Joshua 7:11, commentary and pictures

Israel sinned by breaking the covenant in taking what was devoted to destruction, stealing it for self, deceiving to conceal it, and hiding it among personal goods. Though one man acted in secret, the guilt and curse fell upon the whole nation, so the Lord's presence and strength withdrew and they could not stand before their enemies at Ai until the evil was removed. God saw and named every part of the hidden disobedience, rebuked mere mourning and prayer, and commanded prompt sanctification and destruction of the accursed thing with open confession of the wrong. The same standard holds today, so when blessing is hindered the church must humbly search out concealed sin, covetousness, fraud, dissembling and kindred evils, put them away by repentance and restitution, and separate what refuses to repent that the camp may be cleansed.

Words and Deeds Condemned

Israel sinned and broke the covenant by taking what was forbidden, stealing it, concealing the wrong, and hiding the goods among personal possessions. The hidden taking made the whole people accountable, so they could not stand against their enemies while the forbidden thing remained among them. Concealed wrongdoing must be exposed and removed, for God notices hidden sin and tolerated sin in a community brings loss of His support and presence. Prayer alone cannot take the place of decisive action to put away what is accursed, and those responsible for others are accountable to purge known wrongdoing.

The accursed thing was spoil appointed to destruction and forbidden to Israel, including gold and silver consecrated to the treasury of the Lord. To take it was theft, embezzlement and robbery of God for self, stealing what belonged to God and appropriating it for personal benefit. Hiding the stolen goods and concealing guilt were themselves further sins added to the breach of covenant. Though one man committed the theft, the trouble fell upon the whole camp because Israel was charged with his sin.

Dissembling means deceit, falsehood and concealment, putting on innocence and pretending guiltlessness under examination while hiding guilt. It was covetousness and theft compounded by embezzlement, appropriating what was dedicated to God and then appearing innocent. God regards falsehood, concealment and dishonesty as serious sins that must be exposed and put away rather than overlooked. Even what seems a small or private taking is not harmless, but a snare leading to vanity, pride and self-exaltation that can cost the soul.

The spoil was a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, hidden in the earth in the tent. The charge was spoken by Jesus Christ from the pillar of cloud, condemning Israel for coveting and taking the accursed things appointed to destruction. Those Babylonish garments and devoted things were cursed of God, not to be desired, a snare to the soul leading to vanity, pride and self-exaltation, goods the Lord cannot bless and idols of those estranged from God. When Achan coveted a golden wedge and a Babylonish garment and hid them, all Israel was counted as having sinned and transgressed the covenant.

The root was covetousness, selfish greed and love of the world, growing gradually until greed became habit and dulled moral perception. What the taker counted a small matter was very serious in God's sight, for little acts of disobedience that seem small are as large as the greatest before Him. That one hidden sin cost thirty-six lives and brought judgment, withdrawal of the Lord's presence, and defeat upon Israel.

Defeat at Ai Context

After Jericho Israel went up against Ai and was defeated, turning backs before enemies because hidden sin was in the camp. Thirty-six men were slain, and success turned to defeat, repulse and death, with humiliation before enemies, contempt, weakness and loss. The taking of what was appointed to destruction broke the covenant, so the whole nation was weakened and could not stand before its enemies until the forbidden thing was removed.

The penalty for taking the forbidden thing belonged to Gilgal on the plain of Israel's first encampment in the promised land, in the campaign marching from there to the overthrow of Jericho and the conquest of Ai.

When Joshua lay prostrate mourning in distress after the defeat, lamentation and lying on the face were rebuked and prayer alone could not take the place of duty. He was commanded to get up and act by sanctifying the people and promptly and decisively searching out and putting away the secret evil from among them before divine presence and blessing could return. Remaining in distress and anguish while falsehood, dissembling and iniquitous practices continued was forbidden; things were to be set in order and the accursed thing destroyed from the midst.

The guilty one was not pointed out at once, but detection was left in doubt for a time so the people would feel responsibility for sins existing among them and be led to searching of heart and humiliation. Open confession was required, detailing how he coveted a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, took them and hid them in the earth in his tent, so that punishment without confession would not make judgment look unmerciful and severe. Then he was destroyed with his household and all he possessed and all that belonged to him, God's wrath was turned away, and the sin was wiped from Israel.

One Sin Implicating All

Though one man acted in secret unknown to the people, all Israel was charged with having sinned and transgressed the covenant, the whole nation being identified with the transgressor's guilt. His theft of what God had reserved for the sanctuary treasury and devoted to destruction, with hiding of the stolen goods and concealing of guilt, was counted as Israel's breach of covenant and brought trouble and guilt upon the whole camp. God named the kinds of wrongdoing — taking what was forbidden, stealing, dissembling, keeping devoted goods among personal possessions — but did not at first name the guilty person, leaving detection in doubt so responsible leaders had to search him out. While the sin remained its guilt was charged to the congregation, and Israel suffered defeat before its enemies and could not stand against them.

The hidden taking brought an accursed thing into the midst, making Israel itself accursed because of this one offender's sin. It brought guilt, curse, jeopardy, reproach, trouble, divine displeasure and kindled anger upon the whole camp and congregation. His covetousness left Israel weak before its enemies, and though his standing outside holy office might seem to lessen it, concealed wrongdoing was serious enough to prevent blessing while it remained. One person's transgression thus brought God's displeasure and defeat and dishonor in battle, with the children of Israel turning their backs because made accursed.

The Spirit of God and His unseen armies who are Israel's strength withdrew their interposition, the Lord's presence left the army, and He would not go with them into battle nor give success. Success therefore turned to defeat, repulse and death, as at Ai where thirty-six men were slain and all Israel was humiliated before enemies. God does not remove His presence without cause and will not answer prayer while sin remains in the camp, so His presence and blessing are withdrawn until the accursed thing is destroyed from among His people. Though Achan counted the theft a small matter, it was serious in God's sight, bringing judgment on Israel and requiring the offense to be found and put away before God would be with them again.

Israel could not stand before enemies while the forbidden thing remained among them, weakened, defeated, brought into contempt, with some soldiers killed. God's favor and blessing could not rest on them again, and He would not remain with them, unless the accursed thing was searched out, confessed, forsaken and removed by decisive action, since prayer alone could not take the place of that duty. The sin required hunting out and dealing with according to its grievous character, for the Lord deals the same way in every similar case, and no church can be living and prosperous while tolerating sin without loving and practicing truth and integrity.

God Exposing Removing Sin

God saw every phase of the secret disobedience and named each part, that Israel had sinned and transgressed the covenant by taking what was forbidden, stealing it, dissembling, and putting it among personal goods. He marks every deceptive act, and He knows and searches out concealed guilt hidden among possessions, exposing what was hidden in the earth in the tent. The taking was a goodly Babylonish garment and a wedge of gold, with silver also, which He had commanded to be utterly destroyed except what was consecrated to His treasury, yet it was coveted, stolen and concealed for self. His discovery of hidden guilt also vindicates those who trust Him when they are falsely accused and suspected without learning the facts.

What looked like a very small matter to the taker was in His sight a very serious matter, for little acts of disobedience that seem small are as large as the greatest. He will not serve with sin, so His presence was withdrawn from the armies and He permitted the enemy to triumph, with defeat at Ai following the breach. Although He had done a great and glorious work by mighty power, that sin barred His way so He could not do what He wanted to do for the people. Such devoted things are a snare leading to vanity, pride and self-exaltation, and even a sin that seems small can imperil and cost a soul.

Humbling, mourning and prayer alone could not take the place of duty, for He is jealous and it is fearful to trifle with Him. When Joshua lay mourning prostrate in distress after defeat, He rebuked lying on the face and lamentation and commanded him to get up and act. The people had to sanctify themselves and promptly and decisively search out, root out and destroy the accursed thing from among them before His presence and blessing could be with them again. Only when the evil was taken away and the offender with his household and all he possessed was destroyed was the sin wiped away and wrath turned.

He identified the kinds of wrongdoing but did not name the guilty person, requiring responsible leaders to search him out. Those set to carry out discipline must act to purge known wrongdoing, for humbling and pleading is not enough while evil remains. Those who know of harming wrongdoing yet fail to act, who become careless, pass by sin, leave things to drift, or hold their peace while He is dishonored by deception, falsehood and moral corruption, are held equally responsible with the open transgressor. If leaders do their duty in closely guarding righteousness and judgment, He by His Holy Spirit will point out the wrongdoers, and they must work diligently to separate such from the camp lest hidden sins cause loss of favor and presence in decisive warfare.

Destruction of the offender was necessary because the same principles had influenced his family and could endanger the whole people. Dealing with sin therefore requires thorough work rather than overlooking falsehood, concealment and dishonesty, which must be exposed and put away. At the same time lax suspicion and harsh censure without first learning the facts can cause grave harm, as when remembrance of this judgment led to zeal that suspected brethren before learning the facts. Laxness in dealing with sin must be avoided while still learning the facts first and doing thorough work.

Cleansing the Church Today

The Lord deals the same way in every similar case now as then, and the standard of the gospel today is no lower than in Joshua's day but more elevated with increased light. What looked to the taker like a very small matter is in God's sight a very serious matter, costing thirty-six lives at Ai where success turned to defeat, repulse and death and all Israel was humiliated before enemies, because His presence was withdrawn from their armies since He would not serve with sin. The judgment on the theft and concealment of what was devoted to God warns the church through all time that the same sins can bring His wrath and great displeasure upon it, with the whole church bearing rebuke until the sin is hunted out and dealt with according to its grievous character. Claiming to follow God while following one's own way trails the standard of piety in the dust and makes false signboards pointing in the wrong direction.

When the church grows spiritually cold or faces darkness, affliction and difficulty, its members should humbly examine themselves, seek God, and search out the cause until the wrong is found and put away. God does not remove His presence without cause and will not answer prayer while sin remains in the camp, so mourning alone is rebuked and action is required before blessing can return. No church can be living and prosperous while it tolerates sin, for one person's hidden transgression brings displeasure, spreads darkness through the congregation, and hinders blessing. That searching includes righting wrongs among them, especially wrongs done to afflicted brethren and a wrong course toward a brother that turns light away until the oppressed is vindicated, which calls for tenderness, enlarged hearts, noble sympathy, largeness of soul and disinterested benevolence rather than narrow, selfish and penurious spirit, with close self-examination whether the principles required to receive the promised rich blessings are present. Review of past failures is useful when it leads to humility and gratitude for God's care, remembering that temptation can cause a fall even when feeling secure and cannot be resisted in human strength, and that departing from revealed will and dangerous ties with idolaters brings ruin.

Achans in the camp are corrupt, selfish, exalting hearts, wanting to be foremost and loving self, who weigh down God's people like clogs and bring His frown upon the whole church. They contaminate others if left alone, discourage His servants, hinder the work so it progresses but little, keep back blessing, and hinder blessing more than open opponents. Selfishness and self-glorification spread through and harm an entire community as the forbidden taking brought guilt and curse upon the whole camp. Those in responsible positions must not suffer sin in a brother but must show him he must either put away his sins or be separated, and God gives opportunity to reform and enlightens as to sins, but if they will not heed He mercifully rids the church of them and gives many up to their own ways to be filled with their own doings. As reformers treasuring solemn, purifying truths, God's people must elevate the standard far higher, choosing poverty, reproach, separation from friends, suffering and death itself rather than defile the soul with sin or transgress law, doing thorough work because truth and purity require cleansing the camp.

Hidden wrongdoing, including falsehood, dissembling and concealing personal sins, must be brought to light, confessed and forsaken before God can bless, and tolerated sin harms the whole church and prevents blessing. Sin must be dealt with promptly and decisively so others are not contaminated and do not learn to fear otherwise, and responsible members must call the sinner to put it away or face separation so the community can be cleansed. An unrepentant sinner retained is as Achan in the camp, deceived and deceiving, bringing guilt upon the whole body so the saints are held accountable for his evil deeds, and to retain those who do wickedly and refuse to repent is an insult to heaven. Those who after being visited and labored with refuse admonition and repentance must not have their names retained on the books but must be disfellowshipped and separated from fellowship.

Defects of character knowingly chosen, excused or made light of are charged to the church, as when a church knowingly chooses and places over itself as minister a man of weakness of character and little moral power, thereby assuming his defects and making them its own and standing under rebuke even as Israel did. God will not be with such a church unless it removes the evil from among it, and to accept such labors in darkness dishonors Him and lowers the standard of righteousness to the ruin of the man and the detriment of the church. Hiding the eyes from known evil and walking contrary to His will while refusing to reprove or confront wrong makes guilt more grievous than Israel's and leaves His frown resting on the church. Silence and refusal to stand for what is right allow the accursed thing to remain.

Concealing one's own wrongs while acting as accuser of brethren compounds the sin and brings disfavor not only on the doer but on all. Dissembling includes hiding personal faults while by bitter and revengeful exposure of others' faults strengthening them in an evil course. Such falsehood, dissembling and iniquitous practices among God's people require arising from distress and anguish to set things in order, for He cannot bless until those sins are removed from among them.

Specific Sins Called Achan

Using the Lord's goods for self and family is the covetousness, theft, embezzlement, deceit and robbery of Achan, taking what was devoted to God and putting it among one's own stuff in breach of covenant. The same evil works through professed Sabbath-keepers as love of money, love of the world and selfishness gaining on the heart imperceptibly, calling means lent as stewards one's own, taking sacrifice from God's altar and hoarding it up instead of sacrificing and denying self for truth. His taking and hiding brought destruction and cost thirty-six lives, and unless covetousness is rooted out by arising, renewing strength in God and keeping covenant with Him, destruction will be as sure, the prospering hand removed and all snatched away in a moment to perish with the world. Dishonest dealing in sacred work dishonors God and requires full repentance and restitution, for God will judge such use of His goods.

Selfishly taking institutional means for personal use is taking the accursed thing, stealing, dissembling and robbing the treasury. Thinking one should be greatly favored, becoming dissatisfied over wages, comparing with others to claim as much as another receives, selling to the highest bidder, becoming wise above what is written, and taking care to receive all one thinks one should have is that evil leaven of selfishness, covetousness and double-dealing. God looks on it as He looked on Achan, He is not with such a man, He sees every case and will pass judgment on it. Such men cannot give the right mold to the work or supply the necessities of laborers in hard fields who give part of their wages to the needs of those fields, and there is no hope for institutions unless leading men under this unpurged, unrepented, unrestored taking fall on the Rock broken and humbled, praying with humble broken hearts and letting the Word into the mind, lest deceptions blacker than velvet leave them stumbling without knowing at what they stumble.

Through selfishness at every point keeping means from the Southern field, driving workers in hard places, and appropriating money that should come to God's cause is misappropriation and robbery in crooked lines, stealing and hiding in every sense which God hates. Excuses, determination not to make restitution, disregard of light already given, and half-hearted unwilling efforts that do not redeem the past prove lack of the Holy Spirit's working, blinded discernment with no real sense of justice, mercy, equity and truth, and insincerity of missionary spirit. Those guilty are under rebuke, and God will not be with them any more nor communicate light to bless their hearts or entrust means to them until the accursed thing is put away by fully setting things in order in humility and the Spirit of God with full restitution of both principal and interest.

Injustice, fraud, dishonesty and corruption in business defile churches throughout all the borders and dishonor God, especially dealings like real estate and broker's business that deceive people, bring others into want, and rob widow, fatherless, orphan and poor. Because of this taking, stealing, dissembling and hiding, God declares He will not be with His people anymore. The church must be purified from these soul-defiling things allowed to drift into channels forbidden by God, with a decided awakening to save the situation.

Sanctioning or carrying out decisions known to oppose truth and righteousness puts God's people where Israel stood as having sinned and transgressed covenant by taking the accursed thing. Doing so weakens faith and lessens relish for communion with God. Instead of lying on the face, the accursed thing in the midst must be recognized and destroyed from among them, for God will not be with them any more unless it is removed.

Teachings leading toward spiritualism are an accursed thing that must be given up, lest the camp become sickly and minds be drawn from present truth and the third angel's message. This includes spiritual-union views such as Henry Allen's and age-to-come views, which Brother Everts gave up to return attention to the third angel's message. Hidden wrong left unrebuked brings God's frown and displeasure on the camp until removed.

Tolerated gossip, meddling, criticism, faultfinding, backbiting and slander weaken the spiritual condition, bring displeasure and prevent blessing until purged. Backbiting and slander are worse than Achan's sin because their corrupting influence spreads beyond those who practice them to many and defiles them. Wrongdoing treated as a small matter harms the whole community.

Indulging habits that destroy vitality and defile flesh and spirit brings defeat and loss of God's presence. Revelry and conduct among professed servants is evidence of sin in the midst, so they cannot stand against enemies while the offense remains unconfessed and unremoved. Toleration even of seventh-commandment violations alone is enough to bring God's frown and weaken Israel. Cleansing requires giving up destructive indulgences, rebuking wrong rather than excusing it, and separating those who refuse order.

Achan's hidden taking was charged to all Israel though unknown to the people, bringing jeopardy, reproach, defeat and wrath, and the same sins can bring wrath on the church as a warning through all time. Tolerated sin harms the whole church and prevents blessing when truth and integrity are not loved and practiced, so prevailing sin must be searched out, reproved and put away rather than treated as unimportant, covered or excused. Known wrongdoing must be confronted as God directed, and unrepentant offenders separated, for the church cannot prosper otherwise.

A wrong course pursued by one toward his brother turns God's light from His people until the wrong is searched out and the cause of the oppressed is vindicated. This calls for tenderness of feeling and discrimination, enlarged hearts with broad and deep feelings, noble sympathy, largeness of soul and disinterested benevolence rather than narrow, selfish and penurious ones, for while selfishness dries up kindly sympathy and tender thoughtful love and interest for brethren every virtue is corroded. Only with those qualities can the church triumph in God, which calls for studying Isaiah's fast and close self-examination to discern whether the principles required to receive the rich blessings promised are present.

Achan's fall warns that temptation can overcome even when feeling secure and cannot be resisted in human strength alone. Review of past failures is useful when it leads to humility, with gratitude for God's care and humility for neglecting His revealed will. Departing from God for idolatry and dangerous ties with idolaters brings ruin, a warning applying to each person. God's discovery of hidden guilt concealed among possessions also shows He will vindicate those who trust Him when falsely accused and suspected without learning the facts.