They came out of their hiding places and rushed forward. Achan replied, It is true! Were you purchased for God with Christs blood? Because he should have known why the Lords power had been withdrawn from Israels endeavors. 11Israel has sinned;(W) they have violated my covenant,(X) which I commanded them to keep. Here we see God fulfill His promise to give the land of Canaan to Jacob's descendants. This is what I have done: 21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia,[ c] two hundred shekels[ d] of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels,[ e] I coveted them and took them. Therefore, it was imperative that he remain repentant in his heart until the end, for after the end his soul would be in the Lords hands. This Joshua is different from the Joshua who served as Moses' second-in-command and who led the Israelites into the Promised Land after Moses' death. Joshua sent some men from Jericho to Ai, which was near Beth Aven, east of Bethel. 8:25), but this included the people of Bethel (Josh. why isn't the aleph fixed point the largest cardinal number? Could there be something significant or prophetic about the way Jericho was attacked & destroyed in Joshua 6? So I have deserted you. - 2 Chronicles 24:20b, Props: Silver cups, Gold plates (items that look like treasures); Fishing hook and worm or lure; sword. The Twelve Spies, as recorded in the Book of Numbers, were a group of Israelite chieftains, one from each of the Twelve Tribes, who were dispatched by Moses to scout out the Land of Canaan for 40 days as a future home for the Israelite people, during the time when the Israelites were in the wilderness following their Exodus from Ancient Egypt.The account is found in Numbers 13:1-33, and is . But as we have already shown, Joshuas worst failing after Jericho was his reaction to the defeat at Ai. He started off by accusing God of an evil design cloaked under falsehood. On the contrary, it was less severe. All rights reserved worldwide. To ruin themselves for the sake of a few trinkets and thrills? In what way? Why was Achan guilty of stealing? 14Tomorrow morning you must be present with your tribes. Difference between "be no joke" and "no laughing matter", How to get Romex between two garage doors. 7But the Israelites did not obey the Lord. A religious liberty newsletter that is a must-read for people of faith. Immediately after Gods victory in Jericho, we read these tragic words: But the people of Israel werent faithful to the Lord. Joshua 7 leads us to confess our sin . There is nothing we can do to EARN salvation - eternal life in heaven. Zechariah 3:1 - The Vision of Joshua the High Priest - Bible Hub Indeed, Achan had caused trouble in a multitude of ways. Joshua, the perfect disciple. They use it to describe a serious sin in the church that has not been confessed and made right. 2) See "Giants: Rephaim, Zamzummim, Emim, Amorite, Anakim, Nephilim, Zuzim" at my blog ShreddingTheVeil, Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Nor should we be so nave or deluded as to imagine that His anger for sin will ever be resolved in any manner except by punishment of the guilty. Before going against Jericho, he met with the captain of the Lords host and gladly listened to His assurances of victory. He wanted His people to hate them too. First, the whole nation stood condemned. Yet he soon corrected himself, and God proved his faithfulness by instructing Joshua in the true explanation for the nations defeat. Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I implore you, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give praise to him, and tell me what you have done. Because he and the Israelites marched around it. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. 2007, 2012, 2020 Stanley Edgar Rickard (Ed Rickard, the author). Instead of coming to God with complaints and doubts, he should have inquired as to the nature of the sin that had separated the nation from Gods favor. Let's look at his life from a biblical perspective. Joshuas worst fears would be realized. Joshua of the Bible - Chabad.org Teacher: Put your sword away. Joshua immediately sent messengers to recover the spoil. God chose the tribe of Judah, the clan of Zerahite, and the family of Zimri. Joshua - Wikipedia Jodi has over 20 years experience teaching children in large and small group settings. He was chosen to represent the tribe of Ephraim among the group of twelve leaders who travelled to Canaan to scout out the land. And, God will not bless those who are living in disobedience (2 Chronicles 24:20). True repentance is to take Gods view of sin, and with it comes a willingness not only to make a full confession, but also to accept the consequences. Instead of seeking to know where he and his people had gone astray, he accused God of being unfaithful. Before crossing the Jordan, God told Joshua and the people that He was giving the land of Canaan to them because of the promise He made to Abraham, but also because the people were wicked. Joshua 7 ERV - Achan's Sin - But the Israelites did - Bible Gateway Joshua 7:1-5 Fatal Mistakes: Falling into Failure - The Battle of Ai But success makes us vulnerable to pride, and with pride comes a diminished sense of need for Gods help. 18:3-29. The Amorites also lived west of the Jordan. Whom did Achan harm by his sin? This is what I have done: 21When I saw in the plunder(AS) a beautiful robe from Babylonia,[c] two hundred shekels[d] of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels,[e] I coveted(AT) them and took them. "Breaks" is the word "Shebarim." The Twelve Spies - Wikipedia The Sin of Achan - But the Israelites did not obey the LORD. Nun / nn / ( Hebrew: Nn, 'Perpetuity'), [1] in the Hebrew Bible, was a man from the Tribe of Ephraim, grandson of Ammihud, son of Elishama, and father of Joshua ( 1 Chronicles 7:26-27 ). The lives of 36 men would have been spared. 6. Defeat at Ai and the Sin of Achan (Joshua 7:1-26) | Bible.org God promised, I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. Notice, God was doing the delivering. He is the God of victories. Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Main Point: God will not bless us when we are disobedient. Contradictions: Slaughter at Jericho | Answers in Genesis Understanding Why (or Why Not) a T-Test Require Normally Distributed Data? Memory Verse: "But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. 12That is why the Israelites cannot face their enemies. But the effort to conquer Canaan was not discontent. So only about 3,000 men went up. He stated exactly what he had taken. And to impute such motives to God when He had repeatedly promised them success was to paint God as a liar. We cannot obey our way into heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9). Was there any way to mistake what he was saying? There is a hook inside, and it will send the fish to its death. Joshua portrays the Lord as their general, the One who would lead His people in victorious battle if they would trust and obey. As Paul teaches in Romans 5:12, "Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.". After stating His complaint against Israel, the Lord then told Joshua bluntly that the sin which had been committed had caused Israels failure on the battlefield. He and "all that he hath" would be burnt with fire for scorning the Lords covenant and setting folly in the way of Gods will. Eternal life comes ONLY when we trust in Jesus sacrifice on the cross (Romans 4:23-24). Then soldiers or officers of the people under Joshuas direction and with the consent of the whole nation took Achan, his family, and his possessions to the valley of Achor. God in His compassion doubtless saw that it was best to remove Achan's young children from a world where they had no futurewhere they would always be orphans viewed as the worthless offspring of a terrible traitor. When Joshua sent about 3,000 men to capture the city of Ai, a town much smaller than Jericho about 15 miles (24 km) to the northwest, the army returned in defeat, having lost 36 men. 6. 4 So Joshua chose one man from each tribe. Do not fear them." But the result was a further angry response, even a threat to stone Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:9-10). Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury. - Joshua 6:17-19. The author states that a man named Achan offended God by taking an "accursed thing." Here at the outset of the story, the author says no more. The one provokes the wrath of a righteous God; the other appeases it. The account looks ahead to the future name of the valley. The Israelites carried off the livestock and the goods of the city, and Joshua burned the city to the ground. Joshua exhorted the young man to glorify the Lord and make a full confession of his sin. They told Joshua that the city could not offer significant opposition and advised him that a force of two or three thousand would be sufficient to take it. 8Lord, there is nothing I can say now. Joshua told Achan to confess what he had done. As a member of Israel he had a special obligation to respect the word of the Lord, but he deliberately violated the express command of the Lord not to take personal possession of any treasure found in Jericho. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Joshua in the Bible Known for: After the death of Moses, Joshua became the leader of Israel, successfully directing the Israelite army in its conquest of the Promised Land. I will not help you anymore unless you destroy everything as I commanded you. You will not have success. But Joshua was faithful. As Scripture warns, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov. Achan kept some of the things that should have been destroyed. Who won? The king and his men couldnt escape. 20 Achan replied, "It is true! We are slaves. 5. Pretty much EVERYONE else did! The Righteous Spy Joshua's most notable exploit in the 5 Books of Moses took place during the episode of the spies ( Numbers 13-14). Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International. Joshua recounted a story of contradictions. We would have been happy to stay on the other side of the Jordan. But they couldnt escape in any direction. Achan himself died. No software to install. Apparently, Joshua failed to seek Gods guidance before this battle. Their populations did not exceed a few thousand. There was a man from the tribe of Judah named Achan. Under the law it would have been unjust for Joshua and the nation to hold Achans children accountable for the crime. Gods Word says that when we obey, God is delighted (1 Samuel 15:22). The Lord, the God of Israel, says some of you are keeping things he commanded you to destroy. . He told him to rise immediately and command the people to sanctify themselves. The point of Zechariah's vision is that Satan is bringing a formal accusation against Joshua. So, Achan stole from the Lord. They also took the silver, the coat, the gold, Achans sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, tent, and everything he owned. It looks like a good snack to him. Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. As Ai was an Amorite city west of the Jordan, Jericho is also presumed to have been an Amorite city. Grief for those slain was mixed with fear of the future, for they reasoned that if they could lose against such an inconsiderable foe, what might be the result when they met a strong army? We might think that they were right to humble themselves before God in this way, but in their extreme emotion they were behaving as if God had forsaken them. God told Abraham that the Amorite were a wicked people. [11] James also tells us, "Sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.". Joshua 7 - Achan's Sin - But the Israelites were - Bible Gateway Also, since the decision for each tribe was a simple yes or no, it is likely that the decision was made by the high priest using the Urim and Thummim (Exod. Let us therefore be renewed in our thankfulness that Christ was willing to take the punishment for our sin upon Himself. 3Later they came back to Joshua and said, There are only a few people in Ai, so we will not need all our people to defeat them. But the men of Ai drove them away. However, obeying IS very important. First they made him undergo cruel torture. Say: One of the Israelites, a man named Achan, had taken some of the forbidden treasures and hid them. The incident was kept alive in the memory of the nation both by the conspicuous burial mound and by the name given the valley: Achor, derived from Achan. This story in Joshua shows us just how ruinous sin can be to a church. His guilt in causing the deaths of 36 men in the last battle was compounded by the guilt of attempting to kill another man and the man's family. 22So Joshua sent men who ran to the tent and found the things hidden there, with the silver. Jericho had lots of people, and people have lots of stuff. God commanded that all of the people in Jericho, except Rahab and her family, were to be destroyed. Is there a sin hindering your church in its work for God? Here are TEN things you need to know(plus a free bonus with proof of purchase!). 7And Joshua said, Alas, Sovereign Lord, why(S) did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If there is, the members of your local body must find it and set it aside. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. When the messengers came to the tent, they found that Achan had told the truth. For as long as ANYONE in my family can remember, we've been slavesfor at least 400 hundred years. Every single man in Ai and the neighboring town Bethel went after them. 10. If you do, you will be completely destroyed along with it. But the spies failed to give good counsel. 9. This would have been an evil design indeed. Joshua cautioned Achan in his last moments not to be bitter against his executioners, for "the Lord shall trouble thee this day." It is very important that Christians stay right with God lest they trouble a whole church as Achan troubled Israel. 1. it is a warning against overconfidence in the aftermath of a great spiritual victory. The men brought the items out and laid them in front of everyone. Can end life as conquerors (in Christ) and enter the Promised Land (heaven). What happened exactly? It's easy to remember God said, "be strong and courageous" to Joshua a bunch, but beyond that most folks might not even know who he was. Jodi has a passion for Biblical ac More. As Jericho was a city in that area, then Jericho was also practicing all of the sins listed in Lev. Joshua had a VERY strong warning about these things. You can connect the dots from here. Israel is defeated by the inhabitants of the city of Ai, and it is revealed that the reason for the defeat is because one of the Israelites has sinned and kept some of the "devoted things" from Jericho. That is why it is called the Valley of Trouble. Tell(AR) me what you have done; do not hide it from me., 20Achan replied, It is true! Against Ai, he followed the advice of his spies. BibleGateway+ less than $5/mo. I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. Just as He did with Jericho, God gave the plan of attack. 2Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai,(G) which is near Beth Aven(H) to the east of Bethel,(I) and told them, Go up and spy out(J) the region. So the men went up and spied out Ai. Have you ever scolded God? Lets see if we can take a look at why this stuff was so bad. His prayer was ill-considered and ill-advised. Dont miss this! Then Joshua compounded his sin by expressing the wish that the nation had been content to remain outside Canaan. Most of us study history without these verse or God insights. The far-reaching effects of that mans offense is, as we will show, one of the main lessons of this chapter. 18Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah,(AO) was chosen. God was giving Achan time to surrender voluntarily. As Moses' assistant, Joshua had the experience of being in close proximity to the Lord. 3. But to any reasonable person, it seems like precious little to gain at the risk of antagonizing God. How did he sin? Welcome. If you have found this lesson helpful, you might want to obtain Ed Rickard's commentary on the whole Book of Joshua. Do not bow down to them or worship them. He HATES these things. Romans 6:23. When the spies returned, they told Joshua that he would not need to send all of the Israelite men to fight, because there were not very many people in Ai. (AV) 25Joshua said, Why have you brought this trouble(AW) on us? It was too late to save his life and the lives of his family, but it was not too late to save his soul from hell. 4. Moreover, God will never stoop down and give him a new heart. 17So the family groups of Judah presented themselves, and the Lord then chose the family group of Zerah. Nun (biblical figure) - Wikipedia (AK) He has violated the covenant(AL) of the Lord and has done an outrageous thing in Israel!(AM), 16Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was chosen. I've provided the answer you need, but would you rephrase your question to include a specific Bible verse in order to conform? He read every word of it to the people! Joshua in the Bible: Character Profile, Story and Lessons You have deserted me. 15The one who is keeping what should have been destroyed will himself be destroyed by fire. Out of that family, God chose Achan. Joshua and his men pretended to be afraid and turned to run away. The question implied that he was doing wrong. Seriously? It was a Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels. Joshua was among the 12 spies Moses sent out into the land of Canaan. Is that not always the way of sinners? A modern reader is tempted to dismiss the story of Achan as Old Testament justice. It had to be a quantity no greater than he could conceal on his person when he left the city. - Exodus 20:3-5a. Is the part of the v-brake noodle which sticks out of the noodle holder a standard fixed length on all noodles? Here at the outset of the story, the author says no more. And from that family, each family member would come before God. It is the practice on this site to provide a specific scripture for your question. If Achans real father, Abdi, was watching from the sidelines, Joshuas fatherly sorrow was partly sympathetic. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest. - Joshua 7:20-21. Teacher: Hold up your fishing hook and worm or pretty lure. Why was taking the treasure a greater sin simply because of its association with this city? So it is always with sin and punishment. When we disobey, we are headed for trouble. Joshua himself showed a grave lack of spiritual strength and discernment. The Lord will choose one tribe to stand alone before him. Just like the fish hook, worshipping idols leads people to destruction (Hosea 8:4). If, in our own experience, we see God take a life, even if it is the life of a child or a good man, we do not question His justice. Their names are also confusing at times because some tribes called other tribes by different names. Then why such severity? Lets read this verse to see what it was: The city and everything that is in it must be set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. - Joshua 6:17a. The first large stone that fell upon the skull would have brought instant death, or at least instant unconsciousness. It may not be a sin that the surrounding world would see as scandalous. Therefore, whenever He is gracious enough to grant us victory in spiritual warfare, our first response should be to bow our knee and give Him thanks. Satan's accusation is undoubtedly that this group isn't . As pointed out earlier, they went up against a force at least as strong and probably stronger. They found the stolen items hidden, just as Achan had said. Have you led a soul to Christ? How God's Judgment upon Achan's Sin Teaches Us to Find - Via Emmaus (AY) 26Over Achan they heaped(AZ) up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. From a rough average of estimates made by different writers, we guess that Achan took perhaps five pounds of silver and over a pound of gold. Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. (AN) He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was chosen. Image: Sonia Halliday. Whereas they ought to have reported on the size and strength of each city, so that Joshua himself could determine the best plan, they conveyed judgment instead of facts. They took some of the things I commanded them to destroy. I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. The men of Ai chased the Israelites and even killed several of them. Again, the nation of Israel pictures the church. Those things were to be brought into Gods treasury. God was very clear. Then what will you do for your own great name?. But Joshua chose to take the path that seemed best to him. Yes, but in hiding it he had practiced deception. Do not put any other gods in place of Me. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. When did Achan lie? The man whose devotion to his master can serve as an example to all. God said they had stolen and lied. (5) They had lied. He reckoned that their enemies would soon hear what happened and unite against them. 2.) Have you ever had a miracle meal from God? 24Then Joshua and all the people led Achan son of Zerah to the Valley of Trouble. Defeat at Ai and the Sin of Achan (Joshua 7:1-26) Introduction After such a wonderful experience at Jericho, chapter 7 is surprising to say the least. He told them, God says, Why do you refuse to obey my commands? Since revealing himself meant certain death, was he not smart to hang back in the hope of being missed? More commonly, it is some hypocrisy, some prevailing worldliness, some lack of genuineness, some habit of manipulation or deceit, some simmering jealousy or resentment, some failing of simple kindness or consideration, some injustice wrought by gossip or favoritism, etc. So the Lord became very angry with the Israelites. But the sinners family may be victims also, as was Achans. (He was the son of Carmi and grandson of Zabdi, who was the son of Zerah.) Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Non-definability of graph 3-colorability in first-order logic. Beyond that, the whole church may lose Gods blessing, and the entire work which that church is seeking to do for God may cease to be effective, just as Israel could no longer prevail in battle. God told Joshua to hold out his sword, or javelin, toward Ai. As Moses' aide and successor, Joshua finished what God started through Moses: leading the liberated Israelites to settle in the Canaanite land God had promised them. Then all Israel stoned him,(AX) and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Then, before we enter battle again, we dare not forget to prove ourselves as dependent on His help as we were in the last battle. Jos 18:12; 1Sa 13:5; 14:23; Hos 4:15; 5:8; 10:5, Ge 12:8; Jos 12:16; 16:1; Jdg 1:22; 1Sa 30:27; 2Ki 23:15; Jer 48:13; Am 3:14; 4:4; 5:5-6; 7:10, 13, S Ge 42:28; Ps 22:14; Isa 13:7; Eze 21:7; Na 2:10, 1Sa 4:12; 2Sa 13:19; 15:32; Ne 9:1; Job 2:12; La 2:10; Eze 27:30; Rev 18:19, Dt 28:58; 1Sa 12:22; Ps 48:10; 106:8; Jer 14:21, S Ex 9:27; Dt 29:27; Jos 24:16-27; 2Ki 17:7; Hos 10:9, ver 15; Jos 6:17-19; 23:16; Jdg 2:20; 1Sa 15:24; Ps 78:10, Dt 7:25; 2Ki 25:9; 1Ch 14:12; Isa 37:19; Jer 43:12; Eze 30:16, Ex 14:17; 1Sa 6:5; Ps 96:8; Isa 42:12; Jer 13:16; Jn 9:24*, S Lev 20:2; Dt 17:5; 1Ki 12:18; 2Ch 10:18; 24:21; Ne 9:26, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story, NIV, Lucado Encouraging Word Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV, Verse Mapping Bible, Comfort Print: Find Connections in Scripture Using a Unique 5-Step Process, NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible, Comfort Print: Follow Gods Redemptive Plan as It Unfolds throughout Scripture.