Joshua 7:1 (ESV)
Israel Defeated at Ai
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 7:10-13 (ESV)
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.”
The above narrative is from the story of an Israelite man named Achan. In their conquest over Jericho, God had told the nation to take all the property of Jericho and dedicate it to God. The prosperity of the war was to be given exclusively to the nation and no individual was to take anything. Achan failed to listen. His heart was full of covetousness:
Joshua 7:20-21 (ESV)
And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
At least three things we learn here:
1. God knows when we sin. God is highly aware that Achan sinned, even if Joshua did not. In the midst of this nation of a million people, God picked out the one man who disobeyed His commands. What we sow, we reap. God knows our sin.
2. God tells others about our sin that He knows. In Acts 5 we have the story about two church goers who lied about their offering. God told Peter. In 1 Samuel 11-12 David commits adultery with Bathsheba and God tells Nathan the prophet. Judas betrayed Jesus and Jesus told the disciples (John 13). God knows and reveals our sins to others.
3. Sin has a reckoning. We do not get away with sinning. Sin is always paid for with blood. It is only a question of who’s blood. Jesus paid for our sins with His blood. Those who believe that truth are forgiven and don’t have to pay for their sins, since Jesus did. Those who don’t believe that truth are not forgiven and must pay for their sins, as well. But with their own blood. All sin has consequences. It is only a matter of whose blood pays the consequences.
Achan caused the nation to lose some lives of their warriors. Achan caused the death of his family. Achan offended a righteous God. God knows, will tell and will require payment.
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