The troubler found and removed. Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster on us? The LORD will bring you disaster this day.” Then all Israel stoned them [to death] with stones; afterward they burned their bodies in the fire. Jos 7:25
INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT
INTRODUCTION
Though there are evident traces of the hand of an editing scribe, probably Ezra, there are many indications that the substance of this book was written while the events were still recent. There is therefore no good reason for doubting that the book in its original form was written by Joshua, as Jewish tradition alleges.
This book is to the Old Testament what the Acts of the Apostles is to the New. The name “Joshua” is equivalent to Jesus, and means “he shall save,” Heb_4:8. The Jericho of the early Church was Jerusalem, which they compassed through ten days of prayer as Israel compassed Jericho in seven days of marching. At Pentecost the walls of prejudice fell flat. Ananias and Sapphira were the Achan of the first days. The victories of the Church at Samaria, Antioch and elsewhere recall the conquests of Joshua. And the failure of the Church to go forward to the conquest of the nations finds a bitter parallel in the story of Israel’s apathy toward driving out the Canaanites.
Possessing the Promised Land
II. THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN, Joshua 6-12
2. Achan and Ai, Jos_7:1-26; Jos_8:1-29
12. How was the sin brought to light and dealt with?
THE SIN OF ACHAN
So Joshua got up early in the morning and had Israel come forward by tribes, and the tribe of Judah was chosen [by lot].
He had the families of Judah come forward, and the family of the Zerahites was chosen; and he had the family of the Zerahites come forward man by man, and Zabdi was chosen.
He brought his household forward man by man; and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was chosen.
Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I implore you, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him [in recognition of His righteous judgments]; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”
So Achan answered Joshua and said, “In truth, I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and this is what I have done:
when I saw among the spoils [in Jericho] a beautiful robe from Shinar (southern Babylon) and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I wanted them and took them. Behold, they are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and they saw the stolen objects hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.
And they took them from the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and spread them out before the LORD.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the [royal] robe, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and everything that he had; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor (Disaster).
Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster on us? The LORD will bring you disaster this day.” Then all Israel stoned them [to death] with stones; afterward they burned their bodies in the fire.
Then they piled up over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor (Disaster) to this day.
Comments by
F.B.Meyer
On
Joshua 7:16-26
THE TROUBLER FOUND AND REMOVED
When God deals with sin He traces its genealogy. Twice over we have the list of Achan’s ancestors, Jos_7:1; Jos_7:18. To deal with sin thoroughly we need to go back to its sources. See Jas_1:14-15.
How Achan’s heart must have stood still as he beheld the closer approach of detection, like the contracting walls of a chamber of horrors. One by one we pass before the eye of Omniscience, as a ship’s company before the quarantine officer. We cannot hide ourselves behind parents, lineage or religious ancestors. Each must give an account of himself, 2Co_5:10.
Achan’s family had been privy to his crime. It could hardly have been otherwise, since the goods were buried in the common tent. They were probably grown men and women. The notions of justice were stronger and harsher in that day than with us, who have been taught by Christ. When the evil is put away, the door of hope stands wide, Hos_2:15.
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