Joshua 7:7, commentary and pictures

Joshua spoke these words in grief and humiliation after Israel's first defeat in Canaan at Ai, when about three thousand men fled before the enemy, thirty-six were slain, and the hearts of the people melted as he and the elders lay prostrate before the ark with rent clothes and dust on their heads until evening. He questioned why God had brought Israel over the Jordan only to deliver them to the Amorites for destruction, and wished they had been content to remain on the other side. The disaster he mourned was caused by Achan's hidden covetous taking of the devoted goods of Jericho, which kindled God's anger so that He withdrew His presence and would no longer go with or bless Israel in battle while the accursed thing remained among them. One person's concealed sin thus brought guilt, rebuke and loss upon the whole congregation, so that Israel could not stand before its enemies and God's blessing was shut out until the wrong was searched out, exposed and removed. Lament alone was not enough, but the camp had to be cleansed by prompt, firm dealing with sin with full surrender and restitution, warning that cherished covetousness, selfishness and love of gain still deaden the sense of right, obstruct God's working, and keep His people under His frown until put away.

Lament After Defeat

This was Joshua's cry after Israel's first meeting with the Canaanites in actual battle at Ai, when about three thousand men sent without assurance of God's presence fled in confusion down the steep descent with the enemy in hot pursuit, thirty-six were slain, and the hearts of the people melted and became as water. He did not yet know Achan's hidden sin, but he knew God's unseen armies had withdrawn their interposition and that defeat, repulse and death had come in place of success. In distress and apprehension he and the elders of Israel rent their clothes, put dust on their heads, and fell on their faces before the ark until evening. They lay prostrate in humility with wounded, tortured, astonished, grieving and humiliated spirit over Israel turning back before the enemy.

He asked why God had brought Israel across the Jordan only to deliver them into the hand of the Amorites to destroy them. He wished they had been content to dwell and stay on the other side of the Jordan to the east. His words express bewilderment, grief, anguish and fear for Israel's survival after the army's retreat. He looked on the ill success as an expression of God's displeasure and despaired under it, praying without yet knowing its cause. He pleaded that Israel had turned their backs before enemies, dreading that the Canaanites and all inhabitants would hear, surround them and cut off their name from the earth. With great sorrow he asked what God would do for His great name, grieving that it would not be magnified before the people.

Sin That Caused Defeat

The defeat Joshua mourned was caused by Achan's hidden covetous transgression in taking, keeping and concealing what God had forbidden. He took the devoted goods of Jericho that had been appointed to destruction or reserved for God's treasury, in violation of the command to keep away from the devoted things. His covetousness grew gradually into a binding habit, deadened his sense of right, and led to ruin, teaching the deadly nature and consequences of coveting.

His theft brought the Lord's anger and curse against Israel. God withdrew His presence and His unseen armies from the army, so that instead of success there came defeat, repulse, humiliation and death, with thirty-six men slain at Ai. He would not bless or lead Israel in battle, would not remain with them, and would not go with them while the accursed thing remained among them, keeping back His help and blessing until the wrongdoing was exposed and removed.

God enlightened His servant by answering that Israel had sinned and taken of the accursed thing. The answer shows that God notices sin even when people overlook it. Though by His mighty power He had done a great and glorious work for Israel, the sin offended Him and barred His way so that He could not do what He would, for hidden sin in the camp stops His working just as unbelief stopped Christ from doing many mighty works.

One Sin Condemns All

Achan's concealed taking kept the guilt from resting on him alone, but exposed the whole congregation to divine judgment and brought God's frown, rebuke, displeasure and guilt upon all Israel. His one act brought disaster on the whole people, suffering and loss for many, death in battle, with thousands slain, and left grief, distress and reproach in the camp. All Israel stood under rebuke with God's presence withdrawn until the accursed thing was destroyed. In the same way the defects of character in any member or minister are charged to the church if it makes light of them, and when a church knowingly sets a man of weakness of character and moral darkness over the flock it assumes his defects as its own and stands under rebuke, an act done with knowledge and with eyes hidden from the evil being more grievous than Israel's case.

As long as the accursed thing remained among them Israel could not stand against its enemies and could not prevail. God's presence was shut out, He would not remain with them nor go with them into battle, and His blessing, leading and help were kept back. The hindrance lasted only until the wrongdoing was found, exposed and removed from the camp and put away.

The influence of cherished sin is not confined to the one who cherishes it but becomes a root of bitterness whereby many are defiled, corrupting minds and spirits. Hidden sin in a person or household can obstruct God's blessing on the work of others and bring trouble upon the whole people and prevent success in their undertakings. A wrong course pursued by one person toward his brother turns the light of God away from His people, and that light remains withdrawn until the wrong is searched out and the cause of the oppressed is vindicated.

Search Out and Remove

Joshua's prostrate lament after Ai, with thirty-six slain and Israel humiliated and repulsed, lays the case open in great sorrow and grief that God's name will not be magnified, yet it stands in contrast to the prompt action required, for he did not yet know Achan's hidden sin but knew God's unseen armies had withdrawn their interposition so that defeat, repulse and death replaced success. Prayer alone was not enough while secret sin remained, and the whole church bears God's rebuke for sinful action in its midst until that sin is hunted out, exposed, dealt with according to its grievous character, and the camp cleansed. His questioning whether God brought Israel over Jordan only to deliver them to the Amorites for destruction, and wishing they had stayed east of the river, reflects anguish, despair and fear of destruction and dishonor to God's name rather than the uncovering and removal the hour demanded.

The defeat came because Israel had sinned by taking, keeping and concealing what God had forbidden and appointed to destruction, and until the offense was removed Israel could not stand against enemies and God would not remain with them or go with them in battle. Tolerated wrongdoing therefore brings serious consequences for the whole community, and those entrusted with responsibility must guard against sin, keenly feel the weight of the people's sins under God's rebuke, and diligently search out and put away transgression. They must not become careless, hold their peace, or pass by sin and transgression in their midst, for the same God who met Joshua is still exceedingly offended by sin, still points out wrongdoers by His Holy Spirit, and still holds leaders equally responsible with open transgressors when they fail to separate evil from the camp. The church likewise bears responsibility when wrongdoing is left uncorrected, remaining under guilt and without God's blessing until appointed leaders find and remove it, and those charged with correcting such sin, discerning and responsible like Joshua in searching out wrong, should not be hindered or condemned for doing so.

Sin in the community must be dealt with promptly and firmly rather than covered, excused, or made light of, and the sinner must put away the sin or be separated so others are not contaminated. One who refuses admonitions and warnings and refuses to repent is as Achan in the camp, deceived and deceiving, and must not be retained but must be disfellowshipped, for to retain the impenitent who do wickedly insults the God of heaven and leaves the saints held accountable for evil deeds. Defects of character in any member or minister knowingly excused are charged to the church, and when a church knowingly places a man of weakness of character and moral darkness over the flock it assumes his defects as its own and stands under God's rebuke, which with knowledge of the evil and eyes hidden from it is more grievous than Israel's case.

Clearing the way so God can work requires hating sin but loving the sinner, calling sin by its right name without tampering lest it seem less sinful, cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and perfecting holiness with entire surrender, so that heavenly intelligences can work through God's people as living channels of light. Hidden robbery, dissembling and stealing in crooked lines, appropriating means belonging to God's cause, must be put away by clean work and full restitution of both principal and interest in justice, mercy, equity and truth, for God will not be with His people while the accursed thing remains. When Achan's judgment turned away wrath, God directed Israel to advance against Ai and Israel won because the armies of heaven fought for them, though before that the sin had barred His way so He could not do what He would, just as unbelief stopped Christ from doing many mighty works.

Warnings for God's People

Tolerated wrongdoing brings serious consequences for the whole community, and while an accursed thing remains among the people God will not go with them into battle and the church is left under His frown without His blessing. The call in this distress is for God's people to arise and renew their strength in God by renewing and keeping their covenant with Him. Until the offense is put away Israel cannot stand against its enemies and cannot remain with God.

Covetousness, selfishness, love of money, love of the world and love of gain destroy the spirit of sacrifice and, unless rooted out, bring destruction as sure as Achan's. This evil can grow gradually into a binding habit, gain upon hearts imperceptibly so that those who have it are not aware of it, deaden the sense of right, and reveal its deadly nature and consequences in ruin. Only entire change, self-denial and sacrifice for the truth can meet it, for without it those who cherish it will perish with the world.

God has lent means and made men His stewards, but many call it their own, take the sacrifice from His altar to love the world and its gain and increase, hoard it up, and appropriate it for personal use and gain. In doing so they rob His treasury and fail to supply the necessities of laborers in hard fields, and when His prospering hand is removed it is all snatched away in a moment. Such selfishness and covetousness among workers surrounds the soul with unbelief, leads to double-dealing, disqualifies from giving the right mold to the work, imperils souls through its leaven, brings God's seeing eye and judgment, and requires immediate disconnection even though the man be an editor or manager. Hidden robbery, dissembling, stealing and working in crooked lines, appropriating means that belongs to God's cause and robbing the needy field through selfishness, brings God's censure and the withdrawal of His presence and blessing and dishonors God in sacred things. The remedy is repentance and restitution showing a change from sinful conduct to righteousness, with clean work and full restitution of both principal and interest in justice and mercy and equity and truth, for God will not be with His people any more until the accursed thing is put away.

Achans in the camp are those with corrupt hearts marked by selfishness, exaltation, love of self and other sins, wanting to be foremost when God and their brethren have not placed them there. They bring God's frown upon the whole church, weigh God's people down, keep His work from progressing, discourage His servants, and keep the truth from taking effect and new members from being added. God gives opportunity to reform and enlightens as to sin, but those who will not heed and will not be reformed He in mercy removes and gives up to their own ways to be filled with their own doings, while every honest one is enlightened as to the true state and remains unaffected.

Temptation can bring stumbling and fall even when feeling secure, since no one can meet or resist it in his own strength. Joshua's later review of this history was meant to awaken gratitude for providence and humility over unjust complaints and failure to follow revealed will. The warning against idolatry and ties with idolaters teaches to shun even the borders of sin, because departing from God brings ruin, for God is faithful both to His promises and to His threats, and the warning is to be applied personally.

The same spirit of wrongdoing still works in leaders who have not repented or made restoration, calling for humbling and transformation of heart. Dissembling and concealment like the women's is even graver than Achan's hidden theft that brought displeasure on Israel as a whole. Backbiting and slander are worse than Achan's sin because their influence spreads beyond those who commit it and defiles many, becoming a root of bitterness corrupting minds and spirits, so God cannot bless the church while that evil remains until it is purged by repentance and change of course. Hidden sin in the camp stops God's working just as unbelief stopped Christ from doing many mighty works, though by His mighty power He had done a great and glorious work for Israel. God is offended and barred from doing what He would, and He waits for His people to clear the way by hating sin but loving the sinner, calling sin by its right name without tampering, cleansing from all filthiness and perfecting holiness with entire surrender, so heavenly intelligences can work through them as living channels of light.

Remembering God's rebuke for failing to discover sin among them, Israel later acted zealously against suspected wrongdoing but went too far by judging brethren before courteous inquiry.