And Joshua…Took Achan

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 Lordturned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.”

This account in the Bible is so sad. When the children of Israel conquered Jericho, they were told not to take anything that was left. Achan did not listen. He took a garment, some gold, and some silver. He hid in under his tent, and thought that he would get away with it. However, God is always looking. Whether or not we want to acknowledge it, God is always looking. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”

Achan’s sin did not just affect him. Because of his sin, God did not allow the Israelites to see victory at Ai. Thirty-six people died in that battle. After the battle, Joshua went through the camp. He knew that someone’s sin was hindering the hand of God. When Achan’s sin was revealed, he and his family were stoned. How said that his own children had to suffer for his unwise choices.

Christian, you can do what you want to do, but you must know that your choices never affect just you. They always affect others. Achan’s moment where he coveted and took caused dozens of people to be killed. The bottom line is that we must do right. When we are with others, do right. When we are alone, do right. God is always looking, so do right. Do right. Do right. Do right!