Joshua 7:23, commentary and pictures

The hidden spoil was taken from the earth in the midst of Achan's tent and carried to Joshua and all Israel and spread out openly before the Lord, the goodly Babylonish garment with two hundred shekels of silver and the wedge of gold no longer concealed.
God Himself uncovered what Israel had failed to detect, showing the leaders how to search out the guilty man and requiring confession from his own lips, for He knows every work and searches out hidden dishonesty as clear as sunlight.
Bringing forth the goods together with Achan's words proved his guilt beyond question, vindicated God's justice in judging him, and closed the door to charging Joshua with severity toward an innocent man.
That one covetous theft of what was dedicated to God put an accursed thing in the midst of the camp, so the sin was charged to all Israel, God's presence was withdrawn in battle, and the whole army was discomfited until the evil was destroyed.
The hidden wedge and garment therefore picture cherished wrong that must still be searched out, brought into the open, rebuked and put out of the camp, for defects tolerated and concealed bring God's displeasure on the whole church until there is full repentance, restitution and cleansing.

Goods Laid Before Lord

Messengers ran to the tent and took out what had been hidden in the midst of it, brought it to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid it out before the Lord, so that what had been concealed was made public and the evidence of the sin stood plain before the whole congregation. What they found lay exactly where confession had said it lay, and its discovery confirmed the confession and established guilt beyond question. The things themselves were the goodly Babylonish garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and the wedge of gold, hidden in the earth in the midst of the tent.

This laying out took place at Gilgal, Israel's first encampment in the promised land on a plain rich in thrilling associations, where Achan afterward met the dire penalty of his sin. The Lord did not at first name the guilty man, but showed the responsible leaders how to search him out and specified some of his sins. Christ from the pillar of cloud knew just where the goods were and told Joshua where they were, while still requiring confession from the sinner's own lips.

God Himself thus exposed the guilt that Israel had failed to detect, searching out hidden sin when His people had not discovered it. That divine exposure both revealed the concealed theft and rebuked the people for neglecting to deal with it.

Why Sin Was Exposed

The goods taken from the tent and set out before Joshua and all Israel together with Achan's own words confirmed his confession and fixed his guilt beyond question. The messengers found the Babylonish garment, the two hundred shekels of silver, and the wedge of gold hidden in the earth in the midst of the tent exactly as he had confessed, and their discovery made public what had been concealed. That open display of the evidence made the proof of secret theft plain to the people and vindicated God's honor, justice, and character in judging Achan and in specifying his punishment.

The public bringing forth of the facts fastened guilt upon him and shut out the claim that Joshua was unmerciful and severe and had misjudged an innocent man. It closed the door to charging God's servants with what God Himself had ordered. The lesson stands from age to age that the Lord God is among His people, knows all their works, is acquainted with hidden dishonesty, and searches out the hidden things of darkness. He is jealous and cannot look upon iniquity or let it pass without exposure, so everything offensive to Him must be put away. His eye is ever upon His people, and every character, motive, desire, purpose, and most secret thought is as clear as sunlight to Him, so selfishness, greed, and deception cannot be hidden from His notice.

Achan's confession came too late to bring him any saving virtue, but it vindicated God's dealing with him.

One Sin Harms Israel

Achan's theft placed a banned thing in the middle of the camp, and that guilt was reckoned not to him alone but to all Israel. While it remained, divine displeasure rested on the people, presence was withdrawn in battle, and blessing, prosperity and success against enemies were withheld. Hidden wrong in the midst barred the way so that what God desired to do for Israel could not be done, though He had already worked mightily and gloriously for them. The defects of character in any member or minister are reckoned in the same way when the church makes light of them, and knowingly choosing a weak, morally powerless, spiritually dark man to preach and oversee fastens his defects upon the choosing body. Such a knowing choice stands under rebuke as Israel did for Achan, yet more grievously, because the evil is known, hidden, and contrary to God's will, dishonoring God, lowering righteousness, ruining the man, harming the church, and shaking the candlestick from its place.

The single concealed transgression discomfited the entire army, so that Israel was driven before enemies and could not stand before them until the banned thing was removed. Disaster and curse came upon the whole nation and congregation through one man's act, and the loss included thirty-six lives cut off, with thousands slain in the wider defeat. A wrong course of one toward his brother likewise turns light away from God's people until the wrong is searched out and the cause of the oppressed is vindicated. The curse was lifted only by thorough cleansing, when Achan with all his household and all that he possessed was destroyed.

After the sentence was executed upon Achan, wrath against Israel was turned away.

Nature of Achan's Sin

At its root the act exposed in the laying out of the goods was covetousness, a violation of the tenth commandment that led to ruin and brought disaster on Israel. Greed of this kind can grow gradually until it becomes a binding habit, deadening the moral sense and making a person an easy prey to temptation. It gains upon a person imperceptibly, through selfishness and love of money and love of the world and its gain and increase. Those mastered by it take the sacrifice from God's altar, call the means lent to them as stewards their own, hoard it up, and dry up liberality and sacrifice, and unless the evil is rooted out by arising and renewing strength, renewing and keeping covenant, sacrificing and denying self for the truth, they will perish with the world when the prospering hand is removed and all is snatched away in a moment and the loftiness and pride of man, kings and nobles, rich and poor alike, are brought down under withering plagues.

The deeds laid bare were covetousness, theft, and embezzlement of what belonged to God and was dedicated to His cause, with an attempt to conceal guilt behind an appearance of innocence and a pretense of innocence maintained even under examination. Hiding and covering the sin made it a grievous offense and no light matter, and indulgence in sin by professed keepers of the commandments is grievous. The seriousness is measured by its cost in the loss of thirty-six lives.

The same principles that controlled the man, all falsehood and dissembling and dishonesty, had been brought into his family. That influence would have been dangerous to all Israel, and for that reason his destruction was just. Everything offensive to a jealous God who cannot look upon iniquity or let it pass without exposure must be put away.

The same sin today is selfishness and covetousness that robs the treasury by appropriating for personal and family use means and money meant for God's work and that should go to the treasury of His house. It is seen in workers in schools, institutions, and churches who are dissatisfied, who measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves among themselves, who think they should be greatly favored and paid as much as others, who sell themselves to the highest bidder and take all they think they should have. Such a course brings an atmosphere of unbelief around the soul, leads to double-dealing and being wise above what is written, unfits a man to give the right mold to the work or to supply the necessities of laborers in hard fields, and every such case is seen and will meet judgment. Appropriating money that belongs to God's cause, with dissembling and stealing and working in crooked lines, is robbery in every sense of the word, an accursed thing that brings God's censure and rebuke and dishonors Him, and He will not remove His censure nor be with His people until clean work is made and the accursed thing is put away by full repentance and restitution of both principal and interest.

Temptation must not be treated lightly, for one who feels secure may be in the greatest danger of stumbling and falling, and temptation cannot be resisted in one's own strength. Even approaching the borders of sin and close ties with idolaters can lead to corruption and ruin, and turning from God brings desolation. An unrepented spirit of wrongdoing still works in men in important positions until it is purged by repentance and restoration. Backbiting, envy, slander, malicious accusation, and tale-bearing are worse than this sin in influence because they spread beyond those who commit them and defile many, and the church cannot receive blessing until the evil is removed.

Cleansing the Camp Today

Joshua acted with discretion in carrying out his special duty to search out hidden wrong and to deal promptly with sin in Israel by bringing it to light before the Lord and all the people. Reproving and correcting prevailing sins is a burden God lays on certain ones so that His frown may be turned away from His people. Those who do not bear that duty must not hinder those who do by questioning, doubting, and finding fault. To accuse those who act Joshua's part in searching out wrong of having a wicked, fault-finding spirit stands directly in the way of God's work, for God is not to be trifled with and His warnings cannot be disregarded with impunity.

The golden wedge and Babylonish garment picture hidden sin that must be searched out, brought out into the open, laid before the Lord, rebuked, and put out of the camp. Such removal of cherished wrong is the condition for the Lord to work, and when that cleansing is done He will bless and prosper, whether for a church, an institution, or the Health Retreat. Serious sin in the camp is connected with failure in the work, as at Wellington.

Truth and purity require thorough work to cleanse the camp of Achans, meaning sin and sinners. Sin must be promptly dealt with and not covered or excused, so that others are not contaminated and may fear God. Those in responsible positions and high trust must purify the camp and must not suffer sin in a brother but require him either to put away his sins or be separated. Corrupt persons whose presence brings God's displeasure are given opportunity to reform and then removed, and when principals and teachers do their duty and closely guard righteousness and judgment, God by His Spirit will point out wrongdoers and show He will not tolerate sin. Members who sin and, after being visited and labored with, refuse admonition and repentance must not be retained on the books but must be disfellowshipped as deceived and deceiving, for to retain them holds the saints accountable for their evil deeds and insults heaven.

The defects of character in any member or minister are charged to the whole church when the church makes light of them. A church that knowingly chooses a man of weakness of character, little moral power, and present darkness to preach and oversee assumes his defects as its own and stands under God's rebuke as Israel did for Achan. Such a knowing choice is more grievous because the evil is known yet hidden and walked contrary to God's will. It dishonors God, lowers righteousness, ruins the man, harms the church, and shakes the candlestick out of its place. Those who know truth yet become careless and pass by sin or hold peace while God is dishonored are held equally responsible with open transgressors and lose His favor, and the church shares responsibility when it knowingly tolerates and conceals wrongdoing.

Covetousness, selfishness, love of money, and love of the world and its gain spread through Sabbath-keepers, destroy the spirit of sacrifice, dry up liberality, and take sacrifice from God's altar. Those with it in the heart treat means lent them as stewards as their own and hoard it up, and are often unaware of it because it gains upon them imperceptibly. Unless it is rooted out by arising, renewing strength, renewing and keeping covenant, sacrificing for God and denying self for truth, it brings the same sure destruction seen in Achan laid out before Joshua, Israel, and the Lord. Unless there is entire change, those who cherish it will perish with the world. When God's prospering hand is removed all is snatched away in a moment, and the loftiness and pride of man, kings and nobles, rich and poor alike, are brought down under God's withering plagues.

God has not changed, and the standard of the gospel today is no lower than in Joshua's day but more elevated with increased light. Each person has an open case with God in solemn conflict with evil, so everything offensive must be put away. Tolerated sin must be disciplined and called by its right name, sin hated while the sinner is loved with compassion, the way cleared by repentance, with cleansing from all filthiness and perfecting holiness, entire consecration of soul and body, a working conscience purifying the soul temple, straight paths for the feet, and holding the fort till every sin is corrected. All must act at all times as in God's presence with no covering up or excusing of sin. Choosing poverty, reproach, separation from friends, losses, any suffering, even death, is better than defiling the soul with sin or transgressing God's law.