So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
Joshua sent messengers who ran in haste to Achan's tent and found the Babylonish garment, silver and wedge of gold hidden exactly as he had confessed, with the silver underneath, and they brought them to Joshua and all Israel and laid them out before the Lord. The finding proved his confession true and his guilt beyond question, bringing to light what he thought secret and showing that God knew the hidden dishonesty and its exact place. One man's covetous theft of what was dedicated to God put an accursed thing in the midst of Israel, so guilt and displeasure came upon all and God would not go out with the armies or give success until it was removed. Therefore hidden iniquity must be searched out, repented of and put away with full restitution before God's blessing can be expected, and those who refuse to repent must be separated that the camp may be cleansed.
Search of the Tent
Joshua sent messengers to Achan's tent to search it, and they ran and hurried there without delay. They found the stolen goods hid and concealed in his tent exactly as he had confessed, with the silver underneath and beneath them. The discovery matched his own statement of where they lay, confirming what he had said about their place.
The hidden things were a Babylonish or Babylonian garment, silver, and a wedge of gold. They had been consecrated to the Lord and appointed for destruction, yet coveted and taken and hidden in the earth in his tent. The silver lay hid with the golden wedge and the Babylonish garment, concealed beneath them.
The goods were taken out of the tent and brought to Joshua and to all Israel and laid out before the Lord. The discovery and penalty took place at Gilgal, on the plain of Israel's first encampment in the promised land. It was the same plain where Samuel and Saul later stood.
Proof of Hidden Guilt
The search of the tent verified Achan's own confession, for the messengers found the stolen goods concealed exactly as he had said, with the silver underneath and beneath them. That discovery proved his confession true and established his guilt beyond question, making the evidence plain to all Israel so that it was clear the guilty man and not an innocent person had been identified. What he had thought secret from all human eyes except his own household was thus brought to light, confirming that God knew the hidden dishonesty and the exact place of the goods.
The Lord already knew just where the goods were and had told Joshua where they were, although He had not named the guilty one, because the honor of God must be vindicated by confession from the sinner's own lips. Hence the public proof came by personal confession followed by eyewitness search, after Achan admitted he had coveted and hidden a Babylonish garment, silver, and a wedge of gold consecrated to the Lord in the earth in his tent. The messengers ran to the tent, took the goods out, brought them to Joshua and to all Israel, and laid them out before the Lord, so that no charge of harsh misjudgment could stand.
That open exposure vindicated God's justice and dealing, closed temptation to charge God's servants with what God Himself ordered, and showed the punishment was specified by Jesus Christ Himself from the pillar of cloud. Achan's late confession therefore vindicated God's character but brought him no saving virtue. And as God thus searched out hidden guilt, those who are falsely accused are assured that He knows what has been misunderstood and will vindicate those who trust Him.
Sin That Condemned Israel
Achan coveted and took what God had forbidden, knowingly acting against God's command in taking goods dedicated to God and appointed for destruction. That taking involved covetousness, theft, embezzlement of what belonged to God's cause, falsehood, dissembling under examination, and concealment. What men count light is grievous sin, and his hidden theft cost thirty-six lives. His history shows covetousness can grow gradually into a habit, gaining imperceptibly and dulling the moral sense until temptation leads to sin and ruin.
His fall began when he yielded to temptation despite thinking himself secure. No one can meet and resist temptation in his own strength, and its power must not be underrated. God is jealous and cannot look upon iniquity or let it pass without exposure. Secret sin and dishonesty in handling sacred things are seen by God and are not hidden from Him.
One man's secret covetousness put an accursed thing in the midst of Israel. So guilt, curse, and displeasure came upon all Israel, and God would not go out with the armies or give success against enemies. Israel was driven before enemies and defeated, and thousands died in battle while the sin remained hidden. This happened even though Achan did not hold holy office, yet his concealed sin kept God's presence and blessing from His people. His theft, falsehood, dissembling, and dishonesty were terrible in God's sight. The same principles had entered his family and would endanger Israel, making his destruction necessary.
Judgment and Cleansing
Achan with his family and household and all they possessed, with his livestock and his tent and all that he had, was brought to the Valley of Achor and stoned with stones and burned with fire under a great heap of stones, destroyed without mercy. The execution followed the uncovering of the goods in his tent, and by that destruction the curse was wiped from Israel and removed from the camp. After the divine sentence was carried out, the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger and His wrath was turned away from Israel. In this the case shows that God Himself searched out the hidden sin and rebuked Israel's failure to be vigilant in discovering sin among them.
The accursed thing in the household or heart must be dealt with before God's blessing can be expected. Hidden wrongdoing, fraud, and corrupting evil among God's people have to be brought to light, searched out, rebuked, and put away from minds and spirits by repentance and change of course. Prayer alone was not enough while the stolen property appointed for destruction remained concealed in the camp. Forgiveness requires full repentance and restitution, making clean work by full restitution of both principal and interest and putting away the accursed thing. Dishonesty in handling sacred things, dissembling and stealing and working in crooked lines by taking means that belong to God's cause and keeping it from the field where it should go, remains under God's censure with insincerity and unwillingness to make things right until that restitution is made.
Dealing With Sin Today
Just as the stolen goods were uncovered in the tent, hidden iniquity in the camp must be searched out, rebuked, and promptly dealt with and put away before blessing can be expected, so that others are not contaminated and may fear God. Truth and purity require more thorough work to cleanse the camp from Achans, with no covering up or excusing of sin but requiring the sinner to put it away or be separated. The silver hid with the golden wedge and Babylonish garment means secret moral evil, here improper freedom and familiarity of married men with women and girls, and as long as that evil remains covered discouragement and loss continue, only when it is exposed and removed will the Lord bless the work.
Those who do wickedly and refuse to hear admonitions and warnings and refuse to repent must not be retained in the church but must be separated from fellowship and disfellowshipped as Achan in the camp, deceived and deceiving. To retain them and retain their names on the books is an insult to the God of heaven and holds the saints accountable for their evil deeds. Those in high positions of trust and responsible positions must guard righteousness and judgment, not pass by sin or leave hidden sins among them, but work diligently to separate the Achans. They must not suffer sin in a brother but show him he must either put away his sins or be separated from the church. By the Holy Spirit God will point out wrongdoers when leaders do their duty, and those who know the truth and become careless about transgression in their midst will be held equally responsible with the open transgressor, for God has not changed but is the same in the gospel as in ancient Israel and still will not tolerate deception, falsehood and moral corruption.
A church shares responsibility when it knowingly makes light of a member's or minister's defects and accepts him in leadership, for tolerating known evil brings the community under rebuke as Achan's sin brought rebuke on Israel. Every person has an open case with God in a solemn time of opposition and must individually put away sin without delay, removing everything offensive to God and making straight paths for the feet. This requires hating sin but loving the sinner, calling sin by its right name and putting it away instead of tampering with it, cleansing from all filthiness of the flesh and perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. Duty requires holding the fort by entire consecration of soul and body to God's will, letting conscience and conviction purify the soul temple, and choosing poverty, reproach, separation from friends, losses, any suffering, even death, rather than defile the soul with sin or transgress God's law, with death before dishonor as the motto, acting at all times as in God's presence where the most secret thought is known. As a people professing solemn, purifying truths the standard must be elevated far higher than at present, with character, motives, desires and purposes as clear as sunlight to the Omniscient.
Hidden covetousness, selfishness, love of money and love of the world among Sabbath-keepers repeats Achan's secret hidden covetousness in hiding what he coveted, destroying the spirit of sacrifice and taking the sacrifice from God's altar. It loves the world and its gain and increase, calling means lent by God their own and hoarding it up instead of acting as stewards, gaining upon the heart imperceptibly so those who have it are unaware of it and drying up sacrifice. Unless it is rooted out by entire change, by renewing and keeping covenant with God, by sacrificing for God and denying self for the truth's sake, destruction will be as sure as Achan's and they will perish with the world when the prospering hand of God is removed and all is snatched away in a moment. The same sin is committed when workers in schools, institutions, and churches measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves among themselves, think they should be greatly favored, become dissatisfied, sell themselves to the highest bidder, appropriate means for personal use, and rob God's treasury. When money that belongs to God's cause is appropriated and withheld from the field where it should go with dissembling, crooked lines, insincerity and unwillingness to make things right, it is robbery in every sense, selfishness at every point, lack of principle and perverted ideas, and abuse of the Spirit which God hates, bringing His censure until clean work is made by full restitution of both principal and interest and the accursed thing is put away. The spirit that took possession of Achan still works in men in important positions as a living unrepented thing with no restoration and no falling on the Rock and being broken, an evil leaven of selfishness, covetousness, double-dealing and unbelief that cannot give the right mold to the work, and there is no hope for institutions unless leading men let the Word into the mind.
God's standard today is no lower than in Joshua's day but more elevated as increased light shines, and He still will not tolerate deception, falsehood, and moral corruption. His great displeasure rests especially on professed commandment-keepers who embezzle the Lord's goods and appropriate for their families what should go to the treasury, who will not be left without judgment. Backbiting and slander are worse than Achan's uncovered corrupting evil because as a root of bitterness their defiling influence is not confined to the one who cherishes them but spreads to many, keeping God from blessing until purged by repentance and change of course. Those on whom God lays the burden of reproving and correcting prevailing sins act the part of Joshua when with discretion they search out wrong so His frown may be turned away, and those without that special duty and discretion must not hinder or accuse them of a wicked fault-finding spirit. At the same time zeal must first learn the facts and not go too far into harsh judgment or suspicion, while acting earnestly against wrongdoing and vindicating the oppressed with tender feeling, largeness of soul, disinterested benevolence and noble sympathy rather than narrow selfishness that dries up kindly sympathy.
Joshua sent messengers who ran in haste to Achan's tent and found the Babylonish garment, silver and wedge of gold hidden exactly as he had confessed, with the silver underneath, and they brought them to Joshua and all Israel and laid them out before the Lord. The finding proved his confession true and his guilt beyond question, bringing to light what he thought secret and showing that God knew the hidden dishonesty and its exact place. One man's covetous theft of what was dedicated to God put an accursed thing in the midst of Israel, so guilt and displeasure came upon all and God would not go out with the armies or give success until it was removed. Therefore hidden iniquity must be searched out, repented of and put away with full restitution before God's blessing can be expected, and those who refuse to repent must be separated that the camp may be cleansed.
Search of the Tent
Joshua sent messengers to Achan's tent to search it, and they ran and hurried there without delay. They found the stolen goods hid and concealed in his tent exactly as he had confessed, with the silver underneath and beneath them. The discovery matched his own statement of where they lay, confirming what he had said about their place.
The hidden things were a Babylonish or Babylonian garment, silver, and a wedge of gold. They had been consecrated to the Lord and appointed for destruction, yet coveted and taken and hidden in the earth in his tent. The silver lay hid with the golden wedge and the Babylonish garment, concealed beneath them.
The goods were taken out of the tent and brought to Joshua and to all Israel and laid out before the Lord. The discovery and penalty took place at Gilgal, on the plain of Israel's first encampment in the promised land. It was the same plain where Samuel and Saul later stood.
Proof of Hidden Guilt
The search of the tent verified Achan's own confession, for the messengers found the stolen goods concealed exactly as he had said, with the silver underneath and beneath them. That discovery proved his confession true and established his guilt beyond question, making the evidence plain to all Israel so that it was clear the guilty man and not an innocent person had been identified. What he had thought secret from all human eyes except his own household was thus brought to light, confirming that God knew the hidden dishonesty and the exact place of the goods.
The Lord already knew just where the goods were and had told Joshua where they were, although He had not named the guilty one, because the honor of God must be vindicated by confession from the sinner's own lips. Hence the public proof came by personal confession followed by eyewitness search, after Achan admitted he had coveted and hidden a Babylonish garment, silver, and a wedge of gold consecrated to the Lord in the earth in his tent. The messengers ran to the tent, took the goods out, brought them to Joshua and to all Israel, and laid them out before the Lord, so that no charge of harsh misjudgment could stand.
That open exposure vindicated God's justice and dealing, closed temptation to charge God's servants with what God Himself ordered, and showed the punishment was specified by Jesus Christ Himself from the pillar of cloud. Achan's late confession therefore vindicated God's character but brought him no saving virtue. And as God thus searched out hidden guilt, those who are falsely accused are assured that He knows what has been misunderstood and will vindicate those who trust Him.
Sin That Condemned Israel
Achan coveted and took what God had forbidden, knowingly acting against God's command in taking goods dedicated to God and appointed for destruction. That taking involved covetousness, theft, embezzlement of what belonged to God's cause, falsehood, dissembling under examination, and concealment. What men count light is grievous sin, and his hidden theft cost thirty-six lives. His history shows covetousness can grow gradually into a habit, gaining imperceptibly and dulling the moral sense until temptation leads to sin and ruin.
His fall began when he yielded to temptation despite thinking himself secure. No one can meet and resist temptation in his own strength, and its power must not be underrated. God is jealous and cannot look upon iniquity or let it pass without exposure. Secret sin and dishonesty in handling sacred things are seen by God and are not hidden from Him.
One man's secret covetousness put an accursed thing in the midst of Israel. So guilt, curse, and displeasure came upon all Israel, and God would not go out with the armies or give success against enemies. Israel was driven before enemies and defeated, and thousands died in battle while the sin remained hidden. This happened even though Achan did not hold holy office, yet his concealed sin kept God's presence and blessing from His people. His theft, falsehood, dissembling, and dishonesty were terrible in God's sight. The same principles had entered his family and would endanger Israel, making his destruction necessary.
Judgment and Cleansing
Achan with his family and household and all they possessed, with his livestock and his tent and all that he had, was brought to the Valley of Achor and stoned with stones and burned with fire under a great heap of stones, destroyed without mercy. The execution followed the uncovering of the goods in his tent, and by that destruction the curse was wiped from Israel and removed from the camp. After the divine sentence was carried out, the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger and His wrath was turned away from Israel. In this the case shows that God Himself searched out the hidden sin and rebuked Israel's failure to be vigilant in discovering sin among them.
The accursed thing in the household or heart must be dealt with before God's blessing can be expected. Hidden wrongdoing, fraud, and corrupting evil among God's people have to be brought to light, searched out, rebuked, and put away from minds and spirits by repentance and change of course. Prayer alone was not enough while the stolen property appointed for destruction remained concealed in the camp. Forgiveness requires full repentance and restitution, making clean work by full restitution of both principal and interest and putting away the accursed thing. Dishonesty in handling sacred things, dissembling and stealing and working in crooked lines by taking means that belong to God's cause and keeping it from the field where it should go, remains under God's censure with insincerity and unwillingness to make things right until that restitution is made.
Dealing With Sin Today
Just as the stolen goods were uncovered in the tent, hidden iniquity in the camp must be searched out, rebuked, and promptly dealt with and put away before blessing can be expected, so that others are not contaminated and may fear God. Truth and purity require more thorough work to cleanse the camp from Achans, with no covering up or excusing of sin but requiring the sinner to put it away or be separated. The silver hid with the golden wedge and Babylonish garment means secret moral evil, here improper freedom and familiarity of married men with women and girls, and as long as that evil remains covered discouragement and loss continue, only when it is exposed and removed will the Lord bless the work.
Those who do wickedly and refuse to hear admonitions and warnings and refuse to repent must not be retained in the church but must be separated from fellowship and disfellowshipped as Achan in the camp, deceived and deceiving. To retain them and retain their names on the books is an insult to the God of heaven and holds the saints accountable for their evil deeds. Those in high positions of trust and responsible positions must guard righteousness and judgment, not pass by sin or leave hidden sins among them, but work diligently to separate the Achans. They must not suffer sin in a brother but show him he must either put away his sins or be separated from the church. By the Holy Spirit God will point out wrongdoers when leaders do their duty, and those who know the truth and become careless about transgression in their midst will be held equally responsible with the open transgressor, for God has not changed but is the same in the gospel as in ancient Israel and still will not tolerate deception, falsehood and moral corruption.
A church shares responsibility when it knowingly makes light of a member's or minister's defects and accepts him in leadership, for tolerating known evil brings the community under rebuke as Achan's sin brought rebuke on Israel. Every person has an open case with God in a solemn time of opposition and must individually put away sin without delay, removing everything offensive to God and making straight paths for the feet. This requires hating sin but loving the sinner, calling sin by its right name and putting it away instead of tampering with it, cleansing from all filthiness of the flesh and perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. Duty requires holding the fort by entire consecration of soul and body to God's will, letting conscience and conviction purify the soul temple, and choosing poverty, reproach, separation from friends, losses, any suffering, even death, rather than defile the soul with sin or transgress God's law, with death before dishonor as the motto, acting at all times as in God's presence where the most secret thought is known. As a people professing solemn, purifying truths the standard must be elevated far higher than at present, with character, motives, desires and purposes as clear as sunlight to the Omniscient.
Hidden covetousness, selfishness, love of money and love of the world among Sabbath-keepers repeats Achan's secret hidden covetousness in hiding what he coveted, destroying the spirit of sacrifice and taking the sacrifice from God's altar. It loves the world and its gain and increase, calling means lent by God their own and hoarding it up instead of acting as stewards, gaining upon the heart imperceptibly so those who have it are unaware of it and drying up sacrifice. Unless it is rooted out by entire change, by renewing and keeping covenant with God, by sacrificing for God and denying self for the truth's sake, destruction will be as sure as Achan's and they will perish with the world when the prospering hand of God is removed and all is snatched away in a moment. The same sin is committed when workers in schools, institutions, and churches measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves among themselves, think they should be greatly favored, become dissatisfied, sell themselves to the highest bidder, appropriate means for personal use, and rob God's treasury. When money that belongs to God's cause is appropriated and withheld from the field where it should go with dissembling, crooked lines, insincerity and unwillingness to make things right, it is robbery in every sense, selfishness at every point, lack of principle and perverted ideas, and abuse of the Spirit which God hates, bringing His censure until clean work is made by full restitution of both principal and interest and the accursed thing is put away. The spirit that took possession of Achan still works in men in important positions as a living unrepented thing with no restoration and no falling on the Rock and being broken, an evil leaven of selfishness, covetousness, double-dealing and unbelief that cannot give the right mold to the work, and there is no hope for institutions unless leading men let the Word into the mind.
God's standard today is no lower than in Joshua's day but more elevated as increased light shines, and He still will not tolerate deception, falsehood, and moral corruption. His great displeasure rests especially on professed commandment-keepers who embezzle the Lord's goods and appropriate for their families what should go to the treasury, who will not be left without judgment. Backbiting and slander are worse than Achan's uncovered corrupting evil because as a root of bitterness their defiling influence is not confined to the one who cherishes them but spreads to many, keeping God from blessing until purged by repentance and change of course. Those on whom God lays the burden of reproving and correcting prevailing sins act the part of Joshua when with discretion they search out wrong so His frown may be turned away, and those without that special duty and discretion must not hinder or accuse them of a wicked fault-finding spirit. At the same time zeal must first learn the facts and not go too far into harsh judgment or suspicion, while acting earnestly against wrongdoing and vindicating the oppressed with tender feeling, largeness of soul, disinterested benevolence and noble sympathy rather than narrow selfishness that dries up kindly sympathy.