Joshua 7:3, commentary and pictures

After Jericho the spies returned saying Ai was small and only two or three thousand men need go up instead of wearying the whole army. Their counsel judged by outward sight and trusted in Israel's own strength after great victory, despising the enemy and planning without seeking God's counsel or help. The disaster that followed was not because the force sent was too small. Achan's hidden covetousness and theft of what God had forbidden withdrew God's Spirit and blessing from all Israel, so He let the enemy prevail and the small company was repulsed with thirty-six slain and the nation humbled. One man's concealed sin thus brought guilt and defeat upon the whole congregation until it was searched out, confessed and put away, warning that cherished selfishness and covetousness will block God's blessing on His people and work.

Spies' Advice and Context

The returning spies reported that Ai had but few people and urged that not all the people go up, but only about two or three thousand men to smite Ai, so as not to make all the people labour thither. That counsel judged that about three thousand would be enough to capture the place and that the whole people need not be burdened with the march.

The advice judged by outward appearance and human sight, confident in Israel's own strength after God had done a great and glorious work for them by His mighty power. Expecting an easy victory, they treated their enemies with contempt and held that victory would look easy even while hidden sin barred God's way so He could not do what He would for them. The self-reliant plan was made by men in holy office venturing to act their own will and way without seeking God's counsel or assurance of divine help.

The verse stands in the march from Gilgal to the overthrow of Jericho and the conquest of Ai. It belongs to the place where Achan met the penalty for his sin.

Defeat Despite Easy Target

The defeat that followed the counsel to send only about two or three thousand men against Ai because its people seemed few was not caused by sending too small a force, for hidden sin in the camp kept God from blessing Israel and the sin of one man brought trouble upon the whole people. Because of Achan's hidden sin the Spirit of God was withdrawn from all Israel and God's unseen armies withdrew their interposition, His blessing could not rest on the armies, and He permitted the enemy to triumph over them. That small attack, undertaken in confidence after God's great and glorious work by His mighty power and in expectation of easy victory, was driven back and repulsed with thirty-six men slain, and all Israel was humiliated before its enemies. The cause was that Achan had taken the wedge of gold and the Babylonish garment from spoil the Lord had commanded to be utterly consumed, even silver and gold consecrated to the treasury of the Lord, bringing an accursed thing into the camp by robbery and dissembling while keeping the appearance of innocence; what he counted a very small matter was in fact very serious sin against the Lord, showing God's estimate of all such sins. Wrongdoing within the camp thus barred God's way so that He could not do what He would for them and they could not stand before their enemies, though Joshua and the people did not at first know the sin.

When Joshua prostrated himself before the Lord asking why the children of Israel fled before their enemies, God told him this hidden sin was the cause. Prayer alone was not enough, the camp had to be cleansed, and God's Spirit exposed what was hidden. The whole church bore God's rebuke until the sin was hunted out and dealt with according to its grievous character. After Achan's sin was dealt with, Israel advanced again under God's command, and the armies of Heaven fought for them.

Achan himself felt no distress or remorse over stealing the golden wedge and Babylonish garment that God had appointed to destruction, in direct violation of the charge to keep from the accursed thing. He never reasoned from cause to effect that his theft was why Israel was defeated in battle, nor sought to make it right by confession and humiliation.

Achan's Hidden Sin

Achan's hidden sin was covetousness working itself out as theft and robbery and dissembling and embezzlement, in secretly taking what was forbidden and concealing it and appropriating to his own use money dedicated to God, while keeping the appearance of innocence through searching examination. By disobeying God's directions he brought God's curse and displeasure and guilt upon the whole camp, so that his sin affected the entire congregation and the whole people and God could not help them. The small attack of about two or three thousand men sent against Ai because its people were few therefore cost thirty-six lives, and when Joshua prostrated himself before the Lord asking why Israel fled before its enemies, God told him this hidden sin was the cause and His blessing could not rest on the people till these things were cleansed from them. For that reason sin cannot be treated as a private matter or excused when someone is accepted into church leadership.

What he took was the wedge of gold and the Babylonish garment from spoil the Lord had commanded to be utterly consumed, and even silver and gold consecrated to the treasury of the Lord, in direct violation of the charge to keep from the accursed thing. By that robbery and dissembling he brought an accursed thing into the camp. What Achan counted a very small matter was in fact very serious sin against the Lord, and God gave this history to show His estimate of all such sins, that Israel may fear and honor Him. A man or woman who claims to be keeping God's commandments yet indulges such sin shows how little is estimated the grievous character of sin.

His ruin began with covetousness, a sin that can grow gradually into a habit and weaken judgment and dull perception, so that though he would have been horrified at the thought of bringing disaster on Israel, temptation found him easy to overcome. That sin grew from measuring self by self and comparing self with others, from double-dealing, from becoming wise above what is written in the law, and from deciding what pay he should receive. God looks upon workers in His schools and institutions and churches who do the same — who become dissatisfied and sell themselves to the highest bidder and take care that they receive all they think they should have — exactly as He looked upon Achan in selfishly appropriating means for his own use and robbing the treasury. An atmosphere of unbelief surrounds such a man so that God is not with him, he cannot give the right mold to the work nor supply the necessities of laborers in hard fields who give part of their wages to the needs of those fields, and God sees every such case and will pass judgment on those who thus measure themselves.

Corporate Guilt and Cleansing

One man's hidden wrong brought guilt and anger, frown, displeasure and rebuke upon all Israel, so the whole congregation and nation could not stand before its enemies but suffered defeat, repulse and deaths even though Ai appeared small and only a few men were sent. The failure at Ai shows that corrupt hearts burden the community, hinder the progress of the whole people, withhold success against enemies, and keep God's blessing and help from His workers until the transgression is dealt with. The Spirit was withdrawn from all Israel and unseen help was withdrawn without Joshua and the people knowing the cause, so the self-reliant attack ended with thirty-six slain and all Israel humiliated, and the whole church bore God's rebuke until the sin was hunted out, searched out, put away and purged. Spoil taken by robbery and dissembling had brought an accursed thing into the camp, and God would not serve with sin nor let His blessing rest on the people till these things were cleansed from them.

Sin that defiles the camp must be dealt with promptly by requiring the sinner to put it away or be separated from fellowship, lest others be contaminated and the saints be held accountable for evil deeds. One who sins and refuses admonition and repentance is as Achan in the camp, deceived and deceiving, and must not be retained on the books but must be disfellowshipped and separated from church fellowship. To retain unrepentant wrongdoers is an insult to the God of heaven, and those in responsible positions must require this separation so the community is not corrupted by tolerating sin. Those who stand in high positions of trust bear special responsibility, for sin cannot be treated as private or excused in leadership, and God is the same in the gospel as in ancient Israel. When a church knowingly overlooks serious defects in a member or minister, or careless knowers of truth pass by deception, falsehood and moral corruption, it becomes equally responsible with open transgressors and shares the rebuke and curse and loss of favor. Leaders must therefore not hold their peace when God is dishonored but must work diligently to separate the Achans from the camp and give youth a right impression of what constitutes sin, uncleanness and rottenness of character.

The episode taught Israel to be vigilant in discovering sin among them and justified resolve to act promptly, yet zeal to uncover sin must not become harsh judgment or groundless suspicion. The sin of one man discomfited the entire army, for one person's wrong course toward his brother turns God's light from His people until the wrong is searched out and the cause of the oppressed is vindicated. As long as selfishness dries up kindly sympathy and tender, thoughtful love and interest for brethren, every virtue is corroded, so God requires enlarged hearts, broad and deep feelings, noble sympathy, largeness of soul and disinterested benevolence rather than narrow, selfish and penurious spirit, and then the church can triumph in God. Isaiah's fast must be studied with close self-examination to discern whether the principles needed to receive the rich promised blessings are present. Receiving the report that Ai was small and that only a few soldiers were needed belonged together with the discretion to investigate the wrong that had brought trouble upon Israel.

Warnings for God's People

The account stands as a warning that hidden sin can hold back God's blessing and hinder the progress of the whole people and the work of those seeking to serve Him. Achan's story teaches that temptation must never be treated as harmless or underestimated, for even when a person feels secure he may be in great danger of falling. No one can meet and resist temptation in his own strength.

Covetousness, selfishness, love of money and love of the world destroy the spirit of sacrifice and bring equally sure destruction unless they are rooted out. Those evils spread imperceptibly and are drying up sacrifice, for many take the sacrifice from God's altar, call the means God lent them as stewards their own, love the world and its gain and increase, and hoard it up. Unless there is an entire change by arising and renewing strength in God through renewing and keeping the covenant with Him with sacrificing for God and denying of self for the truth's sake, they will perish with the world. When God's prospering hand is removed all is snatched away in a moment, and soon the loftiness of man shall be brought down and the pride of man humbled when kings and nobles, rich and poor alike bow under the plagues of God.

Withholding and diverting means that belongs to God's appointed field through selfishness, and taking it away by driving workers into hard places, is robbery in every sense of the word, which God hates and which abuses His Spirit. Such dealing blinds spiritual discernment so there is no real sense of what justice and mercy and equity and truth is, and leaves others struggling to do the work. It brings God's censure until clean work is made. It requires full restitution of both principal and interest, with everything done that can be done to make restitution. Dishonest handling of what is sacred dishonors God and cannot be cleared without full repentance and restitution.

Like Achan's sin its harm is not confined to the sinner alone, for guilt kept God from blessing His people until the evil was purged. Backbiting is worse than Achan's sin, spreading as a root of bitterness that corrupts minds and spirits and defiles many who do not repent and change. The same spirit that took possession of Achan still works in men in important positions, still living, unrepented, not purged away, with no restoration made and no falling on the Rock and being broken. There is no hope for institutions unless leading men let the Word into the mind, for without this deceptions enveloped in mist and fog growing blacker will take place and the men will never know at what they stumble.