The Sin of Achan by Ellen G. White

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 1, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 34.

The Sin of Achan

By Ellen G. White

By Mrs. E. G. White

Soon after the fall of Jericho, Joshua determined to attack Ai, a small town among the ravines a few miles to the west of the Jordan valley. Spies sent to this place brought back the report that the inhabitants were but few, and that only a small force would be needed to overthrow it.

The great victory that God had gained for them had made the Israelites self-confident. Because He had promised them the land of Canaan, they felt secure, and failed to realize that divine help alone could give them success. Even Joshua laid his plans for the conquest of Ai without seeking counsel from God.

The Israelites had begun to exalt their own strength, and to look with contempt upon their foes. An easy victory was expected, and three thousand were thought sufficient to take the place. These rushed to the attack without the assurance that God would be with them. They advanced nearly to the gate of the city, only to encounter the most determined resistance. Panic-stricken at the numbers and the thoro preparation of their enemies, they fled in confusion down the steep descent. The Canaanites were in hot pursuit; “they chased them from before the gate, . . . and smote them in the going down.” Tho the loss was small as to numbers,—but thirty-six men being slain,—the defeat was disheartening to the whole congregation. “The hearts of the people melted, and became as water.” This was the first time they had met the Canaanites in actual battle; and if put to flight before the defenders of this little town, what would be the result in the greater conflicts before them? Joshua looked upon their failure as an expression of God’s displeasure; and in distress and apprehension he “rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.”

“Alas, O Lord God,” he cried, “wherefore hast Thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? . . . O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies? For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and shall cut off our name from the earth; and what wilt Thou do unto Thy great name?”

The answer from Jehovah was, “Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel . . . hath transgressed My covenant which I commanded them.” It was time for prompt and decided action, and not for despair and lamentation. There was secret sin in the camp, and it must be searched out and put away, before the presence of the Lord could be with His people. “Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.”

God’s command had been disregarded by one of those appointed to execute His judgments, and the nation was held accountable for the guilt of the transgressor. “They have taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also.”

Instruction was given to Joshua for the discovery and punishment of the criminal. The lot was to be employed for the detection of the guilty. The sinner was not directly pointed out, the matter being left in doubt for a time that the people might feel their responsibility for the sins existing among them, and thus be led to searching of heart and humiliation before God.

Early in the morning, Joshua gathered the people together “by their tribes,” and the solemn and impressive ceremony began. Step by step the investigation went on. Closer and still closer came the fearful test. First the tribe, then the family, then the household, then the man was taken; and Achan the son of Carmi, of the tribe of Judah, was pointed out by the finger of God as the troubler of Israel.

To establish his guilt beyond all question, leaving no ground for the charge that he had been unjustly condemned, Joshua solemnly adjured Achan to acknowledge the truth. The wretched man made full confession of his crime: “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel. . . . When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels’ weight, then I coveted them, and I took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent.” Messengers were immediately despatched to the tent, where they removed the earth at the place specified; and “behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them out of the midst of the tent and brought them unto Joshua, . . . and laid them out before the Lord.”

Sentence was pronounced and immediately executed. “Why hast thou troubled us?” said Joshua, “the Lord shall trouble thee this day.” As the people had been held responsible for Achan’s sin, and had suffered from its

consequences, they were, through their representatives, to take part in its punishment. “All Israel stoned him with stones.” Then there was raised over him a great pile of stones,—a witness to the sin and its punishment. “Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor,” that is, “Trouble.” In the book of Chronicles his memorial is written,—“Achar, the troubler of Israel.”

The deadly sin that led to Achan’s ruin had its root in covetousness, of all sins one of the most common and the most lightly regarded. While other offenses meet with detection and punishment, how rarely does the violation of the tenth commandment so much as call forth censure. The enormity of this sin and its terrible results, are the lessons of Achan’s history.

Covetousness is an evil of gradual development. Achan had cherished greed of gain until it became a habit, binding him in fetters well-nigh impossible to break. While fostering this evil, he would have been filled with horror at the thought of bringing disaster upon Israel; but his perceptions were deadened by sin, and when temptation came, he fell an easy prey.

Are not similar sins still committed, in the face of warnings as solemn and explicit? We are as directly forbidden to indulge covetousness as was Achan to appropriate the spoils of Jericho. God has declared it to be idolatry. We are warned, “Ye can not serve God and mammon.” “Take heed, and beware of covetousness.” “Let it not be once named among you.” We have before us the fearful doom of Achan, of Judas, of Ananias and Sapphira. Back of all these we have that of Lucifer, that “son of the morning,” who, coveting a higher state, forfeited forever the brightness and bliss of heaven.

And yet, notwithstanding all these warnings, covetousness abounds. Everywhere its slimy track is seen. It creates discontent and dissension in families; it excites envy and hatred in the poor against the rich; it prompts the grinding oppression of the rich toward the poor. And this evil exists not in the world alone, but in the church. How common even here to find selfishness, avarice, overreaching, neglect of charities, and robbery of God “in tithes and offerings.” Among church-members “in good and regular standing” there are, alas! many Achans. Many a man comes statedly to church, and sits at the table of the Lord, while among his possessions are hidden unlawful gains, the things that God has cursed. For a goodly Babylonish garment, multitudes sacrifice the approval of conscience and their hope of heaven. Multitudes barter their integrity and their capabilities for usefulness for a bag of silver shekels. The cries of the suffering poor are unheeded; the Gospel light is hindered in its course; the scorn of worldlings is kindled by practises that give the lie to the Christian profession; and yet the covetous professor continues to heap up treasures. “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me,” saith the Lord.

Achan acknowledged his guilt, but when it was too late for the confession to benefit himself. He had seen the armies of Israel return from Ai, defeated and disheartened; yet he did not come forward and confess his sin. He had seen Joshua and the elders of Israel bowed to the earth in grief too great for words. Had he then made confession, he would have given some proof of true penitence; but he still kept silence. He had listened to the proclamation that a great crime had been committed, and had even heard its character definitely stated. But his lips were sealed. Then came the solemn investigation. How his soul thrilled with terror as he saw his tribe pointed out, then his family, and his household! But still he uttered no confession, until the finger of God was placed upon him. Then, when his sin could no longer be concealed, he admitted the truth.

How often are similar confessions made! There is a vast difference between admitting facts after they have been proved, and confessing sins known only to ourselves and to God. Achan would not have confessed had he not hoped by so doing to avert the consequences of his crime. But his confession only served to show that his punishment was just. There was no genuine repentance for sin, no contrition, no change of purpose, no abhorrence of evil.

So confessions will be made by the guilty when they stand before the bar of God, after every case has been decided for life or death. The consequences to result to himself will draw from each an acknowledgment of his sin. It will be forced from the soul by an awful sense of condemnation and a fearful looking for of judgment. But such confessions can not save the sinner.

So long as they can conceal their transgressions from their fellow men, many, like Achan, feel secure, and flatter themselves that God will not be strict to mark iniquity. All too late their sin will find them out, in that day when they shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever. When the records of heaven are opened, the Judge will not in words declare to man his guilt, but will cast one penetrating, convicting glance; and every deed, every transaction of life, will be vividly recalled to the memory of the wrongdoer. The person will not, as in Joshua’s day, need to be hunted out from tribe to family, but his own lips will confess his shame. The sins hidden from the knowledge of men will then be proclaimed to the whole world.