Sometimes what seems like such a small and seemingly insignificant event in reality is very important, and its consequences can be far-reaching, affecting many lives and situations. Very often when someone thinks that what they do won’t matter or make any difference, they are sadly mistaken. In our Scripture today from the Book of Joshua, we will read how the wrongful actions of one man brought devastating consequences, not just for himself and his family, but also for the whole nation.
In the previous chapters of the Book of Joshua, we read of the great defeat of the city of Jericho at the hands of the Israelites. Prior to the conquest of Jericho, God had given the people a very specific command. They were not to take any of the treasures from the city for themselves, as God had declared them cursed (Joshua 6:17-19). What things of value in Jericho were to be given to the Lord. That would be like a symbolic first-fruits offering, giving to God the treasures of the first city conquered in the Promised Land. After that, all treasures from subsequent conquered cities could be theirs.
As our passage opens in chapter 7, Joshua sent a few men to spy out the next city to conquer, which was Ai, just to the east of Bethel. They came back with the report that Ai was smaller, and would not need the whole army to conquer it. However, the smaller army of the Israelites were whipped, and had to flee in defeat, with 36 soldiers being killed (vs. 2-5).
What went wrong? God had instructed the people to enter the Promised Land and take possession of it, promising them victory over the pagan nations. Now, right at the start, they were fleeing in defeat. Joshua was puzzled and he fell on his face, tearing his clothes, and praying to God for answers (vs. 6-9). God quickly responded, telling him that the nation had sinned, disobeying His commands. He told Joshua to find the sin and root it out from among the people (vs. 10-15). Through prayer, it was revealed to Joshua that the man who sinned, who brought defeat upon the people, was Achan (vs. 16-23).
Achan had disobeyed God’s explicit command, as he took some silver, some gold, and an elegant garment in Jericho. He was indifferent to the evil and idolatry of the city of Jericho. He underestimated God, and didn’t take His commands seriously. There were four steps in the progress of Achan’s sin. First he saw the items. Then he coveted them. He desired to possess them despite God’s command. Then he took them, in direct disobedience to God. Finally he concealed them, thinking no one would know and it would be undetected. Achan was wrong. This was also the same path David took when he sinned with Bathsheba, and the path of many of our sins.
No sin is insignificant. Because of Achan’s sin, men died, men who had nothing to do with him. The army and people were now filled with fear. Joshua was questioning God. The effects of his sin was felt by the entire nation. Our actions affect more people than just ourselves. Our sin has consequences. God cannot allow sin to go unchecked. He is not content with our doing what is right some of the time. He wants us to do what is right all of the time.
Because of Achan’s sin, God had threatened to withdraw His presence (vs. 12), so Achan and his family had to be destroyed. Some might read this and recoil, thinking God was being too harsh. However it was not God who was being harsh. It was Satan and sin that was harsh. Satan steals, kills, and destroys (John 10:10). God had plainly and clearly given instructions not to take anything from Jericho. To disobey this was to do so in the face of God, with defiance and arrogance. God’s holiness is not to be trifled with!
It is most likely that Achan’s family knew what he had done, yet they did nothing to stop him, to get him to give it up, or to report the grave sin. At this time the Israelites lived in one room tents. They all would have seen him bury it, yet they kept silent. They were accomplices with this sin. Many people died because of Achan and his family, so now they would die.
In reading the account in this Scripture we need to see that victories that should be ours can quickly turn to defeats if we disobey God’s instructions. It is time to get the sin out that is hidden in our tents. God will not bless sin!
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