Crazy Love

August 4, 2013

Crazy Love

2Samuel 6:12-23                                NOTES NOT EDITED

SIS—“Crazy love” is the only “sane” response to a God’s immense majesty and absolute holiness.

In English “crazy” means,  “senseless; impractical; totally unsound, such as a crazy scheme.” Informally, the English word means, “intensely enthusiastic; passionately excited, as in,  crazy about baseball.”

However you define it, “crazy,” definitely refers to something “out of the ordinary.”  I want to talk about a “crazy love” for God this morning as I see an example in our text in 2Samuel 6.  David’s response to the return of the Ark of the Covenant qualifies as “crazy love.”  It is a bit impractical, seemingly unsound (at least in the world’s eyes), and definitely intensely enthusiastic and passionately excited.  I think when we examine this text together we will see that “crazy love” is the only “sane” response to a God’s immense majesty and absolute holiness.

The longer I live, the less I am satisfied with simply “going to church”—even a great church like ours.  As I contemplate the immensity of God, I can’t help but recognize my own cosmic insignificance.  A great theologian once wrote, “Noone is ever truly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God” (Sproul).

This is the point of our text.  The Ark of the Covenant was the most significant artifact in the life of the nation of Israel.  It was a gold-plated chest standing as the crown jewel of the Tabernacle, and later the Temple.  It sat only, veiled behind a curtain in the Holy of Holies---the innermost section of the Holy Sanctuary.  In this Most Holy Place, a priest could only enter once a year, after a strict protocol assuring his righteousness before God.  Should any part of the ritual of Yom Kippur be violated, the High Priest would be struck dead.  And, nobody could go in to get him.  So, they would tie bells to his priestly garment and a rope to his foot.  If the bells stopped ringing, they would pull his dead body out.

The lid of the sacred Ark of the Covenant was place where the very Presence of God resided—God’s awesome holiness rested between two golden cherubim on the lid of the Ark, called the Mercy Seat.

It is impossible for me, or any human, to explain the power and holiness that the Ark of the Covenant represented to the people of Israel.  It was this awesome sense of the Presence of Almighty God that led to David’s “crazy” behavior when the Ark of the Covenant returned from the house of Abinadab where it had been parked for two decades.  While David’s behavior seemed crazy to some of those in the crowd that day, it becomes clear from our text that “crazy love is the only sane response to the awesome majesty and absolute holiness of Almighty God.”

Let’s read this text together:  2Samuel 6:12-23.

Our text provides us a glimpse into why “crazy love” is the only sane response to the immense majesty and absolute holiness of God.  There are three realizations that develop this theme of crazy love:

1.  First, Crazy Love acknowledges the Incomprehensible
     MAJESTY of Almighty God

Now, when it comes to describing God’s majesty, words simply are not adequate.  The word, “incomprehensible” is one attempt.  You can add, “unfathomable, impenetrable, inexplicable, inconceivable, stunning, or perplexing” and you will still not capture the essence of God’s majestic glory.  You could add, “immense, vast, enormous, immeasurable, incalculable, or colossal,” and still come up short in trying to describe God’s majesty. 

In fact, even if you could collect everything that exists in the cosmos (or ever has existed or ever will exist) and you presented this before men you would not have fully described God’s majesty.  It always brings me back to “incomprehensible, or immense.” 

The fault of people, all people including those who have been saved, can be directly correlated to a faulty or incomplete view of God.  If we truly comprehended the awesome majesty of God even for one second, it would radically alter our worship and service to Him.  We get just the ever so slight glimpse of God’s majesty in the powerful Presence of God associated with the Ark of the Covenant.  Go back a few verse and look at how the Ark of God so impressed people:

6:1    David again assembled all the choice men in Israel,  30,000. ² He and all his troops set out  to bring the ark of God from Baale-judah.  The ark is called by the Name, the name of Yahweh of Hosts who dwells between the cherubim.  ³ They set the ark of God on a new cart and transported it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio,  sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart  ⁴ and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark. ⁵ David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments,  lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums,  and cymbals.

Then, look at verses 12-15

¹² It was reported to King David: “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom’s house to the city of David with rejoicing.  ¹³ When those carrying the ark of the Lord advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.  ¹⁴ David was dancing  with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod.  ¹⁵ He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of the ram’s horn.

When the Ark of the Covenant representing God’s majesty and power came upon the scene, a pandemonious, almost riotous celebration erupted.  David, the stately King of Israel, could not contain himself.  He throw off all but his undergarments and danced in the street.

The people recognized the awesome, incomprehensible majesty of God and they could not contain themselves.  David’s view of God, and the people of Israel, was such that they could not contain themselves in His Presence.

Now, contrast that with how most church services go.  It’s a little depressing.  We seem to settle for so little.  We seem to be so content for just a hor d’oeuvre when God wants to give us a full course meal.

Francis Chan put it very well.  In his book, “Crazy Love,” he writes:  “I hope [this book] affirms your desire for ‘more God’—even if you are surrounded by people who feel they have ‘enough God.’”

This stabbed my heart like a dagger.  Am I a person who has become satisfied with just “enough God?” Or, am I a person that hungers and thirsts for “more God?”  I think of what the Lord said,

Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness
for they will be filled  (Mat. 7:6)

Do I feel empty inside because I don’t hunger for more?  Have I let church become a substitute for “more of God?”  Have I let people who have “enough God” influence my walk with God?  In other words, “do I have an incomplete, inadequate view of God that leads to an incomplete, inadequate service to God?”  These are tough questions.  I’m struggling to answer them for myself.  I know you struggle with these types of issues also.

I think I need a little more “crazy love” for God.  I think I need a little more risk, a little more sacrifice, a little more, “perspiration” as I taught last week.  When I try to comprehend the majesty of God, I need to ask, is my view “big enough.”  Nothing impacts how a person lives his or her life more than the person’s view of the majesty of God.

2.  Second, Crazy Love acknowledges the absolute HOLINESS
     of God.

It is possible for a person to be awed by the incomprehensible majesty of Almighty God, but not fully acknowledge the absolute holiness of God.  This is a grievous error.  It is a fatal mistake—an eternally fatal mistake.

One of the hardest stories in all the Bible is found in 6-11:

⁶ When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. ⁷ Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah,  and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence,  and he died there next to the ark of God. ⁸ David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place an Outburst Against Uzzah,  as it is today. ⁹ David feared the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?”

For many people it might seem like God “over-reacted” a little bit in this situation.  Uzzah meant well.  He was sincere.  He actually did a good thing to keep the Ark of the Covenant from crashing to the ground, didn’t he?  How could God punish him by striking him dead?

This story underscores the seriousness of understanding the “holiness” of God.  It relates the “carelessness” of mankind in regard to disobedience.  People tend to have an “entitlement” mentality when it comes to God.  Many people seem to think that since God is All-loving, He has to give them a pass on their sin.  There is a common saying from Latin that has become a part of our daily communication.  The Roman historian, Seneca The Younger said, “Errare humanum est” meaning, “to err is simply human.” Later the phrase, “ignocere divinum est,” or “to forgive is divine,” came into common usuage.

This is a quaint statement oft-repeated, but full of grievous error.  It represents a cavalier attitude toward sin and a careless attitude in regard to the holiness of God.  This passage highlights the danger of a careless attitude in regard to our responsibility to a Holy God.

David was careless.  The Ark should never have been placed upon the ox cart.  The Law of God was very specific in regard to the Ark’s transportation  (Exodus 25:10-14):

¹⁰ “They are to make an ark  of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.  ¹¹ Overlay it with pure gold; overlay it both inside and out. Also make a gold molding all around it. ¹² Cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. ¹³ Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them.

There is no mention of using an “ox cart for convenience.” 

Uzzah was careless.  There was a strict admonition that nobody but a ritually clean priest in the performance of his duties could touch the Ark—under penalty of death.  No loopholes.  No amendments.  God said the penalty for violating this command would be death.  We need to be reminded often that the “penalty for disobeying God is death—physical and eternal.  Romans 6:23 says,

“The wages of sin is death”—all the years of inflation have not changed the wages of sin one iota.

Uzzah was careless in regard to God’s holiness.  He decided that God did not mean what He said.  He disobeyed a direct order of God and paid for it with His life.

Those who presume upon God’s goodness thinking God will “overlook” their sin have a rude awakening coming.  Likewise, those who believe that God’s “love” somehow trumps His “holiness” are in for a rude awakening.

Because God is love, He does not want to punish sin.  That why He sent His Son to die in our place.  The penalty of sin is death, and can be paid by us in dying every day for all eternity, or the debt can be paid by accepting the once for all death of the “Eternal Son of God.”  Because God is love, He does not want to punish us for our sin; but because God is “Holy,” He must punish our sin. 

Make no mistake about it:  carelessness in regard to your responsibility to a Holy God has devastating consequences—often eternal consequences.  The Bible says,

^{Hebrews 10:    26} For if we deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,  ²⁷ but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries.

Then, in verse 31 the Word reinforces the warning in regard to carelessness about God’s holiness:  ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

People who truly come to understand that an absolutely holy God, has made provisions to deal with our sin so that we would not have to pay the penalty of eternal death, tend to be “crazy about loving God.”

Crazy Love develops when one understands the incomprehensible majesty of God, and the absolute holiness of God.  These two realizations combine to make someone absolutely “crazy in love” with God.  To the degree that we comprehend His majesty and holiness, is the degree of “craziness” we demonstrate in our lives in regard to loving and serving God.

There is another realization that surfaces in reading this text in regard to “Crazy Love.”

3.  Crazy Love endures the inevitable SCORN of the world.

The prospect of the Ark being returned to Jerusalem, the City of God, caused joyous pandemonium as we read earlier.  In particular, David went a little crazy when he realized the Ark was coming home to Jerusalem which would forever seal that City as the City of God.

The Ark had been captured by the Philistines years earlier.  The Philistines were a constant threat to Israel for over 150 years.  The Ark had been back in battle, but had apparently been in the residence of a man called, Abinadab for about 20 years.  When Saul was King, he simply left it there.  Now, David had conquered the Philistines and wanted to return the Ark to Jerusalem, his headquarters.  I’ve mentioned the joyous celebration that was taking place over the return of the Ark, but I’m not sure we totally grasp how “crazy” this made the children of Israel—especially David. 

But, not everybody was into the celebration.  Look at verse 16:

⁶ As the ark of the Lord was entering the city of David,  Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.  Then in verse 20 we read what happened when David got home:  ²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household,  Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel honored himself today!” she said. “He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself.”

Let me pause a minute on those two words, “expose himself.”  Michal meant this as a derogatory remark, but I think there is an application we can make in regard to a positive aspect of our worship of Almighty God.  In order for us to truly worship God we have to “expose ourselves,” that is, we must become a little bit “vulnerable” to God before others.  Many people are too uptight to even raise hands, let alone “dance in a sheer linen ephod.” 

Worship is a matter of vulnerability—of being completely open to God; of even looking a bit “crazy” to others.  This is not something I’ve seen in many worship meetings in the U.S.  I did see it when I was a member of a church in Hawaii.  I did see this type of complete openness to God when I was ministering in a slum in Guatemala.  But, I don’t see a lot of “exposing of himself” in our worship services today. 

Let me go back to a quote I gave you earlier by Francis Chan:  “I hope [this book] affirms your desire for ‘more God’—even if you are surrounded by people who feel they have ‘enough God.’”

The fact is many people are like David’s wife, Michal.  They are offended by the openness that some people display in worship.  Michal represents one of the “enough God” type of people and David represents the “more God” type of people.  I currently find myself acting like an “enough God” person when a deeply desire to be a “more God” kind of person.  But, like many, I have inhibitions!  I don’t want people making fun of me or calling me a “Jesus Freak” or a “religious fanatic.”

Funny how being a “fanatic” is great when it has to do with NASCAR, football, or other past times—but fanaticism is out of bounds when it comes to Jesus.  We don’t want anybody to think we are “crazy in love” with Jesus.

It is interesting that when people were attacking Paul he referred to being “crazy in love” with Jesus (2Cor. 5:12):

¹² Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. ¹³ If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit (NLT)

David’s wife, Michal (who had been given to David by her father Saul when he was king) objected to David’s “foolish” (some translate this word, vulgar) activity of dancing in the streets like a commoner for all to see wearing only a thin linen ephod.  King’s did not usually dance in the street.  It was considered, undignified.

I’m afraid that the pendulum has swung too far the other way in regard to most modern worship:  I think we are too dignified.   I can guarantee you that if you decide to practice “crazy love” in your relationship with Jesus two things are going to happen:  1) God is going to immensely bless your life and bless others through your life, and 2) religious people are going to criticize you.

It’s inevitable:  living a life of crazy love for Jesus and the world will give you its scorn and condemnation—especially those who are religious.

I wish I had time to really get into this message on “Crazy Love.”  There is so much I’d like to say.  Fortunately, Francis Chan has already said much of what needs to be said in that regard.  I’ve made available copies of his book in the back.  It would be a great read if you aren’t afraid of getting your “religious feelings hurt” a little bit.

Crazy love” is the only “sane” response to a God’s immense majesty and absolute holiness.

Let’s go crazy together.

<<end>>

Pogonomics

March 2, 2014

Joshua:  Turning Obedience Into Blessing

Joshua 7:  “Pogonomics”                                  NOT EDITED

SIS—We defeat ourselves when we ignore God’s plan and do things our way.

Economics is a social science that studies the outcome from various behaviors in a group as they interact with one another.  Economics is much more than the study of finances, though that is a big part of it.  Economics examines the alternative outcomes from various behaviors in regard to using goods and resources.

Pogonomics is a spiritual science that shows the outcome of various actions in regard to how those actions line up with the decrees of God—the Bible.  Economics can forecast which behaviors will bring the best return on the use of goods and resources in a society.  Pogonomics forecasts the self-defeating consequences of misusing the goods and resources of God—spiritual as well as material.

Today, as I gaze upon my world that is littered with broken dreams, shattered families, warring nations, danger, death and all manner of mayhem I feel a little like Pogo the Possum.  In a Earth Day environmental campaign for 1971, Pogo Possum is  sitting on the bank lamenting over the state of his beloved swamp.  The swamp is polluted by the garbage and junk discarded thoughtlessly by other inhabitants and intruders of the swamp.  “I’ve met the enemy and he is us.”  Pogo means, of course, that the problems we face in this world come by our own hand.

Just like economics shows the probable outcome of decisions made by a society in regard to material goods and services, “Pogonomics” is the science of studying the probable outcomes of the misuse of God’s resources and plan for our spiritual lives. 

Why do some people fail and others succeed in life?  At least part of the answer is trying to define what is success and failure in the first place.  Over the years tons of paper has been consumed by books giving the principles of success—yet, very few seem to have grasped the brass ring.  A brass ring is a small grabbable ring that a dispenser presents to a carousel rider during the course of a ride. Usually there are a large number of iron rings and one brass one, or just a few. It takes some dexterity to grab a ring from the dispenser as the carousel rotates. Typically, getting the brass ring gets the rider some sort of prize when presented to the operator of the carousel (Wikipedia).

Failure is the opposite of grasping the brass ring. There are tons of trees harvested to provide the paper for books on “Why People Fail.”  Forbes Magazine offers a lesson titled, “The 10 Reasons Why We Fail.”  Inc.com offers “Five Reasons People Fail (& What to Do Instead).”  Other titles include, “7 Undeniable Reasons Why Some People Fail Where Others Succeed.”  For $16.27 plus shipping and handling you can own, “Why People Fail:  The 16 Obstacles to Success and How You Can Overcome Them.”  Sixteen, Ten, Five, or Seven—what is it?  Whatever the magic number one thing seems certain to me:  failure is a personal matter.  In other words, if you fail, you probably have to look no further for the reason than the reflection in your mirror.

I recall reading about a once very successful businessman who had fallen on hard times.  His business had collapsed and he was facing financial ruin.  Though not a particularly religious man he decided to call out to God for help anyway.  He prayed, "God, please help me. I've lost my business and if I don't get some money, I'm going to lose my house as well. Please let me win the lotto."  Lotto night came and went and somebody else had the winning ticket.  Frustrated the man prayed again, “God, please let me win the lotto! I've lost my business, my house and I'm going to lose my car as well."  Lotto night came and the man still did not have the winning number.  The man, now at a point of desperation cried out, "My God, why have you forsaken me? I've lost my business, my house and my car. My children are starving. I don't often ask you for help and I have always been a good servant to you. Please just let me win the lotto this one time so I can get my life back in order."  Suddenly there was a blinding flash of light as the heavens opened and the fellow was confronted by the voice of God himself.  "Hey come on now, you are going to have to meet me halfway on this. Buy a ticket."

Therein lies the problem with most people who experience failure in life:  it’s their own actions or inactions that bring disaster and defeat.  Now, I am in no way suggesting anyone ever buy a lottery ticket.  What I am suggesting is that the problem with defeat in life does not arise out of God’s unwillingness to bless us, but our unwillingness to simply do what God has asked us to do, or not do what God has commanded us not to do.  In short, defeat comes from disobedience.  Our greatest enemy in life, if we are a believer, is never the Devil.  He has already been defeated.  When we want to discover the greatest enemy in our lives we need look no further than the mirror.  As Pogo the Possum discovered years ago while looking out over his beloved swamp violated with trash and litter he declared, “I’ve met the enemy and he is us.”

Joshua 7 outlines the principles of Pogonomics. Let’s read it together.

As we learned above people have offered 16 reasons for failure, 10 reasons for failure, seven reasons for failure, and even five reasons for failure.  I’m going to break it down to just one reason we fail:  we do things our way instead of God’s way.  And, that’s is a highway to defeat in life.

Our text outlines three aspects of Achan’s experience that describe Pogonomics, which led to absolute disaster in his life.

1.  Spiritual Carelessness (7:1; 6:17-19)

By far the most significant issue in regard to Pogonomics is Spiritual Carelessness.  Chapter 7:1 describes this:

The Israelites, however, were unfaithful  regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and the Lord’s anger burned against the Israelites.

The wording in this verse is a bit cumbersome in the original Hebrew language.  Literally it says, “The Israelites however acted unfaithfully with unfaithfulness.”  Both the verb form and noun form of the word meaning “unfaithful” are used.  This word literally refers to the “braking of a marriage covenant.”  The ESV gives a hint of this meaning translating the verb/noun combination as “broke faith.”  The word conveys the idea of “breaking an agreement between two parties.” In almost every use of the word in the O.T., it refers to man breaking the covenant relationship with God.  The compound use of the word here only heightens the gravity of what Israel corporately and Achan individually did to sin against God.  It is much more than mere theft of sacred objects.  This is much worse as the punishment meted out suggests.

Israel demonstrated a “carelessness” in regard to her spiritual heritage as God’s chosen people.  Instead of “holiness,” they practiced “carelessness.”  I think this is a grave sin that still befalls many in God’s church today.  You might refer to this spiritual carelessness as spiritual apathy.  It is at the heart of all sin—people simply take God’s graciousness and long-suffering for granted. 

This context for understanding how careless Achan and the nation as a whole were centers around the idea of “devoted things” (ESV) or “things set apart for destruction” (HCSB).  The KJV refers to the items Achan pilfered as “accursed things.”  The idea in a word is, “exclusivity.”  Everything in Ai was to be either destroyed as in the case of living things, or set aside for God’s exclusive use in the religious practice of Israel, as with gold, silver, etc.  The word is related to an Arabic root meaning “to prohibit, especially to ordinary use.” The word “harem,” meaning the special quarters for Muslim wives, comes from it. It is related also to an Ethiopic root, meaning “to forbid, prohibit, lay under a curse.” (TWOT).  Items under a “herem” meant strictly, “hands off.” Joshua 6 describes the act of “herem” or placing something under a ban:

¹⁷ But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction.  Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live,  because she hid the men  we sent. ¹⁸ But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you  take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster on it. ¹⁹ For all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are dedicated to the Lord and must go into the Lord’s treasury.”

What could lead a person to “steal that devoted to God?”  The answer is, “spiritual carelessness.”  There is that old cliché that says, “familiarity breeds contempt.”  The fact this is a common cliché indicates it holds some lasting truth.  Familiarity with God is a grave mistake that leads one to become careless with one’s spirituality.  We can easily fall  into disobedience when we do not keep God’s awesome holiness front and center of our lives.  We will skim a little off the tithe. We will stay in bed on Sunday morning because it feels so cozy under the blankets.  When we are careless spiritually, we neglect to treat God with the utmost respect that He deserves.  Spiritual Carelessness leads us to treat God like a Cosmic Vending Machine we go to whenever we want a “god snack.”  Achan and Israel fell into the trap of Spiritual Carelessness.  The laws of Pogonomics indicates this is the first step to a slippery slope sliding into disaster.

Another issue involved in Pogonomics is the matter of:

2.  Uncontrolled Passions (20-23)

²⁰ Achan replied to Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.  This is what I did: ²¹ When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon,  200 silver shekels,  and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels,  I coveted them and took them.  You can see for yourself. They are concealed in the ground inside my tent, with the money under the cloak.” ²² So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there was the cloak, concealed in his tent, with the money underneath. ²³ They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out in the Lord’s presence.

These verses expose a man whose worldly passions are out of control.  His desire for the things of the world completely overcomes any sense of decency or devotion in regard to the things of God.  Is this not so often the case—godly character is sacrificed upon the altar of worldly pursuits?  In three verses Achan confesses to breaking three commandments:  stealing, lying, and coveting.  All of this comes about because of what he let “catch his eye.”  He saw something shiny and like a fish attacking a lure he latched onto it, only to discover the Devil was dangling it before him.  His spiral down into sin began with an innocent look.  I think of a little ditty I learned in primary Sunday School at Moundsville Baptist Church:

O be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little eyes what you see

There's a Father up above //And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little eyes what you see

We must learn to control our passions or our passions will certainly control us. Controlling our passion requires limiting what images we allow into our mind.

I think of the great King David.  The Bible refers to David as a “man after my own heart”  (Acts 13:22).  Really?  David committed many sins and right at the top of the list was “adultery” and “conspiracy to commit murder” to cover up the adultery.  How did David, a godly man, fall into such sin?  The Bible says,

^{2Sam. 11    2} One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.

The word translated, “he saw,” could mean “he was watching.”  In other words, he did not simply glance at her and turn away.  The word is in the imperfect tense which can suggest a non-completed action in the past.  The context would support this application of the text because it adds that David considered her “a very beautiful woman, so much so that David commanded that she be brought to him.

David’s sin was not catching a glimpse of a naked woman.  His sin was allowing his passions to run out of control until his temptation matured into full-fledged sin.  Billy Sunday, the great evangelist liked to describe the matter this way:  ““Temptation is the devil looking through the keyhole. Yielding is opening the door and inviting him in.”  The laws of Pogonomics dictate that uncontrolled passions will lead us into

3.  Self-defeating Actions (24-26)

This is what happened to David.  It is what happened to Achan.  It is what happens to everyone who allows spiritual carelessness and uncontrolled passions to lead them away from full devotion and obedience to God.

Look at the result of Achan’s actions:

²⁴ Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, and the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his ox, donkey, and sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and brought them up to the Valley of Achor.  ²⁵ Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us?  Today the Lord will trouble you!” So all Israel stoned them  to death. They burned their bodies,  threw stones on them, ²⁶ and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains to this day.  Then the Lord turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor  to this day.

Total destruction and annihilation of everything and everyone associated with Achan.  His plan was horribly and inexorably a failure.  Achan sought to “gain it all,” but instead, “lost it all.”  Sin will do this every time.  In the end, the Devil always pays off in counterfeit blessings.  Achan lost all his possessions.  He lost his family.  He lost his life.  This is how Pogonomics plays out.  One follows his or her plan for life instead of God’s plan and it ends up a disaster.  Millions are falling prey to the laws of Pogonomics even as I speak.  Some of you may be experiencing the unrelenting laws of Pogonomics even now.  Achan sought success—he experienced failure in the worst possible way.

Many people object to the relentless, bloody consequences laid out in graphic detail in this passage.  Achan’s animals were slaughtered.  His children were stoned.  Everything was burned to ashes.  How can a loving God command such a thing?  It is because God is not only “loving,” but God is “holy.”  We cannot simply take the attributes of God that benefit us--like love, patience, mercy and grace—and ignore the other attributes of God like holiness.  The holiness of God is a horribly wonderful thing.  We take it lightly to our own detriment. 

Let this passage serve as a warning to any and all that roll the dice betting against God’s judgment and wrath.  Disobedience will be punished.  The laws of Pogonomics demonstrate that our own plans and devices always lead to “self-defeating actions.”

This is a strong teaching to be sure, but one which will spare you much heartache, and perhaps eternal loss, if you heed what this passage teaches:  disobedience leads to disaster.

The laws of economics show that particular actions will lead to predictable results.  For example if demand increases and supplies decrease prices will escalate.  That’s simple economics.  Pogonomics works on a spiritual level showing that disobeying God’s clear commands in Scripture either by ignorance or intention will lead to defeat and disaster.  Disobedience to God is always self-defeating.

Do you know what is really tragic about Achan’s actions?  OK, I’ll tell you.  If he would have just obeyed God’s commands and devoted himself to God’s plan he would have received freely what he took illegally.  Look at Joshua 8:2

² Treat Ai and its king as you did Jericho and its king;  you may plunder its spoil and livestock for yourselves.

CLOSE:  The battle of Ai should have been a slam dunk for Israel.  Our text tells us that the leaders of Israel said,  ³“Don’t send all the people, but send about 2,000 or 3,000  men to attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, don’t wear out all our people there.”  Yet, when they descended upon Ai the Bible says, hey fled from the men of Ai.  ⁵ The men of Ai struck down about 36 of them and chased them from outside the gate to the quarries,  striking them down on the descent. As a result, the people’s hearts melted and became like water.

The laws of Pogonomics demonstrate that disobedience turns a sure victory into a sour defeat.  God’s directions were explicit and our devotion to Him must be exclusive.  Holiness leaves no room for our own plans and passions.  It is all about God! 

Pogonomics is a spiritual science that shows the outcome of various actions in regard to how those actions line up with the decrees of God—the Bible.  Economics can forecast which behaviors will bring the best returns on the use of goods and resources in a society.  Pogonomics forecasts the self-defeating consequences of misusing the goods and resources—spiritual as well as material—of God.

Today, as I gaze upon my world that is littered with broken dreams, shattered families, warring nations, danger, death and all manner of mayhem I feel a little like Pogo the Possum sitting on the bank lamenting over his polluted swamp.  “I’ve met the enemy and he is us.”

Last night coming home from dinner my wife reminded me that I will be turning 58 years old come May, Lord willing.  My heart sank when I heard that number.  Most of my life is behind me.  Most of it was very good.  Today, most of my life remains very good,  but there’s just less of it in my future on this planet.  There’s no time for my own agenda.  There’s only time for obedience!

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