Fresh on the heels of an astounding
victory at Jericho, the young Israelite nation, under Joshua's
leadership, focused on the next objective in their campaign to capture
Canaan - the land promised by Jehovah. Ai, a small town, was next on the
list. Upon their return, the men sent to spy out Ai advised Joshua to
send only two or three thousand men against Ai "for the people of Ai are
few" (Josh.
7:3). The men of Ai turned the
battle into a rout, chasing the Israelites back to where they came from,
striking down thirty-six men in the process, almost completely
demoralizing Joshua and Israel.
Joshua could not understand why God
would bring them over the Jordan only to be destroyed by the Amorites.
He poured out his heart to the Lord about the matter. Then the Lord
revealed the reason for this defeat. Achan had taken spoils from
Jericho, which were forbidden of the Lord, and had hidden them among his
stuff. This sin had to be corrected before God would permit Israel to
continue her conquest of the promised land. Achan, his family, and his
livestock were stoned and burned along with the rest his goods. What a
price to pay for one sin.
After the matter was corrected, Israel,
with the guidance and help of God, defeated Ai.
(Read Joshua 7 and
8.)
Achan's case illustrates the power of
sin. His sin caused a whole nation to suffer. "But, that was back then,"
says someone, "what about now?" The Hebrew writer compares sin back then
and now: "For if the word spoken through angels (during the Old
Testament era, see 1:1-eob) proved steadfast, and every transgression
and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we
neglect so a great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by
the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him"
(Heb. 2:2-3, read
also Heb. 10:28,29).
The case of Achan refutes three popular
myths about sin.
Myth:
One sin won't hurt.
How often have you heard it said that
it won't hurt to do it just this one time - "it," meaning whatever sin
is under consideration at the time? Achan's one sin hurt him greatly,
along with his family, his nation and the cause of his God.
One sin does hurt. "For whoever shall
keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all"
(Jas. 2:10). Eve's one sin brought death to the whole world. Moses' one
sin caused him to miss Canaan (Num. 20:7-13). Nadab and Abihu's one sin
cost them their lives
(Lev. 10),
as did Uzzah's
(2 Sam. 6:1-8)
and Ananias and Sapphira's
(Acts 5).
The rich young ruler only lacked one thing to inherit eternal life
(Lk
18:22-23), but lacking that one
thing caused him to go away sorrowful. Simon the Sorcerer was said to be
"poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity" after committing one sin
(Acts 8:23).
One who thinks that one sin will not
hurt needs to be aware that one sin may very well be a launching pad for
many other sins.
Joseph's brethren became envious of
him. This fostered a hatred to the point they could not even speak
peaceably to him. This was followed by conspiracy and bodily harm. They
sold him into slavery; and, to cover up their crime, they lied to their
father (Gen.
37).
David, a man after God's own heart,
looked on a woman to lust after her. This led to fornication. Then, in a
futile effort to cover his sin, he resorted to treachery and finally had
the woman's husband killed
(2 Sam. 11).
Did his one sin hurt? He wrote, "My sin is always before me"
(Psa. 51:3).
Apostasy from the Lord is taken one
step at a time. Paul urges Timothy to preach so as to prevent apostasy,
then explains why the urgency by showing how apostasy progresses. First,
"they will not endure sound doctrine." Such people begin their downward
slide into apostasy by becoming annoyed at sound preaching - preaching
that truly reproves, rebukes and exhorts. Secondly, "they will heap up
for themselves teachers" to scratch their itching ears. They will seek
and find teachers to teach it their way - more pleasing to the car and
less negative toward sin. Thirdly, they will turn their ears away from
the truth and be turned aside to fables. Going, going, gone! They have
completed the plunge into apostasy. But, where did it start? When they
took the first step of not enduring sound doctrine.
Each sin that one does weakens his
resistance to the next one until he finally develops a seared
conscience.
Myth:
One's sin is nobody's business but his.
Achan's sin affected the entire nation.
It hindered their progress in capturing Canaan. His sin caused all the
children of Israel to be rebuked: "But the children of Israel committed
a trespass regarding the accursed things"
(Josh. 7:1);
"Israel has sinned, and they have transgressed My covenant which I
commanded them"
(Josh. 7:11).
This sin caused the whole nation to suffer defeat: "Therefore the
children of Israel could not stand before their enemies"
(Josh. 7:12).
Achan's household was gravely affected by his sin
(Josh. 7:24).
The fornicator of 1 Corinthians 5
affected the whole church. Paul asked, "Do you not know that a little
leaven leavens the whole lump?" While it may be true that some sins,
because of their personal nature, only hurt the individual and his
relationship to God, all too often an individual sin has a way of
hindering the gospel of Christ and hurting other members of one's family
and/or congregation.
Myth:
One can keep sin hidden.
Achan probably thought that he had done
a pretty good job of hiding his ill gotten gain. It was hidden in the
earth in the midst of his tent - in the privacy and safety of his own
home. God knew it all along and ultimately all Israel found out about
it. Every diligent Bible reader today also knows about it.
Moses warned the children of Israel:
"be sure your sin will find you out"
(Num. 32:23).
One can never sin and rightly feel secure in the belief that no one will
ever know. There are too many ways for even secret sins to become known
for one to depend on the protection of secrecy. We once heard the story
of two preachers, traveling far away from home, stopping at a tavern and
deciding to have a little drink. After all, they were so far away from
anyone who knew them that their secret sin would never be known. Since
no one knew them or that they were preachers no harm would be done. As
they were about to leave they got into a mild argument about who would
pay the bill. While they were discussing the matter, the bartender leans
over and says, "That's all right fellows, we don't charge preachers in
here." No, my friend, do not count on your sins remaining hidden.
Sin is never hidden from God: "And
there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and
open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account"
(Heb. 4:13).
More often than we may realize our sin
is not hidden from others. When Moses killed the Egyptian, "He looked
this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian
and hid him in the sand. " Still the thing was known (v. 14). We may be
more transparent than we think. We may be seen when we are not aware of
it. But, if no one on earth ever knows - God knows and will judge us
according to the works done in the body, whether good or bad
(2 Cor. 5:10).
One sin, not repented of, can make a
big difference. Let us not have any illusions about it. Just one sin
does hurt. Just one sin may very well hurt someone else. Just one sin
may very well be found out by others. It is already known by the Lord,
for sure. Let us be careful. Strive to avoid even one sin. When we do
sin, we need to correct it immediately, to minimize the damage it can do
to ourselves and others.
Achan, his family, and all Israel
suffered from a sin that Achan thought he had carefully concealed. We
should not go and do likewise.
