The Context
The chapter in Joshua in which Israel suffers a defeat because of hidden sin in the camp.
What is Joshua 7?
The man who took items under the ban (cherem) and whose sin brought disaster to Israel’s camp.
Who is Achan?
The phrase "the heart is deceitful above all things..." appears earlier in the same prophet as our memory text.
What is Jeremiah 17:9?
The attitude of the Israelites before Ai that allowed the sin to remain undetected and the defeat to happen.
What is self-confidence / reliance on strategy instead of consulting God?
Israel’s defeat at Ai resulted from two major problems: hidden sin in the camp and this.
What is relying on human strength rather than consulting God?
This tribe of Israel is singled out when the process of investigation narrows down the offender.
What is the tribe of Judah?
(Joshua 7:2)
The leader who addressed the nation and later confronted Achan, saying to him “My son…”
(Joshua 7:19)
Who is Joshua?
The consequence of hidden sin in the camp of Israel.
What is defeat (at Ai) and the withdrawal of God’s presence (or blessing)?
The guard-your-heart verse quoted in the lesson: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
What is Proverbs 4:23?
The fact that Joshua called the offender “my son…” shows what attribute of leadership?
What is compassion paired with accountability?
The term used in the lesson to describe “the most dangerous enemy… within their own camp.”
“What is the enemy within?
The Canaanite city that Israel attacked after Jericho and where they were defeated because of hidden sin.
What is Ai?
The sin that is described as “the sin of unbelief” when people suspect God of hiding some pleasure from them.
What is covetousness?
The transformation of failure into opportunity, as seen when Israel finally conquered Ai after the sin was addressed.
What is the Door of Hope (Valley of Achor)?
The verse that warns about stumbling on one point of the law makes us guilty of all.
What is James 2:10?
Alongside sin in the camp, this attitude of the Israelites contributed to their defeat at Ai.
What is over-confidence in their own strength (and neglect of consulting God)?
The Biblical psalmist who wrote “You … know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.” (Psalm 139)
Who is David?
The first response of Joshua when Israel was defeated, expressing lament for bringing the people over the Jordan only to be destroyed.
What is Joshua 7:7 – ‘Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all…?
The modern equivalent danger: when we confuse “want” with “need”, in a consumer-driven world.
What is the application concerning covetousness vs contentment?
The valley whose name means “trouble” but became a symbol of hope.
What is the Valley of Achor?
The view that Israel’s success did not depend on numbers or strategy, but on this.
What is obedience/dependence on God?
This 19th-century Adventist author is quoted in the Sunday lesson about self-confidence and the defeat at Ai.
Who is Ellen G. White?
In Joshua 7:21 Achan says he “saw” a mantle, “coveted” silver and gold and “took” them. These correspond to three Hebrew verbs.
What are ra’ah (saw), chamad (coveted), laqach (took)?
The key thought of the teaching plan for this lesson
What is Israel’s worst enemy was the stubbornness and disregard to the guidance and instructions of God.
The last commandment of the Ten — often underestimated — but critical in this lesson.
What is “You shall not covet”?