Lessons From Achan

Day one hundred eighty

I woke this morning filled with anticipation because I would be going through the temple with my son.  It is one more step he needed to complete as he prepares for his missionary work in Virginia.  I prayed that the Spirit might be with us as we shared this experience, that our hearts would be filled with love for the Lord, and that we would recognize the significance of this event.  Needless to say, it was a great experience and I was overwhelmed with the joy of seeing my son at the temple.  I am truly blessed!

Joshua 7:1-26

Israel has just been involved in the greatest military conquest in their history. They have just witnessed the tremendous defeat of the city of Jericho and they are still basking in the glow of that great event. But, verse 1 tells us that God was upset with the people. Israel thought that everything was all right. They thought that they were standing on the edge of a great string of victories that would see them conquering the entire land of promise. Yet, what they didn't know was that there was a problem in the camp. There was one in their midst who was causing a problem for the entire family of God's people.

This brought to mind the verses in 1 Cor. 12:26-27 in which we are described as "the body of Christ" and taught that when one member suffers they all suffer.  Our spiritual status has a deep effect on the entire body of Christ. We are not an island unto our self. What we do effects those around us. This truth is illustrated in the story of Achan.

A PAINFUL DEFEAT (vv 2-5)
Israel was still basking in the glow of their victory at Jericho and they looked at Ai and felt like that little town would be no problem for such a great army. They were confident that the Lord would provide another victory for them.  They were so confident that they decided that they didn't need to send the whole army, but a few thousand men.  It must have been devastating and very confusing when Israel went up to Ai and they suffered a terrible defeat and 36 of their number were killed.  The question, "What went wrong?", must have been on everyone's mind.

Without reading further what would you say was Israel's problem? What was missing?  Some answers might be:

There is no record of them praying before the battle and asking the Lord what they should do with the city of Ai. (Were they guilty of jumping ahead of the Lord's will?)

They didn't take the Ark of the Covenant into battle.  Remember the Ark symbolized the presence and power of God.  (Did they go into battle on their own strength?)

Although these seem like good answers and many of us have fallen into these pitfalls, the answer would lie with one family members actions.

After their terrible defeat at the hands of Ai, the people of Israel are feeling the same fear that their enemies experienced (Josh. 2:9; 5:1; 6:1). Israel didn't know at this point what was wrong. All they knew was that they had just suffered their first defeat. Thankfully, God wants His people to have the victory, not the defeat. So, He takes the necessary steps to reveal to the nation of Israel just exactly where the problem lies.

A PAINFUL DISCOVERY (vv 6-15)
After the tragedy happens, Joshua finds himself before the Lord in prayer. His prayer is from a broken heart (v 6). However, there is also a hint of anger and accusation against the Lord. Joshua is going to learn that prayer is the correct recourse in a time of trouble. As he wonders why Israel was powerless in the battle, he learns that the answer wasn't to blame God, or to dispute His will, the answer was in their own camp!

Think about the last time you made a decision that brought with it terrible consequences, who did you blame?  When there is a tragedy in our lives, we need to look within and see where the problem is. When there is a lack of power in my life, I find that the the problem is not with God, nor is it with others, the problem is always with me!

God Reveals The Problem (vv 10-15) 
While Joshua and Israel try to figure out what is happening, God already knows and tells Joshua all about it. He tells him that there is sin in the camp of Israel. He tells Joshua that it is this sin that brought about their defeat and He tells Joshua how to discover the guilty party.

In these words to Joshua, God gives us some insights into sin, of which we need to take note:

1. God knows about our sins (v 11) (see also Pro. 15:3; Heb. 4:13)
2. God hates our sins (v 11) (see also Pro. 6:16-19)
3. God has a plan for our sins (v 14-15) (see also 1 John 1:9; Psa. 32:5)
4. God will punish our sins (v 15) ( see also Gal. 6:9)
5. Sin affects those around us (v 11-12)  Our sins have the ability to drastically lower the spiritual effectiveness of those around us. We are all one body and what effects you effects me!
6. Sin must be dealt with (v 13) Basically, either you and I will deal with our sins, or God will deal with them. Either way, they will be handled!  (1 Cor. 11:31)

Often, the greatest problems faced by God's people come from within and not from without. There is a saying that goes:  "It's not the water on the outside of the boat that causes the problem, it's the water on the inside of the boat that causes trouble!" More often than not, when there are defeats and trouble with God's people, there is usually someone or someones that are not following God's will!  The scriptures are filled with examples of this!

 Dealing with the Problem (vv 16-26)

The Sinner Discovered (v 18-19) The process that God used to point out Achan is interesting. God knew who was guilty, why didn't He just tell Joshua who they were looking for? Maybe God was giving Achan time to repent and to confess his sins. I don't know for sure, but what is sure is that the Lord pointed His finger at Achan.

The lesson for us:  You can't hide from your sins.

The Sin Discussed (vv 19-21) 
When Joshua speaks to Achan, he speaks with love in his heart. He knows that Achan is condemned, but Joshua still cares for this man who brought so much trouble to Israel.  In this, Joshua is a picture of God. While God hates sin with His entire being, He still loves the sinner (John 3:16).

Achan finally confesses his sin. However, don't believe for a second that Achan repented. He, like some others in the scriptures, only confessed his sins after he got caught in them. At this point, it would have been impossible to hide them any longer anyway.

(On a side note can you see the pattern of sin in Achan's statement (v 21)? "I saw...I coveted...I took." The progression is always the same.)

The Sinner Destroyed (vv 22-26) - These verses give us the sad conclusion to this tragic tale. Achan and all that he had were taken out and stoned to death by the people of Israel. It didn't have to end this way.  But it is true, sin can destroy us!

This message seems so relevant to our world today.  There is a lot of the blame game going on and little of taking accountability for your sins and how they affect others.  I think my job is to be a better example of dealing with sin, even the smallest sins, so that the effects of my actions will be more positive and less negative to those around me.