The story of Achan takes place in the book of Joshua. Much of the early content in the book of Joshua deals with war and the Israelites attempt to control the land of Canaan. Probably the most well-known story is that of the Battle of Jericho. This story is thought to be a basic Sunday-School lesson for young children. As a child I heard the story many times, but I was never told the darker side of the story that came after the Israelite victory.
Painting of the Battle of Jericho
Before the Battle of Jericho God gave the Israelites specific instructions regarding their rules of engagement. Joshua 6:17 says, “And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction.” Basically, God is saying to completely annihilate the city and all the things in it. God goes on to say, “But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it” (Joshua 6:18). Here, God is instructing the Israelites to take none of the spoils of war into their possession. After conquering a group of people, it was popular to take their possessions as your own. God specifically instructs the Israelites not to do this.
Joshua chapter 6 ends on a high-note, but chapter 7 begins completely different. Verse one of chapter seven says, “for Achan took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.” Achan’s actions made God furious, but why did he get so mad at something that seems so minor? The story of Moses is the perfect answer to this question. God punished Moses because of his disobedience when he struck the rock with his staff instead of speaking for the rock to bring water. Throughout the first five books of the Bible God has continually been angered by disobedience, no matter how great or small the sin seems to be. The story of Achan is no different as God’s anger is said to have “burned against the people of Israel.”
With sin comes punishment as we have seen numerous times in the Pentateuch. As God punished Moses with death, he will also punish Achan with death. Joshua 7:15 says, “And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.” Once the Israelites found out that Achan was the man who had sinned they took him, his sons and daughters, and all of his belongings including his livestock and stoned them. The Israelites then burned them in the Valley of Achor, as the Lord told them to do.
Israelites killing Achan, his family, and his livestock
Achan’s actions did not affect himself and his family only. This is why God punished Achan so harshly. For one, his actions affected Israel as a nation. Joshua 7:1 says that God’s anger “burned against the people of Israel.” Achan’s sin also caused God to keep blessings from Israel. He does so immediately after Achan sins as he allows the men of Ai to kill thirty-six Israelites.
Before reading the book of Joshua I had never heard the story of Achan. I found the story to be extremely interesting, as it is another example of Biblical crime and punishment. The story is a great example that disobedience and sin usually affects others as well as the person who committed it.
Sources
“Why Did God Judge the Sin of Achan so Severely?” GotQuestions.org. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. <http://www.gotquestions.org/sin-of-Achan.html>.
“Achan (biblical Figure).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achan_(biblical_figure)>.
Oakes, John. “Evidence for Christianity.” Evidence for Christianity. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. <http://evidenceforchristianity.org/why-is-it-that-achans-family-were-all-judged-when-it- was-only-achan-who-sinnedr/>.
Ryken, Leland. The Literary Study Bible: ESV : English Standard Version, Containing the Old and New Testaments. ESV Text ed. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Bibles, 2007. Print.
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