Take a Stand

Take a Stand

Joshua commanded the children of Israel, just as Moses had previously done, not to touch the accursed things. Achan, however, saw amidst the spoil a costly Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels. He coveted them, took them and hid them in the ground under his tent, with the silver underneath. Josh. 6:18 and 7:21.

Achan would surely have won the victory if he had meditated more on the Lord’s commandments and taken a stand on God’s side against the accursed things. However, when he saw those things, he coveted them, because he had not conquered the lust in his heart beforehand.

The Lord spoke to Joshua and said, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” Josh. 1:5. Joshua believed God and took a stand for Him, and the effect was that the entire nation swore faithfulness to Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses.”

Joshua received the people’s loyalty because he had taken a stand for God in his heart, even if the whole nation were to oppose him. If Saul had taken such a stand, he would never have feared the people when in their lust they transgressed the Lord’s commandment and spared the accursed things. 1 Sam. 15:24. This fear was his downfall—he fell away from God and lost his kingship.

Rahab the harlot and Ruth the widow took a stand in favor of the people of God and were grafted in to the nation of the Jews, even though they were Gentiles. They became part of the genealogy from which Jesus Christ was born.

We, too, must take a stand. We are living in the last days, about which Paul prophesied: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” 2 Tim. 3:1-5 [Emphasis added].

We must take a stand for God against this form of godliness and turn away from it. For those described above are like Jannes and Jambres; they resist the truth and by their buffoonery deceive all who can be deceived. For the upright of heart, however, light will arise and the knowledge of the Lord will dawn, so that they will be able to immediately see through everything that is false and find grace for help in time of need. Take a stand with Him outside the camp. Take a stand and hear what the Spirit says to the church. Take a stand—dead to sin, but alive to God in Jesus Christ. Rom. 6:11.