February 3

“When I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonish mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, I coveted them, and took them.” Joshua 7:21

The principle of Babylon is to pretend in order to receive glory from men. When Achan took the Babylonish garment, it could only be because he wanted to adorn himself, to outshine others. We find a similar sin in the New Testament when Ananias and Sapphire offended by lying to the Holy Spirit. Their devotion to the Lord was partial, but they wanted it to seem complete. They wanted to be looked upon by others as those who loved him greatly. They were acting a part.

Here is a real danger to God’s children—to pretend to be spiritual. Whenever in spiritual matters we put on a garment which does not match our actual condition, we are not being true worshipers but are following the principle of Babylon. The Father seeks those who, however simply, worship him in spirit and in reality.