dealings with God. A living faith in a present God and a burning zeal for the honor of God and these things are that which prompted such resolute and complete obedi…

Martin uses the analogy of scratching names on potsherds, shaking them in an urn, and pouring them out to explain how the Israelites, despite the 'chance' nature, believed God sovereignly controlled the outcome of the lot, even the law of gravity.

that cannot be established by sound reasoning or by eye witnesses and Solomon said the lot is the instrumental means causing such contentions to cease you say well why could it be that a people who were obviously not cave people who were obviously intelligent cultured people a people whom we would say had a great deal of advanced civilization why would they rely upon so primitive a method as the lot well it reflected their whole world and life view they had a view of life and they had a view of the world that set above life and the world the absolute sovereignty of God so Solomon says in Prove...

11:27 - 12:55 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon vividly portrays Achan's increasing dread as the lots narrow down to his tribe, family, and finally himself, emphasizing that God's drawn-out process was a lesson for…

Martin vividly describes Achan's internal torment and rationalizations as the lots progressively narrow down from tribe to family to individual, making the discovery a form of psychological torture.

all then that larger rank is taken and the heads of the twelve tribes are lined up and on the potsherds is scratched the names or some symbol of the heads of the tribes and Joshua places them in the urn and the urn is shaken put yourself in Achan's place you stand there reasoning only one chance and twelve that my tribe will be found the urn is turned over and Joshua announces it is the tribe of Judah immediately Achan's heart begins to beat faster the cold sweat begins to stand out in his brow but then he begins to rationalize and says oh well that was just a chance that one in twelve and he'...

15:52 - 17:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not rely on external privileges (like having Christian parents or being part of a good church) to keep you from sin.

External privileges are likened to a 'dam made of toothpicks' before a 'rushing mighty river' of corrupt passions, illustrating their utter inadequacy to restrain sin without a new heart.

amidst all the privileges not only general privileges that come to all gospel truth special privileges of God's special distinguishing undeserved mercy to us as a body of his people and yet listen carefully these privileges have no power whatsoever to keep you from the worst of sins if the only thing that is presently keeping you from the worst of sins are the barriers set up by these privileges you know what all these privileges are in the face of a valid temptation they are like a dam made of toothpicks before a rushing mighty river that has been swollen by torrential rains and though now ye...

23:11 - 24:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't be satisfied with anything less than a new heart, God's inward work, which alone can keep you from being swept away by lusts and temptations.

The examples of Judas Iscariot, who ate with Christ but betrayed Him, and Demas, who traveled with Paul but loved the present age, are used to demonstrate that even close proximity to spiritual privilege cannot prevent the worst sins.

from the worst of sins this is not only the teaching of this passage but it's taught throughout the length and breadth of scripture there was that infamous man who could eat with the son of God who could come into the geographical proximity of his very physical presence day in day out could hear him teach hear him pray sleep eat walk minister with him and in the right circumstances he would sooner give the son of God up to a bloody death at the hands of cruel men than have thirty less pieces of silver in his own bag Judas betrayed the son of God for thirty pieces of silver there was a man anot...

24:38 - 26:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Remember that God knows all you are, think, say, and do, and let this truth hedge you in on the left and right.

Martin distinguishes between character (what God knows you to be) and reputation (what others think you to be), emphasizing that judgment will be based on character, not reputation.

Because many times the thoughts of the heart unknown to any but God are the surest revelation of a man's character. Your character is what God knows you to be. Your reputation is what we think you to be. And in the day of judgment, men will not be judged by reputation, but by character. By character. And if there's a note that needs desperately to be sounded in our day, it is this note. And if I could have some power granted me to gather Mr. Nixon and Mr. Magruder and Ehrlichman and Irwin and Sirica, both accuser before me today. Mr. President, in all due respect of your honor, I would like

34:47 - 35:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Remember that God knows all you are, think, say, and do, and let this truth hedge you in on the left and right.

The Watergate scandal, involving President Nixon and his associates, is used as a contemporary example to illustrate that God knows every secret word and sin of public figures, regardless of human accusations or defenses.

Because many times the thoughts of the heart unknown to any but God are the surest revelation of a man's character. Your character is what God knows you to be. Your reputation is what we think you to be. And in the day of judgment, men will not be judged by reputation, but by character. By character. And if there's a note that needs desperately to be sounded in our day, it is this note. And if I could have some power granted me to gather Mr. Nixon and Mr. Magruder and Ehrlichman and Irwin and Sirica, both accuser before me today. Mr. President, in all due respect of your honor, I would like

34:47 - 35:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Remember that God knows all you are, think, say, and do, and let this truth hedge you in on the left and right.

The true story of Mr. Steneckes, a Dutch seaman who left home but was haunted by his father's words, 'Remember, son, there is an all-seeing eye upon you,' illustrates how the awareness of God's omniscience can lead to conviction and conversion.

of you. Any of you remember old Mr. Steneckes? Well, I can tell this in the form of a story so you don't know him. It's a true story. Mr. Steneckes was a godly Dutchman who's since gone to be with the Lord. He used to fellowship with us years ago. And he left home as a late teenager in his early 20s because he didn't like the restraint of his godly home and he was going to take out in that course that would leave him most free to follow the dictates of his own heart. He was going to be a seaman.

37:13 - 37:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Remember that there is an all-seeing eye upon you.

The 'brush of God's eyelash' over the conscience is a metaphor for the initial, unbearable conviction of God's all-seeing eye, leading a sinner to realize they cannot escape His knowledge.

And often the first indication that God is being gracious to a sinner is that the brush of God's eyelash, the brush of God's eyelash over the conscience becomes unbearable. Stand it. God sees me. He knows me.

39:58 - 40:13 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third principle asserts that no human cunning can cover sin when God designs to expose it, as 'your sin will find you out.' Martin explains how God can use various means, even…

Martin traces the common proverb 'a little bird told me' back to Ecclesiastes 10:20, using it to illustrate how God can use unexpected and seemingly minor means to expose secret sins.

Who told you that? A little bird told me. You know where that comes from? That comes from the scripture.

44:09 - 44:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Thank God when He uncovers your sin now, as it's a preview of judgment meant to drive you to mercy while the door is open.

Martin shares personal anecdotes from his childhood where neighbors or circumstances exposed his secret sins to his parents, teaching him early that his human cunning could not cover his actions when God designed to expose them.

Does it bother you the way you're praying mom and dad seem to be able to find out things about you that you don't want them to know? How I thank God for God's blessed discovery of my sins as a lad growing up. Just when I thought nobody was around, some neighbor had a window open when foul words came out of my mouth and the next day they told mom and dad and mom and dad would sit me down when everyone else went to bed and say, son, so and so has reported that you were using such and such words. Is it true?

46:41 - 47:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Thank God for parents to whom God lets things come into their sphere of awareness, even if it's a 'low motive' that keeps you in check until grace gives higher motives.

The example of a child hiding a letter with foul language that a parent accidentally discovers is used to show how God can use 'a little forgetfulness' to expose sin to those in authority.

You Christian, you children of Christian parents, you better start thanking God. For a mom and dad to whom God lets things come into their sphere of awareness. That letter that someone wrote to you full of foul, rotten, filthy language. You thought you'd tucked it away conveniently out of sight, but you'd forgotten.

48:00 - 48:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that God knows all about your sin and can use even your forgetfulness to expose it, and in the day of judgment, He will tell you all He knows.

Examples like a chance telephone conversation, a slip of the tongue, or lipstick on a collar are given to illustrate the various, often mundane, ways God can expose hidden unfaithfulness and sin.

God can use a chance telephone conversation. A slip of the tongue.

48:46 - 48:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that God knows all about your sin and can use even your forgetfulness to expose it, and in the day of judgment, He will tell you all He knows.

The specific means God used to expose Achan – a military defeat, prayers of leaders, and the law of gravity on pottery – are listed to show God's diverse methods of revelation.

God can use any number of things. In this situation, what did he use? A military defeat. The prayers of a godly leader and the elders.

49:00 - 49:09 Read in full sermon