Joshua 07
Achan Sins and is Punished
7:1 But the Israelites disobeyed the command about the city’s riches. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, stole some of the riches. The Lord was furious with the Israelites.
All of the plunder was to be given to Jehovah. No individual was allowed to take plunder for himself. Achan took some of the plunder, causing him to fall under the חֵ֫רֶם (herem) curse. The nation of Israel would end here, unless this sin was confessed.
7:2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel) and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai.
Ai was ten miles from Jericho. Beth Aven means “house of evil.” Joshua had just defeated the most powerful city state in Canaan. He wanted to move quickly, while morale was on his side. Notice that Joshua did not ask Jehovah about his next direction. He made this decision completely on his own.
7:3 They returned and reported to Joshua, “Don’t send the whole army. About two or three thousand men are adequate to defeat Ai. Don’t tire out the whole army, for Ai is small.”
The spies were too overconfident. There were 6000 men in Ai. It was well-fortified. There was no prayer or asking of God about this encounter. Later, God would be asked. He would command Joshua to send the entire army. The application is that believers should never underestimate the enemy. One victory today does not mean another victory the next day. Daily Prayer and mastery of Bible doctrine are needed to gain victory in spiritual warfare.
7:4 So about three thousand men went up, but they fled from the men of Ai.
Without God’s help, Israel was routed. The demonic world will route any believer who is not sound in mastering and applying Bible doctrine.
7:5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures and defeated them on the steep slope. The people’s courage melted away like water.
The morale of Israel collapsed as 36 of their soldiers died.
The courage of Israel
7:6 Joshua tore his clothes; he and the leaders of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening and threw dirt on their heads.
This was a superstitious ritual that was not part of the Mosaic Covenant. If God is sovereign over all things, then mourning is not an option. What is more important is finding the will of God.
7:7 Joshua prayed, “O, Master, Lord! Why did you bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us?
Joshua prayed and asked Jehovah three questions. The first question was why did Jehovah lead them across the Jordan to be destroyed? Notice that Joshua was blaming God for the defeat.
7:8 If only we had been satisfied to live on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say now that Israel has retreated before its enemies?
His second question was “How can I continue to lead if we have been defeated?”
7:9 When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will turn against us and destroy the very memory of us from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?”
His third question was “How could you allow your reputation to become that of a liar?”
7:10 The Lord responded to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying there face down?
Jehovah answered strongly. He commanded Joshua to stand up.
7:11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenantal commandment! They have taken some of the riches; they have stolen them and deceitfully put them among their own possessions.
The reason for the defeat was not on account of God keeping His word, but on the account of Israel’s sin. Israel had violated the Mosaic Covenant. They had taken some of the plunder for themselves. They had stolen from God. They had hidden their stolen goods among their own possessions.
7:12 The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation. I will no longer be with you, unless you destroy what has contaminated you.
Once this plunder was stolen, it placed Israel under the חֵ֫רֶם (herem) curse. Until this sin was confessed, Israel would be destroyed with the Canaanites.
7:13 Get up! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this: ‘Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because the Lord God of Israel says, “You are contaminated, O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.”
Israel was contaminated by the possession of the Canaanite plunder. They must ritually cleanse themselves, according to the instructions of the Mosaic Law. If they did not perform this ritual, then the Canaanites would wipe them out.
7:14 In the morning you must approach in tribal order. The tribe the Lord selects must approach by clans. The clan the Lord selects must approach by families. The family the Lord selects must approach man by man.
In the morning, the twelve tribes would come before Jehovah in tribal order. Jehovah would select the guilty man by supernatural means.
7:15 The one caught with the riches must be burned up along with all who belong to him, because he violated the Lord’s covenant and did such a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”
The one who plundered the items under the חֵ֫רֶם (herem) curse had endangered the entire nation. He was to be publicly executed.
7:16 Bright and early the next morning Joshua made Israel approach in tribal order and the tribe of Judah was selected.
God could have directly told Joshua the name of the thief, but he chose to make this violation a public spectacle. It was a long process, so Achan was given plenty of time to confess. The tribe of Judah was selected as the family tribe of the guilty thief.
7:17 He then made the clans of Judah approach and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He made the clan of the Zerahites approach and Zabdi was selected.
The family of Zabdi was narrowed down. Achan still had time to confess his sin. David confessed his sin with Bathsheba and he was spared and called “a man after God’s own heart.”
7:18 He then made Zabdi’s family approach man by man and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was selected.
Achan never confessed during this long selection process.
7:19 So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, honor the Lord God of Israel and give him praise! Tell me what you did; don’t hide anything from me!”
Joshua hated the sin but loved the sinner. He asked Achan to honor God with praise and to confess his sin.
7:20 Achan told Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel in this way:
Achan confessed his sin, but only after he was caught. He may have confessed the sin only because he was caught.
7:21 I saw among the goods we seized a nice robe from Babylon, two hundred silver pieces, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I wanted them, so I took them. They are hidden in the ground right in the middle of my tent with the silver underneath.”
The beautiful robe from Babylon was an expensive luxury item. Achan also took silver and gold. He hid these items in the middle of his tent. He thought that he had gotten away with this, but all sin on earth is open scandal in heaven. When one sins, God sees it. God is standing right in front of the sinner even when and while he is committing the sinful act.
7:22 Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent. The things were hidden right in his tent, with the silver underneath.
Achan’s sin was quickly verified.
7:23 They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed it before the Lord.
These items were under the חֵ֫רֶם (herem) curse and must be destroyed.
7:24 Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, ox, donkey, sheep, tent, and all that belonged to him and brought them up to the Valley of Disaster.
Since children were not to be executed for their father’s sins, the children must have been accomplices. This placed the entire family under the חֵ֫רֶם (herem) curse.
7:25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster on us? The Lord will bring disaster on you today!” All Israel stoned him to death. (They also stoned and burned the others.)
The greediness and rebellion of Achan’s family caused 36 innocent men to die. Achan’s family committed the sin unto death. They lost their physical life, but not their eternal life. According to the Mosaic Law, capital punishment was executed by stoning. The entire community stoned him to death. This was a powerful deterrent against capital punishment crimes.
7:26 Then they erected over him a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day) and the Lord’s anger subsided. So that place is called the Valley of Disaster to this very day.
Burying a man with rocks was a common method of burial for infamous individuals. The rocks warned Israel of the method of capital punishment. The Hebrew word for “disaster” is “trouble.” The Hebrew word for “Achan” is troubler. Therefore, the troubler was buried in the Valley of Trouble.