DRAWING NEAR
What does it mean to “covet” something? What are some of the common things that people covet in our world today?
[Your Response]
THE CONTEXT
God had just given Joshua and the Israelites an incredible victory at the city of Jericho. The people had marched around the city seven times, the priests had blown the trumpets, and the walls had fallen down. However, as part of that victory, God had instructed the Israelites to not take anything whatsoever away from Jericho after its fall. Everything was to be destroyed as a sacrifice to God. The Lord had claimed the entire city of Jericho for Himself, and it was to be dedicated to Him and utterly set apart from the people.
But, as we will see in this study, one man decided to disregard God’s command. Perhaps he had convinced himself that God was speaking in broad, general terms—that He would not mind or even notice if one man took just a few small trinkets. Or perhaps he didn’t think at all; maybe he just snatched what he saw without giving any thought to the possible consequences. Whatever he may have told himself, this man named Achan fell prey to the sin of coveting, and it led to deadly consequences for his entire family.
In this study, we will look at Achan’s story and consider the dangers of coveting. We will also see that we cannot hide anything from God, for He sees both what we do and what we think. This can be a sobering concept for us if we try to hide our sins from God, but it can also be a great deterrent from sin and temptation.
KEYS TO THE TEXT
Read Joshua 7:1–8:35, noting the key words and phrases indicated below.
PREPARING FOR BATTLE: Joshua prepares his army to attack Ai soon after the battle against Jericho. What he doesn’t know, however, is that there is sin in the camp.
7:1. THE ACCURSED THINGS: The Lord had commanded the people to “abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it” (Joshua 6:18). God had condemned all of Jericho—all its inhabitants and all their possessions—to destruction, and the people were forbidden to carry away anything whatsoever. Achan, however, had taken a souvenir.
2. AI: See the map in the Introduction.
3. LET ABOUT TWO OR THREE THOUSAND MEN GO UP: This proved to be a gross strategic error and miscalculation. The spies thought there were “few” inhabitants in Ai, but it turned out there were some twelve thousand people there (see Joshua 8:25)—far too many for a small force of three thousand to take, at least from a human perspective. The spies may have anticipated the Lord would fight on their behalf, as He had done at Jericho and elsewhere. If so, their faith was commendable, and it would certainly be justified later when the Lord did bring down Ai. However, in this case there is no record that Joshua consulted the Lord prior to making his strategic plans. If he had, the Lord would certainly have told him to not attack at that time—there was sin in the camp that needed to be dealt with first.
ISRAEL’S FIRST DEFEAT: As a result of Achan’s sin, the Lord does not fight on behalf of His people. They find out what it is like to have God set His face against them.
5. THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE MELTED: This is the phrase Rahab used to describe the dismay the people of Jericho had felt toward Israel. Because of Achan’s sin, the Lord had removed His protective hand from His people, and they were experiencing the same dismay to which God’s enemies were subject.
6. JOSHUA . . . FELL TO THE EARTH ON HIS FACE BEFORE THE ARK OF THE LORD: Joshua’s failure is that he had not sought the Lord’s counsel before attacking Ai. He should have come to God and humbly sought His guidance before moving ahead.
9. WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR YOUR GREAT NAME: Joshua’s concern in his prayer is twofold: he is concerned for the welfare of the people for whom he is responsible, and he is worried the Lord’s name will be disgraced.
11. ISRAEL HAS SINNED: It is important to note the Lord held the entire nation responsible for the sin of one man. Achan had hidden his sin, and it is unlikely Joshua knew of it—yet Achan’s family knew, and they had assisted him simply by keeping his secret. Thus, the sin of Achan had corrupted the entire assembly of God’s people and was directly responsible for Israel’s military defeat and the deaths of thirty-six soldiers.
12. THEY HAVE BECOME DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION: By taking an object that God had doomed to destruction, the people themselves had also become doomed to destruction. The consequences of sin often go far beyond just the person sinning and affect the lives of others. Such is the destructive power of disobedience.
PURGING THE EVIL: The Lord commands Joshua to find the guilty man and put him to death. The penalty extends to his family and all his possessions.
15. BURNED WITH FIRE: This sounds like a harsh punishment for such a “small” sin as looting a city that the Israelite army had defeated in battle. But man’s view of sin is often not harsh enough, for God detests sin and will not tolerate it in His presence. Furthermore, the Lord had warned that everything associated with Jericho was to be set aside for destruction, and anyone who took anything from the city would bring destruction upon himself. Achan knew this beforehand but had deluded himself into thinking he could deceive God.
19. GIVE GLORY TO THE LORD: Achan had tried to hide his sin, and in doing so he had brought disgrace on the Lord’s name. By openly admitting his sin, he would be glorifying God, acknowledging that he was guilty of breaking God’s holy standard.
21. I SAW: Note the four steps in Achan’s sin: (1) he saw, (2) he coveted, (3) he took, and (4) he concealed. David’s sin with Bathsheba would follow the same pattern (see 2 Samuel 11). James tells us, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin.” But never forget the consequence: “Sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14–15).
A BEAUTIFUL BABYLONIAN GARMENT: This was a costly and ornate robe of Shinar. It would have been adorned with colored figures of men or animals, woven or done in needlework, and perhaps trimmed with jewels. This same word is used for a king’s robe in Jonah 3:6.
24. ALL THAT HE HAD: Once again, we are confronted with the fact that the sin of one man brought destruction on many. His entire family was implicated because they each had assisted him in concealing the sin. The Lord viewed that action as being complicit in the sin itself.
26. VALLEY OF ACHOR: Literally “trouble.”
RESETTING THE SCENE: Now that Joshua has dealt with the sin in the Israelite camp, the Lord will deliver the king of Ai into his hand.
8:3. THIRTY THOUSAND . . . MEN: Joshua’s elite force was far superior to that of Ai, which, as we mentioned, had an army of twelve thousand. This time Joshua took no small force into the battle but thirty thousand mighty men of valor. He used some of this force to sack and burn Ai, a decoy group to lure defenders out of the city, and a third detachment of about five thousand men to prevent the nearby city of Bethel from helping Ai.
7. GOD WILL DELIVER IT INTO YOUR HAND: God had sovereignly caused Israel’s defeat earlier due to Achan’s disobedience. This time, despite Israel’s overwhelming numbers, God would still be the sovereign power behind the victory.
18. THE SPEAR: Joshua’s hoisted javelin represented the go-ahead indicator for the troops to occupy Ai. The raised weapon was possibly even a signal of Joshua’s confidence that God would deliver the city into his hand. Earlier, Moses’ uplifted rod and arms likely signified a similar trust in God for victory over the Amalekites (see Exodus 17:8–13).
29. THE KING OF AI: The execution of Ai’s populace included hanging the king. This wise move would have prevented later efforts to muster a Canaanite army. Further, as a wicked king, he was worthy of punishment according to biblical standards. This carried out the vengeance of God on His enemies.
30. JOSHUA BUILT AN ALTAR . . . AS MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD HAD COMMANDED: This ceremony took place in obedience to Deuteronomy 27:1–26 at the conclusion of Joshua’s central campaign.
31. AN ALTAR OF WHOLE STONES: In obedience to the instruction of Exodus 20:24–26, Joshua built the altar of uncut stones, thus keeping the worship simple and untainted by human showmanship. Joshua gave God’s Word a detailed and central place.
GOING DEEPER
Read 1 Timothy 6:6–10, 17–19, noting the key words and phrases below.
INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING MONEY AND POSSESSIONS: Paul warns Timothy against the sin of greed that Achan had committed at Jericho.
6:6. GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT: This Greek word translated contentment refers to self-sufficiency. Stoic philosophers used the term to describe a person who was unflappable and unmoved by external circumstances. Christians are to be satisfied, sufficient, and not to seek more than what God has already given them. The Lord is the source of true contentment.
8. HAVING FOOD AND CLOTHING . . . BE CONTENT: As Christians, we should be content with the basic necessities of life. Paul does not condemn us for having possessions, as long as God graciously provides them. He does, however, condemn a self-indulgent desire for money, which results from discontentment. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
9. THOSE WHO DESIRE TO BE RICH FALL INTO TEMPTATION: Desire refers to a settled wish that is born of reason and clearly describes those guilty of greed. The form of the Greek verb for fall indicates that those who have such a desire are continually falling into temptation. Greedy people are compulsive—they are continually trapped in sin by their consuming desire to acquire more.
DESTRUCTION AND PERDITION: Such greed may lead these people to suffer the tragic end of destruction and hell. These terms refer to the eternal punishment of the wicked.
10. LOVE OF MONEY: Literally “affection for silver.” Paul does not condemn money itself as being evil, for it is a gift from God (see Deuteronomy 8:18), but he does condemn the love of it.
17. COMMAND THOSE WHO ARE RICH: Paul here counsels Timothy on what to teach those who are rich in material possessions—those who have more than the mere essentials of food, clothing, and shelter. Once again, Paul does not condemn such people, nor does he command them to get rid of their wealth, but he does call them to be good stewards of the God-given resources they have received.
17. NOT TO BE HAUGHTY: Haughty means “to have an exalted opinion of oneself.” Those who have an abundance are constantly tempted to look down on others and act superior to them. Riches and pride often go together. The wealthier a person is, the more he is tempted to be proud (see Proverbs 18:23; 28:11; James 2:1–4).
UNCERTAIN RICHES . . . GIVES US RICHLY: Those who have much tend to trust in their wealth, but God provides far more security than any earthly investment can ever give.
18. READY TO GIVE: The Greek word means “liberal” or “bountiful.” Believers who have money must use it unselfishly and generously to meet the needs of others.
19. STORING UP . . . A GOOD FOUNDATION: Storing up can be translated “amassing a treasure,” while foundation can refer to a fund. The idea is that the rich in this world should not be concerned with receiving a return on their earthly investment. Those who make eternal investments will be content to receive their dividends in heaven.
UNLEASHING THE TEXT
1) Why did the Lord command the Israelites to not take anything from Jericho?
[Your Response]
2) Why did Achan disobey the Lord’s command? What motivated him?
[Your Response]
3) What was Joshua’s main concern when Israel lost the battle against Ai? How did his attitude compare with Achan’s?
[Your Response]
4) Why did Achan bury the loot under his tent? What did this reveal about his attitude toward God?
[Your Response]
EXPLORING THE MEANING
The things of the world can bring corruption. At the time the Israelites defeated Jericho, it was customary for a victorious army to plunder the defeated foe. From the perspective of war, Achan was well within his rights to take a few things after the battle. The items he came away with were not evil in themselves—a beautiful garment, some cash, and a wedge of gold. The problem was the Lord had clearly commanded His people to not take away any loot from Jericho. Interestingly, the Lord did permit them to carry away possessions from Ai. If Achan had simply obeyed at Jericho, he would have been more than compensated in the next battle.
The Lord frequently calls His people to refrain from worldly habits and pursuits—to obey His Word even when worldly pleasures tug our hearts in a different direction. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life continually tempt us to sin. Like Achan, our hearts can be enticed by feelings of covetousness, greed, envy, and the desires of our flesh. The question is whether or not we will resist the temptation and be obedient to the Lord.
The principle here is that the Lord calls His people to be set apart from the world—and this frequently includes avoiding contact with worldly activities. “For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’ Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you’ ” (2 Corinthians 6:16–17).
God cannot be deceived. Achan understood the Lord’s command not to touch any of the treasures in Jericho, but he believed he could take just a few small items without any consequences. He then buried those items in the ground beneath his tent—an excellent hiding place if ever there was one. Achan and his family believed they could hide their sin from God.
The fact is that they did succeed in hiding their sin from other people. It would appear that nobody outside of Achan’s family was aware of the stolen property, and Joshua confidently led the army into battle in the belief that all was well. Yet the Lord knew what Achan had done, and He was not willing to overlook the transgression. All sin, no matter how small in the world’s eyes, is an abhorrent offense in the eyes of God.
It is easy to hide our sins from the people around us, but we can never hide our transgressions from God. He calls His people to purify their lives from all sins and confess them openly before Him. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7–8).
Covetousness is the same as idolatry. Achan was motivated by covetousness. He confessed it was his own eyes that had led him into sin: he saw beautiful things in Jericho and coveted them in his heart. What he coveted, he also took . . . and what he took, he finally hid.
It is not a sin to admire beautiful things, but it is a sin to covet. To covet is to lust for something—to fix one’s mind on material possessions or financial gain. We begin to covet when we long to possess something that does not belong to us and when we become absorbed with getting what we don’t have. Achan did not sin when he noticed that the garment in Jericho was lovely. He sinned when he determined he had to own it in spite of God’s prohibition.
When we covet, we fix our hearts on material goods, and those desires begin to drive our thoughts, actions, and attitudes. In this way, the thing we covet becomes like a god to us—an “idol” in our lives. The Lord wants us to fix our eyes on Him alone, turning them away from the goods of this world. “Put to death . . . covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).
REFLECTING ON THE TEXT
5) What steps did Achan take in his sin? When have you taken similar steps that led to sin?
[Your Response]
6) Why did God command Achan’s entire family to be put to death? What does this severe punishment reveal about God’s view of disobedience?
[Your Response]
7) What exactly is covetousness? How is coveting an object different from admiring it? How can we tell the difference?
[Your Response]
8) In what ways is covetousness the same as idolatry? How can we recognize it in our lives?
[Your Response]
PERSONAL RESPONSE
9) Are you struggling with covetousness? What do you covet? What biblical principles and practical steps can you apply in your life to overcome this temptation?
[Your Response]
10) Are you trying to hide any sins from God? If so, take time right now to confess them to the Lord. He is faithful and just to forgive (see 1 John 1:9).
[Your Response]