OT 40 Achan's Sin

Reference: Joshua 7-8

Story Summary: 
     When the Israelites battled Jericho, God warned them to destroy the items in the city and to give the gold and silver treasures to God. Anyone who disobeyed would bring destruction on themselves and on the Israelites. But Achan took some gold and silver and hid them under this tent.
     Joshua sent some men to check out the next city in the promised land: Ai. The men came back saying that Ai was small and only a few thousand men were needed for the battle. So Joshua sent 3000 men. But the men of Ai roundly defeated the Israelites and chased them away.
     Joshua cried out and asked God why this happened. God explained that somoene had disobeyed his command to destroy the things of Jericho and had brought trouble on the Israelites. God told Joshua to destory those things that had been stolen.
     God went through the tribes of Israel and eventually directed Joshua to Achan. Achan finally admitted his sin, but it was too late. Both Achan and the things he had taken were destroyed. After this, the men of Israel went to Ai a second time, and this time, God helped the win the battle.

Big Idea and Motions: Don’t hide; confess your sins and be forgiven.
Hide - cover your face with your hands
Confess - make your hand talk like a puppet
Sins - two thumbs down
Forgiven - hold left palm up, brush it off twice with the fingertips of your other hand*
* This is the ASL sign for “forgiven.”

Verse / Motions: 1 John 1:9, ESV - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins...
We - point to yourself
Confess - make your hand talk like a puppet
Sins - two thumbs down
Faithful - cross your fingers on both hands
Just - pound the bottom of your fist on your up-facing palm (like a judge’s gavel)
Forgive - hold left palm up, brush it off twice with the fingertips of your other hand

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
What were the Israelites supposed to do with the treasures of Jericho? // Give them to God.
What was Achan’s sin? // He stole some of the treasures of Jericho.
Which city was bigger and stronger: Jericho or Ai? // Jericho.
Did Joshua send all the army men to Ai? // No, just 3000
What happened at the first battle of Ai? // The Israelites lost and were chased away.
Why didn’t God help the Israelites win the first battle of Ai? // Because Achan sinned.
What did Achan do with his treasures? // Hid them under his tent.
How did Joshua find out who sinned? // God helped him find Achan
What happened to Achan and the treasures? // They were destroyed
What happened in the second battle with Ai? // God helped the Israelites win
Instead of hiding our sins, what does God want us to do? // Confess our sins

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/AqpsjA
Resources - http://goo.gl/EVI91F