JOSHUA 7 THE ACCURSED THING One of the greatest dangers in the life of a believer is when a significant victory in life has just been experienced. In the flush of triumph, we have a tendency to take credit for that which God has done through His chosen vessel. A serious danger that causes failure in things yet to come is self-confidence - the attitude that "We did it. Look how strong we are." It is essential in any victory, great or small, to give God all the glory. When health returns after a time of sickness, give God all the glory. When a soul is saved when you are guiding them through the scriptures, give God all the glory. When a new work begins and hope is high, give God all the glory. Otherwise defeat is lurking right there even though it is hidden from your view.
The word “but” at the beginning of the chapter gives an ominous note to the story. So far, they had been victorious and the story is a story of successes. But here they are in full retreat. Joshua is on his face before God, filled with dismay. He had counted on unbroken victory in the land and was probably sure that the days of defeat were past; that never again would Israel fail. When things go wrong, how do we react? Is God unable to cope with the enemy? What about God’s name and the dishonor to it? A life of unbroken victory over sin is the purpose of God.
Prayer and thanksgiving to God in times of victory produce a sense of humility and gratitude that prevents us from self-centeredness. Humiliation in times of victory is a great preservative from pride, arrogance and focus on the wrong things, in the wrong place and on the wrong person. Right beside self-confidence and self-centeredness is selfishness. Failure happens when we are disobedient to what we know is the mind and will of God. In such times we may be disloyal to God and betray His trust. If I consider what is important to God to not be important to me, I am stealing from Him. And what I do as an individual affects the whole assembly of believers of which I am a part. A person can be strong in faith one day, and be weak as water, acting in the flesh, the next day.
Joshua failed to consult with God and return to Gilgal before he sent men to spy out Ai. He sent them to act, when God was silent to him. Even the strongest believer is subject to failure in the warm glow of a victory. We must always be on our guard against claiming for ourselves that which belongs to God alone. The men he sent to report on the condition and strength of Ai failed to give an accurate account of the city. They did what so many of us do. They underestimated the strength of those who are in the bondage of Satan. It is important for us to always understand that God sees and knows what we cannot see or know. The soldiers that went up to Ai failed in that they thought too highly of themselves thinking they had conquered Jericho by their efforts. To over-estimate ourselves and our capabilities is probably a more serious problem, than to underestimate the strength of the enemy. Defeat in failing to obtain the objective, disgrace when fear take control of us instead of faith in God, and running away when the goal is before us, is the result of acting in the energy of the flesh.
Reasons for failure at Ai were self-confidence because compared to Jericho, it was small. They seemed to suppose that some greatness and strength of their own, caused the defeat at Jericho. There is no more perilous time in a believer’s life than when they experience deliverance from sin. We are always dependent on God for everything. Neglect of prayer was another reason. Joshua didn’t go back to Gilgal to commune with God. He didn’t prostrate himself in humility. He didn’t seek God’s counsel. Failure to pray makes us insensitive to sin. If you pray in time of victory, you won’t have to plead in defeat. The moment of victory is the moment for humility. Disobedience in taking the “accused thing” was a third reason. "Accursed thing" is the word in the AV; “devoted thing” is in the RV. The spoils of Jericho were to be set apart for God. One man had stolen what belonged to God. It was set apart for the Lord. “Israel hath sinned” – they were a nation; a complete entity; God dealt with them as a corporate body. When one member of an assembly is guilty before God of sin, the verdict from God is “My people have sinned”. No individual can sin without affecting the whole church.
Joshua and the elders fell before the ark of the Lord as mourners in their grief and confusion. Humiliation in defeat is understandable, but such humility does not rectify the problem or bring the right solution. Sin has to be acknowledged and dealt with. Even when God gives a victory, we want some of the credit, and self- confidence is the open door to defeat. Defeat reveals the condition of the heart. What starts inside, works its way out. Departure brings despair. When God's name and character are impugned in any way, something must be done. The people of God must preserve the honor of God's name and character in their testimony before the world around us. When sin comes among us, men die. Contagious fear, broken fellowship and doubting God will bring serious judgment upon all who are associated with that sin in any way.
Acting without divine authority and guidance brings mistakes, misjudgment, misgivings and misery. Unbroken victory over sin is no doubt the purpose of God. However, even though God does not make it impossible for His children to sin, He always makes it possible for them not to sin. Defeat may happen in a Christian’s life but it doesn’t need to. The child of God who is going forward in his life in Christ and is being victorious is in more danger of defeat than those who live in the sheltered valley. Satan makes such a person the object of his attack. On the high ground of fellowship with divine Persons, defeat doesn't have to happen, but it may, even there. When evil is detected we must sanctify ourselves and deal quickly with it. The passing of time does not improve the situation and the longer it is put off, the greater the negative effect it has on all the people of God. All Israel was involved in dishonoring the Lord even though Achan was the one who took that which was forbidden. When we are sensitive to right and wrong, we depend on God to lead us and make us spiritually conscious of all that is around us.
When those men were before the Lord and Joshua poured out his soul to the Lord in prayer, that was the first step to recovery. Godly sorrow, even when the words are wrong, opens the door to hope and recovery of spiritual health to the soul. Joshua's open-hearted prayer was a venting of his distress over what had happened. Even though it seemed like he was accusing God of not keeping His promise, it was the start of recovery to fellowship with God. It wasn't long and he was again speaking with the Lord, realized the problem and did what had to be done. The results of failure at Ai were that people died, v.5. Then Israel’s army melted in fear, v.5 and Joshua questioned God, v.7-9. God threatened to withdraw His presence from them, v.12, if the sin wasn't dealt with. Achan and his family had to be destroyed, v.24-26.
The explanation from the Lord as to the problem was plain. Sin had taken place and it could not be overlooked. It had to be dealt with. When sin occurs, get up and deal with it by taking action. Remorse does not deal with the problem and should not paralyze us into inactivity. A trespass is stepping over the line of God's boundary, and that is what Achan did when he took those things that belonged to God. He stole from God by claiming for himself what was God's. Perhaps he was remorseful but he didn't seem repentant. When we are indifferent to evil and idolatry of whatever kind it might be, we are on the ground of condemnation. God intends us to do His will all of the time, not just part of the time. Facing sin and putting it away even with tears, leads to repentance and forsaking sin. There will be blessing when we can see an event through the eyes of God. We should never underestimate what is important to God even though we may not completely understand at the moment what is involved. If it is important to Him, it should be important to me.
The cleansing effect of sanctification puts us in the condition of soul to act quickly, scripturally and wisely to bring about the solution to the problems sin causes. The recovered items were not acceptable to God because of the defilement one of His people brought on them. The garment came from Babel, the confusion of idolatry. The gold and silver came from the earth and the love of them is the root of all evil. When one sets his heart on them sorrow comes as the result. Consecration is needed to remind us of our sinfulness and God’s holiness. It is possible for one who falls, to be recovered when the heart is sensitive and that person is willing to walk softly before the Lord and His people. A consciousness of the seriousness of sin committed and the effect it has on all of God's people, changes one's heart and conduct.
As far as Achan's confession, “I saw---I coveted---I took,” it was words. He had succumbed to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Achan underestimated God. He didn’t take God seriously. He had to confess and accept the righteous justice of God. His confession did not excuse Achan and all around him, from the consequences of his actions, nor can we avoid the effects of the "accursed thing." Condemnation and righteous justice is the only way to deal with evil that brought defeat to Israel, death to the soldiers, and dishonor to the Lord. The root cause of it had to be blotted out.