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More Joshua commentaries
Joshua 4:1-14
Two Memorials of Stone are built
Joshua 4:15-24
A Reminder to Future Generations
Joshua 5:1-15
Preparing for Victory
Joshua 6:1-14
The Destruction of Jericho
Joshua 6:15-27
A shout that shattered the walls
Joshua 7:1-15
The Sin of Achan
Joshua 7:16-26
The destruction of the stolen goods
Joshua 8:1-29
Israel Destroys the Town of Ai
Joshua 8:30-35
Joshua leads the people to Shechem
Joshua 9:1-15
Tricked into believing the enemy
Joshua 9:16-27
Making your mistakes work for you
Joshua 10:1-15
The Lord wants to fight our battles
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The Sin of Achan
Joshua 7:1–15
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one. Wrap it around carefully with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; … More
God’s people are never more vulnerable or in greater danger than right after they have experienced a great victory. Yesterday’s victory does not make us immune from defeat today. There must be a continuing dependence on the Lord. In the victory at Jericho Joshua had made it clear that no Israelite soldier was to help himself to the spoils. However, disobeying the injunction, Achan of the tribe of Judah, secretly stole some of the booty (vv. 1-2). As a consequence of this sin God’s judgment fell not only on Achan, but on all of Israel.
When Joshua first went against Ai (v. 3) he did not consult God, but relied on the strength of his army to defeat the small city. Only after Israel was defeated did they turn to God and ask what happened. Relaxing in his victory at Jericho, Joshua lost no time in preparing for the battle at Ai. First of all he sent 10 spies to look over the situation. When they returned they gave an inaccurate report of Ai’s strength by under estimating their number. They said there are only a few (v. 3) when actually there were 12,000 men and women (8:25). As a result Joshua sent only three thousand men to Ai. When God gave the orders to Joshua, He had told him to take “all the people of war” (8:1). Instead of conquering, the Israelite army was defeated and turned back (v. 5).
Notice the results of Achan’s sin:
They thought that one victory guaranteed another, but it simply didn’t work that way (vv. 13-15).
Application
When my life falls apart I also need to turn to God for direction and help. Like Joshua and the elders I should humble myself so I will be able to hear His words.
Joshua 7:1-15 (English Standard Version)
But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel. Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out Ai. And they returned to Joshua and said to him, "Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few." So about 3,000 men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water. Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?" The LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. Get up! Consecrate the people and say, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, "There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you." In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the LORD takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the LORD takes shall come near by households. And the household that the LORD takes shall come near man by man. And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.'"
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