Joshua 7
Share
CHAPTER 7
Achan’s Sin (7:1–26)
1 But the Israelites acted unfaithfully. Only one man, Achan, had acted unfaithfully, yet God judged all Israel guilty. The whole community shared responsibility for the actions of each member.32 This was why it was so important to punish Achan, lest his sin defile the entire nation. In Corinthians 5:6, Paul taught that a little yeast (sin) works through the whole batch of dough (the church). The sin of one member of the body of Christ affects the entire body (see 1 Corinthians 12:12,26–27).
Israel’s (Achan’s) unfaithfulness was in regard to the devoted things (see Joshua 6:17–19 and comment). Things that were “devoted” to the Lord were usually destroyed so that they could never be put to another use; they were offered up to the Lord. Therefore, the only way to cleanse Israel of this sin was to destroy whatever “devoted things” had been stolen for personal use (verse 12).
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai. Ai was the next city to be attacked. It’s not stated whether Joshua consulted with the Lord before planning his attack on Ai. After Israel’s great victory over Jericho, could Joshua have become overconfident?
3–5 Joshua sent three thousand men to attack Ai, but the men of Ai routed them; it was a humiliating defeat. Now it was the Israelites’ hearts that melted with fear (verse 5). Their God was no longer with them; they no longer had the power to overcome the Canaanites. And here they were, trapped inside Canaan by the flooded Jordan River (Joshua 3:15).
6–9 Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothes and sprinkled dust on their heads (verse 6)—customary signs of mourning and distress. Not knowing the reason for Israel’s defeat, Joshua began to complain to the Lord: “. . . why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan?” (verse 7). He sounded almost like the previous generation of Israelites who were forced to die in the desert because of their grumbling (Exodus 16:3; 17:3; Numbers 14:1–3).
But Joshua also expressed concern for the Lord’s own great name33 (verse 9). He knew that if Israel’s name was “wiped out” by the Canaanites, the Lord’s name would also be dishonored and forgotten. In this, Joshua was following the example of Moses, who repeatedly showed concern for the Lord’s honor (Numbers 14:13–16; Deuteronomy 9:26–29).
10–12 Then God rebuked Joshua. How could Joshua have thought that Israel’s predicament was God’s fault! God said to Joshua, “Israel has sinned” (verse 11). The specific sin was that devoted things had been stolen—stolen from God. But because of this specific sin, a much larger sin had been committed: Israel had violated [God’s] covenant. The giving of Canaan to Israel had been a covenant promise; if Israel violated the covenant, then the promise of the land would be canceled—at least for the present generation. Because of this sin, all of Israel had been made liable to destruction (verse 12)—this because of the sin of one man (Joshua 6:18).
13–15 Then the Lord commanded Joshua to consecrate the people (see Joshua 3:5 and comment). The next day the people were to come before the Lord, and the Lord Himself would reveal who the guilty person was. He would do it by a process of elimination: first He would select the guilty person’s tribe, then his clan, then his extended family, and finally the person himself.34
16–18 First Achan’s tribe (Reuben) was “taken,” then his clan (Zerah), then his family (Zimri), and finally Achan himself (see verse 1). Nothing can be hidden from the Lord! (Hebrews 4:13).
19–23 Joshua told Achan to give glory to the LORD (verse 19)—in other words, to tell the truth.“. . . give him the praise by confessing your sin.”
Then Achan fully confessed his sin (verses 20–21), and Joshua sent men to recover the devoted things that had been stolen35 (verse 23).
The question arises: If Achan fully confessed, why wasn’t he forgiven in accordance with 1 John 1:9? The reason is this: Achan did not confess voluntarily; he only confessed after he was forced to, after he knew he had been discovered. His confession did not indicate true REPENTANCE; it was not from his heart (see Leviticus 5:5–6 and comment). Achan’s heart was hardened, and so he received no mercy.
24–26 Achan was a wealthy man; he owned cattle, donkeys and sheep (verse 24). He didn’t need what he stole. Now he was about to lose everything, including his life.
Then all Israel stoned him and the rest—that is, Achan’s sons and daughters and animals (verse 25). We may consider the execution of Achan’s children unjust; but, at the very least, they knew what their father had done and conspired to hide it. God knew their hearts; He never acts unjustly (see Exodus 20:4–6; Deuteronomy 24:16 and comments).
“All Israel”—that is, representatives from the whole nation—took part in the stoning,36 in accordance with the people’s earlier promise to Joshua (see Joshua 1:18). That place became known as the Valley of Achor37 (verse 26), because Achan had brought trouble on himself. After Achan and his children and possessions had been destroyed, the Lord turned from his fierce anger.
What do we learn from this grim chapter? First of all, we learn that the enemy within is far more dangerous than the enemy without. One treacherous Israelite had done more harm to Israel than the men of Ai could ever do.
Second, we learn that unconfessed and hidden sin cannot be allowed to remain in the covenant community of God. All sin violates our covenant with God; if such sin remains, the whole community’s relationship with God is jeopardized. Unconfessed sin is like a cancer: it spreads throughout the church, it hinders the Spirit’s work among us, it blocks our communion with God, it reduces our spiritual power. Christians do not stone people today, but they must not tolerate unconfessed sin in their churches; those members who continue in sin without repentance must be expelled (see 1 Corinthians 6:9–13).
But above all, as individuals, we must not tolerate sin within ourselves (Matthew 5:29–30). We are not fit to deal with the sin in other people’s lives until we have first dealt with the sin in our own (Matthew 7:1–5; John 8:7).