The conquest of Jericho was a result of God’s instructions. With the fall of the walls also came the fall of the residents of Jericho. God gave that mighty city to Joshua and his people. However, there were stipulations as they overthrew the city. Namely, they were not to take any souvenirs, valuables, or possessions owned by the enemy. They were not to benefit from the sinful life of the enemy.
Confidence in God and themselves was cemented into the thinking of the Hebrew invaders. Their reputation preceded them, bringing great concern within the hearts of those conquered and those to be conquered. The Jews were mighty warriors, but their God was even more mighty. After Jericho, their intended attack was the city of Ai. Those who spied on the city brought a report back to Joshua that a small army would be sufficient to bring victory.
Joshua sent only 3000 soldiers to take the city of Ai. Much to everyone’s surprise, the attacking soldiers were routed easily by the Army of Ai. Joshua sought the Lord’s guidance. The result indicated a man named Achan that had disobeyed the Lord by stealing valuables and garments that once belonged to some of the people in Jericho. Consider the ramifications of such disobedience and the consequence Achan brought on himself, his family, and all of Israel.
It seemed like such a small sin for Achan to take trophies from the battle of Jericho. First, we must recognize that to God there is no small sin or big sin. As far as God is concerned, the commitment of one sin is the same difference as the commitment of all sins. (James 2:10) Achan thought only of himself without any consideration of his fellow citizens.
There could be extensive ramifications to other people when we commit a sin. Negative consequences can flow to others we may not know and for a future we cannot determine. We realize that sin is part of the nature of the human being. It is so important that we do our best to be true to God and his Word. We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must listen to our conscience. Achan did not sin by accident! Neither do we.
When Achan was confronted about his sin, he readily admitted his trespasses. Even though he made confessions to others, it did not deter the consequence for punishment on him and his family. With him out of the picture, Joshua and his soldiers easily took the city of Ai. The influence of sin is defeat. The result of confession is victory. None of this was necessary other than the fact that Achan brought it all on himself and his family. We may pray for God’s blessing, but it will not come if we are hiding sin. What sins may we be hiding? In part, Jesus answered the question by saying that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. Since he was hiding his trophies, he was unable to benefit from them. He could not wear fine garments nor spend the exorbitant money. He was still the man he was before the battle of Jericho. The only difference was his disobedience. Each of us are susceptible to favorite sins unique to ourselves. We may have convinced ourselves that hoarding our sin in private is a good thing. The reality is that hording sin interferes with our relationship with God and other believers. Achan sinned by impulse. If we were to think about the temptation before us, we would gain a higher level of devotion to God. If Achan had not sinned, there would’ve been a positive result. By sinning there was a negative result. Either way there was a result. We have a choice for how devout and reliable we
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