Joshua was a diligent man, who took
his God-given assignments seriously. He was an
early riser as evident by the number of times this book tells us that he “rose
early in the morning.” We first encounter this phrase in Joshua 3:1 while
they were camped in Shittim waiting to cross the Jordan. Then again in
Joshua 6:12 as he garnered the people to march around the city of Jericho. Here
in Joshua 7:14, this phrase popped up again as he rose early to deal with
Achan, who caused them this needless defeat at Ai. We will see the phrase again
in Joshua 8:10 where he led the people into battle against Ai after he had
dealt with the root cause of their defeat. We may not think much of such a
phrase but it underscores the fact that Joshua was deeply entrenched in the
task he was assigned to do. This tells us that he had a deep desire when it came
to honoring the Lord in all his undertakings.
He was a man whose one deep passion was to see the Lord’s name vindicated and
the nation restored to honor
God. From him, we learn that our eagerness in a task
is an indication of the urgency and importance we attach to our God-given assignment.
Notice that up to this point, Achan
remained very quiet. How much easier it would have been had he admitted to the
guilt immediately after their defeat at Ai. But he did not. This passage
accentuates the truth that with the Lord there is no way a sin can be concealed
forever. There is no hidden sin that can remain hidden forever. Again, we heed
the warning of Numbers 32:23 that says: “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
Why did Achan not admit to the guilt earlier? Why did he allow the whole
camp to go through so much just to identify him? We can only postulate the
reasons for his nonchalance. His conscience was seared. His unconscionable act
was a sheer case of unbelief. It was a reflection of a heart that was totally
devoid of the fear of the Lord. He didn’t believe that God meant what He said
when He pronounced the ban. Similarly, every time we commit a sin, we are in
effect showing that we have no regard for God. It is one thing to
unknowingly commit a wrong, but it is quite another to blatantly disobey God’s
specific instruction. We must learn to be quick to repent of our sin. Covering
sin is like trying to wrap fire with paper. It’s an impossibility. So, we must
not wait until a sin grows into an unmanageable proportion before we will act
and repent. Our Lord Himself had warned us in Luke 12:2 that “There is nothing covered
that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.”
Joshua 7:17-18 tell us that nothing is
hidden from the eye of God. So, Achan was identified as the culprit. The way
Joshua went about extracting a confession from him shows us that owning up to
one’s fault and honestly confessing it can be a God-honoring thing. We
discredit God when we refuse to confess to our wrong. Confession of a wrong is
a way of acknowledging God’s sovereignty over our lives and that He has the
right to our life, and we are willing to live in subjection to His reign.
Hence, we see every godly man in the Bible was quick to confess and acknowledge
their flaws. God will always reciprocate an honest and sincere repentance. He
will help such a person back to the path He has charted for him. That is God’s
promise to us in the New Covenant. Our sin He will remember no more. Our guilt
and condemnation took place at Calvary. So, John assures us that “If we confess
our sin, God is faithful and just and will forgive our sin and cleanse us from
our unrighteousness.” Then why was Achan dealt with so severely? Bear
in mind that his confession was wrung out of him. True confession is always accompanied
by a broken heart that sincerely acknowledges one’s flaw. That person realizes how
much he had hurt God and turn in contrition. This was not seen in Achan’s
situation. In all probability, his was more a remorse than a repentance. Hence,
he was dealt with severely.
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