This is the fourth sermon in our series on the Book of Joshua. Last week, we observed how the Israelites were faithful in following God’s commands to the letter. The priests did exactly as they were instructed in transporting the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan River. Consequently, the river crossing could not have gone better. Joshua and all the people marched around the City of Jericho just as the LORD commanded and shouted out right on cue. As a result, those city walls came tumbling down. These things are wonderful examples of how well things can go when we are obedient and faithful to God. That doesn’t mean life will be a bed of roses. But, it does mean that whatever trials and challenges you may face, God will be with you and ultimately bring about the exact result that’s always in your best interests.
Now, as we begin chapter 7 of Joshua, the tone changes drastically as disobedience creeps into the picture and sin raises its ugly head. The very first verse tells us: “But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the LORD. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the LORD was very angry with the Israelites.” Joshua 7:1 (NLT2) When the ancient Israelites would have read this, it would have signaled to them that “trouble” was on the way—because the name “Achan” means “trouble” in Hebrew.[1] Yes, it was big trouble back then. It can be big trouble today for those who fail to heed the message presented in this sometimes “troubling” passage of Scripture.
You see, when God allowed Joshua and his warriors to conquer Jericho, the LORD had issued a strict prohibition. We find this command back in chapter 6 when God had Joshua declare: 17 “Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. 18“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. 19 Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into His treasury.” Joshua 6:17-19 (NLT2)
Whatever loot taken in battle by the Israelite soldiers was to be “set apart” for the LORD. In the usual situation, this meant that these spoils of war were completely destroyed. The dedication to the LORD of these valuable items was an act of faith and obedience on the part of God’s people. It tested their commitment to following God’s commands versus giving into human greed for worldly treasures. Now, there is something here that may sound odd to our modern ears. It is clear that Achan committed this sin, but the Scripture states that “the Lord was very angry with the entire nation of Israel.” On the surface, that sounds illogical—even unreasonable when people hear that today. But, is it? Well, before unpacking the answer, there is a bit more that happened of which you should be aware.
Note that when we read chapter 7, the first verse tips us off to the fact that Achan committed a great sin. But, Achan’s sin does not come to Joshua’s attention until later. In the meantime, Joshua had his soldiers attack the nearby Amorite town of Ai. Before the attack, his spies scouted the place to see what they were up against. The spies reported back that it should be a piece of cake to capture the town. In fact, they recommended leaving most of the army behind and attacking with only 3,000 men. Joshua agreed with them and ordered the attack accordingly. But, as it turned out, the 3,000 men were soundly defeated. As a result of this military debacle, 36 Israelites lost their lives. Joshua just couldn’t understand why God would allow such a thing to happen. The Scriptures go on to say: 6 “Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the LORD until evening. 7 Then Joshua cried out, ‘Oh, 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!’” Joshua 7:6-7 (NLT2)
Now, the LORD was not at all pleased with Joshua’s reaction. God responded: 10 “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? 11 Israel has sinned and broken My covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for Me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. 12a That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat.” Joshua 7:10-12a (NLT2) God wasn’t about to put up with any pity party on Joshua’s part. He wanted him to step up to the challenge. God was demanding justice and wanted Joshua to get his act together and implement His justice. If you read on in chapter 7, you’ll find that the next morning Joshua called an assembly of all the tribes of Israel to seek out the guilty party. Of course, we already know it was Achan. But, as all this played out in real time, only God and Achan were aware of that shameful sin. But, notice that God had given Achan the entire night before to think this over. The LORD allowed Achan ample time to step forward and confess his wrongdoing. Not only that, he was given time to ask God for forgiveness and to repent. But, he didn’t ask for forgiveness, nor did he repent. Rather, he continued to hide his sin.
And so, on that next morning, Achan stood in silence as the LORD singled out the tribe of Judah as having the guilty party. Joshua then called out each family of each clan within the tribe of Judah until finally the culprit was exposed. The Scripture tells us: 18 “Every member of Zimri’s family was brought forward person by person, and Achan was singled out.” 19 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.’” Now, after he was exposed as the guilty party, Achan announced: 20 ‘It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. 21 Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 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 7:20-21 (NLT2)
On the surface, you might initially think that this was a confession on Achan’s part. But, in reality, this was far from a confession. Rather, Old Testament scholars indicate that the language used to describe how “Achan was singled out” suggests that the sacred lots, known as the Urim and Thummim, were used to determine his guilt. These lots were likely two different colored stones or gems that the high priest cast from a pouch. Depending on how the stones fell, it provided whatever information the LORD wanted to impart to the priest. It appears that Achan’s crime was discovered by the priest in this way without any voluntary confession on his part.[2] Rather, when we take a closer look at Achan’s statement, we can see a mindset mired in self-centered greed and worldly desires. This is evident in Achan’s statements as he progressed farther and farther into sin. Note the three stages of his descent. He tells us, first, “I saw”, then “I wanted”, and finally, “I took” what I desired in the form of the forbidden loot. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for “I took” is the same as “I coveted”—in direct violation of the Tenth Commandment.[3]
We have all seen this pattern before. It is exactly the same downward spiral in which Adam and Eve descended when they committed the Original Sin and opened the floodgates for death and destruction into this world. [4] And, Achan mimicked their evil choice when trying to hide his sin by remaining silent and burying those things he’d stolen. But now, Achan’s sin was out in the open. And, upon hearing Achan’s statement, Joshua sent some of his men to retrieve the stolen loot in order to have it finally dedicated to God, as it should have been in the first place. What happened next is the hardest part for us to comprehend. The Scriptures state: 24 “Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor. 25 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. 26 They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since. So the LORD was no longer angry.” Joshua 7:24-26 (NLT2)
Earlier, I mentioned that God’s anger against all of Israel seems to be misplaced according to our modern-day perspective. But here, it appears even worse. Afterall, Achan was the one who committed the sin. So, why should his sons, daughters and all his animals suffer for what he had done? Well, before commenting on that, bear in mind that God’s character does not change.[5] He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.[6] A couple of sermons ago, we saw that God showed mercy, kindness and faithfulness even to a Gentile woman when he spared Rahab and her family upon the fall of Jericho. And, God retained that same loving character when judging Achan. So let’s focus on Achan first when considering God’s justice here.
Why treat Achan harshly, but handle Rehab—a prostitute—with loving, kindness? Well, the two of them were treated differently because they responded to God differently. Yes, it is true that Rahab engaged in a life of sin prior to hearing about the One True God of Israel. But, when she heard about God’s power and awesomeness, she had a choice to make. She could have relied upon the worldly walls of Jericho for her protection. She could have continued in a life of prostitution as a means of securing her financial welfare. But, she opted for something infinitely more certain. She repented of her sin and submitted her life to God. How do we know she repented? Well, as I mentioned in a previous sermon, she put herself at great risk by protecting the Israelite spies. And more than that, she converted to Judaism and married Salmon—a man of the Tribe of Judah. She had a son whose descendants eventually produced King David—the royal lineage of Jesus.
Now, when we consider Achan, we see a very different picture. He never repented. He loved those things he’d stolen from God more than he loved God. Despite every opportunity to do so, he stubbornly refused to confess his sin and ask for forgiveness. He went to the grave singing the old Frank Sinatra song, “I Did It My Way.” The problem is that when you live life your way, and not God’s way—it’s the way that leads to Hell. There’s only ONE WAY—and that WAY is JESUS CHRIST! [7] The Apostle John affirmed something that Achan rejected. John said: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1st John 1:9 (ESV) The Greek word for “confess” includes the idea of a “promise” or “covenant” with God.[8] That promise is that you will no longer seek to pursue a life of sin. As Bible scholar, William MacDonald, puts it: “True confession involves [the] forsaking of sins.”[9] Achan never made that promise. And so, God’s treatment of Achan was completely just.
Now, let me explain the crux of God’s message here in Joshua, chapter 7. It is an especially crucial message to us today. It comes on two levels. First, our sin is not just a personal thing. When we sin against God the adverse repercussions ripple out and cause damage far beyond ourselves. Such was the case with Achan. His sin affected his family. It affected those 36 soldiers who died in the Battle of Ai. It affected the nation of Israel as a whole. When anyone sins, the consequences can often reach beyond the sinner and affect other people. We see this so often today. For example, when a person chooses to drive his or her automobile while under the influence of alcohol, others often are tragically affected when innocent people are injured or killed. When a business leader decides to maximize profits at the expense of his or her workers’ safety, the workers and their families suffer due to on-the-job injuries or even deaths. When a husband or wife decides to cheat on their spouse, the divorce that often follows causes untold suffering to their children. When parents abuse drugs, constantly lead profane lifestyles, or openly engage in all kinds of evil behavior, they pass those bad habits along to their children. In this way, the sins of the parents are passed on from generation to generation.[10]
Is this really fair and just? You may say “no,” but, in reality, it’s the product of the broken world in which we live brought on by Adam’s and Eve’s sin—to which we have added our own sins. So, don’t point your finger angrily at Adam and Eve. If it had been you or me instead of them, we would have likely sinned right after God forbid us to eat of that one tree. No serpent would have even been needed to convince us to rebel in sin. So, the sins of all of us have contributed to the world’s brokenness.
Now, we are still left with the question about God’s anger against all of Israel. And, why did Achan’s sons, daughters and all his animals suffer for what he had done? This is where we find the second lesson given to us from Achan’s sin. In fact, it is the most important lesson for the Church today. In this regard, one of the greatest shortcomings of some Christians is that they tend to retain a worldly individualism. What do I mean by that? Well, American’s have naturally treasured their independence—not merely in a political sense on a national level, but on a personal level as well. We like to think of ourselves individually as being self-sufficient and completely independent. We think that the things we do and say—both good and bad things—are our responsibility. And yes, we certainly are responsible individually for whatever we do, think or say. But, when we acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, our spiritual identity changes. That worldly individualism that we relished before coming to Christ must give way to our new membership in the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is the Church as a whole. Thus, we are a corporate Body of Believers. When we understand ourselves as a member of the Body of Christ, the story of Achan’s sin has a whole new meaning. Let me explain.
In Joshua’s day, that collective body of believers was the nation of Israel. This corporate group of believers was viewed as a whole. When one member of the group was disobedient, God’s wrath was fixed, not merely on that one sinner, but against the entire corporate body as well. How can we explain this? Well, Israel was like one big family set apart as holy unto God. The LORD made this clear when He spoke to Moses immediately after leaving Egypt while the Israelites were camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai. God directed Moses to tell the Israelites: 5 “If you will obey Me and keep My covenant, you will be My own people. The whole earth is Mine, but you will be MY CHOSEN PEOPLE, 6 a people dedicated to Me alone, and you will serve Me as priests.” Exodus 19:5-6 (TEV) God’s covenant with the nation of Israel treated each individual Israelite as a “priest.” And, when one “priest” in this family of priests sinned, it was a blight on the entire group. It is essentially the same concept as expressed by the Teacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes when he said: “One rotten apple can spoil a barrelful.” Ecclesiastes 9:18b (TLB)
The same principal applies to the Church today. All of its members, including you and me, form one body of which Jesus Christ is the head.[11] When one member sins, it affects all members because it reflects poorly on the Church as a whole. The headlines are full of such examples—particularly when pastors are exposed for falling prey to some scandal or sinful behavior. But, it doesn’t have to be a pastor who sins in order for the Church to be adversely affected. The eyes of many unbelievers may well be focused on you as well. When you give way to anger, lust, greed, prejudice, gossip or any other sins, you mar the Body of Christ because such sinful conduct discredits the Church in the eyes of the world. The Apostle Paul expressed this oneness of the Church this way:[12] “If one part suffers, all parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.” 1st Corinthians 12:26 (TLB) Just as the sin of Adam and Eve affected all of humanity, so too do our sins adversely affect the Church and potentially our families, friends and communities as well. To convince yourself that your sin is somehow private in nature is one of the greatest self-deceptions. So, again, let me emphasize this. Other people suffer for what you do. Sometimes even innocent people become part of the collateral damage from your sin.
Now, that may sound unfair to some people. But, we live in an unfair, broken world. But, here is the thing for us to always remember. God sent His Son, Jesus, into this terribly broken world to rectify the mess we’ve all contributed to by our sins. And yet, some skeptics who read Joshua, chapter 7 come away bemoaning what they perceive as the inequity of God’s justice. The fact that they come to such a conclusion bears out Jesus’ declaration in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah: 14 “‘They hear, but don’t understand; they look, but don’t see! 15 For their hearts are fat and heavy, and their ears are dull, and they have closed their eyes in sleep, 16 so they won’t see and hear and understand and turn to God again, and let Me heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.” Matthew 13:14-16 (TLB)
In other words, those who have not allowed the Holy Spirit into their hearts do not have the spiritual perception to comprehend what is being taught in this passage regarding Achan’s sin. So, instead asking the question: “Why does all of humanity have to suffer for Adam’s and Eve’s one sin?” perhaps, there is a better question to ask. Maybe they should be asking: “Why did one innocent man, Jesus Christ, have to die for everyone else’s sins?” That certainly doesn’t seem fair—now does it? In fact, it was the greatest injustice in human history! But, the answer to that question is the basis of our Christian faith: 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17 (KJV)
One day soon, Jesus is coming again. And when He does, He will fix this broken world. He will wipe away every tear and there will be no more death, sorrow, or pain.[13] When that day comes, Jesus will abolish all unfairness. In essence, Jesus will bring His perfect justice, perfect peace and perfect love—all made possible by His blood shed on the Cross. What a wonderful Kingdom that will be! Don’t you want to be a part of it? If so, take a lesson from Achan: Don’t try to hide your sins from God—it is impossible to do so![14] Rather, make a true confession: One that includes a humble request for forgiveness coupled with a contrite and repentant heart. Anything less and you’ll join the ranks of Achan—the man whose name meant “trouble.” Instead, cling to what Jesus told His disciples on the night before He was crucified: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” John 14:1 (NKJV)
Let us pray.
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
March 23, 2025
©2025 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] Strong, James. The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Hebrew #5912, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996. See also: “What can we learn from Achan taking the accursed things (Joshua 7:1)? Gotquestions.org, https://www.gotquestions.org/Achan-accursed-things.html (accessed March 19, 2025).
[2] NLT Study Bible Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2008. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
[3] Exodus 20:17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” (NLT2)
[4] Mark Ziese, Joshua, ed. Terry Briley and Paul Kissling, College Press NIV Commentary, (Joplin, Missouri: College Press Publishing Company, 2008), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 170.
[5] Malachi 3:6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (ESV)
[6] Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (ESV)
[7] John 14:6 [Jesus said:] “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” (NLT2)
[8] Strong, James. The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996. Greek #3670. ὁμολογέω (hŏmŏlŏgĕō), to assent, i.e. covenant, acknowledge:— con (pro-) fess, confession is made, give thanks, promise.
[9] William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary: A Thorough, Yet Easy-to-Read Bible Commentary That Turns Complicated Theology Into Practical Understanding, ed. Arthur Farstad, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 2310.
[10] NLT Study Bible Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2008. WORDsearch CROSS e-book, page 385.
[11] 1st Corinthians 12:12-13 12 “Our bodies have many parts, but the many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it is with the "body" of Christ. 13 Each of us is a part of the one body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But the Holy Spirit has fitted us all together into one body. We have been baptized into Christ’s body by the one Spirit, and have all been given that same Holy Spirit.” (TLB) See: Gotquestions.org, “What can we learn from Achan taking the accursed things (Joshua 7:1)?” Gotquestions.org, https://www.gotquestions.org/Achan-accursed-things.html (accessed March 19, 2025).
[12] “What can we learn from Achan taking the accursed things (Joshua 7:1)?” Gotquestions.org, https://www.gotquestions.org/Achan-accursed-things.html (accessed March 19, 2025).
[13] Revelation 21:4 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (NKJV)
[14] Proverbs 15:3 “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” (ESV)
