“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

“Joshua fit the battle of Jericho. And the walls came tumblin’ down.” Likely, you have heard or sung this song. But have you heard a song about Ai? I haven’t. After conquering the massive, walled city of Jericho by following the Lord’s instructions implicitly, Joshua and his soldiers were over-confident about defeating the next town down the road: little Ai. So Joshua dispatched a small company of men. The mission failed miserably.

Discouraged, Joshua inquired of the Lord and learned that Israel had sinned by taking items from Jericho that He had devoted to destruction. A thorough investigation exposed the guilty party: Achan. He had seen a beautiful Babylonian garment in Jericho and a pile of silver and gold coins. Admitting he had coveted what he saw, he took everything and hid it in his tent.

What looked alluring to Achen materially appealed more than God’s will did. His greed cost Israel a victory, but it also cost him and his family their lives.

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