Joshua 7:1-26

7:1 | The expression committed a trespass refers to a breaking of trust between two parties. The people of Israel broke trust with God when Achan took what was accursed in spite of the Lord’s command that nothing should be taken from Jericho except the items that were consecrated to Him.

7:2-5 | Success makes people more vulnerable to temptation. Coming off of their victory at Jericho, the Israelites expected Ai to be easily conquered, especially since the people of Ai were few. But in a shocking reversal, the Israelites were soundly defeated and suddenly they lost their courage (their hearts melted). This defeat was humiliating, but God’s judgment against Israel’s sin would be horrifying.

7:6-15 | God responded to Joshua’s confusion by telling him to get up and deal with the sin in the camp. Sin has consequences, often far beyond the individual sinner. And that was particularly true among God’s chosen people. In this case, an army was defeated (could not stand before their enemies), 36 men died, and a man, his entire family, and all his possessions were destroyed.

7:11-13 | This is delivered as a summary of charges against Israel, even though all the fighting men except one had complied with God’s commands. God accused them of having: sinned, transgressed My covenant (lit. “passing beyond a boundary”), taken accursed things, stolen, deceived, and put stolen goods with their own things. As punishment, the entire nation was doomed to destruction. This phrase had previously been used only of Israel’s enemies, but now God threatened to bring destruction on Israel (6:17; Deut. 7:26).

7:13 | The first step to dealing with their sin was for the entire nation to sanctify themselves. This means engaging in prescribed physical purification rites as a reminder of their inward sinfulness and God’s holiness.

7:14-21 | The threefold repetition of the phrase the LORD takes in verse 14 reveals that God was behind the process of elimination that uncovered Achan as the disobedient one. Notice his verbs in verse 21: after covetousness comes sin and hiding. This is reminiscent of Adam and Eve’s behavior in Genesis 3.

7:22-25 | Achan’s sin was dealt with swiftly (messengers ran), publicly (brought them to all the children of Israel, and laid them before the LORD), and completely so that at this pivotal point in Israel’s history, the people would understand the need for complete obedience. There is no victory where sin is present.

7:24-26 | Achan sounds similar to the Hebrew term for “trouble.” Since the accursed things were hidden in his tent, Achan’s family was probably complicit in his sin. They were killed along with him so that the sin could be rooted out completely. This thorough response abated the fierceness of the Lord’s anger.