Joshua 7:13, commentary and pictures

The divine Commander, enshrouded in the cloudy pillar, spoke to Joshua as he mourned Israel's defeat, commanding him to rise from prayer and lamentation to prompt, decided action and to consecrate the people by searching of heart and cleansing in preparation for the morrow. The accursed thing in the midst was devoted spoil appointed to destruction or for the treasury, which Achan coveted, stole, dissembled about and hid among his own stuff. The guilt of that one man was charged upon the whole congregation, so that while the hidden thing remained Israel could not stand before enemies because God's presence and blessing withdrew and defeat and death came. Prayer and humiliation alone are not enough, for God requires rising up to uncover, confess and put away the evil completely, with leaders faithfully reproving wrong and separating the unrepentant lest others be corrupted. The command was written for those upon whom the ends of the world are come, for God is the same in earnest against iniquity now as then, and when the accursed thing is rooted out by entire surrender and renewal His displeasure turns away and His people can advance.

Speaker, Setting and Wording

The voice that spoke was that of the divine Commander enshrouded in the cloudy pillar, Jesus Christ the General of armies, answering Joshua as he mourned over Israel's defeat. He commanded Joshua to rise up from prayer and to end despair and lamentation, for prayer alone could not take the place of what had to be done. What was required was prompt and decided action to put matters right against wrongdoing in the camp. He declared He would be with Israel no more except they destroyed the accursed thing from among them.

To sanctify the people meant to consecrate them and set them apart against tomorrow in preparation for the next day. That setting apart was to be done through searching of heart and humiliation before God. It required cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, giving up habits that destroy vitality, eating and drinking and dressing to the glory of God, keeping order, and putting wrong away by rebuke and separation rather than letting it remain. The command was given to teach Israel a lesson never to be forgotten, that secret sin prevented God from being with the people and had to be uncovered and put away without delay.

The accursed thing in the midst was the devoted spoil appointed to destruction or for the treasury, which was stolen and hidden. It was what Achan coveted and took for himself, the Babylonish or Babylonian garment and the golden wedge or wedge of gold, which he dissembled about and hid among his own stuff. There was thus robbery and dissembling in the camp, spoil taken from the enemies of Israel and concealed, bringing God's anger on the whole people. Until that banned and defiling thing was taken away, Israel could not stand before its enemies.

The events belonged to Gilgal, Israel's first encampment in the promised land and the base from which Israel marched to the overthrow of Jericho and the attack on Ai. The guilt was not pointed out at once but was searched out step by step by lot, first the tribe, then the family, then the household, then the man, leaving the matter in doubt for a time so the people would feel their responsibility for sins among them. The curse was lifted only when Achan with his household and all he possessed was destroyed for his coveting and concealment. Then God's wrath was turned away and Israel could advance against Ai with His help.

One Sin Bars God's Presence

The guilt of one man is laid upon the whole congregation, so that though the rest knew nothing of it, all become guilty, burdened and accountable for the transgressor. Achan's concealed theft of what was appointed to destruction or for the treasury brought defeat and reproach upon all Israel, and his transgression brought judgment upon himself and his household while the whole congregation suffered because of one man's sin. The same dealing holds in every similar case, that when any sinful action is found among His church the whole church bears rebuke and lack of means and success until that sin is hunted out and dealt with according to its grievous character.

While the accursed thing remains Israel cannot stand before enemies, for His presence, His Spirit and His unseen armies who are Israel's strength withdraw their interposition from the whole people. Blessing and success are withheld and in their place come defeat, repulse and death, as at Ai where thirty-six men were slain and thousands suffered and died in battle. Achan's theft and concealment of what God had set apart kindled God's anger and led to the withdrawal of His presence from the army, so the enemy defeated them and God would be with them no more except they destroyed the accursed thing from among them. The sinner did not hold holy office, yet his hidden wrongdoing still stood in the way of God's help, and professed innocence and attacks on those who reprove wrongdoing do not make the sin harmless.

Hidden, overlooked or fostered wrongdoing still offends God and is fully known to Him, and that sin bars His way so He cannot do what He wants to do for them even after He has done a great and glorious work for them by mighty power. Tolerated sin weakens the hands of His servants, weighs down the community, hinders the progress of His work, and keeps Him from manifesting His power in their midst while the sin remains and is fostered by those in responsible positions. The guilty may know the church is burdened by their wrong yet keep on until they become hardened and conscience no longer condemns them, and tampering with sin makes it seem less sinful while unbelief stops mighty works. Relief comes only when they humble their proud, rebellious hearts before God, call hidden sin by its right name, put away their wrongs, and make voluntary confession before God has to search them out, and when the church in difficulty or spiritual decline searches hearts humbly for sin that needs to be put away. Uncleanness and sin within the camp had to be removed before God would go with the people into battle, otherwise He would turn from them, leave them weak and disgraced, and their enemies would triumph.

Mere regard for the commandments and profession of keeping God's law with possession of sacred things gives no protection while sin remains, for strict observance cannot preserve from the power of divine justice without departing from all iniquity, repenting and obeying His word, and receiving reproof of evil instead of refusing it. As the presence of the ark containing the commandments did not gain victory without repentance of wicked works, so strict observance of the temple services did not preserve from just punishment of an evil course. Those who refuse correction and persist in evil will face divine judgment with consequences as serious as upon ancient Israel, for there is a limit beyond which God will no longer delay His judgments, His correction through His chosen instruments cannot be disregarded with impunity, and the desolation of Jerusalem stands as a solemn warning.

Achan's covetousness in taking what was devoted to God grew gradually into a binding habit that dulled and deadened his perception of the wrong until temptation led to sin and brought disaster and ruin upon Israel. His history shows that temptation can bring a person to ruin even when he thinks himself secure and feels secure, and that no one can meet and resist it in his own strength. Reviewing past failures in the right spirit can expose the dark side of one's character and lead to humility over wrongs that bring God's displeasure upon both the sinner and the church. A wrong course pursued by one toward his brother turns the light of God from His people until the wrong is searched out and the cause of the oppressed is vindicated, for the sin of one man discomfited the entire army.

Duty to Search and Remove

Prayer and humiliation alone do not remove the barrier, for Israel could not prevail while the forbidden thing remained hidden and the camp had to be cleansed by taking it away. The command was to rise from prayer, consecrate the people, and prepare for the next day, because God requires prompt, decisive action to uncover the sin that weakens His people and to put matters right. Confession that does not set matters right and root out the evil is insufficient, and concealment with dissembling makes the sin even greater.

When spiritual darkness settles and its cause is unknown, the people are to seek God humbly and search out and remove the wrongs that grieve His Spirit. Each member is to search the heart humbly for sin that needs to be put away, for hidden sin kept by one person brings displeasure on the whole people, withholds blessing, shuts out the manifestation of divine power, and leaves them unable to stand before enemies while it is fostered. Relief comes only when the guilty humble proud, rebellious hearts, put away wrongs, and make voluntary confession before they are searched out. Hidden sin must be called by its right name, hated while the sinner is loved with Christlike compassion, and put away through discipline and cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit.

Those in responsible positions must search out the guilty and address wrongdoing, for the sin of one brings displeasure on the whole community and blessing remains withheld until the wrong is corrected and thoroughly purged. Leaders and teachers who know the truth and hear the Word daily will be held equally responsible with open transgressors if they become careless, hold their peace, let sin drift along, and give the impression that sin is not exceedingly offensive to God. They must instead guard righteousness and judgment, give youth a right impression of sin and uncleanness, refuse to overlook or tolerate sin in a brother, and work diligently to separate the Achans from the camp. If they neglect to reprove and purge, guilt rests on them and on the whole church and the divine displeasure remains.

Cleansing must be complete and prompt, even if it touches the highest men in the highest positions, for God will not be trifled with. The sinner must be required to put away sins or be separated from the church by disfellowship, rather than have sin covered or excused, lest others be contaminated and corrupted. Those who do wickedly and refuse to hear admonition and repent must not be retained, for like Achan they are deceived and deceiving, and to keep such unrepentant deceivers in fellowship is an insult to God. Truth and purity require those professing the most solemn, purifying truths to elevate the standard far higher, choosing poverty, reproach, separation from friends, suffering, and even death rather than defiling the soul by dishonor or transgression.

The same Jesus who directed Joshua to rise, search among the people, and remove what was accursed searched out the concealed sin of Ananias and Sapphira and revealed it to Peter, showing that divine searching judgment exposes hidden selfishness, avarice, and deception as a warning to the church through all time. Achan's case rebuked Israel for failing to discover hidden guilt and taught vigilance in discovering sin. Yet zeal to prevent such failure can be carried too far, and brethren are not to be judged without courteous inquiry.

Modern Forms of Accursed Thing

The accursed thing is moral corruption in the ranks, fornication strengthening and extending its pollutions, light treatment of breaking the seventh commandment, and everything impure, earthly, sensual, devilish and lustful through moral defilement. It includes habits that destroy vitality and failure to eat and drink and dress to God's glory and to keep order, requiring cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit by rebuke and separation. Until it is destroyed the people cannot stand before enemies and God will not be with them, but remain in weakness unable to see His salvation and power, with the church held responsible and guilty unless determined effort eradicates the evil. That cleansing must be complete even if it touches the highest men in the highest positions, for the command was written for those upon whom the ends of the world are come.

The accursed thing is covetousness, selfishness, love of money and love of the world through the ranks, destroying the spirit of sacrifice and gaining upon the heart imperceptibly so its possessors are unaware. It leads to taking sacrifice from God's altar, calling means lent as stewards one's own and hoarding it, loving the world and its gain and increase, and robbing the treasury by appropriating means for personal use. The same spirit takes institutional funds, withholds and diverts means belonging to God's work from needy fields such as the Southern field and drives workers into hard places, demands high wages, thinks itself greatly favored, sells to the highest bidder, and abuses the Spirit of God. Unless rooted out by entire change, self-denial and sacrifice for God and for truth's sake, destruction is as sure as Achan's, the prospering hand will be removed, hoarded gain snatched away in a moment, and proud rich and poor alike bowed when withering plagues humble human loftiness. Putting it away without delay requires clean work by full restitution of principal and interest to redeem the past, for unwilling half-hearted trifling payments and excuses show blinded discernment with no sense of justice, mercy, equity and truth.

The accursed thing includes idols, extravagance, worldly customs and immodest dress, bringing wrath so that God will not remain until it is removed. Taking it away means putting away idols, clothing with modest apparel, repenting of extravagance, and greatly humbling the soul before God. False teachings that threaten spiritual health are likewise an accursed thing, including views leading toward spiritualism and spiritual-union views and age-to-come views, which must be put out lest Israel become spiritually sickly and lose the power of the message. Disregard for the law given at Sinai is an accursed thing, loss of sight of heaven's law and living in open sin even by men in sacred trust, so that when flagrant breaking is allowed to go on unrebuked heaven's blessing cannot rest richly and faithful efforts are largely neutralized. Disorder and Sabbath violation in worship bring the same displeasure, withholding God's presence from the assembly and leaving His people vulnerable to enemies.

Deception is an accursed thing, for spoil taken from enemies with robbery and dissembling in the camp kept blessing from resting until cleansed, and the same robbery and dissembling practiced in the present work has been long borne with. Hidden fraud and dishonest business in handling sacred work, though unknown to Israel as Achan's theft was, brought defeat that prayer alone could not remove, and must be exposed, cleared away, and put away with repentance and restitution to return to righteousness. Envy, hatred, backbiting, slander, talebearing, accusing and condemning, blackening character and carrying false reports are an accursed thing that corrupts minds and shuts out blessing until purged by repentance and change of course. Its influence is worse than Achan's because it is not confined to the cherisher but spreads as a root of bitterness defiling many, so that even listeners lose the Spirit of God and the congregation becomes spiritually sick.

Selfish neglect and wrong toward brethren is an accursed thing, for a wrong course by one toward his brother turns God's light away until the wrong is searched out and the oppressed vindicated. While a selfish unsympathizing spirit toward the unfortunate, widow, orphan, blind, lame and sick in body or mind is allowed to exist, and while any professing Christ neglects duty to the afflicted or seeks advantage to injure and rob them of means, God hides His face and will not hear prayers. Guilt remains on the church as a body accountable for its members until it does its duty, removes the wrong, and does all it can to remedy the evil. Supporting what is known to oppose truth and righteousness is an accursed thing, for upholding decisions by those known to be out of harmony weakens faith and harms communion with God. Placing an unfit man as minister makes the church assume his defects and stand under rebuke as Israel did for Achan, and knowingly hiding known evil and walking contrary to God's will dishonors God, lowers righteousness, ruins the man, harms the church, and is more grievous than Achan's case.

Unsanctified life and ministry is an accursed thing that keeps the people from standing until removed, requiring the camp to be cleansed beginning with self through grace. The spirit that possessed Achan still works as a living unrepented thing in men in important positions when not purged with restoration made, leaving no hope for institutions unless leading men let the Word into the mind, humble themselves, fall on the Rock and be broken with hearts softened by Christ's love. Unsanctified lives moved by impulse and acting from passion and prejudice, bringing impure tainted offerings that stumble children and unbelievers, and conduct working against truth, hinder success and make the work harder. Sin in the community must therefore be set in order and sinful practices removed, lest deceptions enveloped in mist and fog come and God surely humble the proud.

Cleansing and Renewed Blessing

Cleansing begins with the individual, through grace purifying the soul from moral defilement, by entire consecration of soul and body, seeking God's glory, putting away everything offensive to Him, and making straight paths for the feet. Conscience conviction must become a working agent that reaches the heart and purifies the soul temple of defilement, not stopping until every sin is corrected and put away. For ministers this means putting away unsanctified lives moved by impulse and acting from passion and prejudice, and ceasing to bring impure tainted offerings that lay stumbling blocks before their own children and unbelievers. Impure and harmful things must be purged from the community because they hinder the people from seeing God's salvation and power, leaving them in weakness and feebleness unable to see the power of the truth in their midst. The accursed thing is everything impure, all that is earthly, sensual, devilish, all moral defilement and corruption in the world through lust, and all who have not become partakers of the divine nature, a stumbling block to others and a curse to the cause that must become pure and holy or be purged from the ranks.

True putting away calls hidden sin by its right name, hating the sin while loving the sinner with Christlike compassion, and cleansing from all filthiness of the flesh in the fear of God. God waits to work as soon as His people clear the way by entire surrender and repentance that prepares the heart for His word, just as John prepared the way for Christ, for tampering with sin makes it seem less sinful and unbelief stops mighty works. There is no hope unless leading men let the Word into the mind and humble themselves and fall on the Rock and be broken, with hearts softened and subdued by the love of Christ, for without this thorough transformation of heart deceptions enveloped in mist and fog will take place and God will surely humble them. Sanctifying and putting away means making clean work by full restitution of both principal and interest and doing everything that can be done to redeem the past, especially where selfishness and robbery withhold and divert means belonging to God's work from the needy field and drive workers into hard places, abusing the Spirit which God hates. Unwilling, half-hearted, trifling payments and excuses show blinded spiritual discernment with no real sense of justice and mercy and equity and truth, and leave men not walking in the light, while dishonest business in sacred work dishonors God and must be exposed and put away with repentance and restitution for a return to righteousness.

When the accursed thing is rooted out by an entire change, by sacrificing for God and denying self for the truth's sake and by renewing and keeping covenant with Him, God's displeasure is turned away, His blessing returns, and His people can stand and advance. The evil to be rooted out is covetousness, selfishness, love of money and love of the world through the ranks, which destroys the spirit of sacrifice, gains upon the heart imperceptibly so that those who have it are not aware of it, leads people to take the sacrifice from God's altar, to call means lent by God as stewards their own and hoard it up, and to love the world and its gain and increase. Unless it is rooted out, destruction is as sure as Achan's and such will perish with the world, for the prospering hand of God will be removed and what was hoarded will be snatched away in a moment. Then the loftiness of man will be brought down and the pride of man humbled, and kings and nobles, rich and poor alike shall bow when the withering plagues from God fall upon them. After Achan's sin was searched out and dealt with, God's wrath was turned away and Israel could advance against Ai with His help, for the search for the wrong was necessary for His displeasure to be turned away from them.

The command was written for the benefit of those upon whom the ends of the world are come, requiring the same complete cleansing now, even if it touches the highest men in the highest positions, for God will not be trifled with. God has not changed and is the same in the gospel as in ancient Israel, jealous and in earnest against iniquity, dealing the same in every similar case in this solemn time of opposition from darkness. When any sinful action is among His church, the whole church bears His rebuke and lack of means and success until that sin is hunted out and dealt with according to its grievous character, for His Spirit and His unseen armies who are the strength of His people withdraw interposition, so that defeat, repulse and death come in place of success, as at Ai where thirty-six men were slain for a sin the rest did not know. Neither will His people now keep His favor and presence while hidden sins, deception, falsehood and moral corruption are tolerated among them, for moral corruption and fornication strengthening and extending its pollutions makes the church responsible and guilty unless determined effort is made to eradicate the evil. Those in high positions of trust, leaders and teachers who know the truth and hear His Word daily, will be held equally responsible with open transgressors if they become careless, hold their peace, and let sin drift along, so they must not give the impression that sin is not exceedingly offensive to God, but must guard righteousness and judgment, give youth a right impression of sin and uncleanness, and work diligently to separate the Achans from the camp. He knows what people misunderstand or conceal and will vindicate those who trust Him.