Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: June 21, 2009
WHY HAST THOU TROUBLED US?
Ben Justice
God had promised the Israelites that he had given the land of Canaan to them. God said to Joshua, “Every
place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses . . . There shall not
any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee; I will not fail
thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the
land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them” (Joshua 1:3, 5-6). However, we should note that the
Israelites had to comply with certain conditions. As Joshua 1:7-8 tells us, “Only be thou very strong and very
courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn
not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. (8) This book of the law
shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success.” Notice that the blessings followed their compliance with the conditions. The Israelites would not
have prospered and had good success had the left undone the commandments of God.
When the Israelites conquered Jericho, God had warned them, “And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the
accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a
curse, and trouble it” (Joshua 6:18). The word “accursed” literally means that which is devoted to destruction.
God’s word was very clear in this matter. Notice the consequences of disobedience:
1.) The one who took of the accursed thing would himself become accursed.
2.) The one who took of the accursed thing would make the camp of Israel a curse.
3.) The one who took of the accursed thing would trouble the camp of Israel.
One Israelite disobeyed God’s clear instruction. His name was Achan, and the Bible tells us in 7:1, “But the
children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan . . . took of the accursed thing: and the anger
of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.”
In Joshua 7:2-5, Israel could not take Ai. The Bible says, “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.”
Joshua couldn’t believe what had happened (Joshua 7:6-9). The Lord said to Joshua, “Get thee up; wherefore
liest thou thus upon thy face? 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. 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” (Joshua 7:10-12). Notice all what had happened:
1.) Israel had sinned. Please note that the sin of one man was a burden upon the whole nation. Achan’s sin
(v. 1) had become the sin of all Israel, not because all the Israelites had committed the sin, but because the
sin of one affects others. There was sin the camp.
2.) Israel had transgressed God’s covenant.
3.) Israel had taken of the accursed thing. 4.) Israel had stolen. In other words, they took what they didn’t
have the right to take, because God had deemed it accursed.
5.) Israel had dissembled. This means to lie. They denied what they had done.
6.) Israel put the accursed thing among their own stuff. In other words, they tried to hide it.
Because of the above things, no wonder Israel couldn’t stand before their enemies. No wonder God wasn’t
with them anymore! But remember, it was Israel that made the first move; it was Israel that had forsaken God.
Eventually, the Israelites got around to discovering the perpetrator, and it was Achan (v. 16-21). Please note
what Joshua asked Achan in verse 25, “Why hast thou troubled us?” Achan had troubled the congregation. The
congregation suffered because of one man’s actions. Achan and his family were stoned and burned with fire (v.
25). Achan’s family was accomplices with him. Thus, they suffered the consequences of their actions also.
One who is an accomplice to a crime stands just as guilty.
The question, “Why hast thou troubled us” carries a lot weight. It is a penetrating question. Achan had
troubled physical Israel, but how many are troubling spiritual Israel today? We could ask this question to a lot
of brethren in the church — “Why hast thou troubled us?” How do brethren instigate trouble in the church?
Such comes about in a variety of ways, but one word sums it up — ERROR! Note the following:
1.) The church is troubled when brethren spew out their venomous doctrines. When the faithful rise up and
expose them (cf. Eph. 5:11; Rom. 16:17), they are labeled as the trouble makers. Remember Ahab charging
Elijah of being trouble maker in Israel? Ahab asked Elijah, “Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” (I Kings 18:17).
Elijah let him know really quickly who the real troubler of Israel was — “I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and
thy Father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim” (I Kings
18:18). The faithful in the church are not responsible for the division, but those who spew out their errors are
100% to blame!
2.) The church is troubled when brethren are overcome with pride and refuse to repent of their error. “Pride
goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Pro. 16:18). Much of the trouble in the church could
be taken care of if erring brethren would simply swallow their stubborn pride and come back to the side of
truth. But, because many do not, it causes trouble in the church.
3.) The church is troubled when brethren are ruled and controlled by their own subjective feelings and “think-
so’s.” When one brother gives “a thus saith the Lord” and another brother gives his “think-so’s,” trouble is
bound to result. When brethren don’t want to “prove all things” (I Thess. 5:21) by the authority of God’s word
(Col. 3:17), trouble is inevitable.
4.) The church is troubled when brethren seek to sow discord and strife. The congregation is consumed by
such actions (Gal. 5:15). The Bible commands, “A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject”
(Titus 3:10).
The church must take seriously the troublers. If troublers are allowed to have their way, then they will most
certainly cause division in the church. Sin is like leaven in that it influences others (I Cor. 5:6). As Barney
Fife used to say, it must be “nipped in the bud.” God does not retain fellowship with the church if it persists
in sin, and it is sinful to ignore sin in the church. This also causes division in the church. Just read Rev. 2:5;
3:19-20. Those who bid God speed to those not abiding in the doctrine of Christ become partaker of their evil
deeds (2 John 9-11).