Joshua
Chapter 7 describes how one man’s sin can affect the whole nation.
The chapter begins, “But
the nation of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted
things“.
Remember in the previous chapter the people were clearly instructed,
“The
city and all that are in it are devoted to the Lord… keep away from
the devoted things… otherwise you will make the camp of Israel
liable to destruction“.
We read, “Achan,
son of Carmi… took some of them and the Lord’s anger burned
against Israel“.
This was not an oversight, or an accident. Later we read Achan took
“A
beautiful robe, fifty shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing
fifty shekels and buried them under his tent“.
Not only were these “accursed things” probably used in the
worship of idols, but God also instructed that the gold and silver
were to go into the temple treasury. In effect, Achan was stealing
from God as well (Malachi 3:8). Again we must remember that God was
not just keeping His promise to Abraham by giving Israel the land, He
was also using the nation to judge the horrific evil of the
Canaanites. It seems if Israel was not going to reflect God’s
righteous judgment, He would not use them.
The
results of Achan’s disobedience are catastrophic. After sending
spies ahead to the next city of Ai, they report back to Joshua. “Not
all the people will have to go against Ai. Send two or three
thousand men… for only a few men are there.”
It seems Joshua and the men of Israel are supremely confident, they
can handle this one on their own. Apparently Joshua relies on the
advise of the spies and does not consult God. What an excellent
reminder to us to be careful not to assign some things to God and not
bother God with the small things. We make the mistake of thinking
that God is not concerned with the easy stuff. “I
am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for Me?
(Jeremiah 32:26). Matthew 10:29-30 explains that not even a sparrow
that falls to the ground goes unnoticed by God. In fact, “Even
the number of hairs on your head are numbered“.
The result, Israel was routed. “The
men of Ai killed thirty six of them and chased the men of Israel from
the city gate and far as the stone quarries… the heart of the
people melted.”
At hearing this, “Joshua
tore his clothes fell face down before ark of the Lord“.
Joshua understood that after crossing the Jordan they were
surrounded by their enemy on all sides. Without the supernatural
protection of God, they were doomed.
The
chapter ends with a slow and (for Achan) painful process of God
narrowing down the disobedient one, first by tribe, then by family,
until finally naming Achan. Achan confesses, “It
is true! I have sinned against the Lord“.
Next we read, “Joshua
took Achan… the silver, the gold, his sons and his daughters, his
cattle, his donkey, his sheep and his tent and all that he had…
then all of Israel stoned him and after they stoned the rest, they
burned them“.
It appears that his sons and daughters must have known about the
stolen treasure buried in their tent as well. His hidden sin
corrupted his whole family. I praise God daily that He made a way
for the penalty of my sins to be paid on the cross of Christ. Romans
chapter 5 explains that sin entered the world through one man’s
disobedience (Adam) and all of mankind was made guilty. But
wonderfully, through the obedience of one man (Christ Jesus) all of
the sin of mankind was judged. “For
just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made
sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many were
made righteous”
(Romans 5:19). This is God’s grace and it is for each of us today.