In this chapter, the Israelites are defeated by a small town because the Lord is no longer with Israel due to a soldier who stole items that belonged to the Lord during the Jericho battle. The chapter begins, “But Israel was unfaithful concerning the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, of the family of Zimri, of the clan of Zerah, and of the tribe of Judah.” (Joshua 7:1)
Joshua, not knowing Achan had stolen some items, sent out men to spy out a nearby city named Ai. The men returned and told Joshua it’s a small town and it won’t require all of the Israelite soldiers to destroy them. However, the men of Ai easily defeated the Israelites. They chased them from the city, and killed over thirty of them. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear. Joshua and the leaders were in dismay, so Joshua cried out to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side! Lord, what am I to say, now that Israel has fled from its enemies? For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe us off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?”
But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen the things that I commanded to be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them; they have also lied about it and hidden the things among their belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.” (Joshua 7:7-12)
Joshua then commands the people to purify themselves and proceeds to tell them what the God of Israel says, “Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things. In the morning you must present yourselves by tribes, and the Lord will point out the tribe to which the guilty man belongs. That tribe must come forward with its clans, and the Lord will point out the guilty clan. That clan will then come forward, and the Lord will point out the guilty family. Finally, each member of the guilty family must come one by one. The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the Lord and has done a horrible thing in Israel.” (Joshua 7:13-15)
Wow...greed kills every time! But something that just came to mind is that what if you have something that you shouldn’t have, or you’re doing something, hidden, that you shouldn’t be doing. Maybe this “hidden among you” scripture is something we’ve stolen, literally or figuratively, and our behavior is causing God to separate Himself from us. Something to think about, right?
The following morning, Joshua brought the tribes before the Lord, and the tribe of Judah was singled out. Then the clan, family, and each person was brought before the Lord, and Achan was singled out. “Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don’t hide it from me.” Achan replied, “I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, two hundred silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.” (Joshua 7:19-21)
Joshua sent men to retrieve the items, and when they returned they laid them on the ground in the presence of the Lord. “Then Joshua and all the Isrelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor. Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.” And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies. They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day.” (Joshua 7:24-26)
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Help us recognize our sins, confess them to you, and ask you for forgiveness, so we can remain in or reestablish our favor and closeness with you. We love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.