March 12, 2025
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Joshua and Timothy? Here’s today’s reading:
Joshua 7 (NIV)
Achan’s Sin
1But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.……Continue Reading
A few weeks ago Pastor reminded us that God sees us; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Achan thought he could bury his sin and no one would know, but God always knows and He always sees. God is a God of His word and victory in battle came through obedience to His commands so once that disobedience happened, the victory was gone as well. Achan was punished accordingly, but it was unclear to me if the whole family was stoned and burned? I imagine they had knowledge of what he had done, hard to hide all that stuff right in the same tent, so perhaps God needed to punish them as well for not stopping him and making him do what they knew was right. Although in this time a son or daughter telling the father what to do may not have been acceptable, causing them to just stay quiet.
We all think we can hide our sin from God. That’s a serious takeaway from Chapter 7.
Achan, and all his family were put to death.
Another takeaway, the sin caused immediate damage to Israel in lives lost, and humiliation before their enemies. In this case, God’s judgment was immediate; praise God when he gives us space to repent!
1 Timothy 3; Joshua 7
Joshua 7
Joshua 7
It’s interesting how God weeds out the offender by gradually narrowing down from tribe to family to the man. Could have been an opportunity for the burden on Achan to weigh on his heart and lead him to repent? It is exactly how guilt and remorse work, the heart in one case covers it up, in the other (and I believe, in our case,with the conviction of the Spirit) responds in repentance and confession.
On a side note, Steve and I got caught up on the word “stuff”. It seemed so informal and modern, but there it is in the KJV and NKJV and other versions used multiple times.
In spite of the warning that Joshua gave about the consequences that would come from taking the devoted things, Achan gives in to the covetous desire. Joshua is confused as to why they have failed against Ai, and yet it seems like God indicates that he should have known. I love that as Joshua is groveling about losing, God says, stand up. Why are you down on the ground, you should know why I have not blessed. It is because there is sin in the camp. And like Amy, I wonder if things would have been different if Achan admitted his fault as the people being called out point more and more to him. And the punishment seems severe and yet God seeks to send a strong message of not defying the rule He set for people being destroyed, because if you do, you and everything connected to you will be destroyed. There were also men who died because of Achan’s sin so the punishment should be severe.
Joshua 7