Everything in the city was to be destroyed. Only certain things would be kept and put into the tabernacle of the Lord.Anyone who took anything would become cursed.
God was trying the Hebrew children to see if they would listen to Him. He wanted to know that they would be more obedient than their fathers in the wilderness.
Joshua 7:1- But the children of ISrael committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Crmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
Even though almost everyone obeyed, there was one man who didn't. His name was Achan. He saw some stuff that he just had to have! He took it and he hid it. He thought he had gotten away with it.
Achan was going to find out just how much this sin would cost him and everyone around him.
Joshua 7:2-5- And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. So there went up thither of the people about two or three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smothe of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
Joshua didn't fight in this battle, nor did he sent the entire army. I don't even see where he consulted the Lord in this matter, either. Had he consulted God before sending a few men to battle, he would have found out about the curse.
Because Joshua didn't ask God for guidance, 36 soldiers died. And all Israel was terrified! What had happened?
Joshua 7:6, 10-13- And Joshua rent his clothes and fell upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
Can one person's disobedience to God really cause God to leave? It did here! Because of Achan's sin, God no longer protected the entire nation of Israel.
Joshua 7:14-15- In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man. And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
God was so upset by this that He told Joshua to find out who it was and kill them.
Now, did God know who did it? Yes! Why didn't He tell Joshua who it was? I think it was because God was giving Achan a chance to repent and confess.
Joshua 7:16-21- So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: And he brought the family of Judah: and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against t LORD GOd of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garminet, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
Once Achan was found out, he confessed. But it was too late! The sin had been exposed. The judgement had been passed. And now, the price had to be paid.
Joshua 7:24-26- And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.
What is the price of sin? It was the death of 36 soldiers, and the loss of everything that Achan had. It was the destruction of Achan's family.
Our sin always costs us. It might be a long time before we see the full price tag, but disobedience to God never comes without a price!
