THEOSISPhilaret of Moscow (Drosdow)
Keen observers can witness how sometimes the fulfillment of God’s Providence, proclaimed through His law, is remarkably evident in events. Let us consider an ancient occurrence. In the conquest of Jericho, the first city of the Promised Land, Joshua designated all its treasures as an offering to the Lord, commanding that everything else be destroyed by sword and fire, swearing that all the people would faithfully adhere to this decree. However, one individual, Achan, failed to uphold this promise, secretly claiming for himself garments, silver, and a golden vessel from the enemy. What ensued? Israel, previously triumphant, faced defeat against the small city of Ai. Why?
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God provided the explanation: ‘The oath is in you’, referring to the transgression of the oath, ‘you cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the accursed thing from among you’. Following this, by divine command, the oath-breaker was identified through lot and executed, and through this act of justice against the defiant one, God’s favor and victorious strength were restored to Israel. What a sobering lesson! The actions of one who breaks an oath can inflict severe damage upon the entire nation, and only the specific intervention of God can arrest that damage. God’s judgment does not seek to publicly accuse and punish the perjurer, who lacked any witness or proof, and whom human judgment would likely never have detected. The Christian doctrine of royalty. Chapter Twelfth The Oath of Allegiance
Observant individuals can witness how profoundly the threat of Divine Providence, articulated in God's commandments to those who break their vows, is manifested in events. Consider a historical account: when Joshua led the conquest of Jericho, the first city in the promised land, he consecrated all its treasures to God and commanded that the remainder be annihilated by sword and fire. He bound the people with an oath to carry out this directive faithfully. However, Achan violated this oath by taking garments, silver, and a gold implement. What ensued? Israel, previously triumphant over the small city of Ai, faced a sudden defeat. The reason for this setback was clearly provided by God: "There is an accursed thing in the midst of you... ye cannot stand before your enemies until ye take away the accursed thing from among you" (Num. 7:13).