Joshua 7:12, commentary and pictures

Achan broke covenant by coveting and secretly taking what was devoted to destruction at Jericho, hiding a Babylonish garment, silver and gold in his tent until greed became ruin.
Because of that one hidden act Israel itself became accursed and could not stand before its enemies but turned back and was defeated at Ai with thirty-six slain.
To be accursed is to fall under the ban by taking the forbidden thing, to be unable to stand is to lose strength and be left to disgraceful retreat, and to lose God's presence is to be left without His favor, Spirit and unseen help until the accursed thing is destroyed.
The sin of one, though concealed, is charged upon the whole camp, bringing God's displeasure and withholding victory, so mourning and prayer must give way to sanctifying the camp, searching out the guilty, calling sin by its right name and destroying it from among them.
The accursed thing today is covetousness and love of money, fraud and dishonesty, impurity, evil speaking, false teaching and every uncleanness and unadjusted wrong, which must be confessed, restored and put away by leaders and people if God's presence is to return.

Achan's Sin At Ai

Achan broke the covenant and the express command concerning what was devoted to destruction by coveting, taking, stealing and dissembling the forbidden spoil of Jericho and hiding it in the earth in the midst of his tent among his own stuff, with the silver under it. The hidden things were a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, seen among the spoils, then coveted and taken. His covetousness, gradually cherished until it became habit, brought ruin upon himself and disaster upon Israel, for by taking what was banned and consecrated to the Lord on which the curse rested he brought guilt upon the whole people despite positive commands guarding them from idolatry. Because of that one man's concealed act, unknown to the rest and to Joshua, Israel itself became accursed and was charged and treated as guilty.

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies but turned their backs before them, losing strength to face attack, fleeing, driven back, discomfited, humiliated, repulsed and defeated at Ai. Thirty-six men were slain, Israel was brought into contempt while its enemies triumphed, and thousands are described as dying in battle through the displeasure brought by hidden transgression. The sin of one man weakened the hands of God's servants because the Spirit and unseen armies who are Israel's strength withdrew their help. This came after Israel marched from Gilgal to the overthrow of Jericho and the attempt on Ai, where Achan met the dire penalty for his sin.

Achan with all his household and all they possessed was destroyed for his sin, judgment coming also on his family, and so the curse was wiped from Israel. After he was judged Israel could advance against Ai and win, since God's presence and help would return only after the sin was removed and the people could not prevail while the accursed thing remained among them. When Joshua lay prostrate with the elders mourning and weeping before the ark asking why Israel fled, God answered by commanding him to rise, declaring that Israel had sinned and broken covenant. Prayer had to give way to putting away sin, for Joshua lying on his face could have his prayer answered only after that work was done.

The guilty one had to be exposed, searched out, and made to confess his guilt and give glory to the Lord God of Israel before punishment, or the people would charge God with being unmerciful and severe and reproach Joshua with harshness and severity. God told him an accursed thing was in the camp because spoil had been taken with robbery and dissembling hidden among the people, and His blessing could not rest on them until these things were cleansed from them. In this God gave Israel a lesson they should never forget.

What The Words Mean

To be accursed is to come under the ban by taking what God had forbidden and devoted to destruction, and by taking the accursed thing Israel itself became accursed. The defeat at Ai came for that reason, for the people were under the ban through one man's violation of the covenant until the forbidden thing was removed from among them. Hidden or tolerated wrongdoing brings that condition, and those entrusted with responsibility must guard against offenses rather than overlook them, for turning from God brings ruin as surely as His promises stand.

Could not stand before enemies means Israel lost strength to face attack, became weak, and was left to disgraceful retreat and flight before a small foe. The Spirit of God and His unseen armies, who are Israel's strength, withdrew their help, so the people were humiliated, repulsed and defeated with loss of life, as when thirty-six men were slain at Ai for a sin the rest did not know. Where what is offensive is left among the people the truth loses its power upon minds and the enemy of truth apparently triumphs and obtains the victory.

Neither will I be with you any more means God withdraws His presence, favor, Spirit, help and blessing, leaves the people, and will not remain with them or go with the army into battle while the accursed thing stays in the camp. His wrath rests upon them, He will not come near to bless hearts or communicate light and means, and prayer lying on the face cannot be answered until that work of removal is done. False, dishonest work against His purposes makes His work languish and keeps His people from standing in their elevated character, and He will never again be with them as at the commencement unless principles are decidedly changed and hearts are cleansed by the Spirit, with idols put away, extravagance repented of, modest apparel adopted, and souls greatly humbled before Him.

One Sin Brings Defeat

The sin of one man brought defeat on all, for Achan's taking what was devoted to destruction and hiding it among his own goods was charged upon the whole congregation and nation, so that Israel as a people was treated as accursed and guilty. Though the act was concealed and unknown to the rest and even to Joshua, all were affected by it and the hands of God's servants were weakened. Because of that one offender's transgression Israel could not stand before enemies but turned backs at Ai, was brought into contempt while enemies triumphed, and lost men in battle until the accursed thing was taken away. The case stands recorded for admonition and instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come, that known sin must not be passed over as small and unimportant, and that every teacher and person in authority is held responsible for the guilt until everything possible is done to purify the congregation. Hidden wrongdoing in heart or home hinders blessing and work and must be removed rather than merely lamented.

Hidden, cherished or tolerated wrongdoing among God's people brings His anger, wrath, frown, rebuke, displeasure and curse. It bars His way so He cannot do what He wants to do, withholds success, means and victory, and leaves the church burdened, sickly, weakened and in darkness until sin is cast out. God withdraws His presence and will not remain, strengthen His people, or work for them while the accursed thing remains, whether it be cherished idols and extravagance or fraud, double-dealing, conniving, avarice and dishonest speculation. Neglect to cleanse institutions and churches of that moral defilement brings His wrath, and knowingly overlooking character defects in a member or minister and placing him over the church brings the whole body under rebuke as Israel was rebuked for Achan's sin. Correction must follow His Word without harshness, haste, partiality or favoritism, showing love and compassion for the sinner while firmly opposing sin.

When those professing to keep God's law become transgressors His protecting care is withdrawn and they cannot stand before their enemies, many falling through perverseness and licentiousness. Mere possession of the ark containing the commandments, strict observance of divinely appointed temple services, or outward regard for law and sacred things gives no protection from divine justice while wicked works remain unrepented. A sin-hating God calls upon those who profess to keep His law to depart from all iniquity, accept reproof, and put sin out of the camp, while opposition and falsehood brought against faithful commandment-keepers only strengthens those who stand firm. Refusing to be reproved of evil and blaming His servants for zeal against sin brings consequences as sure as defeat before the Philistines and the desolation of Jerusalem, for there is a limit beyond which He will no longer delay judgments and correction through His chosen instruments cannot be disregarded with impunity; if His people remain separate and distinct as a nation doing righteousness He is their defense and no weapon formed against them prospers.

God is earnest, jealous, and fearful to trifle with, and cannot look upon iniquity or let falsehood, dissembling and dishonesty pass without exposure. He sees concealed wrongdoing and searches it out, as He searched out Achan's coveting and secreting of the golden wedge and Babylonish garment and as Jesus who searched out Achan also exposed Ananias and Sapphira, showing His judgment against sin applies to the church as well as to ancient Israel. The curse could only be removed by sanctifying the people and destroying the accursed thing, which was done when Achan with all his household and all they possessed was destroyed, and so the curse was wiped from Israel. He is faithful both to His promises and to His warnings, so that departing from Him brings ruin, and Achan's case warns that temptation can cause a fall even when one feels secure, bringing displeasure upon sinner and community.

Search Out And Remove

God will not remain with His people, go with the army into battle, or prosper them while the accursed thing remains among them, and His presence returns only after they sanctify themselves, cleanse the camp, and destroy the accursed from among them. Israel could not withstand enemies because taking what was devoted to destruction made the people themselves accursed, and defeat at Ai was the consequence of that sin within the community. The same warning applies where cherished wrongs, moral corruption, idols, extravagance and other sins bring displeasure, for the camp must be cleansed even if those involved hold high positions. Hidden sin has to be exposed and put away before His favor, help and blessing can remain, and prayer does not replace the duty to act decisively and put matters right.

Mourning, humiliation, weeping and lamentation alone are not enough, and lying prostrate in prayer must give way to rising in prompt, decided action to root out sin rather than despair or merely lamenting the wrong. The time calls for searching out the hidden sin and destroying it so that He will be with His people again, for prayer is answered only after that work is done. Failure to confront known wrongdoing leaves the community cursed and weakened before its enemies, and it is sin not to search for the cause of darkness and affliction in its midst. No church can be living and prosperous while such wrongs remain, since the truth then loses power and the enemy apparently triumphs.

The wrong must be hunted out, searched for in earnest humility, called by its right name, and dealt with according to how grievous it is. The guilty one has to be found, exposed, and made to confess guilt and give glory to God before punishment, as Achan acknowledged his sins only after being searched out, which also keeps God from being charged with being unmerciful and severe and keeps His servant from being reproached with harshness. Such thorough searching also vindicates those wrongly accused and relieves the burdened church, for one sinner may diffuse darkness that excludes light from the entire congregation. If those responsible neglect the duty to correct and expel wrongdoing, the guilt rests upon the whole church and blessing will not rest upon it until the wrong is corrected.

Sin and sinners in the church must be promptly dealt with, and truth and purity require more thorough work to cleanse the camp from Achans so others are not contaminated. Those who do wickedly and refuse to repent and reform after being visited, labored with, admonished and warned are as Achan in the camp, deceived and deceiving, and must not be retained on the books but must be separated and disfellowshipped according to Bible rules. To keep unrepentant sinners who refuse to hear admonition on the church books is an insult to heaven, while removing them is mercy toward the church. Sin must not be suffered in a brother but he must be shown that he must either put away his sins or be separated, choosing poverty, reproach, separation from friends, or any suffering rather than defiling the soul, with death before dishonor or transgression as the motto, so the camp is cleansed and others fear God.

Every teacher and everyone in authority is held responsible for the guilt until they do everything possible to purify the congregation and destroy the moral defilement from among them. They must guard righteousness and judgment, refuse peace with deception and moral corruption, work diligently to separate the Achans, and not pass over known sin as small and unimportant nor overlook offenses nor leave things to drift. If the sins of the people are passed over by those in responsible positions, His frown rests upon those leaders, and the people as a body are held accountable for those sins. The sin of one man weakens the hands of His servants because His Spirit and unseen armies, who are the strength of Israel, withdraw their help, bringing humiliation, repulse, defeat and loss of life, as at Ai where thirty-six men were slain even for a sin the rest did not know. God will not be with His people again until that defilement is purged, and He will not manifest His power in their midst while sins exist among them and are fostered by those in responsible positions.

The case is recorded for admonition and instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come, and the history stands for all generations, more especially for the last days, to show the responsibility resting on the church to do the work required in order to have His presence. It serves as warning and instruction that Achan's sin brought defeat, weakness, contempt, triumph of enemies, and deaths in the army, and that the same dealing holds in every similar case. It teaches vigilance in discovering sin within the community, yet without harsh judgment or groundless suspicion. He bore with wrongdoing for a time, but will not continue to do so indefinitely.

The Accursed Thing Today

The accursed thing today is covetousness, selfishness, love of money and love of the world spreading through the ranks of professed keepers of truth, hoarding means lent by God as stewards and taking the sacrifice from His altar. It gains upon the heart imperceptibly and dries up sacrifice, and unless rooted out with renewed covenant, self-denial and sacrifice for God, destruction is as sure as Achan's and the prospering hand is removed in a moment. The same selfish covetousness appears in workers demanding higher wages by comparing themselves with others, becoming wise above what is written, and appropriating for personal use means meant for God's work, which robs His treasury. Such double-dealing surrounds the soul with unbelief, imperils schools, institutions, churches and souls, unfits men to guide the work or supply hard fields, and requires disconnection without delay even of editors or managers, for God sees every case and will judge it. Where this spirit in important positions remains unrepented, unpurged and unrestored, institutions are accursed, cannot stand before enemies, and have no hope unless leading men let the Word into the mind, fall on the Rock and be broken in thorough transformation, lest blacker deceptions increase and God humble them.

The accursed thing is stealing, dissembling and working in crooked lines as Achan did, bringing God's rebuke until put away by thorough restitution for neglect and robbery of principal and interest with justice, mercy, equity and truth. It is fraud, injustice, dishonesty, corruption, double-dealing, conniving, avarice and dishonest speculation, especially real estate and broker dealings that deceive, delude, bring people to want, make widows and orphans suffer, and rob the widow, the fatherless and the poor. This dishonors God, harms His cause, defiles churches throughout the borders and turns them into perverted channels, and where robbery and dissembling are practiced in His work His blessing is withheld until cleansed away. God regards theft, embezzlement and deceit so grievously that He withdrew His presence from Israel for Achan's theft, covetousness and dissembling, and the same neglect to cleanse institutions and churches brings His wrath and prevents His working. Professing obedience while indulging such sins and misusing money owed to God endangers others as well as the offender, and concealment by attacking reprovers only confirms guilt requiring decided awakening and purification to save the situation.

The accursed thing includes fornication and moral corruption, which if not met by determined effort to eradicate makes the whole church responsible and weak, requiring cleansing of the camp even when high positions are involved. When those claiming to represent God point by precept and example to earthliness and sensuality instead of purity and holiness, He looks down with displeasure, and without humiliation of soul and true heart work in repentance they will surely be lost. Light treatment of violations of the seventh commandment is leaving the accursed thing in the camp, bringing defeat and loss of His presence upon the whole community.

The accursed thing includes evil speaking and confederacy, which must be put away for God's presence to remain. Tolerated gossip, meddling, tale-bearing, faultfinding and disorder are not small matters but bring displeasure and weaken the church so it cannot stand. Malicious backbiting defiles many and must be purged before God can bless, spreading worse than private sin as a root of bitterness whereby many are defiled and corrupting minds and spirits beyond the one who cherishes it. The same principle applies where prejudice and a wrong spirit weaken a church: the accursed thing must be put out of the camp.

The accursed thing includes erroneous teachings that bring spiritual weakness and sickness unless abandoned, put out of the camp and excluded from fellowship so minds stay on the third angel's message. Age-to-come and spiritual-union views, including Henry Allen's spiritual-union views, are of this character and make the people sickly and powerless if retained. Tolerating disobedience to His word while listening in silence to fanciful and spiritualistic interpretations that undermine foundations of faith and pervert truth requires awaking, breaking the yoke of silence, calling sin by its right name, speaking truth in reproof, refusing consent without protest, standing on guard under the bloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel, and unmasking pretentious sophistries that would lead ministers, physicians and medical missionary workers to ignore truth.

The accursed thing includes idols, extravagance, immodest apparel, uncleanness and filthiness of flesh and spirit, requiring putting away idols, repenting of extravagance, clothing modestly and greatly humbling the soul, for while it remains wrath rests and presence is withdrawn. Keeping His presence requires cleansing from all filthiness, presenting the body a living sacrifice, giving up habits destroying vitality, eating, drinking and dressing to His glory, keeping rules and coming into order, rebuking wrong and even separating from the school those indulging forbidden habits and refusing order. Secret artful dishonesty, turning people from their rights, leaving wrongs unadjusted, and turning aside His counsels for human inventions under Satan's prompting bring withdrawal until fully put away. Disorderly children and Sabbath-breaking in worship desecrate the place of worship, bring displeasure, leave the people without presence and help, and let enemies triumph.

The accursed thing includes unfaithful professed service, which like Achan brings shame and defeat, hinders the work and discourages faithful workers. A wrong course by one toward his brother turns God's light from His people until searched out and the oppressed vindicated, for He requires tenderness of feeling, breadth and depth of sympathy, largeness of soul and disinterested benevolence before the church can triumph. As long as selfishness dries up kindly sympathy and tender thoughtful love for brethren every virtue is corroded and His presence withdrawn. A selfish unsympathizing spirit toward the unfortunate, widow, orphan, blind, lame, and sick in body or mind, neglect of the afflicted, seeking advantage by injuring the unfortunate and robbing them of means, and misrepresenting Christ thereby, causes Him to hide His face and not hear prayers, holding the church accountable until members do all they can to remedy the evil. Oppressive self-exalting actions are not glorifying to Him and forfeit His presence unless everything unholy is put away, for selfishness and self-glorification in institutions spread as a curse through the whole camp.

Church Duty And Warning

Supporting or sanctioning decisions known to be out of harmony with truth and righteousness brings the accursed condition upon God's people, weakening faith and lessening relish for communion with God, for Israel's defeat followed because sin remained and God would no longer be with them unless it was removed. Those who so support wrongdoing stand between God's light and His people, and instead of remaining prostrate in mourning they must open their eyes, awake, and put away the wrong. When a church knowingly accepts and places over itself as minister a man of great weakness of character, little moral power and present darkness, making light of his defects, it assumes those defects and makes them its own. The whole church then stands under the rebuke of God even as ancient Israel stood under rebuke for the sin of Achan, bearing responsibility for what it overlooks, and such acceptance dishonors God, lowers the standard of righteousness to ruin and detriment, and forfeits His presence, with guilt more grievous when the evil is known yet hidden while walking contrary to His will.

The wrongdoing of one member with concealed sin can place the whole community in jeopardy and bring disgrace upon the church, so that it cannot stand before enemies and suffers reproach. At Auckland the wrongdoing of one brought disgrace, and the church could not prosper while sin remained and truth was not loved and practiced, and the same principle held at Battle Creek where tolerated wrong and failure to reprove brought God's frown. Concealed falsehood and dissembling keep God from blessing and helping until the wrong is set in order and put away, for cherished sin brings His displeasure and prevents Him from strengthening His people and giving victory until they work to cast it out. Correction must then follow His Word without harshness, haste, partiality or favoritism, showing love and compassion for the sinner while firmly opposing sin.

Temptation can cause a fall even when one feels secure, and it cannot be resisted in one's own strength. Hidden sin in heart or home hinders blessing and work, is charged upon the whole people, and withholds success while the accursed thing remains, so the wrong must be removed rather than merely lamented. False, dishonest work against God's purposes causes His work to languish and keeps His people from standing in their elevated character, and He will not be with them as at the commencement unless principles are decidedly changed and hearts are cleansed by His Spirit. Evil must therefore be corrected and put away rather than leaving any part to take root again.

When what is offensive is left among His people they cannot stand before enemies, truth loses its power upon minds, the enemy apparently triumphs, and God leaves them and will not be with them anymore. This holds now in solemn opposition against principalities and powers and rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places, and it holds individually, with every person having an open case between himself and God. Hidden sin bars His way so He cannot do what He wants to do, though He has done a great and glorious work by mighty power, and His people are responsible for the success of His work through maintained discipline and entire surrender. Each one must therefore seek earnestly for His glory, put away everything offensive, make straight paths lest the lame be turned out of the way, hold the fort, make entire consecration of soul and body, and let conviction reach the heart and inner doings for purification of the soul temple. Sin must be hated while the sinner is loved with compassion as Jesus showed, sins called by their right name and put away without tampering that makes them seem less sinful, and all filthiness of flesh cleansed away with holiness perfected in fear so heavenly intelligences can work through surrendered agents as living channels of light.