Joshua 7:26, commentary and pictures

Over Achan in the valley of Achor Israel raised a great heap of stones as a lasting memorial of his sin and its punishment, after he with all he had was stoned and burned with fire for troubling Israel. The place was called Achor, meaning Trouble, to preserve the memory of that judgment unto this day. One man's hidden covetous theft of what was devoted to God brought God's curse and fierce anger upon all Israel, withholding His presence and strength so they fell in battle. The Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger only when the accursed thing was searched out, destroyed and separated from the camp. So his end stands as the sure end of cherished covetousness and selfishness unless rooted out, and as a call to put away hidden sin from among God's people that His blessing may return.

Heap, Name and Setting

A great heap of stones was raised over Achan as a lasting witness and memorial of his sin and its punishment, remaining unto this day. The pile marked the burial place where judgment closed after the accursed thing was removed from Israel, and with it the Lord's fierce anger against Israel turned away. His selfishness, avarice and deception had not escaped notice, but were searched out with a curse pronounced, teaching that the same sins cherished now will likewise be searched out and judged. Even when a man feels secure he may be in grave danger, unable to resist temptation in his own strength.

Achan the son of Zerah, with the silver, the Babylonish garment, the wedge of gold, his sons and daughters, oxen, asses, sheep, tent and all that he had, was brought to the valley of Achor. There Joshua charged him with troubling Israel and declared that the Lord would trouble him that day. All Israel stoned him with stones and burned them with fire, and then raised over him the great heap of stones, after which the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. The confession from his own lips vindicated the sentence against sympathy that would call it misuse and against rebellion that would charge cruelty and severity, taught Israel from age to age to fear and honor God who knows all works and searches out the hidden things of darkness, and destroyed the accursed thing so its leaven of evil would not work to the ruin of many souls.

The place was called the Valley of Achor, meaning Trouble, because Achan had troubled Israel. The name and the heap together preserved the memory of the judgment unto this day. His concealed transgression had brought anger upon Israel and withheld blessing in battle, so that thousands were slain because one man had transgressed, and the verse marks the end of that judgment when the stones were raised and anger turned away. The judgment stands as the close of the account of his execution, after which the Lord's anger against Israel was turned away.

He met the direful penalty at Gilgal, the place of Israel's first encampment in the promised land, on the plain rich in thrilling associations where Samuel and Saul stood. The same history that brought trouble and failure upon Israel through Achan's sin in the camp is set beside the sins in Wellington as bringing trouble and failure through hidden or serious wrongdoing and loss of success. That comparison does not explain the heap of stones or the name Valley of Achor.

Achan's Sin and Exposure

Achan coveted, stole and hid what had been devoted to God and to destruction, a golden wedge, a Babylonish garment, silver and a wedge of gold, taking them by secret theft and deception in disobedience to God's directions and command. Though Israel did not know of the theft, that hidden taking brought guilt and defeat on the whole nation. Because he disobeyed, God's displeasure came upon Israel and they were driven before their enemies and defeated in battle. The harm of dissembling and covering wrongdoing reaches far beyond the one who commits it, especially when those involved influence others and affect the wider community.

His covetousness, theft of what was dedicated to God, and concealment of his sin were grievous in God's sight, including dishonest appropriation of what belongs to His cause, and professed obedience to His commandments is hollow while such sins are indulged. That indulged sin cost thirty-six lives, and those who persist in sin while pretending innocence may harm others and corrupt a community. Cherished covetousness in him grew gradually into a binding habit that dulled his judgment and led to his ruin and terrible consequences, ending in fearful doom and destruction.

God searched out the hidden guilt by His searching Spirit, exposed what was hidden, pronounced a curse on him, and vindicated the sentence. Achan's confession from his own lips vindicated God's way of dealing with him against human sympathy that would call it misuse and against rebellion that would charge cruelty and severity, and kept Israel from blaming God's servants for carrying out His command. The stoning and burning destroyed the accursed thing so its leaven of evil would not work to the ruin of many souls, and taught Israel from age to age to fear and honor God who knows all works and searches out hidden things of darkness. Prayer alone was not enough; the wrong had to be dealt with and the camp cleansed. As God searched him out, so He will search out and judge those who cherish the same selfishness, avarice and deception, while those falsely accused may trust God to know the truth and vindicate the innocent.

The same principles that controlled Achan had entered his family, and for breaking God's command he and his household with all they possessed perished. When the cause was sought out, God destroyed Achan and all his household with all they had, and by that destruction wiped the curse from Israel. The destruction looks terrible, but all falsehood, dissembling and dishonesty is terrible in His sight, and what they cherished would have endangered all Israel. Thus the sin of one person brought suffering on the whole congregation.

Anger Against Israel Turned

One man's concealed theft laid guilt and a curse upon all Israel and drew God's displeasure, frown, and fierce anger upon the whole camp. This came although Achan held no holy office, and although Israel knew nothing of the theft when it was committed. Hidden sin in a home or heart could therefore hinder blessing and harm the work, and the church that knowingly makes light of defects and hides its eyes from evil assumes those defects and stands under rebuke.

The presence of the accursed thing in the midst withheld the Lord's presence, blessing, and success from the army and left Israel without strength in battle before its enemies. Though God had done a great and glorious work for Israel by mighty power, the hidden sin barred His way so He could not do what He would for them. Because one man transgressed, Israel suffered defeat with the loss of thirty-six lives, and thousands were slain. Hidden sin had to be exposed and dealt with before Israel could again have the Lord's presence.

The Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger only when the accursed thing was removed, when the evil Achan cherished was destroyed, and when he was separated from the camp, exposed, judged, and punished. By that destruction of Achan with his household and all he possessed, the curse was wiped from Israel. His case warned Israel not to neglect the discovery of sin among them, for hidden sin must be searched out, rebuked, and removed before the community can receive blessing and make progress.

When sin is kept, God leaves His people to face principalities and powers and rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness alone, so truth loses power and the enemy of truth apparently triumphs. When sin is corrected and put away, His presence and success return and the way is cleared by repentance and entire surrender so God and heavenly intelligences can work.

God is jealous and cannot look upon iniquity or let it pass without exposure, for He knows all works and searches out the hidden things of darkness. It is a fearful thing to trifle with Him, and His warnings cannot be disregarded with impunity. Each person therefore has an open case with God and must put away everything offensive, make straight paths, and purify the soul temple by entire consecration of soul and body.

Warning Against Covetousness Today

Achan's destruction is the sure end of covetousness, selfishness, love of money, love of the world and disobedience unless it is rooted out. That evil gains upon the heart imperceptibly, so those who have it in their hearts are not aware of it, yet their destruction will be as sure as his. Unless there is an entire change they will perish with the world when the loftiness of man is brought down and the pride of man is humbled, when kings and nobles, rich and poor alike shall bow and the withering plagues of God fall upon them.

These evils are all through the ranks of Sabbath-keepers, destroying the spirit of sacrifice and drying up sacrifice. Many have taken the sacrifice from God's altar by loving the world and loving its gain and increase. God has only lent men means and made them His stewards, but they call it their own and hoard it up. When His prospering hand is removed it is all snatched away in a moment, so escape requires arising and renewing strength in God by renewing and keeping covenant with Him, with sacrificing for God and denying of self for the truth's sake.

A worker in His institutions who measures himself by others, demands higher wages and appropriates means for his own use commits what is looked upon as Achan looked upon, as robbery of His treasury bringing fierce anger and judgment. Such covetousness and double-dealing surrounds the soul with an atmosphere of unbelief and disqualifies a man from giving the right mold to the work and from supplying the needs of laborers in hard fields. He requires separation without delay lest his leaven of selfishness imperil many souls. Taking money that belongs to God's cause and keeping means from the field where it belongs is robbery in every sense of the word, done through selfishness, lack of principle and perverted ideas, which is hated and which abuses the Spirit. Dishonest practices dishonor God even when carried out in connection with sacred work, and wrongdoing cannot remain hidden.

Repentance must include full restitution of both principal and interest, and a small partial restoration is not walking in the light. Making excuses and refusing to make restitution shows blinded spiritual discernment with no real sense of justice and mercy and equity and truth. The spirit which took possession of Achan is still working in men in important positions and must be purged away to turn aside anger. It remains as a living, unrepented thing, restoration has not been made, and there has been no falling on the Rock and being broken. There is no hope for institutions unless leading men let the Word into the mind with humble, broken prayer, for without this deceptions blacker than velvet will increase and those who will not humble themselves will surely be humbled.

Achan's case warns that a person who thinks himself secure may be in grave danger of falling, and cannot resist temptation in his own strength. He must shun even the borders of sin. Departing from God and disregarding His revealed will brings ruin, for He is faithful both to His promises and to His warnings, and this warning is applied to each person individually. That departing includes idolatry and connections that could corrupt, including intermarriage with idolaters, which were urged to be avoided. After Achan was judged a great heap of stones was raised over him, and the place was called the Valley of Achor.

Cleansing Sin from Church

One person's hidden sin can bring guilt, defeat and God's displeasure, frown and fierce anger upon the whole church, discomfiting its army, turning away its light, withholding His presence, blessing and success, hindering its progress and leaving it without strength before enemies until the wrong is searched out, rebuked, exposed, removed and the cause of the oppressed vindicated. Hidden sin in home or heart and corrupt hearts remaining within bring the same result, and the camp must be purged and those who refuse correction removed as a mercy before God can again give presence and success. A wrong course pursued by one toward his brother turns light away until searched out and vindicated, calling for tender feelings, enlarged hearts, broad and deep feelings, noble sympathy, largeness of soul and disinterested benevolence rather than narrow, selfish and penurious spirit, with Isaiah's fast studied in close self-examination to discern whether the principles required for the promised rich blessings are present and selfishness is not suffered to dry up kindly sympathy and corrode every virtue. Achan's concealed sin caused defeat with many lives lost, and when discovered he was destroyed and anger turned away, warning that one man's sin can bring grave harm on the whole community.

God holds His people as a body responsible for sins existing among them and rebuked Israel on account of Achan's sin. When the church knowingly makes light of a member's or minister's defects and hides its eyes from evil, it assumes those defects and stands under rebuke, and it must not treat a person in serious sin as a minister in good standing. Joshua had the discretion and the special duty and burden laid on him by God to search out wrongs and promptly reprove and correct prevailing sins, and his searching out of Achan's wrong and promptly dealing with it turned away the fierceness of anger and frown. Those who do not have that duty must not hinder, question, doubt, find fault with or accuse those acting the part of Joshua of having a wicked, fault-finding spirit, for God is not to be trifled with and His warnings cannot be disregarded with impunity.

Those in responsible positions and high trust must elevate the standard, diligently work to separate the Achans, make thorough work to cleanse the camp, and not suffer sin in a brother or become careless and pass by sin. The same God in the gospel as in ancient Israel holds leaders equally responsible with open transgressors if they become careless, and He will not tolerate hidden sin, deception, falsehood and moral corruption among His people. Keeping His favor in decisive warfare requires purging such sin, dealing promptly with sin and sinners so others are not contaminated. Sin in the camp must be thoroughly cleansed by removing Achans and destroying the accursed thing so its leaven of evil does not work to the ruin of many souls or contaminate others. Those responsible must require the sinner either to put away sins or be separated from the church, choosing poverty, reproach, separation from friends, suffering or even death rather than defile the soul with dishonor or transgression, so that others fear God and the community is cleansed.

The execution vindicated the sentence against human sympathy calling it misuse and rebellion charging cruelty and severity, for confession came from Achan's own lips, and it taught from age to age to fear and honor God who knows all works and searches out hidden things of darkness. Those who reject warnings, persist in wickedness and refuse to repent are not to be retained among God's people, for retaining them insults and dishonors God. They can deceive others as well as be deceived. Each person has an open case with God and must put away everything offensive, make straight paths for the feet, purify the soul temple of defilement by entire consecration of soul and body, cleanse from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfect holiness in fear, call sin by its right name and put it away, hate the sin but love the sinner with Christ's compassion, and clear the way by repentance and entire surrender so God and heavenly intelligences can work. God is jealous and cannot look upon iniquity or let it pass without exposure, and though He had done a great and glorious work by mighty power, hidden sin barred His way so He could not do what He would. If sin is kept He leaves His people to face principalities and powers and rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness alone so truth loses power, but when sin is corrected and put away His presence and success return, for without discipline and obedience to the commandments there is no success or fitness for heaven, and the same principles that controlled Achan had entered his family and would have endangered all Israel.

Malicious slander and backbiting are worse in influence than Achan's sin because they spread beyond those who commit them and defile many. They must be removed before God can bless the church.