The successful rationalization of a temptation brings about a very dangerous state of mind called blackout. In blackout, a good man is no longer capable of considering the terrible consequences that will be unleashed when he crosses a moral line. He is no longer thinking of his wife and children, his God and church, his future and potential, his mother and father, his co-workers and friends – he isn’t thinking at all. He is in blackout.
Note: This article is in a series called Two Roads. Previous articles are always available at http://www.webbweekly.com.
Every good man who has committed a moral failure will later ask himself, “What was I thinking?” That question reveals the existence of blackout. The truth is, he wasn’t thinking. The ability to think was forfeited when rationalization allowed a good man to twist a bad thing into a good thing.
Adam entered blackout when he rationalized that God was trying to hold him back. Moses entered blackout when he justified his anger. David entered blackout after convincing himself he deserved Bathsheba. Judas entered blackout when he felt the weight of silver in his hand. Peter entered blackout when his fear was intensified by a nosey servant girl. Blackout causes a good man to completely forget the dire and far-reaching consequences of his actions. In the backstory of a moral failure, blackout is the most dangerous stage.
Blackout inflicts a particularly painful wound on the innocent victims left in the wake of a good man’s failure. It is exceedingly difficult for a man’s wife and children to understand how they could have been forgotten while their husband and father were committing terrible acts. It makes no sense to them at all.
That’s what Achan’s family faced when he entered blackout. His story is found in Joshua 6-7.
During the conquering of Jericho, the first city in the promised land, Joshua gave this command to the Israelites,
“Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab, the prostitute, and all who are with her in her house shall be spared because she hid the spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise, you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble to it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”
The command and the consequences were clear – and Achan understood what was at stake.
While doing his part to conquer the city, Achan stumbled across some plunder. By his own admission, he coveted what he wasn’t supposed to have and entered blackout. He forgot about his own destruction and made the camp of Israel liable to destruction. He forgot about his family and the destruction he could bring home to them. He simply blacked out. He took some of the devoted plunder and buried it under his tent.
The next day, Israel set out to conquer the town of Ai. Military spies reported that the town would fall easily, but that’s not the way it went. The fighting was fierce, and thirty-six Israelites were killed. The loss didn’t make any sense at all. It ignited fear in the Israelite camp.
Joshua fell to his face and cried out to God in a prayer of desperation. God’s response is given in Joshua 7:10-13,
The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.
Achan had plenty of time to step forward, confess his sin, and return the devoted plunder. Had he done that, maybe his family would have been spared. Maybe he would have been spared. He weighed his options and chose coverup over confession. That’s the trouble with choices made during blackout – they lead to more bad choices.
Achan’s sin was exposed by God, and then he was executed. His family was also executed. Achan brought trouble home to his family. Achan made thirty-six innocent warriors and their families liable to destruction. Achan made Joshua desperate and Israel fearful. God had been very clear about the consequences, but Achan was in blackout and couldn’t see any of it.
This is going to sound dire, but it needs to be said: The only hope for a man who has entered blackout is a true friend who is willing to slap him back into consciousness. Proverbs 27:6 declares, Wounds from a friend can be trusted.
James 5:19 says, My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
If you’re in blackout, I pray a true friend will be willing to confront you. I pray that this article will confront you. Unless something jars you out of blackout, you are going to fall, and the consequences will be devastating.
