LEADER'S HUMILIATION ON OCCASION OF SAD DISASTER

THURSDAY, 20TH JULY, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE

TOPIC:  LEADER'S HUMILIATION ON OCCASION OF SAD DISASTER

MEMORIZE: “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.” Joshua 7:6.

SCRIPTURE READING: Joshua 7:6-9.

“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?”

EXPOSITION:

The iniquity (sin) of someone can put many people into trouble. The sin of Achan proved this to be true. God revered the sin of Achan to be sin of the whole Israel which brought defeat to Joshua and the men of Israel. 

As a leader, we have here an account of the deep concern Joshua was in upon this sad occasion. He, as a public person, saw himself as a failure more than any other in this public loss, and is therein an example to princes and great men, and teaches them to lay much to heart as touching the calamities that befall their people. Joshua is a type of Christ, to whom the blood of his subjects is precious as it is written in Ps 72:14. 

Joshua was so grieved: He rent his clothes (Jos 7:6), in token of great sorrow for this public disaster, and especially a dread of God's displeasure, which Achan was certainly the cause of it. David, one of the bravest soldiers that ever lived, owned that his flesh trembled for fear of God, Ps 119:120 “My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.” 

As one humbling himself under the mighty hand of God, Joshua fell to the earth upon his face, not thinking it any mocking to him to lie thus low before the great God, to whom he directed this token of reverence, by keeping his eye towards the ark of the Lord. The elders of Israel, being interested in the cause and influenced by his example, prostrated themselves with him, and, in token of deep humiliation, put dust upon their heads, not only as mourners, but as penitents; not doubting but they know it was for some sin or other that God did thus contend with them (though they knew not what it was), they humbled themselves before God, and thus deprecated the progress of his wrath. This they continued until even-tide, to show that it was not the result of a sudden feeling, but proceeded from a deep conviction of their misery and danger if God were any way provoked to depart from them.

As a leader of God’s people, how do you react to the pain and defeat of people under your care? Are you not found shifting blames on others? Are people under you saved? A good leader provides security to people under him/her and do not rejoices at their calamity. To achieve this, we must learn to commit everything to God in prayers. Joshua prayed and God gave him solution to their sorrow.

PRAYER POINT:  i. Lord, deliver us from the misfortunes that our sins have brought upon us in Jesus name.

ii. Lord, help us to be good and committed leaders of your people to guide them against becoming slaves to sin in Jesus name.

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  Isaiah  1 – 4.

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ANCHOR OF LIFE is the daily devotional guide written by PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE, General Overseer, Anchor of Life & Redemption Ministry Int’l. It is an extraction of God’s word designed to draw the sincere seekers closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word. Read, Meditate, Pray and Share this message to others. For prayers, Counseling and further enquiries, call or whatsapp +2347032993319; +2348056130469. Or Email: anchoroflifeministry@gmail.com