Joshua 7

1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for
Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of
Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled
against the children of Israel.

* * *

When the walls of Jericho fell, Israel won the battle as the inhabitants
of Jericho were mostly unprepared to fight the Joshua's army.

After this great city fell, Israel felt only a small number of warriors is
required to take a small city of AI. But then something happened that
Joshua did not predict. As the city of Jericho was destroyed by a
direct supernatural intervention of God, its spoils were dedicated.
However, one man, Achan, became covetous seeing silver and gold.

The LORD God Creator had to step back from Israel because He
cannot take part in covetousness as otherwise He would break His
own Commandment and became a liar.

And God is many things, but He certainly isn't a liar. Unlike Zeus or
Jupiter, God Creator of the Universe, Maker of Adam and Eve,
God of Abraham, never does what He hates.

He had to step back from Israel, and as they were no longer God's
chosen people and chosen army, but like any other plundering army,
they were easily defeated by a small number of
the citizens of Ai, turning their back and fleeing.

The morale is that God doesn't like war profiteers. Joshua knew how to
deal with war profiteers: he stoned greedy Achan and put a pile of rocks
over him to this present day. So this valley was later called
"the valley of Achor".

The consequence however was that no further city was taken by
a miracle like Jericho, ever again in the Old Testament.

As God is the same today, yesterday, and forever (Hebrews 13:8),
He is also bound to stand to the same standard today: to detest those
greedy for gold in warfare.

in the name of the LORD God Merciful, Longsuffering
Amen

* * *

Joshua 7

Israel Defeated at Ai

1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. 4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. 7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! 8 O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. 13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. 14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man. 15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

The Sin of Achan

16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: 17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: 18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. 20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 23 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. 24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

Raskolynikov, <news:c13d8924-aa07-4c78-84b9-e4bf61ed3ac8n@googlegroups.com>

> 1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing:

For this newsgroup, Israel's First etc is off topic.

Dana srijeda, 13. prosinca 2023. u 15:06:51 UTC+1 korisnik Oleg Smirnov napisao je:
> Raskolynikov, <news:c13d8924-aa07-4c78...@googlegroups.com>
> > 1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing:
> For this newsgroup, Israel's First etc is off topic.

Truly, for the Gentiles who inherit blessing of Abraham, Moses and the prophets
through Jesus Christ, this has only parabolic meaning.

For it is written:

1 Timothy 3:16
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect,
throughly furnished unto all good works.

Unless you want to ban breaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, too?

in the LORD
Amen

Raskolynikov, <news:7343a356-b9c0-407e-83f4-18bb8a9feb97n@googlegroups.com>

>> For this newsgroup, Israel's First etc is off topic.
>
> Truly, for the Gentiles who inherit blessing

There are Christian newsgroups, as well as there are
newsgroups deducated to Jews and/or Israel, so that your
unenlivened drivel would be more appropriate there.

Dana četvrtak, 14. prosinca 2023. u 18:48:34 UTC+1 korisnik Oleg Smirnov napisao je:
> Raskolynikov, <news:7343a356-b9c0-407e...@googlegroups.com>
> >> For this newsgroup, Israel's First etc is off topic.
> >
> > Truly, for the Gentiles who inherit blessing
> There are Christian newsgroups, as well as there are
> newsgroups deducated to Jews and/or Israel, so that your
> unenlivened drivel would be more appropriate there.

Apostles said that we should not obey when we are banned from preaching,
but continue witnessing Christ in civil disobedience.

Acts 5
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought
to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus,
whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right
hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and
forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses of these things;
and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

However, Google shuts us down on February 22nd anyway.

The power of USENET for any Internet user to post to any NNTP server is today the obstacle
to the total control of information and of who is allowed to post news, and who is making
"false news".

We will have corporations decide what is truth anyway.

in the LORD
Amen

Raskolynikov, <news:f3e9f5b1-46e6-4fbf-bc79-e41b1f489b6en@googlegroups.com>

>> There are Christian newsgroups, as well as there are
>> newsgroups deducated to Jews and/or Israel, so that your
>> unenlivened drivel would be more appropriate there.
>
> Apostles said that we should not obey when we are banned
> from preaching, but continue witnessing Christ in civil
> disobedience.

It's not about banning, it is rather a call
to your conscience to do a crap in some more
appropriate place.

On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:51:47 AM UTC-6, Raskolynikov wrote:
> Dana četvrtak, 14. prosinca 2023. u 18:48:34 UTC+1 korisnik Oleg Smirnov napisao je:
> > Raskolynikov, <news:7343a356-b9c0-407e...@googlegroups.com>
> > >> For this newsgroup, Israel's First etc is off topic.
> > >
> > > Truly, for the Gentiles who inherit blessing
> > There are Christian newsgroups, as well as there are
> > newsgroups deducated to Jews and/or Israel, so that your
> > unenlivened drivel would be more appropriate there.
> Apostles said that we should not obey when we are banned from preaching,
> but continue witnessing Christ in civil disobedience.
>
> Acts 5
> 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought
> to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus,
> whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right
> hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and
> forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses of these things;
> and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
>
> However, Google shuts us down on February 22nd anyway.
>
> The power of USENET for any Internet user to post to any NNTP server is today the obstacle
> to the total control of information and of who is allowed to post news, and who is making
> "false news".
>
> We will have corporations decide what is truth anyway.
>
> in the LORD
> Amen
New Usenet posting will no lnger be supported but Google Groups wil still bbe active. I am not certain what that means as I have always used Google Groups, or so I thought.

Anyhow, Oleg is wrong and being a prick and Raskolynokiv is correct and has the right idea.

I have respected Oleg's posts since before 2014, and find them informative, and do understand them as the position of the Kremlin, even if Oleg denies it. What else would the devil say?

The situation in Gaza is a hot one and we are aware that previos Palestinian-Israeli disputes have brought US and USSr to brink of nuclear war, hence the issue is closely watched.

Will follow up with my relaties at Google to find out more about the change in the newsgroup policy as X will become more dominant while free speech is squashed.

I like Raskolynokiv's postings, and do find them relevant.

On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 9:00:50 AM UTC-6, Lazarus Cain wrote:
> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:51:47 AM UTC-6, Raskolynikov wrote:
> > Dana četvrtak, 14. prosinca 2023. u 18:48:34 UTC+1 korisnik Oleg Smirnov napisao je:
> > > Raskolynikov, <news:7343a356-b9c0-407e...@googlegroups.com>
> > > >> For this newsgroup, Israel's First etc is off topic.
> > > >
> > > > Truly, for the Gentiles who inherit blessing
> > > There are Christian newsgroups, as well as there are
> > > newsgroups deducated to Jews and/or Israel, so that your
> > > unenlivened drivel would be more appropriate there.
> > Apostles said that we should not obey when we are banned from preaching,
> > but continue witnessing Christ in civil disobedience.
> >
> > Acts 5
> > 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought
> > to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus,
> > whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right
> > hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and
> > forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses of these things;
> > and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
> >
> > However, Google shuts us down on February 22nd anyway.
> >
> > The power of USENET for any Internet user to post to any NNTP server is today the obstacle
> > to the total control of information and of who is allowed to post news, and who is making
> > "false news".
> >
> > We will have corporations decide what is truth anyway.
> >
> > in the LORD
> > Amen
> New Usenet posting will no lnger be supported but Google Groups wil still bbe active. I am not certain what that means as I have always used Google Groups, or so I thought.
>
> Anyhow, Oleg is wrong and being a prick and Raskolynokiv is correct and has the right idea.
>
> I have respected Oleg's posts since before 2014, and find them informative, and do understand them as the position of the Kremlin, even if Oleg denies it. What else would the devil say?
>
> The situation in Gaza is a hot one and we are aware that previos Palestinian-Israeli disputes have brought US and USSr to brink of nuclear war, hence the issue is closely watched.
>
> Will follow up with my relaties at Google to find out more about the change in the newsgroup policy as X will become more dominant while free speech is squashed.
>
> I like Raskolynokiv's postings, and do find them relevant.
New policy supposedly is supposed to reduce the spam which is plaguing some of the newsgroups. Consider soc.culture.usa and soc.culture.israel, for example. Nothing but spam seems to be posted there., which effectively shuts down those two newsgroups from being of any use.
Could try posting there, but those sites are plagued by antisemitic nonsense.
I dislike nonsense, but doslike the cause for nuclear conflicts much more.

The problem with Israel and Gaza is quite related to Netanyahu's West Bank policy, but raping and mass murder is not an effective way to cause political change.
Take Ghandi and MLK as the examples to follow to lead mass civil disobedience so as to eliminate civil injustice and apertheid. Follow Christ's example to implement meaningful and succesful social change.
Terrorism does not cut it.