◄ Joshua 7:11 ►
Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Joshua 7:11? 2. How does Joshua 7:11 illustrate the consequences of disobedience to God's commands? 3. What can we learn about God's holiness from "Israel has sinned" in Joshua 7:11? 4. How does Joshua 7:11 connect to the concept of communal responsibility in Scripture? 5. In what ways can we ensure we are not "violating My covenant" today? 6. How can we apply the lessons of Joshua 7:11 to our church community? 7. Why did God hold all Israel accountable for Achan's sin in Joshua 7:11? 8. How does Joshua 7:11 reflect on the nature of communal responsibility in faith? 9. What does Joshua 7:11 reveal about God's expectations for obedience? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Joshua 7? 11. Why does Joshua 7:11 emphasize collective guilt when only Achan committed the offense? 12. How can Joshua 7:25 be reconciled ethically when Achan’s entire family is punished for his sin? 13. How can Deuteronomy 7:16’s promise of victory over enemies be reconciled with records of Israel’s military setbacks in other biblical accounts? 14. What is Ai's significance in the Bible? Discussion Questions 1. How does the sin of one individual, like Achan, affect the entire community of believers today? 2. In what ways can we ensure that we are obedient to God's commands in our daily lives? 3. What steps can we take to uncover and address hidden sins in our hearts and communities? 4. How does understanding God's holiness and justice influence our approach to sin and repentance? 5. What role does accountability play in maintaining a healthy and holy community of believers, and how can we foster it in our church or small group? Joshua 7 Bible Study Questions 1. In Joshua 7:1, Achan's sin is said to bring trouble on Israel as a whole. What does this verse teach us about the corporate nature of sin within a community? 2. Achan's sin led to defeat at Ai, which shocked Joshua and the elders. How can our individual actions affect the groups or communities we're part of? 3. Joshua reacted to the defeat with mourning and despair. Why did he react this way and what does it teach us about leadership and responsibility? 4. How does God's response to Joshua in Joshua 7:10-12 instruct us on moving forward after a setback or failure? 5. God knew who was guilty, yet He had Joshua cast lots to determine the guilty party. What might be the reason for this and how can this process be compared to our justice system today? 6. In what ways might we be tempted to take what isn’t ours, like Achan did, especially in our current society? 7. Achan hid the spoils of Jericho in his tent, thinking his sin was hidden. How does this story speak to the misconception that our hidden sins have no consequences? 8. How can Achan’s story serve as a reminder of the short-lived pleasure of sin compared to its long-term consequences? 9. How did Achan's confession in Joshua 7:20-21 reflect his understanding of his sin and its gravity? 10. How can we apply the lessons of Achan’s story to our own lives when dealing with temptation and sin? 11. How can this story help us understand the concept of personal accountability and its importance in a society? 12. What lessons can we learn from Joshua's leadership and his dealing with defeat and sin within his people? 13. How does Achan's story challenge us to think about the impacts of our private actions on our community? 14. Despite the heavy consequence of Achan’s sin, God’s anger was turned away after justice was served. How can this narrative be used to understand God's wrath and justice? 15. Why do you think Achan’s entire family was punished for his sin? How does this compare to our modern understanding of justice? 16. The chapter ends with a place being named the Valley of Achor, meaning trouble, in memory of this event. Why do you think it's important to remember such difficult times? 17. Can you share a personal experience when a hidden mistake or sin of yours affected the people around you? How did you deal with it? 18. How does Achan's story remind us of the importance of obedience to God's commandments in our daily lives? 19. How does Achan's action contrast with Rahab's action in the previous chapters? What does this say about the nature of decisions and their outcomes? 20. In this chapter, Joshua and the Israelites are taught a hard lesson about the importance of holiness and obedience. How can we learn from their experience and apply it in our contemporary lives? Links Joshua 7:11 NIV Joshua 7:11 NLT Joshua 7:11 ESV Joshua 7:11 NASB Joshua 7:11 KJV Joshua 7:11 Commentaries Bible Hub