Achan's actions were discovered and judged because he dishonored God.
One of the central truths of the Bible is that every human being is a sinner. We sin against others, and every sin is a sin against God. The Bible also reveals that though we may try, we cannot hide anything from God— including our sins. What’s more, the Bible clearly declares that there will always be negative consequences for one who tries to conceal one’s sin from God. Nevertheless, there is good news. God’s Word teaches that whoever confesses and renounces their sins to God will find mercy and forgiveness.
What should be a person’s motivation to confess sin and seek forgiveness?
After the account of the fall of Jericho in Joshua 6, chapters 7–12 summarize the rest of the conquest of Canaan. Joshua 7 reveals that an Israelite sinned against God when the Lord brought down the walls of Jericho.
When Achan saw some of the items that were to be set apart for the Lord, he coveted them and took them for himself. Achan’s sin resulted in Israel’s initial defeat at Ai. Only when Achan was confronted and his sin dealt with could Israel move on. Joshua 8 describes how God turned away from His anger and handed over the city of Ai to the Israelites.
Israel’s victories over Jericho and Ai resulted in some of the people in Canaan forming an alliance to oppose Joshua and Israel. When the inhabitants of the city of Gibeon heard about Israel’s victories, they disguised themselves as foreigners from outside of Canaan and said they had traveled to meet the Israelites because of the reputation of their God and a desire to make a treaty with them. Without consulting the Lord, Israel made a treaty with Gibeon. When the Israelites discovered they had been tricked, Joshua conscripted the Gibeonites to serve Israel at the tabernacle (chap. 9).
When the king of Jerusalem heard that Gibeon made a treaty with Israel, he formed an alliance with four other kings and together they laid siege on Gibeon. When Joshua received news of the attack, he led his troops to Gibeon and attacked the coalition. The Lord threw the enemy into confusion. As they tried to escape, God sent down large hailstones that killed more of the enemy than Israel did. The Lord stopped the sun in the middle of the sky for almost a full day while Israel completed the rout of their enemies. Then Joshua led his troops south, defeating their enemies as the Lord had commanded them (chap. 10).
Chapters 11–12 describe how Joshua turned his attention northward, destroying the great city of Hazor and enjoying one victory after another over Israel’s enemies. In all, Joshua and his troops vanquished thirty-one kings.
Read Joshua 7:10–23 in your Bible. Identify the corporate effect of sin and the corporate responsibility of Israel for the sin.
10 The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. 12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. 13 Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.” 14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the LORD takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the LORD takes shall come near by households. And the household that the LORD takes shall come near man by man. 15 And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”
After having conquered Jericho, the conquest of Ai appeared to be a small thing in comparison. Like he did at Jericho, Joshua sent spies to scout Ai. When they returned their report was significantly different from that of the spies in Jericho. The spies in Jericho reported that the Lord had handed over the land to them, but these spies did not mention the Lord. They were self-confident, concentrating on their own ability to defeat and conquer Ai with a smaller contingent of just two to three thousand soldiers. This was a fraction of Israel’s army according to its number of 601,730 men recorded in Numbers 26:51 as they were preparing to enter the promised land. But when about three thousand of their soldiers attacked Ai, they were soundly defeated.
Israel’s self-confidence melted away. In an act of mourning and submission, Joshua and the elders fell facedown on the ground before the ark of the Lord. Fear gripped them. Given that the Jordan River was to their back, they had no way of escape and feared that when the Canaanites learned what happened, they would attack and kill every Israelite. Joshua asked the Lord what this would do to His reputation among the nations (Josh 7:9).
It seems Joshua had forgotten everything he had seen the Lord do for them. Nevertheless, he and the elders knew that the right thing to do was to take their worries to God. This is a sign of godly leadership.
God’s response in verse 10 was a rebuke. He would not listen to any more of Joshua’s allegations that God was untrue to His promises to Israel (see v. 7). Furthermore, God was not going to listen to Joshua question His wisdom as He led the people to this place. It is amazing how people are quick to question God’s character and wisdom when they reap what they have sown because of their own sin. Instead of lying facedown on the ground feeling sorry for himself and his people, Joshua needed to get up and deal with the problem.
People are quick to question God’s character and wisdom when they reap what they have sown because of their own sin.
The Lord got right to the point—Israel has sinned. They had stolen from the Lord and then deceitfully hid what they had stolen among their own belongings. How had they stolen from the Lord? When Israel was about to defeat Jericho, Joshua instructed that “all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD.” (6:19). Joshua also warned them that if they took for themselves anything from the things set apart to the Lord that they and the camp of Israel would be set apart
“for destruction” (6:18). This is what happened.
The Lord revealed that it was because of this sin that the people of God could not defeat their enemies. He had warned them that there would be dire consequences if they disobeyed Him concerning the things that were to be devoted to Him. If they were going to act like enemies to God by disregarding Him, then they would experience a taste of what that meant. Therefore, the Lord declared His holiness, the egregiousness of their sin, and its profound consequences by stating He was going to withdraw His presence from Israel until they removed the sin from among them.
This declaration was both disheartening and hopeful. While God had abandoned them on the battlefield, there was the hope for restoration once they were purified and their sin was removed. As the people of God, believers are to be holy as the Lord our God is holy (Lev. 11:44).
KEY DOCTRINE: God
God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. (See Isaiah 6:1–5; 1 Peter 1:14–16.)
God gave Joshua instructions detailing what the people needed to do. First, God told Joshua to go and consecrate the people and to tell them, Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow. This meant they needed to prepare themselves for an encounter with God. This may have involved seeking to discover the items that needed to be removed from among them. Second, the next day the people were to present themselves to the Lord in the order He chose, tribe by tribe, clan by clan, and family by family.
God knew who the guilty party was, but this way would emphasize the corporate effect of the sin and the corporate responsibility of Israel for this sin. There is also a play on words in verse 14. The word takes appears three times. This Hebrew word can also mean “captures” or “catches.” As the Lord takes the tribes, clans, and families, it will lead to the identification of the guilty party.
The lawbreaker thought he could get away with stealing from God. But as he watched what would methodically transpire, it would dawn on him that he was going to be found out. It should remind us that we can be sure our sin will catch up with us (Num. 32:23).
The guilty party had the opportunity to confess his sin when he, along with everyone else, received Joshua’s instructions to prepare for what was to happen the next day. He could have turned dishonoring God to honoring God if only he had demonstrated sincere confession and repentance of his sin. When David sinned against God, he realized this truth. He wrote that “a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51:17).
Nonetheless, this guilty party remained silent.
There is also another likely reason God brought to light the guilty party the way He did. Israel needed to see the importance of not taking lightly God’s Word, His holiness, and His glory. The images of what would transpire the next day were to make a lasting impression on them. The discipline of one can serve as an essential lesson to others (Prov. 19:25).
Why is it important for us to recognize sin’s impact on us and our relationship with God?
Israel needed to see the importance of not taking lightly God’s Word, His holiness, and His glory.
16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18 And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
Joshua rose early so there would be no delay in obeying God’s instructions. He was eager to remove the sin against God from among them. Joshua had the tribes of Israel brought near as the Lord instructed. As he did, the Lord selected the tribe of Judah. Next, the Lord selected the clan of the •Zerahites. Then, the Lord selected the family of •Zabdi. Finally, •Achan was selected. It was essential the people witnessed that it was the Lord who was making the selections, just as He said He would in verses 13-15. He was the one superintending what needed to be done to bring about Israel’s reconciliation to Him.
When Joshua addressed Achan, Joshua spoke to him as a father would to a son who has sinned. Joshua told Achan to do four things. First, he told Achan to give glory to the LORD God of Israel. Achan would do this by making a confession to the Lord. This is the second command Joshua gave Achan. Third, Joshua implored Achan to tell him what he did. Fourth, Joshua told Achan not to hide anything of what he had done from Joshua.
What might prevent one from confessing and seeking the Lord’s forgiveness?
20 And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23 And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the LORD.
Achan finally decided to confess his sin. His explanation is similar to what happened in the garden of Eden— he saw, he coveted, and he took. Also reminiscent of the garden is the effect. Adam and Eve’s sin affected the entire human race after them. Achan’s sin affected the entire nation of Israel. Both should remind us that our sins always have an effect on others. Achan’s stolen goods consisted of a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred silver shekels, which weighed about eighty ounces, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, the equivalent of about twenty ounces. Once Achan confessed, he told Joshua where he had hidden the stolen treasures.
Joshua sent messengers to Achan’s tent, and they found the stolen items exactly where he said he hid them.
The messengers retrieved them and spread them out before the Lord, the One to whom they rightfully belonged.
Verses 24-26 indicate Achan and his entire family were stoned to death, and everything he owned along with the stolen items were buried in stones with them. Achan’s household died with him because they implicitly knew about Achan’s sin. Achan had plenty of opportunities to confess but did so only when forced to. His sin had caused the deaths of his brothers (v. 5), and he had disregarded God’s holiness. God allowed Israel to plunder Ai when Ai was finally defeated (8:27). Achan could have enjoyed that plunder if he had only trusted God and waited on God’s timing.
Why is it important for us to view sin as seriously as God does?
BIBLE SKILL: Use a Bible dictionary to learn more about a biblical principle.
Read the article on “Holy War” in a Bible dictionary. Why did the Lord sometimes require the Israelites to dedicate everything in a “ban,” which meant that the inhabitants and possessions of an entire city would be set apart to the Lord and destroyed? How would you respond to someone who questioned why a loving God would order the wholesale extermination of the nations that were occupying the promised land? (Hints: The Lord had given these people time to repent. See Gen. 15:13–16. The Lord is a God of both love and judgment. See Ex.
34:6–7.)
We should recognize that sin always dishonors God and negatively impacts our relationship with Him.
We should acknowledge that God is always aware of our sins.
We honor God by repenting and confessing our sins to Him.
How can you encourage one another and even others outside your Bible study group who might be struggling with sin? How does sin in our lives impact our relationships with others?
How does your sin negatively impact your relationship to God? How does knowing that God is always aware of your sin affect how you deal with your sin? How does repenting and confessing your sin honor God?
Memorize Galatians 6:7