Re:Verse reading–Joshua 7 (day four)
Achan had sinned. God had commanded the Israelites not to take any spoil from Jericho. He warned them that if they disobeyed Him He would not conquer the enemies before them. When the children of Israel turned in retreat before the armies of Ai, Joshua did not know what had happened…but God knew. After a careful winnowing by lot, Achan was discovered and confessed his sin. He and all of his family were taken out to the valley and stoned for their disobedience. From then on, the valley was known as the ‘valley of trouble’.
Fast forward now to the prophet Hosea’s day. Hosea 2:15 says, “Then I will give her her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.” God promised to take the valley of trouble and turn it into a door of hope. That is what He does with our lives through Jesus…He takes the disaster of our disobedience and through faith, He gives HOPE!
