White Lies Amidst the Door of Hope

"There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt"

(Hosea 2:15 NIV)

In Hosea, the Valley of Achor actually means the Valley of Trouble. I saw this valley again as I was reading back in the book of Joshua, "Then Joshua, together with all Israel , took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor" (Joshua 7:24 NIV). Joshua had just sent some of his army to go to the city of Ai. Sadly, 36 of the Israelite men died. Joshua was so upset that he ripped his clothes and begged God why He wasn't with Joshua's army (7:6-7). God responded by telling Joshua that someone in Israel had stolen forbidden treasures and kept them in their private tent (7:11). Joshua went out to go find the guilty culprits. He found a man named Achan who confessed to stealing 200 shekels of silver, a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, and a cloak from Shinar (7:21). I tried researching how much money that would be today and I couldn't figure it out so let's just say he stole a lot of dough! Anyhow, Achan confessed to breaking the 10th commandment and coveting the items he stole. Achan thought that he could hide his sin from God. He didn't necessarily lie, but in a sense he told a white lie as he thought his sin wouldn't harm anyone if he kept it a secret. He didn't fear God enough to tell anyone about it. He didn't fear God enough to not do it. The truth always comes out, whether we want it to or not. God would not be with Israel while this sin was going unpunished. Achan and his family were stoned and burned in the Valley of Achor (7:25-26). Now, after all of this happens, we read in chapter 8 that God allows Israel to overtake Ai and Joshua builds an alter to remember God's promise.

So, why am I sharing so much negativity? Because we are all capable of what Achan did. In fact, I told a lie like this just about a week ago. I didn't steal anything and my intentions were not necessarily the same as his, but I told a false truth that I thought would not harm anyone... until the truth came out. It hurt more that I had lied to make myself look better. It makes me so much more grateful for the love of Jesus Christ in my life because here is the thing: I deserve to be stoned as Achan was stoned, I deserve to be in the Valley of Achor. The old testament paints a grand picture of what our lives would look like without Jesus being the mediator for us. Imagine being stoned every time your caught for your distrust in God (I would be dead already)? The reason I shared the verse from Hosea was to help highlight God's redeeming plan for the Valley of Achor. In Hosea, God shares His plan to fully redeem Israel and to turn the Valley of Achor into a door of hope (the cross). We are called to fear our Father who loves and protects us, yet, we still have moments of weakness. So, as we experience the grace we have been given today, that should drive us to fear our Heavenly Father. When we are about to sin, we must remember the price that has been paid for us. We have been given a door of hope. What are you hiding? Do you think God doesn't see you? Do you trust that your Heavenly Father is watching over you and providing for you? What do you need to confess?