Sabbath School Lesson for November 1-7, 2025
Introduction of Lesson 6, The Enemy Within
Memory Text: ” ‘I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds’ ” Jeremiah 17:10 ESV
God’s presence is close enough for Him to know our individual and corporate minds and hearts. When we make unwise choices, God will surely find it out. The experience of Achan, a man within the Israelite camp who acted out of greed and covetousness, serves as an illustration, not only of our need for precise obedience to God’s commands, but the need to readily repent of our mistakes and not try to hide them.
As we wait on the border of our heavenly inheritance, a land that has been promised to the followers of God, we discover that He, with this same uncanny ability to know our hearts, will use this knowledge to gain victory over our enemies.
Our part in this seemingly impossible-t0-win conflict is merely to stay close by the Lord’s side. He is mighty and powerful enough to get us to our heavenly destination, despite the strong, fortified enemy before us, and even within us. Without God’s presence in our lives, we are in danger of sinning, as Achan and others did, and jeopardizing the very ones God desires to save.
- Sunday: Breach of the Covenant
- Monday: The Sin of Achan
- Tuesday: Fateful Choices
- Wednesday: The Door of Hope
- Thursday: A Witness to God’s Power
Sunday: Breach of the Covenant
The Israelites, flushed with their amazing victory at Jericho, failed to consult God before attacking the next city in their path, the city of Ai. This error caused them to miscalculate the number of troops needed to take the city, relying on the faulty information of two spies. It sadly led to their army fleeing in fear and shame from the battlefield.
This corporate neglect was compounded by another sin that led to their defeat; this one involving just one individual: Achan, from the tribe of Judah. His story teaches us many lessons, all pointing to the appalling nature of sin and how it should and must be dealt with.
Israel was learning, once again, the hard price to pay for breaking their covenant with God when they deviated from His instructions and separated themselves from His presence.
Verses and questions:
Joshua 7:1-15
- What were the two main reasons Israel suffered such a crushing defeat in their effort to take the city of Ai?
Monday: The Sin of Achan
Joshua 7:16-19 described the theological practice of casting lots, which was used to single out, or chose, the one man among the Israelites who was largely responsible for their disastrous defeat at Ai. This process of selection, as played out in the story, shows the fairness and mercy of God.
Each time it was narrowed down to a tribe, family, and finally a household, Achan was given an opportunity to confess and repent of his wrongdoing. But instead, he hardened his heart and continued to hide his stolen goods till the last minute, not willing to reveal the secret place he had hidden them, a place he mistakenly thought was known only to him.
This investigative activity was merciful in the fact that it also cleared the innocent of wrongdoing–all those Israelites who had previously consecrated and sanctified themselves. In addition, we find that Joshua tenderly addressed Achan as “my son”. This, of course, reminds us how Jesus spoke words of harsh rebuke with tears of compassion in His voice. God continues to love even those who have been the worst of sinners.
Verses and questions:
Joshua 7:16-19
- How was the process of determining Achan’s guilt a fair one?
- In what ways does this story of Achan’s selection also show God’s mercy?
1 Samuel 16:7 and Proverbs 5:21
- What gives God the right and ability to know so much about us?
- How does knowing that God sees everything we do affect the way we conduct ourselves and impact how we live?
- When and why should we be thankful that God is watching us this closely?
Tuesday: Fateful Choices
So many powerful, spiritual lessons are found in the story of Achan’s sin that, despite its unfortunate ending, we are thankful Joshua included it in his account of events. It causes us to ponder the meaning of true repentance. It obviously means more than just confession, because Achan did finally recognize and confess his greedy actions.
Joshua’s first entreaty to Achan was for him to give glory to God, and then confess what he had done (Joshua 7:19). Instead of lifting up God’s name, proclaiming His mercy and justice, Achan launched quickly into his version of what had happened. Nothing more was said or done as regards to asking for forgiveness, making amends for the harm he had caused, or expressing his desire to do better with his life from then on. His confession was revealed as too little, too late.
Just like Adam and Eve, Achan failed to acknowledge that God always wants what is best for us. Achan saw something that pleased him, just as the first couple saw the forbidden fruit that looked good to eat. Beyond covetousness, of course, lay doubt and unbelief in their loving, merciful God. Adam and Eve’s entire family would end up suffering the effects of their mistake. And Achan’s family, too, would suffer the consequences he had brought upon himself and those he loved.
Verses and questions:
Joshua 7:19-21
- Why was Achan advised by Joshua to give God glory?
- What was missing from Achan’s confession?
Wednesday: The Door of Hope
After the failure of their initial attempt to take the city of Ai, and then their cooperation with God in ridding the camp of Achan’s influence, Joshua and God worked together in developing a strategy of ambush that turned the tide in the war of conquest. Whereas Jericho was won with miracles, Ai’s defeat only needed the Israelites to precisely follow God’s directions.
Joshua was told to raise his spear to signal when their ambush would begin, similar to how Moses was told to raise his staff. His weapon, whatever kind it was, was a symbol of sovereignty that established Joshua’s leadership role in the conquest of Canaan.
The Valley of Achor (or “trouble”), as it was called, became a door of hope (Hosea 2:15). Just like back in Egypt, when the Hebrews were allowed to take valuable resources from their masters, once again God’s people were encouraged to take the spoils of war, after setting fire to everything else that remained in the city. These booties of war, which included livestock, were needed to supply their continuing needs, providing them with much needed hope moving forward.
Verses and questions:
Joshua 8:1-29
- Why weren’t miracles needed this time for Ai to be taken over and destroyed?
- How was faith and obedience important to the success of God’s plan?
- Why were livestock included in part of the spoils of war?
Thursday: A Witness to God’s Power
Joshua had much reason to feel despondent after their first invasion and humiliating retreat in Ai. At first, in his conversation with God about it, he sounded much like the Hebrews when they complained about their hunger, when they felt they would be better off back in Egypt. Joshua questioned whether they would have been better off staying on the other side of Jordan (Joshua 7:7).
It was obvious that their disappointing defeat, witnessed by all the other pagan tribes in the region, would greatly endanger God’s people, as those tribes would lose their fear of God’s power to protect them.
But, more than that, Joshua was dismayed at the missed opportunity in Ai for uplifting God to the neighboring tribes. Thankfully, God listened to Joshua’s prayer, and they were able to work together to re-establish God’s sovereign power over the false deities worshipped by their enemies.
Verses and questions:
Joshua 7:6-9 and Exodus 16:3
- What was different about Joshua’s prayer from the complaints of the Hebrews earlier in their experience?
Deuteronomy 4:5-9
- In what areas can and has the Seventh-day Adventist Church become a witness of God’s grace and power?
- What is the church required to do, in order to be an effective witness?
Friday: Final Thoughts
“Thou shalt not covet”, the last commandment of the Ten, is not considered a serious breach of conduct by most people, but is probably the one most of us have been guilty of. As we saw in the story of Achan, his greedy desires led to theft and lying. We are cautioned in James 2:10 not to stumble on even one point of the law. It ultimately makes us guilty of breaking them all.
Going back to the creation story, we find that God declared something good six times. Eve declared that the forbidden fruit was good (Genesis 3:6), and later Adam agreed with her, and their hasty action had disastrous results for the human race. Achan, of course, also saw some things that he thought were good, and you know the rest.
We may wonder about the harsh consequence that Achan and his family suffered. It reminds us of the story of Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament, Acts, chapter 5. They, too, were guilty of a greedy action, leading to their immediate death. Both of these stories occurred as a body of believers was being asked to carry the gospel to the world, to all nations. This can only be accomplished by close attention to God’s commandments, which these examples were meant to teach us.
Next Week: Ultimate Loyalty–Worship in a War Zone
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