Joshua 7:19-26 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Joshua 7:19-26. Let’s go!
Joshua 7:19 (NIV)
19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
On verse 19: “Give glory to the Lord” was a Jewish way of saying, “Tell the truth”. For another example, see John 9:24. May we give glory to God by living lives of integrity.
Joshua 7:20-23 (NIV)
20 Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done:
21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.
23 They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the LORD.
On verses 20-23: Achan confesses that while he was soldiering in Jericho, he saw an exotic robe, about 5 pounds of silver, and over a pound of gold (v21). Though they did not belong to him, and though he was strictly commanded not to take anything for himself from Jericho, Achan coveted those material possessions, took them and hid them in the ground inside his tent (v21).
Have you ever yearned to have (covet) something or someone that did not belong to you? You can’t always control seeing things that you find attractive, but what can you do to keep yourself from coveting things that don’t belong to you?
1. Remind yourself of the cost of inappropriately getting what you covet. In Achan’s case, he could have reminded himself that he was specifically under orders not to take anything from Jericho for himself, and that to disobey these orders would spell death for him and possibly his family. He could remind himself that to take what does not belong to him could impact the entire nation’s ability to succeed in its mission. For as we learned yesterday, our sin impacts not just us but the team that we are on.
2. Remind yourself that what you are coveting will not ultimately satisfy you, that the satisfaction you think you will get from having what does not belong to you is a mirage.
3. Remind yourself that when you seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, He will add to you everything that you need (Matthew 6:33). So ask God for help to overcome the temptation to covet, seek to do things His way, and trust that when you do He will add everything you need.
Joshua 7:24-26 (NIV)
24 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor.
25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.
26 Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.
On verses 24-26: As punishment for Achan’s sin, Achan and his children are taken to a valley and stoned. The Jews call that place the Valley of “Achor”, which means “trouble”. It’s meant to remind us of Joshua’s question to Achan, “Why have you brought this trouble on us?” (v24).
You might be wondering, “Why should Achan’s children die for Achan’s sin? Shouldn’t Achan be solely responsible? Doesn’t the Bible even say, “Children are not to be put to death for their parents’ sins? (Deuteronomy 24:16)” Some scholars posit that perhaps Achan’s children had been accomplices to Achan, that they knew their father had taken what did not belong to him but did not report it to anyone. It’s not clear if this was the case. Another theory is that unlike in individualistic Western culture, in ancient Jewish culture (as well as other ancient cultures), the family was considered a whole. If one person in the family sinned, their whole family was considered to have sinned. Killing off Achan’s family was probably seen as purging Israel of evil and as recompense for the approximately 36 Israelite soldiers who died because of Achan’s sin (Joshua 7:5),
In any event, the lesson we can learn here is that intentionally sinning against God has far reaching consequences that will often go beyond what we can foresee. Left unconfessed, our sin will hurt not just us but the people we love the most. The cost and consequence of sin is never worth the pleasure we get from it.
Heavenly Father, thank You that whenever I am tempted to covet that which does not belong to me, You give me grace to stand up over that temptation. May I remember that whatever short-term high sin brings will not truly satisfy me and is never worth the long-term consequences. May I remember that in seeking You first I find everything I need. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
